By Janis Jibrin, M.S., R.D., TheBestLife.com lead nutritionist
I snack on the same stuff that I recommend to clients and readers: fruit, yogurt, lattes, nuts, carrots and other raw vegetables. But I also concoct more offbeat snacks that I don’t tend to recommend because they might seem too weird or too health-foody to someone just coming off a potato-chips-and-snack-cake habit. I figure you DietsInReview.com readers have seen it all…and might even enjoy some of these yourselves.
Numi Organic Savory tea (5 calories; available at Whole Foods)
Nutrition highlight: the Broccoli Cilantro has 90 percent of the Daily Value for calcium and the Beet Cabbage has 20 percent (I haven’t tried the four other flavors yet)
How to: Steep teabags in boiling water for 10 minutes.
Greek yogurt with olive oil and whole-wheat pita (186 calories)
Nutrition highlight: 150 mg of calcium (15 percent the Daily Value)
How to: Spread ½ cup of 0% fat Greek yogurt on a small plate. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and sprinkle with a little dried oregano. Use warm whole-wheat pita (with 70 to 75 calories) to dip.
Lemon parsley mashed chickpeas (162 calories)
Nutrition highlight: 5 grams of fiber (20 percent of your daily requirement)
How to: With a fork, roughly mash ½ cup of canned and drained reduced-sodium or no-salt-added chickpeas (garbanzo beans) with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, ½ teaspoon of lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley (or other herb of your choice).
Chocolate peanut butter crackers (191 calories)
Nutrition highlight: Compounds in both peanuts (l-arginine, an amino acid) and dark chocolate (polyphenols) lower blood pressure
How to: Spread a 100-percent whole-grain cracker or crispbread (with 40 to 50 calories) with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter. Break a small piece (about 1/3 ounce) of dark chocolate (70 percent or greater) into a few pieces and sprinkle over cracker.
Also Read:
How Fiber Can Help You Lose Weight
This Week’s Healthy Must Have: Chocolate
Raw Sunflower Butter Cookies Make a Healthy Take-Along Snack