Sure, many people believe they can drink a potent iced coffee or down a 5-Hour Energy to get a boost throughout the work day, usually around three PM. But truth be told, that just results with a jittery caffeine-induced crash later, or an empty stomach.
There are several simple delicious snacks that can be thrown together from items that are regularly in the refrigerator. They can be prepared ahead of time in order to thwart cravings for that Quarter Pounder with cheese around the corner from McDonalds, or they can also be prepared within about ten minutes on the spot.
Snacks With Vegetables
Endive Leaves Stuffed with Skim Ricotta Cheese
- Chop off the top of the endive leaves, about four inches.
- Stuff a half tea-spoonful of skim ricotta cheese into the leaves, and eat like crackers.
Nuked Edamame
- Heat up about a cup of edamame in the shells in a bowl in the microwave, on average for around 2 1/2 minutes.
- Sprinkle with Kosher or sea salt.
Chopped Veggies with Hummus
- Choose a selection of vegtables, such as chopped carrots, radishes, cucumber slices, celery, and cherry tomatoes.
- Dip the vegetables into the hummus. This is much healthier than ranch and adds an interesting twist to vegetables.
Steamed Artichokes
- Trim and halve an artichoke, then season with salt and pepper.
- Place the artichoke cut-side down in a bowl, and cover in olive oil.
- Throw in some herbs such as thyme, chives or parsley.
- Squeeze the juice from some lemon wedges over the artichokes.
- Microwave covered on high for ten minutes, then mix the lemon juice, the cooking liquid and mayonnaise for a dipping sauce.
Creamy Salad
- Mix together a teaspoon of anchovy paste, a handful of chopped parsley and chives, and equal parts of low-fat mayonnaise and sour cream.
- Chop up some Bibb lettuce.
- Drizzle the sauce over the lettuce and top with salt and pepper.
- Toss the salad to create a low-fat personalized Caesar salad.
Snacks with Dairy
Mozzarella and Tomato Skewers
- Chop up cherry tomatoes and mozzarella in large chunks.
- Push a piece of the mozzarella onto the skewer, pushing it down to the bottom. Then put a chunk of tomato onto the skewer, then a large basil leaf
- Alternate this procedure until the skewer is full.
- Sear in a skillet if desired.
Tomato Soup with Sour Cream and Chives
- Heat the tomato soup on the stove top or in the microwave.
- Add a dollop of fat-free sour cream in the middle of the soup, then sprinkle with chopped chives.
Frozen Yoplait Whips
- Yoplait has a type of yogurt called "whips", that are very fluffy, light yogurt. Purchase one in a wide variety of flavors, ranging from strawberry shortcake to chocolate mousse.
- Place the yogurt in the freezer.
- Remove and eat like ice cream.
Snacks with Fruit
Apple Slices with Almond Butter
- Chop up an apple into thin slices.
- Dip in almond butter, Nutella, honey, cream cheese, or peanut butter (or any other dip that's desired).
Fruit Salad
- Chop up various types of fruit to mix together, such as blood oranges, apples, berries, grapes, peaches, mangoes, pineapple, plums, etc.
- Toss together with some balsamic vinegar, whipped cream or a small amount of chocolate sauce.
Deli Turkey or Ham with Grapes
- Select a cup of grapes, or any other fruit like chopped strawberries, raspberries or orange segments.
- Pair it with a couple rolled slices of fresh deli meat, such as turkey, ham, roast beef or chicken.
Dried Fruit with Cheese
- Pick a favorite dried fruit, like apricots, cherries or pear slices.
- Pair it with a heavy slice of cheese. Hard cheese are great with cheese, such as aged Gouda or Cheddar.
Seared Bananas
- Chop up a banana into 3/4-inch thick pieces.
- Heat up a pan with some olive oil in it, and once it begins to steam, set the banana slices into the oil.
- Let the banana pieces sear, turning it over once.
- Place the banana on a plate and top with a dollop of peanut butter, letting it melt a little.
Snacks with Grains
Oatmeal with Berries and Cream
- Fix up a small bowl of oatmeal.
- Top with berries.
- Splash some cream over the oatmeal to add more moisture.
Rye Toast with Cream Cheese
- Toast slices of rye.
- Top with a tablespoon of cream cheese.
- Drizzle honey or dried cranberries or raisins onto the cream cheese.
- You can also create an herbed toast spread with tasty ricotta cheese and fresh herbs.
Soy Crisps or Rice Cakes
- Top these types of crispy snacks with a low-fat cheese or fruit.
Chocolate Popcorn
- Add about three to four cups of popped pop corn into a mixing bowl.
- Sprinkle with flavorings, such as nacho cheese, cocoa powder, chocolate shavings, herbs, peppercorns, or cheese.
Multi-Grain Waffle with Jelly and Honey
- Toast the waffle until lightly browned.
- Spread some natural jams, berries, or honey onto the surface.
Herb Toasts
- Thinly slice a baguette into sticks.
- Cook up a couple tablespoons of diced red onion, three tablespoons butter, salt and pepper.
- Brush this mixture onto the bread sticks, then sprinkle chopped herbs on top with parmesan cheese.
- Cook in an oven at 400 degrees for ten minutes.
Other Afternoon Snacks
Trail Mix, Nuts and Seeds
- Indulge on a handful of toasted almonds, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, chocolate chips, spicy nuts, pistachios, raisins, and cashews, just to name a few choices.
- Go for a low-fat smoothie or milkshake. The good things about this option is that liquid makes you feel full even though it was not full of calories and carbs. From cranberry pomegranate smoothies, to peanut butter vanilla milkshakes, the sky is the limit wiht different types of drinks.
These simple recipes take little time to prepare and will end up being more satisfying then junk or fast food. Experiment with different sauces, vegetables and fruit, mixing and matching unlikely combinations until new flavors are discovered out of these household ingredients.
For more information on food trends and cooking recipes for meals or snacks, check out Lauren's Article List.
 |
