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Showing posts with label healthy snack. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healthy snack. Show all posts

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Nutrition: Fruit "Roll Up"

What you will need:

Fresh fruit or frozen fruit(around 3 cups)
*Sweetener(optional) 

*if your fruit is naturally sweet enough, you won't have to ask anything. If you decide to add a sweetener you can use granulated sugar, honey, splenda, or agave syrup just to name a few.

I used 2 tablespoons of agave syrup just to see how it would turn out. The notes I read is that the flavors and sweetness intensify after drying. 

I wanted to find something as easy as possible. 

Put all the items into the blender and get it as smooth as possible. Line a pan with plastic wrap, the temperature is going to be so low in the oven that it won't melt. You won't need a ton of overhang, smooth as the wrinkles. You can also use a silicone if you have it.

Pour mixture in pan and smooth out evenly. Cook in the oven at 170 degrees, that's the lowest temperature me oven would go. The cook time will be 6-8 hours. If you're not going to be at home and you don't want to keep it on, it's okay to turn it off. I turned my oven off overnight and started cooking it again in the morning. You can test to see if it's done by pressing the center and it should not stick to your finger. The edges will cook faster than the center. 

**Different combinations of fruit have different flavors, so the possibilities are endless. Since the drying process time some time, make different batches.


I let the fruit defrost

Pour in the plastic lined pan

All dried out

Finish product wrapped in Parchment paper



Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Nutrition: Popcorn


Popcorn

A quick, healthy snack is popcorn. Of course not the movie theatre, butter-laden kind but plain kernels. The ideal method is to use an air popper ($20 at Target) but if you don't have one, microwave popcorn will work too. Be aware that most microwave popcorn includes some salt & oil (which contains more calories). An average bag is around 100 calories w/ 20g carbs. The popcorn is good on its own but if you want a little more zing, try some fun add-ins.
 :
SALTY 
I prefer to avoid table salt and use these alternatives to satisfy my salt craving. My favorite is to sprinkle on Mrs Dash "Garlic & Herb" flavor. Mrs Dash contains no salt, so it helps keep your sodium content low. Sometimes I use paprika or some Lawrys (Garlic Powder) too. Paprika is abnormally high in vitamin C & garlic powder contains vitamin A, vitamin C and selenium, all great antioxidants. Ensure you're using Garlic Powder and not Garlic Salt lol. Sea Salt is another good option to avoid using table salt too.
 :
CHEESY 
If you have some grated parmesan, sprinkle some on while the popcorn is hot. Avoid the cheap, canned parmesan. Freshly grate it yourself if possible. One ounce of parmesan has 11g of protein with just 1g of carbs. It's also very high in calcium and phosphorus. You can also use Braggs Premium Nutritional Yeast to mimic a cheesy flavor.
 :
SWEET 
You can make a type of trail mix by adding in dark chocolate chips and unsalted peanuts (or your favorite nut). The nuts contain healthy fats as well as protein & fiber to help keep you full. Dark chocolate has lots of good antioxidants, vitamins & minerals. It's good for your heart and brain as well. Another option is to sprinkle in cinnamon.
 :
Like with anything, portions should be monitored to prevent yourself from gorging. Bag these up & carry them with you for a quick snack that doesn't need refrigeration or re-heating. Great "on-the-go".
 :
Optional Tip: If you don't have an air popper, you still can make your own popcorn using a microwave. Just put kernels in a brown paper bag, fold the top over (making sure there's enough room in the bag for the popped corn) and staple it closed. Microwave until the popping sound stops. Be careful taking the bag out that you don't touch the staples, they will be hot!

Submitted By Bars