A health food market near where I live sells a large variety of dried fruits and nuts that come in clear, cylindrical plastic containers. These make easy, packable snacks for the work day.
Sometimes I get a little creative and crazy and I invent fruit and nut mixes that tantalize the senses!
Everyone loves the classic - Peanut Butter and Jelly. Let’s turn it into a snack and make it healthier (but still very tasty!).
And, let’s have a little FUN, gosh darnit!
BOTTOM LINE: Pleasantly surprised.
Usually, I bring fruit to the office for my mid-afternoon snack. But sometimes, a little crunch is needed. Before I knew it, a bag of soy crisps was staring me in the face. To be honest, they didn’t look particularly appealing.
Tiny rice-cake snacks? The word “Styrofoam” comes to mind: dry, bland and tasteless. One bite in, however, and I was converted. This was a great little snack! They are satisfying, crunchy and they pack a nice taste punch.
Andy Bellatti is a Master’s Degree candidate at New York University’s Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health. He writes a blog called Small Bites Nutrition. You should definitely check it out. He’s very smart and he delivers useful information with no nonsense.
His site lives up to its description on Technorati:
A nutrition blog full of concise, easy to understand information from a New York University Master’s Degree candidate of nutrition. Practical advice and tips with no sponsors to please. "Bringing fad-free nutrition to the web, one post at a time."
Sabra makes great hummus. In fact, Sabra makes my favorite hummus. Their hummus has a creamy texture that others don’t, and its flavor is fantastic – just the way I like it. Now, when I say those things, I am referring to their “classic” hummus, which is just your basic chickpeas, tahini, oil, and spices, no other special flavors added.
This review concerns their Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, and in this case the hummus comes in a single-serving container with a bunch of pretzel crackers to dip into the hummus.
The harvest season has ended and the cold air now sneaks into open doorways and nooks. This year’s soybean crop has been gathered and now is the time to prepare the crop to “transform with the seasons.”
It is 7th century Japan. Buddhism has been introduced in Japan for only several decades. The Buddhist monks in Japan have brought with them, from China, the fine art and secrets of miso-making.
The kitchen in the pagoda is warmed by the wood fires whose flames dance under the bellies of heavy black cauldrons that are filled with soybeans. These will simmer for many hours.
Here’s the lowdown on why almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts, and pistachios are good for you… and why peanuts didn’t make the list.
Okay, here’s the honest truth: I’d eat nuts whether they’re good for me or not. But, it does make me feel better to know that they are indeed nutritious. Here are four particularly healthy kinds and their benefits.
Almonds
Almonds are small but they’re packed with nutrients. According to Men’s Health, 1 ounce of almonds provides 50 percent of your daily value of vitamin E, 8 percent of your calcium (more than any other nut), and 10 percent of magnesium. Vitamin E is important because it’s an antioxidant that can help protect cells and thus possibly protect against heart disease and cancer. Almonds are also a good source of protein, which helps fill you up, gives you energy, and helps your muscles develop. And they have fat, but it’s mostly monounsaturated fat—the good fat—which may help lower cholesterol. (Justin’s makes single-serving almond butter packs that are healthy and very tasty!)
Traveling somewhere this winter? Don’t take off without reading this…
Whenever you fly, it’s a good idea to pack your carry-on bag with a healthy snack. Flights usually don’t serve real food anymore, and those little free cocktail nut or snack mix bags they give out are usually too salty or just too darn unsatisfying. You could wait and pick something up at the airport, but then there’s a chance you won’t find anything particularly healthy, and you may end up impulse-buying a candy bar (which will give you a short-lived sugar high instead of real sustenance). Flying is definitely one area where planning your snack ahead of time is key. (See Chris’s post on the importance of deciding your snacks in advance.)
I’ve snacked on raw almonds before. They’re a great mid-afternoon snack. But, a few days ago a friend and I were in Whole Foods and I picked up a bag of tamari almonds out of curiosity. They looked intriguing because they look just like regular almonds but they are a dark, burnt-sienna color (sorry, Crayola) with a light dusting of a powder of some sort. My friend assured me that they were excellent, and told me that he eats them “all the time.”
So, I decided to give ‘em a try.
