Gearing Up for the Weekend!

Happy Friday! I'm going to be out of pocket this weekend, but I plan to post tonight.

In the mean time... I stumbled upon some articles about smart snacking. I advise you NOT to read this after eating a donut in the office, like I just did. It will not make you feel happy about your choices. Trust me here, folks.

I often pack a piece of fruit for a snack, and eat it around 10 am. But sometimes I'm still ravenously hungry by lunchtime. So I'm always looking for quick, cheap, healthy and easy-to-pack snacks. Self magazine publishes a lot of great ideas, depending on what you are looking for. Here are some of my favorites and links to their articles. NOW, full disclosure, when I think snack, I think salty. But their website has plenty of sweet options too.

Happy Munching!

In the category of "Eat this before a meal and you probably won't scarf down two pizzas ALL BY YOURSELF"... the following sound pretty good to me on my "Yum-O-Meter":

• Avocado, hummus and crisps
  1 Wasa Multigrain Crispbread topped with 1 tbsp avocado and 1 tbsp hummus
  
• Black bean dip
  1/4 cup black beans combined with 1 tbsp salsa, 1 tbsp cottage cheese and 1/2 tbsp guacamole; savor with 4 celery stalks
  
• Mediterranean bruschetta
  1/2 slice whole-wheat toast brushed with 1/2 tsp olive oil, topped with 1 tbsp Greek yogurt and a mixture of 3 tbsp diced tomatoes with a pinch of chopped garlic and basil

For more ideas of something to snack on before you dine, you can read the whole article here. I like these ideas because I'm tired of hearing the same old "order a salad before your dinner and drink lots of water." House salads are usually boring, people. I would rather not have to overpay for something BORING! Also, you can snack on these with a friend or loved one before you leave and can probably get away with splitting an entree at a restaurant. Saves moolah and saves calories!

In the "I just need a snack" ideas, they have a big list of snacks under 200 calories. My favorites:

• 2 oz Applegate Honey and Maple Turkey Breast wrapped around 2 bread-and-butter pickles (80 calories)
• 1/4 cup hummus, 3 carrot sticks (80 calories)
• 1 Laughing Cow Light Swiss Original wedge, 3 pieces Kavli Crispy Thin (85 calories)
• 1 oz buffalo mozzarella, 1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes (94 calories)
• 1 container Fage Greek Total 2% fat yogurt, 2 tsp honey (173 calories)
• 1 Subway Turkey Breast Wrap (190 calories)

And finally, when you want to eat while watching "The Office" or whatever, these sound particularly delicious to me:

• Crudités and yogurt dip: Combine 3/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt with 2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro and 1/2 tsp each chili powder and garlic powder. Serve w/ veggies!
  
• Spicy edamame: Boil 3/4 cup preshelled edamame in a small saucepan for 5 minutes. Drain. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp sea salt and 1/4 tsp chili powder (or garlic salt); toss to coat.

So there you have it, folks!