snack attack

Everyone's busy; high school students with all their extracurriculars; college students juggling classes, jobs, and social lives; adults trying to provide financially for their families but still have plenty of family time. Even retired folks often fill their schedules with volunteering, traveling, and spending time with grandkids. As a symptom of our collective busyness, the most popular blog post request I've had so far is for quick and healthy snacks. So here's a list I put together of snacks for all different types of cravings and times of the day. Pick and choose which ones you think will make your life both healthier but easier.

Salty:

1. Air-popped or Stove-top Popcorn: Takes just few minutes to prepare, fills you up with fiber and protein, and satisfies any salt tooth.
2. Dry-roasted, Salted Pumpkin Seeds: Lower calorie than most other seeds and nuts (only 70 calories per 1/4 cup) and full of filling protein as well as nutrients like calcium and iron.

Sweet:
1. Fresh fruit: Nature's dessert.
2. Frozen bananas or blueberries: Taste like frozen yogurt (minus all the added sugar)!
3. Hot Cocoa or Sweetened Tea: For relatively few calories, some homemade hot cocoa or honey-sweetened tea can satisfy your sugar craving. Here's a good hot cocoa recipe from Alton Brown of the Food Network.

Breakfast-on-the-Run:

1. A Banana: It has its own built-in packaging, so what could be an easier breakfast when you don't even have a minute for a bowl of cold cereal? If you can, though, grab a handful of almonds or walnuts as well for some protein.

2. Breakfast-in-a-bag: In a small zip-lock bag, pack about half a cup of your favorite cereal (high in fiber and protein, hopefully), a small handful of nuts, and another small handful of something sweet if you'd like, such as dried fruit (idea from Jennifer Saltiel on Kaboose.com). Stash in your purse/backpack/etc and you're out the door with energy to get you through your morning.

3. Whole Wheat Muffins: Make a dozen or two on the weekends, stick them in the freezer, and take them out and microwave when you needed. There are hundreds of versions of whole wheat muffins, but my favorite is pumpkin. Here's the best-tasting and healthiest recipe I've tried to date: Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins.

Car Keepers:

1. Trail Mix, of course: Almonds, walnuts, dried fruit, granola, cold cereal, peanuts, banana chips, raisins, sunflower seeds, chocolate chips, cashews, pumpkin seeds, popcorn, pretzels; pick a few, fill up a medium-sized resealable bag, and permanently stash it in your car so you don't feel the need to raid a convenience store or drive-thru whenever hunger hits. If you don't have a car, keep a smaller-sized bag in your purse or backpack instead.
2. Cereal: Simple but works great. Find a high-protein, high-fiber cereal (I love Kashi) and either keep a bag or the whole box in your car 24/7.

Afternoon Energy Boosts:
1. Apple or Banana Slices spread with Peanut Butter: Get a serving a fruit in while filling up on its fiber and the protein from the peanut butter. Great snack to pick you up when you'd rather be taking an afternoon nap. If you're not a peanut butter fan, try pairing a cut-up apple with slices of your favorite cheese.
2. Carrots or Celery dipped in Guacamole or Hummus. Great for the same reasons as the above snack. Fiber + Protein + Unsaturated Fat = Get You Through Until Dinner.
3. Fair Trade Tea: Tea is a great energy boost for several reasons; first and most obvious is the caffeine. But because most teas have less caffeine than coffee they are also less likely to cause caffeine dependence (which is no fun, believe me). The second great thing about tea is (another obvious one) that it's hydrating. Being adequately hydrated is a huge part of staying energetic and alert. The third reason that tea is such a great "snack" is for it's long-term benefits; tea is full of antioxidants, which reduce the long-term effects of stress on your body. If you can't stomach tea plain, add a little milk, soymilk, lemon juice, or honey.

Evening Snacks: If you're anything like me, nighttime is the hardest  part of the day to suppress the desire to clean out the pail of ice cream sitting seductively in the freezer. Whether I'm either trying to avoid homework or cure boredom, the object of my desire is usually sugary or fat-filled. Thankfully I've developed a few coping methods.
1. Homemade Hot Cocoa or Decaf Tea: Here's the same hot cocoa recipe link posted above.

2. Popcorn: Great for the same reasons mentioned previously.
3. Chicken Soup or Broth: I find this a really soothing snack, especially on a cold winter night, and can even trick myself into thinking it's a full meal. :)
4. Homemade Baked Potato "Chips:" Found this snack idea at HubPages.com: Thinly slice a potato (white or sweet) with a potato peeler. Spray a cookie sheet with PAM, arrange the potato slices on the cookies sheet so they're not touching or overlapping. Spray them lightly with PAM, sprinkle with salt to taste and back them in a 370F oven for about ten to fifteen minutes - or until they are lightly brown and crispy.
5. Water: Wait, water isn't a snack! Exactly. If you've had a filling dinner, chances are your food itch is (as in my case) not hunger-based at all. So flavor some water with lemon and find another distraction (easier said then done, but it sounds nice, right?).

Photo Credits: Flickr Creative Commons Artists laffy4k, Rex Roof, floodkoff, kevinmarsh, and roland.

easy, breezy guac.

I found this extremely inexpensive and made-in-under-5-minutes guacamole recipe from Laura Dolson on About.com.You most likely already have all the ingredients in your kitchen (minus the avocado). Avocados are about $1 a piece and I'd estimate that a one-avocado batch of guacamole makes two or three servings, which I consider a pretty good value. It's best known as a chip dip or a burrito topping, but if you're looking for a healthier alternative I've found it's great as a carrot dip as well. And not only does guac taste AMAZING, but it's also amazingly good for you. Why? Avocados, which are actually fruits, are full of monounsaturated fats (important for your heart, skin, and overall health), fiber, and Vitamin C. Another benefit of avocados is that their thick skin prevents pesticides from leeching in, so you don't need to buy organic. Guac definitely deserves its rep as a great party food!

Super-Easy Guacamole

Ingredients

-avocados (number according to the size of the crowd)
-about 1/4 tsp salt per avocado
-about 2 Tbsp salsa per avocado
-about 3/4 tsp garlic powder per avocado
-about 1/2 tsp lemon or lime juice per avocado
-optional: Chopped cilantro, chopped onion

Preparation

1. Cut the avocados in half, squeeze out the pit (just gently squeeze till it pops out) and scoop the fruit into a bowl.
2. Add the salt, juice, salsa, and garlic powder. Mash it together with a fork (I like to leave some chunks).
3. Taste. If you can't taste the avocado much, add a bit of salt. If it's a little flat, dribble a little juice in. If it's not spicy enough, add a little salsa. Try more garlic powder to see how that changes it. Play with it and you will find your "ideal guac balance point".
4. Stir in cilantro and onion at the end if you want to.
5. Enjoy with tortilla chips, in a taco salad, on a burrito, or as a veggie dip!

If you want to know more about all the benefits of eating guacamole/avocados, check out this article from WebMD.

10 shelf staples (Part I)

So you honestly try to eat healthfully. You really do. But every time you go shopping you face thousands of products that shout health claims like "Low-Fat," "No Added Sugar," "All-Natural," and "Heart Healthy!" Where to start? Your common sense will tell you that Quaker Breakfast Cookies probably aren't the healthiest choice you could make for the most important meal of the day, but beyond that things get more hazy. Here are the first five in my list of ten things to keep in your pantry all the time. With these ten items you should be covered for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and meals-on-the-go. Bring this list next you go to the store and you can't go wrong.

1. Dried Beans and Lentils  
I'm not a true vegetarian, but I eat like one most of the time, and one of the biggest reasons is cost. Even the cheapest meats and poultry are more expensive than "vegetarian" sources of protein like beans and other legumes. And there are so many to choose from! Black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, navy beans, edamame, split peas, lentils, and the list goes on. Experiment and find your favorites. Check out this helpful guide from the Mayo Clinic to find out which beans are best in which dishes and how to prepare and cook them.

2. Canned Tuna OR Canned Sardines
Omega-3's, omega-3's, omega-3's! You've probably heard this term tossed around a lot lately, but it's for a good reason. Omega-3 fatty acids are really important in reducing inflammation in the body, which in turn reduces the risk of common health problems like heart disease and cancer. And if you're too young to think you need to worry about those, remember that omega-3's are important for hair and skin health. The great news is that tuna and sardines (see my sardines? post for more sardine benefits) are both great sources of omega-3's and are also some of the cheapest forms of protein in the grocery store (usually at a dollar or less per can). So stock up! They're really versatile, too. On a cheese sandwich, as a cracker dip, in a hotdish/casserole, or even plain. For more ideas, look here:
20 Ways to Use a Can of Tuna
Low-Cost Cooking With the Lowly Sardine

3. Whole Grain Cereal OR Oatmeal
If you're a breakfast person (I won't judge you if you aren't, but would highly recommend you be) it's a good idea to find a whole grain cereal that's as minimally processed as possible and contains little sugar. My college-student-budget favorites?
-Kashi GoLean: One cup has 13 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber for just 140 calories. It goes on sale at Target for as little as $2.80 a box. And man is this stuff filling.
-Food Club Essential Choice Bite Size Shredded Wheat: A box of this cereal has only one ingredient. Yeah, you read right, 100% whole grain wheat is the only ingredient here. Consequently it tastes pretty bland, so I eat it with vanilla soymilk, which sweetens it up a lot. A 1-1/4 cup serving has 6 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber for 170 calories. A very hearty start to your day. Plus, because Food Club is a generic brand, boxes are almost always on sale for $2.50. A very economical start to your day as well. :)

4. Olive Oil (virgin if possible)
Olive oil is widely considered the healthiest fat to use in cooking. Why? First, because of it's richness in monounsaturated fats (called MUFAs), which are linked to the prevention of heart disease. Second, due to its high levels of phenolic compounds, which act as antioxidants. Use it for all of your cooking fat needs.

5. Popcorn (the dry kernels, not the microwavable bags)
Maybe it's not so good for you when doused in butter at the movies or covered in carmel in a Christmas tin, but make no mistake, pure popcorn is a fantastic snack. According to NutritionData.com, one air-popped cup has just 31 calories and is high in fiber. And remeber those phenol antioxidants I mentioned are in olive oil? They're in popcorn, too.To make it healthy and tasty you can either air-pop it or make it on the stove. If you're air popping, flavor it afterward by sprinkling it with a little butter or olive oil and salt to taste. Or try something new like cinnamon or chili powder. The more flavor from spices and such, the less you'll need from butter or oil. My personal favorite way to make popcorn, though, is stove-top. My dad uses two tablespoons of oil and a "heaping half cup of kernels." So. Good. Never made stove-top popcorn before? Thank goodness for YouTube. Oh and did I mention? You can get a giant bag of unpopped popcorn for a couple of bucks.

Photos from yummydelicious.com and apartmenttherapy.com.

sardines?

That's right, sardines.You played the game as a kid, but have you ever eaten the small and oily fish? I hadn't until today when I had my dad pick up a can at the grocery store after reading all about its benefits.

4 Reasons Why Sardines Are a Great Choice When Trying to Eat Healthy on a Budget:

#1. Sardines are a cheap source of protein. This is what all college students like to hear. One 190-calorie can of the fish boasts 20 grams of protein, and you can find cans for as cheap as 99 cents. A Big Mac, on the other hand, has only slighty more protein (24 grams) for a lot more money (average of $3.57 in the U.S.) and calories (590 kcals).
#2. Sardines are extremely rich in omega-3 fatty acids. If you don't know why these are so important, hop to this link to find out. Basically, though, omega-3's are important for reducing inflammation which helps prevent heart disease, some cancers, and depression/anxiety. The great news is that sardines are one of the top three richest sources of omega-3's in the world. The other two are salmon and herring, which are far pricier.
#3. You don't have to worry about limiting your sardine intake due to mercury. You may have heard about how tuna is a great source of omega-3s as well, but that you need to limit your intake due to heavy metals like mercury that accumulate in tuna in contaminated waters. This is not an issue with sardines because they are a fraction of the size of tuna fish and therefore aren't high enough on the food chain to accumulate all these metals. So you can eat to your heart's content without having to worry about mercury poisoning.
#4. Sardines are loaded with iron and calcium. The can I made has 30% the Daily Value of calcium and 10% the DV of iron in one 190-calorie serving. Nice.

Okay, I'm convinced that they're healthy and affordable, you say. But, Alyssa, as much as I care about my health I also care about my taste buds. Aren't sardines, well, not all that tasty?

Well, obviously it depends on your individual taste preferences, but yes, sardines are known for their strong smell and taste. But if you haven't given them a chance yet, why not try? For people that naturally like sardines, favorites ways to eat them include on crackers, toast, or on a sandwich. If you're not sure you're ready for such full-on sardine-flavor, here are a few more creative ways to eat sardines:
1. Toss a few on your salad
2. Place some on your pizza.
3. Top crackers with sardines, Dijon mustard, and Tabasco sauce.
4. Cook up your favorite pasta and mix in sardines, tomatoes (canned or fresh), olive oil, and your favorite herb, such as parsley or cilantro.
5. Add them to your bruschetta (here's a good recipe).
6. Make them into a spread. I found this easy recipe in Food and Our Bones by Annemarie Colbin.

Sardine Spread

1 can (about 4 3/8 ounces) sardines, with skin and bones

1 T. fresh lemon juice

1 T. grated onion

1/4 t. sea salt

1 T. tahini (unsalted sesame paste, optional)

1 1/2 T. chopped fresh parsley

4 rye crackers

Freshly ground pepper

Open the can of sardines partway, and drain out the oil or water. Place the sardines, lemon juice, onion, salt, tahini, and parsley in a bowl, and mash with a fork until well blended. Spread on whole rye crackers, and grind some pepper on top.

I didn't have all the ingredients for this recipe, so I improvised. I mashed together the sardines, lemon juice, a pinch of salt and pepper, and some dried basil. My mom and I tested it; we learned that, indeed, sardines are very "fishy" fish. And it was pretty salty, too, so the added salt is probably not necessary. So we decided to add a few teaspoons of mayo to make it creamier. I like to add shredded carrots to my tuna, so I did that for the sardine spread as well. Those two little things made it much better. We didn't have any crackers around, so I substituted in tortilla chips. Next time, though, I think I'll try adding it to a grilled cheese sandwich!

welcome to eat.to.glow

Why start a blog when there are millions out there already?

Hey! My name's Alyssa. My motivation in starting a blog about healthy eating stems from my frustration with trying to make healthy and sustainable eating choices on a college student's budget. If you are one of the many trying to do the same, you know how difficult this task is. But it's extremely important.

My mom grew up on a farm during the rough times of the '80s, and consequently I was raised to make frugal and thrifty spending choices. We bought generic food brands (but were still very health-conscious), shopped at garages sales, and used the library instead of buying brand new books. So, when I started in 2008 as a nutrition student at the University of Minnesota and began spending the majority of my time reading and learning about the link between diet and health, I began to stumble more and more upon terms like organic foods, sustainable agriculture, and fair trade products. While I had heard of these things before, I had dismissed them as elitist and too expensive. But the more reading I did, the more I realized that putting quality substances into our bodies is more than worth the added cost. While truly high-quality food may have a higher upfront cost, it will pay off over time through decreased health care costs, decreased damage to the environment, etc. BUT that does not mean that one's food budget needs to triple in size. This blog will explore why it's so important to eat as much fresh, unprocessed, and chemical-free food as possible without going broke.

For an in-depth look into the true costs of cheap food, check out these sources:
Time Magazine Article: "Getting Real About the High Price of Cheap Food," by Bryan Walsh.
Books: In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan.
Fast Food Nation, by Eric Schlosser.