Monday, April 4, 2011

Top 5 Snacks for a Grazer

This blog is totally random. Well random for you all reading this, but not that random for me - since I've become even more of a grazer and I seem to think about food ALL the time.

I've never been a 3 meal a day kind of gal. I'm more a big breakfast, small lunch, HUGE snack, small-ish dinner - with a few tiny little snacks mixed in (like a handful of grapes or chocolate chips). So I figured I'd share some of my favorite snacks, maybe it'll help some of my fellow grazers switch up their grazin' grub. There are some my bigger snacks...sometimes even made as my lunch.

1. Apples, PB, mini-marshmallows - This is a favorite and probably why it came to mind first. I slice an apple, measure out 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, and grab a serving of mini-marshmallows. Then you dip the apple in PB, stick a marshmallow on it, take a bite, and repeat. A little fruit, a little protein, and a little sweet (for those of us who need some sweetness multiple times a day).

2. Veggies and hummus - This certainly isn't original, but it's a favorite. I love taking a couple tablespoons of hummus (garlic and roasted red pepper are my fav) and dipping any sort of veggie in it. Most of the time I go with baby carrots, cucumber peppers or celery. If I'm really into hummus but not so into the veggies on a particular day, I'll dip pretzels into the hummus.

3. English muffin, PB, banana - This is another good way to satisfy my sweet tooth. I toast 1/2 a cinnamon raisin english muffin, spread 1 tablespoon of PB on it, and then cut up 1/2 a banana on top. I'm now realizing that a lot of my snacks include peanut butter.

4. Yogurt and frozen blueberries - This makes for a yummy summer snack, as it's a nice substitute for ice cream. I take yogurt (Dannon Light & Fit) and mix in a 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries (still frozen). As you mix and let it sit for a few seconds, the yogurt coats, and slight hardens, around the blueberries. Occasionally I'll add some cereal, like Life or Kashi Go Lean Crunch.

5. Edamame - aka soy beans - We buy individual serving bags of frozen edamame and I devour them. All you have to do is throw the bag in the microwave and in a few minutes it's ready to eat. I love covering them in salt or dipping them in soy sauce - sometimes both.

Some of these snacks are a little more common than others. Some are easier to make than others. But one this is for sure, if you've never tried them, I highly recommend them. Have a favorite I haven't mentioned? Hook me up with your suggestions!

Comments (16)

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Ooh, The combo PB and banana is really good. I eat that a lot, and I think it's delicious. But my friends think I'm crazy (which i'm not of course) All my friends put a layer of chocolate sprinkles on top of PB. I think they're crazy:P (But, then of course, we're Dutch so, that says it al, doesn't it)

My favorite is a cherry tomato, 1/2 of a little mozzerellabol, and a leaf basilicum on a little skewer, and make a lot of it. Not original, but SO good:)

greetings Tamara
1 reply · active 730 weeks ago
Will try the skewers - YUM!
Lisa Dwyer's avatar

Lisa Dwyer · 730 weeks ago

southwest chipolte hummus is the bomb!!!!! you should try it. I eat it with veggies too or as a dip with torilla chips. yummmmm..
I am a salt person....special K cracker chips are really good and low cal too.

a stick of lowfat string cheese wrapped in a slice of lunchmeat.

low fat string cheese dipped in cocktail sauce.

devils food cake mix and can of pumpkin...baked as muffins or cake. yummo!
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
I like the funky combos - like string cheese dipped in cocktail sauce. Great tips!! Will have to give the southwest chipotle hummus a shot!!
OH melted chocolate chips and PB for a fruit drip is yummy too!!
Chocolate and PB is good on EVERYTHING! I like it on pretzels too!
My kids like honey wheat pretzel sticks dipped in Nutella. My current fave (healthy snack) is fresh fruit dipped in vanilla yogurt. I dip everything from watermelon to honeydew to cantaloupe to grapes and apples. I'm more of a carbs gal than you I think and I also like junk food for grazing. I buy the chocolate covered quaker granola bars and I hide them from my kids. Another favorite snack in the afternoon is a huge glass of chocolate milk. But hey, I'm a CFer and we like our calories!
1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago
I'm a carbs kinda gal too - but I figured "chips" wasn't an interesting enough snack that other hadn't tried yet :)
All your favorite snacks seem to be mine as well...I wonder...
Banana or strawberries dipped in hot melted chocolate! So good. Also, a really good meal is nachos. I use Doritos instead of tortilla chips, add black beans, salsa, cilantro, cheddar cheese and throw it in the micro till it melts. Then, I add sour cream on the top. Full of calories Ronnie. So, try it, it is awesome. You could add left over meat but I am a vegetarian so no meat for me. I also make my own trail mix. Take whatever nuts you like add chocolate chips and your choice of dried fruit( I like dried cranberries or cherries), and you have a great post run snack. Full of salt, protein and some sugar. If I can think of anything else, I will let u know.
1 reply · active 686 weeks ago
Those are great suggestions! I like the idea of the make your own trail mix :)
This is a great blog.I just found it today!I just had a quick question-I have watched some of your videos and I'm wondering how you got so muscley!I'm 28 years old with CF and same mutation or genotype as you and I find it difficult to put on weight so if you could point me to a blog post or video explaining how you do it that would be great thanks!Thanks for taking the time to do this-it really helps.P.S. your daughter is super cute-I'm hoping to have a baby soon :)
4 replies · active 686 weeks ago
I don't think it's a certain diet, although I do make sure mine is chalked full of protein. I've been involved with sports, exercise and weight training my entire life. I was able to build a solid foundation as a teen that I've been able to keep up as an adult. It's all about building muscle and fueling our body to do so. Do you currently weight train?
I'm just getting started with it.Have just started running recently so I can get in the best possible shape for having a baby.I have weights which I am trying to use but I am pretty weak and need to get into a routine.To be honest it's all a bit new to me so am checking out blogs like yours for tips!I do pretty well without exercise so I am hoping that with exercise I will be at my best.Thanks for responding.
Be sure to check back in next week. I'll be posting a workout challenge from the hospital :)
Will do!

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