Healthy Nachos

Going low carb can be a real challenge. I find it especially hard to eat healthy during football or parties. We just love party snacks but you know as well as I do that they can be awful for you! I’m still adjusting but for now these nachos will work great in a pinch! Believe it or not, the bell peppers make a great substitute for a chip. Let’s be honest though – it’s still not a chip. I really liked the light and crisp taste though. Plus I could eat a lot more without feeling guilty about it! I did made my husband some with tortilla chips though – not everyone is excited about finding a low carb, clean, appetizer like I am : ). Makes enough for about 4-6 servings depending on if you are serving as an appetizer or a meal.

3-4 bell peppers, seeded and cut into 2” chunks

1 can beans, drained and rinsed (our favorites are black beans or cannellini beans)

2 medium tomatoes, diced

½ cup corn

½ cup jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped

1 avocado, chopped

¼ cup green onions chopped

½ cup shredded cheese (we used dairy free)

Salsa, sour cream, etc for additional toppings

Heat oven to 400°F. On a large baking sheet sprayed with olive oil, line bell peppers in a single layer. Spread evenly over peppers the beans, corn, tomatoes, peppers. Top with cheese and bake for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and top with avocadoes, green onions and additional toppings if desired. Serve immediately. 

Cocoa Roasted Hazelnuts

Do you like Nutella? Or that flavor of spread? If so, you’ll love these. These little guys are like a portable snack version of the chocolately spread. They are quick and easy to make, great for gifts and store easily. This batch makes about 1 lb of nuts.

1 lb of hazelnuts

¼ cup cocoa

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 Tbsp honey or sugar

1 tsp almond milk

½ tsp sea salt

• In a large stockpot, combine oil, cocoa, honey, milk and salt over medium heat. Cook and stir until smooth and starting to boil. 
• Add in hazelnuts, stirring constantly. Cook for about 10 minutes or until cocoa mixture is almost absorbed. 
• Pour hazelnuts onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 200°F for about 15 minutes. 
• Let cool and break apart nuts. Store in a sealed container. 

Soccer Snacks

I’m not sure if it’s the same where you live, but here youth soccer is a big deal. Players ranging from 3-18 play and love it! This is our first year for soccer with my 5 year old. We are working on his socializing before he starts school so we are giving sports and other activities a try. My husband is one of the coaches on the team and it is going very well. Anyway – today is the first set of games. Each parent is responsible for bring snacks for a game and I’m looking forward to it. In the past, I’ve seen everything from pop and cookies to more healthy options for kids sports. I may not be the mom that brings cookies and soda for a treat BUT that’s okay. I’d rather them have better options, especially after running around for an hour. I don’t giver other kids things I wouldn’t give my own. That means, if my son doesn’t get Oreo’s, then we don’t “treat” them either. Some kids (and parents) don’t like it, but that’s okay. It’s not like I’m making them eat kale and asparagus or something. I don’t care what anyone else feeds their kids; we all have options and choices to make.

Here are few ideas for kid snacks – for soccer games or whatever!

• Goldfish crackers (preferably homemade)
• Dried fruits
• Cereal
• Trail mix
• Pretzels
• Cheese cubes
• Fresh fruit chunks (the best are oranges, grapes, apples, pears)
• Almonds or other nuts/seeds
• Infused waters
• All natural fruit juices
• Coconut water
• Fresh lemonade

Some good tips for treat days:

• Always bring a couple extra (just in case!)
• If you are outside, bring a trash sack for any empty bags or other trash
• Baby wipes or Wet Ones are great for cleanup
• Be patient with the children (some will run over other kids to get their snack, others will be shy)
• Make sure there aren’t any kids with food allergies if possible
• If you have someone with a food allergy, try not to put anything that would harm them in the snacks – bring something else.
• Always bring a smile – children are one of God’s greatest gifts and their innocence is such a blessing – enjoy it!

Snack Time!

If you pay attention to any of my meal plans, you will notice that we have 3 sets of snacks- AM, PM and Evening. We may not eat this many sets of snacks each day but we strive to eat a balanced diet. This mainly started when I was struggling with my weight. I lost a significant amount of weight very fast so I had to start eating several smaller meals during the day in hopes to maintain my weight and energy levels. I also found I was starting to lack in several nutrients. Therefore, my husband’s smoothies were born. I will probably randomly post these recipes but I can’t take credit for them as he makes them for me in the mornings to take to work. We tend to eat really lean during our meals, so it doesn’t hurt us to have the extra calories. Overall, our goal for snacks is to make them wholesome, nutritional, filling and fun. My son prefers cheese sticks all of the time. My daughter may turn into a blueberry. I prefer almonds. We try to incorporate all of these into our snack time. During the week, my kids are in a daycare and they get their healthy snacks there. So mainly these snacks are for me. Anyway – here is a list of different snack ideas that we use.

·         Various fruit/veggie smoothies
·         Pre-made fruit/veggie smoothies or juices. We like the “Naked”, “Bolthouse Farms”, and “Sambazon” brands
·         Fresh fruit with mixed nuts
·         Cheese sticks – typically low fat mozzarella or Colby jack.
·         Yogurt (zero or low-fat Greek, almond milk, or coconut milk)
·         GF Granola (I really like the “Love Foods” and “Kind” brands, or make your own!)
·         Fresh veggies with dip (“Ranch” dip using yogurt)
·         Hummus (regular, red pepper, chipotle, etc.) with GF Crackers
·         Snack bars (We like “Larabar”, “Kind” bars, etc)
·         Trail mix
o   We make our own trailmix using dried fruits, GF pretzels, baked chips or crackers, GF cereals, GF granola, mixed nuts, coconut flakes, etc.
o   Our evening snack is typically our splurge – this is where we eat our smore’s, cookies or other baked goodies (in moderation of course).
o   Because my husband and I both have busy full-time jobs, we prepare our snacks for the week on Sunday’s. Whether it is cutting up fruit/veggies, making trail mix, etc., it is nice to be prepared in case we have busy days during the week.
o   It may seem like a lot of snacks but if you watch your portion sizes and what you are eating for your main meals, you can maintain a proper level of fat and calorie intake. Like I said, we don’t always have three snacks a day. Obviously, if we have eaten more than we should have (or unhealthy choices) we don’t have extra snacks to fill the calorie void. Either way, we like to have our options!