NATURAL HEALTHY SNACKS
Try these Natural and Healthy Snacks to Curb Your Hunger!
 | What makes a healthy snack? Fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, few sugars and a low calorie count. Protein is the most important part of your snack; it gives you energy and tides you over until your next meal. Unless you want to be hungry again in half an hour, always include a lean protein in your snack and never eat carbs alone. |
What makes a summer snack? Cool ingredients with a quick prep time so you can get back to the beach (or the pool, or the festival, or the concert, or the park…). Summer is NOT the time to be anywhere near a hot stove, but it IS the season to take advantage of all the cheap, fresh produce available.
Don’t forget to buy organic everything when you can, and if you don’t do dairy, there are many neat rice and soy substitutions you can try from milks to cheese! Make sure to drink plenty of pure alkalized water throughout the day to combat hunger and dehydration, and don’t eat these snacks on the go- sit down and take the time to fully appreciate your food and enjoy it consciously.
TOP TEN NATURAL HEALTHY SNACKS
NATURAL HEALTHY SNACK #1: Almond Butter on Toast with Apple
Quickly toast a slice of whole grain bread (or even better, sprouted grain bread) and spread with a natural almond butter. Top with crispy slices of green Granny Smith apples and a dusting of cinnamon for a kick.
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NATURAL HEALTHY SNACK #2: Skinny Chocolate Banana Shake Throw a banana and a big handful of ice into a blender; add a nice squirt of Hershey’s syrup and about a half-cup of skim, soy or rice milk. Blend it up and enjoy all the goodness of a milkshake with none of the calories! Think ahead and freeze the banana (peeled) for a slushier treat. |  |
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NATURAL HEALTHY SNACK #3: Chips and Dip
This party-favorite can be healthy if you choose baked tortilla chips and fill a small bowl with 2/3 fresh salsa and 1/3 bean dip before you dive in. Forget the sodium-laden and preservative-drenched canned bean dip, and instead make your own:
just rinse a can of beans of your choice and mash with a fork, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin. Add in a bit of minced garlic and/or onions and finally stir in a couple of spoonfuls of salsa to moisten things up. Dip away!
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NATURAL HEALTHY SNACK #4: Tomato and Mozzarella Take a vine-ripened tomato and cut it into slices; do the same with a similar-sized ball of fresh mozzarella. Spread out on a plate in fan-form, alternating slices of tomato and cheese. Drizzle with a tiny bit of extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a few fresh basil leaves, sliced or chopped. Presto salad! |  |
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NATURAL HEALTHY SNACK #5: Turkey Pitas
Fill toasted whole-wheat pita halves with sliced turkey breast, a handful of pre-washed salad greens and a spoonful of cranberry relish.
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| NATURAL HEALTHY SNACK #6: Frozen Yogurt with Fruit Pull a Pinkberry and drown a small cup of organic frozen yogurt with a mountain of chopped kiwi or mango and blackberries or raspberries. Watching your weight? Reverse the stack, and top a bowl of fresh fruit salad with a dollop of fresh or frozen yogurt; drizzle with honey or maple syrup if the fruity treat is a tad too tart for your taste. |  |
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NATURAL HEALTHY SNACK #7: Spinach Salad with Egg
Toss pre-washed baby spinach leaves into a bowl; top with sliced boiled egg (boil a few eggs ahead of time and keep them in your refrigerator for faster snacking), shredded Parmesan cheese, sliced tomato and fresh cracked pepper. Top with bottled vinaigrette or forgo the dressing completely to focus on the flavor of fresh.
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NATURAL HEALTHY SNACK #8: Sushi Sushi: Meal or snack? It’s up to you. Buy fresh from a sushi bar for the easiest snack of them all, and don’t forget the pickled ginger and wasabi to keep your system balanced and strong. |  |
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NATURAL HEALTHY SNACK #9: Hummus and Crackers
Spice up store-bought hummus with fresh minced garlic, roasted red bell peppers, sliced cucumbers or grape tomatoes and dip with whole grain crackers.
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| NATURAL HEALTHY SNACK #10: Bowl of Whole Grain Cereal Cheap, fast and cool; sometimes a bowl of cereal hits the spot whether it is breakfast time or not. Use skim, soy or rice milk and top your snack with fresh blueberries for added color and a bigger health boost. |  |
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Shilo Urban is a freelance writer who has just relocated to Los Angeles after her previous homes of Seattle, New Zealand, Paris, Maine, and Austin. She is an active member of the West Coast electronic music community and lives to promote the art that she loves and the people who create it.
