11 Mar Top Healthy Snacks of 2015 – Part 1

Do you or your kids get grouchy when they go too long between meals? Well, it turns out there may be a scientific reason behind this phenomenon called feeling “hangry” (so hungry that you become angry). I’ve got some good news for you. You can beat that hangry feeling by snacking between meals. 

But remember that old saying “Don’t eat that, you’ll spoil your appetite.”? It’s the first thing that comes to mind when I hear the word snacking and if I had a dollar for every time I heard that growing up, I’d be a wealthy woman. 

Here’s the thing… If the right foods are offered at the right times, snacking can play an important role in managing your hunger while filling in the gaps nutritionally. Healthy snacking can keep blood sugar level and provide an energy boost between meals.

For the next two weeks, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite healthy snacks that won’t spoil your appetite:

Snack #1: Sometimes you just have a craving for something sweet, so let’s start with dessert first. My favorite sweet that won’t break the sugar bank is So Delicious Dairy Free Minis. This bar kills my after dinner sweet tooth, it actually has 4 grams of fiber and only 140 calories. I find that it takes me at least 10 minutes to eat it and honestly, in my past, I’ve done more damage in 10 minutes with an open bag of chocolate chips.

Snack #2: Way Better Snacks sprouted tortilla chips is my favorite new chip. This chip is sprouted; a hot new (yet old) trend and the flavors are terrific. I like the ingredients and some are a bit surprising…this chip has kale & chia seeds and quinoa. If you’re going to eat chips, and I know that I will, choose one that has high quality ingredients. I also like that it has 4 grams of fiber /serving.

Snack #3: I bought Hope Organic Spicy Avocado Hummus at Costco the other day and we wolfed it down in three days.

I’m really picky about my hummus and honestly, this is one of the best I’ve tried. I liked it so much I called the company, Hope Foods, to ask why it was so good. Here’s what I learned:

The Spicy Avocado Hummus is always made with high quality, organic, gluten free, and non-GMO ingredients. It’s certified USDA Organic as well as Kosher and they use HPP-High Pressure Processing to make the product. What this means is the products they make have never been heat treated or preserved with artificial additives, making the product taste fresh and homemade.

Stay tuned next week for the pros and cons of snacking and more healthy snack ideas!