Snacking has become part of America's dietary culture. According to the Nutrition and Well-Being A to Z website, "Sixty percent of Americans eat snack food regularly, consuming about 20 percent of their calories from snacks. " Done correctly, snacking between meals can be beneficial to your health. Finger foods are arguably the easiest snacks to enjoy, and offer the perfect opportunity to pack in healthy nutrients. Try these easy finger food recipes the next time you find yourself ready for a snack.
Mama Mia Cubes
In only fifteen minutes you can have a delicious and healthy snack at your fingertips. You'll need eight slices of boiled or baked ham, a medium cantaloupe, and about a cup of pretzel sticks. Cut the ham into one inch wide strips and cube the cantaloupe. Wrap a strip of ham around each cube of cantaloupe, and secure with a pretzel stick. Chill before serving. Ta-da! Per serving, you'll only eat twenty-six calories and one and a half grams of fat. As Miss Ray would say, "Yum-Oh!"
Frozen Yogurt Pops
Here's one the kids will love. With only 110 calories and no fat, plus good-for-you bacteria strains like Lactobacillus, which aid in digestion, you'll love them too. Using an eight ounce container of your favorite flavor of yogurt, fill small paper cups to the brim. Cover each with a small square of plastic wrap, and have the kids poke a hole in the top with a Popsicle stick. Make sure they're standing up straight, and pop in the freezer until frozen solid. When they're ready, remove the plastic wrap, peel away the paper cup, and enjoy! For added nutrients, stir in some frozen berries before freezing.
Edamame
A common appetizer for Asian cuisine, these boiled soybeans are fiber-packed and contain soy protein, which has cholesterol lowering properties. Pick some up in the frozen food section, preferably pre-shelled. Run about a cup under steaming hot water just long enough to thaw, and splash with some lemon juice. At 170 calories and six grams of fat, they're great for between-meal snacking, and the fiber and protein will help you feel full long enough to curb any more snack-attacks before dinner.
Rocket Canapes These will take a bit longer to prepare, but it's well worth it. Mix three tablespoons mayonnaise, one teaspoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional) in a small bowl. Add one cup finely minced arugula, 1/2 cup finely minced watercress, and one whole green onion, also finely minced, to the mayonnaise mixture. Stir until everything is well mixed. Cut one and a half inch rounds from your favorite bread and spread 1/2 teaspoon of the mixture on the rounds. Chill before serving. This recipe will make more or less, depending on how heavily you choose to spread the rounds. Enjoy these tasty snacks, because you'll only eat two calories and one gram of fat per serving. Just remember, a serving is only one canape.
Dried Plums I love to save the best for last, and dried plums are by far the healthiest choice on my list. They're a sweet treat that require no preparation, and are packed with more antioxidants per ounce than the ever-famous blueberries. Check out your grocer's fruit section, and you'll undoubtedly find a wide variety of other types of dried fruits as well. A single serving is about seven dried plums, and you'll only eat 100 calories and no fat, plus the added bonus of Vitamin A, Calcium, Iron, Potassium, and fiber.
These tried-and-true recipes are sure to please, and will help you avoid resorting to empty calories that will leave you feeling less than satisfied. The next time you hear your stomach growling two hours before dinner, reach for one of these healthy snacks and pat yourself on the back. You deserve it!http://voices.yahoo.com/top-5-healthy-finger-foods-1884914.html
In only fifteen minutes you can have a delicious and healthy snack at your fingertips. You'll need eight slices of boiled or baked ham, a medium cantaloupe, and about a cup of pretzel sticks. Cut the ham into one inch wide strips and cube the cantaloupe. Wrap a strip of ham around each cube of cantaloupe, and secure with a pretzel stick. Chill before serving. Ta-da! Per serving, you'll only eat twenty-six calories and one and a half grams of fat. As Miss Ray would say, "Yum-Oh!"
Frozen Yogurt Pops
Here's one the kids will love. With only 110 calories and no fat, plus good-for-you bacteria strains like Lactobacillus, which aid in digestion, you'll love them too. Using an eight ounce container of your favorite flavor of yogurt, fill small paper cups to the brim. Cover each with a small square of plastic wrap, and have the kids poke a hole in the top with a Popsicle stick. Make sure they're standing up straight, and pop in the freezer until frozen solid. When they're ready, remove the plastic wrap, peel away the paper cup, and enjoy! For added nutrients, stir in some frozen berries before freezing.
Edamame
A common appetizer for Asian cuisine, these boiled soybeans are fiber-packed and contain soy protein, which has cholesterol lowering properties. Pick some up in the frozen food section, preferably pre-shelled. Run about a cup under steaming hot water just long enough to thaw, and splash with some lemon juice. At 170 calories and six grams of fat, they're great for between-meal snacking, and the fiber and protein will help you feel full long enough to curb any more snack-attacks before dinner.
Rocket Canapes These will take a bit longer to prepare, but it's well worth it. Mix three tablespoons mayonnaise, one teaspoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional) in a small bowl. Add one cup finely minced arugula, 1/2 cup finely minced watercress, and one whole green onion, also finely minced, to the mayonnaise mixture. Stir until everything is well mixed. Cut one and a half inch rounds from your favorite bread and spread 1/2 teaspoon of the mixture on the rounds. Chill before serving. This recipe will make more or less, depending on how heavily you choose to spread the rounds. Enjoy these tasty snacks, because you'll only eat two calories and one gram of fat per serving. Just remember, a serving is only one canape.
Dried Plums I love to save the best for last, and dried plums are by far the healthiest choice on my list. They're a sweet treat that require no preparation, and are packed with more antioxidants per ounce than the ever-famous blueberries. Check out your grocer's fruit section, and you'll undoubtedly find a wide variety of other types of dried fruits as well. A single serving is about seven dried plums, and you'll only eat 100 calories and no fat, plus the added bonus of Vitamin A, Calcium, Iron, Potassium, and fiber.
These tried-and-true recipes are sure to please, and will help you avoid resorting to empty calories that will leave you feeling less than satisfied. The next time you hear your stomach growling two hours before dinner, reach for one of these healthy snacks and pat yourself on the back. You deserve it!http://voices.yahoo.com/top-5-healthy-finger-foods-1884914.html
No comments:
Post a Comment