Snacks

Snacks

My favorite snack, and something I eat daily is popcorn. I have been a fan my entire life, and have popped popcorn on the stove, in a popcorn popper with oil, in the microwave, and I’ve even popped Jiffy Pop back in the day. 

Today I use a hot air popper. I actually prefer less greasy popcorn, but in order to flavor it you need to spritz something on it to hold the seasoning. My favorite is spritzing a little olive oil on top, but I do know they make butter sprays you can use.

I used to add salt and Parmesan cheese to my popcorn, but now I substitute my own plant-based Parmesan and I like it better. I blend one cup of slivered almonds, 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, and 3/4 tsp kosher salt in the blender to make this mixture. 

I buy my nutritional yeast in the bulk section of places like Whole Foods or Sprouts because it is cheaper that way. You don’t want to buy too much at a time because it will lose its flavor if it sits too long. 

What I like about popcorn is I can eat quite a bit of it as compared to any kind of chip. In fact, chips are my downfall, so choosing them as a snack doesn’t usually turn out too well for me. I save them more for a side with a meal. 

What I’ve learned about snacking is that you really should consider getting some sort of protein if you want to stave off hunger pains. One of my favorite low points snack is light string cheese with seven almonds ( this comes to 2 points in WW). Sometimes I add one of those thinly sliced apples to the mix, and end up with a very satisfying snack.

I usually carry almonds in my purse just in case I get hungry. Amazingly just seven almonds can do the trick between meals if your plans get postponed, and you end up eating later than you had planned. 

Another snack idea is cut up veggies and hummus. If you keep some chopped up veggies in your refrigerator then you will have a handy snack available to you when you need it.

Another thing to consider is portion size. Sometimes I’ll snack on pretzels but I try to portion them out into a cup instead of eating them out of the bag. It’s just a way of not letting the snacking get too out of hand.

I usually don’t snack in the morning because my big breakfast seems to take me to lunch. Around 3:00 I’m usually ready for my popcorn. I’m not sure it’s because I’m actually hungry or if it’s just a habit?

Either way, snacking is not a bad thing as long as you make healthy choices. Waiting too long to eat between meals might end up being counter productive. I always try to include healthy snacks in my day when I can.