Agua de Coco

Ever wonder what the best way is to rehydrate and refuel your body?  As strange as this sounds, it is not even a sports drink.... It's a relatively new product to North America: Coconut Water!  This product not only tastes divine (and reminds you of a hot summer vacation on the beach)  it is ridiculously nutritious!  Vita Coco Coconut Water is 100% natural, fat free, cholesterol free, loaded with potassium and electrolytes.  This drink comes in 5 delicious, nutritious flavors: 100% Pure Coconut Water, Peach & Mango, Tangerine, Pineapple, and Acai & Pom.  I hope you love it as much as I do!!!

Holy Cow

Who doesn't love cheese??? I could eat cheese ALL the time...however, many cheese choices are loaded with fat. My favorite snack cheese is the Laughing Cow cheese wedges.  They are only 35 calories, have no trans fats, and are a great source of calcium--which we all need.  The wedge seems to be the right amount when paired with Reduced Fat Wheat Thins or Pepperidge Farms Pretzel Thins. Laughing Cow provides several flavors including, Light Garlic & Herb, Light French Onion, Light Blue Cheese, and Light Mozzarella and Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil--which I have yet to try, but am so looking forward to my first taste!

 



These cheese wedges and crackers reminds me of a childhood favorite: Handi-Snacks!!  Do you remember those cheese and cracker duos that were all so processed and loaded with sodium fillers and fat, but tasted so yummy?  Luckily we have Laughing Cow wedges to save us from a far less nutritious choice!!!

Peanut, Peanut Butter

One of my recent obsessions is Peanut Butter.  It is easy to buy Jif or Skippy Peanut Butter, but the brand names are generally loaded with sugar, salt, and trans fats.  The best peanut butter I have found is MaraNatha organic nut butters.  This brand is all natural, has no trans fats, no hydrogenated oils, or preservatives.  This product is cholesterol free and has very low sodium.  Also, for those of you that need to eat gluten free, this is a great choice!  The best part about this product is that it is produced in Ashland, Oregon!!!  There are several nut butter choices that MaraNatha offers.  I have only tried to regular peanut butter and almond butters, but I discovered a Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter that looks divine!  This is a great snack after a hard workout when you pair a tablespoon of peanut butter with an apple or banana. Mmmmm!  You can also freeze spoonfuls of this and grab them to enjoy whenever you need something slightly sweet and salty.  I read that you can melt the dark chocolate pb and enjoy it over fat free vanilla ice cream...I cannot imagine anything tasting better than that! This product is only $4.99 which isn't too expensive for the quality and taste.

The best alternative to MaraNatha is Jif All Natural.  It tastes great and is made with only 5 ingredients.

Hummus Time!

Hummus has to be one of my absolute favorite snacks!  It is made from chickpeas and can be mixed with basically everything from garlic, to red peppers, to spinach and artichoke.  The best hummus is fresh at mediterranean restaurants, but there are delicious store-bought brands as well.  I love dipping carrots, red or green peppers, and celery in it.  The only thing you have to keep in mind is portion control.  Hummus is so good that you often eat more than expected without realizing it.  My favorite store-bought flavors are supremely spicy and roasted pine nuts.  Hummus provides protein and fiber, but does have some fat so remember: portion control :)

Edamame

Lucky for us, Edamame (soybeans) doesn't have to be saved for just hibachi grills or sushi restaurants, you can make it at home!  Edamame can be found in the frozen veggie section of your local grocery store.  It takes only 5 minutes to cook and is such a yummy and healthy snack.  I introduced my sister to this about a month ago and she's hooked and so is her husband!  It's the perfect snack when you're looking for something to munch on, but aren't wanting to overindulge.  This snack is tastes delicious when sprinkled lightly with salt before eating and is a great source of protein, fiber, calcium, and vitamins A and C.  You can also add shelled Edamame to dishes like salads, pasta dishes and couscous. 

More Cereal!!!

Another favorite cereal of mine is Chocolate Cheerios.  I have always considered Cocoa Pebbles one of the most delicious cereals around; mainly because at the end you have chocolate milk to drink after enjoying every ounce of your chocolate indulgence.  Chocolate Cheerios are on the same scale as Cocoa Pebbles, but they are actually good for you! One serving of Chocolate Cheerios has only 100 calories, is low fat (saturated fat free), has no cholesterol, is a good source of calcium and vitamin D, and is made with whole grains.  This tasty cereal has 12 vitamins and minerals!  My absolute favorite morning meal is to mix Chocolate Cheerios and Cinnamon Chex then add a banana! 

A good substitute for the ever delicious Fruit Loops, are Fruity Cheerios. The added bonuses of these yummy fruity circles are the calcium, iron, and whole grains. 

Scrumptious Cereals

I am addicted to cereal.  I could eat cereal for every meal, every day. Unfortunately the best tasting cereal is usually loaded with sugar.  In my opinion, one of the best tasting cereals is Cinnamon Toast Crunch and luckily I have found an alternative, without all the extra sugar!  Cinnamon Chex tastes just like Cinnamon Toast Crunch and it is WAY healthier! This variety of Chex cereal is Gluten Free, only 120 calories, 2 g of fat (monosaturated), low sugar and 40 mg of potassium! Compared to Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Chex wins every time.  Although the calories are comparable, Cinnamon Toast Crunch has a lot more sodium content, more sugars, more carbohydrates, and some saturated fat.  The best part about Cinnamon Chex is, it tastes absolutely delicious! 

Most Nutritious Snack (and it involves chocolate!)

Perhaps the most nutitious thing to add you any diet is the almond.  Almonds provide for a great snack, with many nutritional benefits.  These tasty nuts are packed with vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and monosaturated fats (which are very heart healthy).  I'm not a huge nut fan, however the Emerald brand Cocoa Roasted almonds are insanely yummy!  You can buy them in 100 calorie packs and add major nutrients to your diet, while still enjoying a bit of chocolate!  I highly recommend snacking on this heart healthy treat daily.

Not Just for TOTS!

Juice is believed to be very nutritious, however it can be detrimental to any diet if you choose the wrong one. My favorite fruit juice is Mott's for Tots. This juice has 40% less sugar than regular fruit juices, no artificial sweeteners and is 100% juice. Mott's for Tots has 4 flavors to choose from, but my favorite is Fruit Punch. This juice is definitely not just for kids, although I am definitely a kid at heart :)

Chocolate Indulgences

No Pudge Fudge. Enough said. This brownie mix is bomb! Of course, it is only a healthy indulgence if you don't eat the entire pan in one sitting :) These brownies are made with fat-free plain or vanilla yogurt and are super delish. I tried the mint ones as well and those left a bit to be desired, but the regular No Pudge brownies are really good. I'm a chocolate fanatic so this was a great find.

Hydration

As much as I wish I loved staying hydrated and drinking water, it has almost been a weak spot in my overall nutrition. It is hard for me to drink plain water, unless there is some flavoring and bubbles! I am addicted to carbonation--which is not a good thing, however I came across a solution to this problem: Sparkling Water! Whenever someone asks me what sparkling water is, I simply explain that it is water that SPARKLES!!! The most flavorful and cost-effective sparkling water is definitely La Croix. It comes in Lime, Grapefruit, Cran-Raspberry, Lemon, Orange, and Berry, as well as pure sparkling water. It also comes in cans, rather than glass bottles which is not as fancy but you don't catch as much flack for drinking sparkling water out of a can as you do with the bottles. This refreshing beverage is tasty, provides perfect carbonation, and is still water--which means it is CALORIE AND SODIUM FREE!!!!!!! My favorite flavor is lime, but I'm dying to try the cran-raspberry.

A few of my FAVORITE things!

I love love to snack! I am continually searching the grocery store for new, healthy, yummy snacks. One of my absolute favorite snack foods are Annie's Bunny Grahams. These tasty treats are all made from whole grains and are organic. Even better, you can eat 27 grahams for only 130 calories! My favorite flavor is chocolate, although occasionally I'll get the bunny 'friends' box and save all the chocolate ones to enjoy last. Bunny Grahams are the much healthier cousin of the famous Teddy Grahams, except they are much healthier and have way less sugar and processed ingredients. I do have to warn you, never ever try the gluten free Annie's cookies--they are not very good at all and have a bad after taste....so, unless you have to eat a gluten free diet try to avoid these.

I love chips. As much as I try to avoid chips, I just cannot live without their crunchy tanginess that explodes in my mouth. I finally found a good alternative to chips; have you ever tried PopChips??? These chips are not baked, not fried, but POPPED!!! Who would have thought that you could 'pop' a chip into a chip?!?! As crazy as it sounds, it is sooooo much healthier than regular chips as most of the fat is left to the way-side. With all of the delicious flavors, how could you ever resist?!?! The only thing to be conscious of is the sodium--which can cause water retention. These chips come in original flavor, barbecue, salt and vinegar, sour cream and onion, salt and pepper, parmesan garlic, and cheddar! There are soooo many flavors and I cannot wait to try all of them!