10 healthy snacks

Here is the continuation post from yesterday:

1. Rice cakes, soy crisps & non-buttered popcorn. These healthy snacks bring a satisfying, sweet and salty crunch to replace chips, with fiber and protein to boot. If you must, try baked chips. Good thing I love baked Lay's! Oh,and non-buttered popcorn? Yuck!
   
2. Whole grain. To satisfy that craving for sweet, bready goodness, opt for whole grain bagels, low fat banana bread, or a whole-wheat PB&J. These carry half the calories and replace the trans fat with 4 grams of healthy fiber. Good to know, however I think I'll still buy my delicious white bread.
   
3. Granola bars. With the same flavor options, granola bars provide that same chewy texture with the filling benefits of oats. If you must have cookies (and we all must at some point), make them from scratch. Kids will love to help and you can cut virtually one third of the fat out of a regular recipe without sacrificing anything. Without sacrificing anything? How about the taste and texture? I'm sorry but applesauce just doesn't cut it when it comes to replacing sugar in a recipe.
   
4. Turkey or ham "roll-ups." Simply roll up your kids' favorite lean lunch meat slices, cut in half, and pierce with a tooth pick. Ounce for ounce, turkey or ham contains typically only 60 calories and 1 gram of fat per serving. That is a good little snack.
   
5. Real cheese. Kids love string cheese. Also, pair real cheese with fruit or whole grain crackers. Kids desperately need the bone-building benefits of calcium, so stick with real cheeses, low-fat yogurt and milk. I love string cheese! Blake can do the cheese with fruit thing but it doesn't look very appealing to me.
   
6. Fresh fruit. Fruit is one of the best, most bio-available ways to get antioxidants, without simultaneously consuming refined sugar. If your kids want the texture of a fruit snack, pour bowls of dried cranberries, cherries, apricots and applies. With the same tang as fruit snacks, dried fruit also packs fiber. To replace fruit roll-ups, try natural fruit leather, which can also be made at home. I tried dried fruit with Sadie. She knew they weren't fruit snacks and quickly spit them out. Maybe I'll try this one again.
   
7. Low-sugar cereal. Nothing comforts a small belly better than a bowl of Life. Also try trail mix. With peanuts, raisins and scant M&M's, it almost tastes like a candy bar. Keep a close eye on those portions - just two tablespoons. Does Captain Crunch count as a low-sugar cereal? I sure hope so! The trail mix is a great idea!
   
8. Whole grain bread. Before buying, check the fiber content of the bread. If a serving contains less than 2 grams of fiber, it shouldn't qualify as "whole grain." Or, I can just stick to my delicious white bread (as stated above).
   
9. Water. Water - forever and always the body's number one hydrator. Flavorful options included 100% juice (read the label), low-fat milk and Gatorade. Water isn't a snack. It's important, but not a snack.
   
10. Veggies & healthy dip. Slice carrots, celery, broccoli, zucchini and peppers to dip with low-fat ranch for a salty, crunch alternative. If you raised adventurous eaters, try salsa or hummus, a Middle Eastern dip of chick peas, garlic and lemon juice. Apples, celery and carrots also pair wonderfully with peanut butter. Apples and peanut butter is quite tasty! Low-fat ranch, not so much.