If you are trying to stay fit and healthy snacking can be you worst enemy if you don’t know which foods to eat. Make the wrong food choice and you could be adding extra unwanted pounds real quick. Eating foods that are low in bad fat, calories yet high in nutrients and protein can help you to stay fit and satisfied. Here are some yummy healthy recipes that you can try for your mid day snack.
1. Baked Whole Wheat Pita Chips
Ingredients
8 6-inch whole wheat pita breads
Cooking Spray
Sprinkle on some or all of the following:
Lemon Pepper
Garlic Powder
Cumin
Chili Powder
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the pitas into 8 wedges.
Separate the two layers of each pita. Place triangles in a single layer on two cookie sheets. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with desired seasonings.
Bake until crisp – about 9 or 10 minutes.
2. Tortilla Chips and Bean Dip
Ingredients
4 corn tortillas
1 can (16 ounce) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup salsa
1/4 cup sour cream, nonfat
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded lettuce
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place tortillas in a stack on cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut stack into eight pieces, forming triangles or wedges.
Lay tortillas pieces out in single layer on baking sheet. Set aside while making dip.
Place beans in a small mixing bowl, sprinkle with spices and mash with a potato masher. Spread beans over bottom of baking dish.
Spread salsa over beans, followed by sour cream. Sprinkle with cheese.
Place the chips and bean mixture in the preheated oven.
Bake about 8 minutes or until tortilla pieces are crisp and dip is bubbly. Sprinkle lettuce over dip and serve with tortilla chips.
3. Brown Bag Fruit Mix
Ingredients
1/2 cup apple, unpared, diced
1/2 cup banana, sliced
1/2 cup grapefruit sections, cut up
2 Tbsp grapefruit or pineapple juice
1/3 cup grapes, halved
1/3 cup pineapple tidbits, juice-packed, drained
Instructions
Mix apple, banana, and grapefruit sections with juice to prevent darkening of apple and banana.
Add grapes and pineapple and chill.
4. Chile Lime Tortilla Chips
Ingredients
Nonfat cooking spray
1/2 teaspoon grated lime peel
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons honey
4 flour tortillas (8" diameter)
Chile powder, to taste
Instructions
Heat oven to 350º. Spray a large cookie sheet with nonfat cooking spray.
In a medium sized bowl, combine lime peel, lime juice, chile pepper, oil, honey and stir thoroughly.
Using a pastry brush, brush tortillas with the lime mixture.
Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut tortillas into 12 wedges. Place wedges on a single layer on cookie sheet and sprinkle with chile powder to desired amount.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
5. Chili Popcorn
Ingredients
4 cups popped corn
2 teaspoons light trans free melted margarine
1 teaspoon chili powder
Dash garlic powder
Instructions
Mix popcorn and margarine in a bowl.
Mix seasonings thoroughly and sprinkle over popcorn. Mix well. Serving Size: 1 cup.
Cinnamon Apple Snacks
Ingredients
2 cups red and green apple slices, peeled
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp apple pie spice
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds
Instructions
Preheat oven to 250. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.
Combine apples with spices and toss. Transfer to baking sheet, arranging in a single layer.
Cook for 1 hour. Allow to cool. Combine cooked apples with raisins and nuts. Place in snack-sized zip-top baggies and refrigerate.
6. Fruit and Nut Bars
Ingredients
1/4 cup 100 % fruit apple juice
1/2 cup whole dates (about 5), halved and pitted
1 cup whole raw almonds with skins
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/4 cup dried plums (prunes)
1/4 teaspoon salt
½ tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300°. Pour apple juice over dates and let soak 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, place almonds, dried apricots, and dried plums in a food processor and pulse a few times until coarsely chopped. Add salt, cinnamon and dates with apple juice and pulse
until mixture starts to stick together. Add pumpkin seeds and sunflower see
Using wet hands, scoop mixture onto a work surface and form into a log about 1 3/4 in. wide and 1/2 in. thick. Use your palms to flatten into a bar, and cut bar into 8 equal pieces.
Arrange pieces about 1 in. apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes. Using a heatproof spatula, turn bars over and bake another 8 minutes, or until nuts are toasted (but
before fruit begins to burn). Store in an airtight container for up to
7. Fruit Dippers
Ingredients
1/2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
2 Tablespoons chopped walnuts
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups fruit (grapes, banana slices, apple wedges, strawberries)
Instructions
Combine yogurt, walnuts and cinnamon.
Place a toothpick in the center of each fruit. Dip fruit into the yogurt mixture.
8. Fruit Kabobs
Ingredients
1 cup purple grapes, seedless
1 cup chopped pineapple
1/4 cup apple juice
2 kiwifruits, peeled and cut into ½-inch thick slices
1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
2 small bananas, cut into ½-inch thick slices
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 cup small strawberries, melon balls and blackberries
Instructions
For the dip, in a small saucepan, bring the pineapple and apple juice to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let stand about 25 minutes or until
cool.
Transfer the pineapple mixture to a blender or food processor. Add the yogurt and blend or process until smooth. If desired, cover and chill in the refrigerator before serving.
Place the bananas in a small bowl. Drizzle with the orange juice, then gently toss until coated. Cut the kiwi slices into quarters.
For the kebabs, thread the grapes, bananas, kiwi, strawberries, melon balls and blackberries onto 4-inch bamboo skewers. Serve with the dip.
9.Apple Berry Fruit Leather
Ingredients
3 cups apples, cored and chopped
1 cup raspberries
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Preheat oven to 140º F.
Using a blender, blend 1 cup of apples, the raspberries and the orange juice concentrate until smooth.
Add remaining apples and blend until smooth. Pour apple mixture in a medium sized bowl then stir in the honey, cinnamon and lemon juice.
Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap and tape to edges. Do not use wax paper or aluminum foil since it’s difficult to remove the fruit from these items.
Pour apple mixture on the plastic lined baking sheet and spread with a rubber spatula until it’s 1/8 inch thick. Leave about 1/2 inch of space open from edge of pan to allow fruit to expand
while drying.
Bake in oven for 4-6 hours. Fruit leather is done when it is no longer sticky to the touch. When done, roll the fruit with the plastic wrap the long way. Cut into 2-inch pieces. Store pieces in
an airtight container.
10. Wholesome Granola Bars
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups rolled oats – not quick oats!
1/4 cup oat bran
1/4 cup almonds – finely chopped
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/3 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup raisins – soak in hot water for five minutes to plump up
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray.
In a large bowl mix all dry ingredients. Combine the honey and remaining ingredients and add to the dry ingredients. Mix very well until all are coated with honey.
Wet your hands and press the mixture onto the pan into a rectangular shape approximately 9”x7”. Place into the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cut into 16 bars immediately while the granola is warm and slightly soft. Pull the bars apart to separate them and return to the oven for another five minutes.
Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.
11. Coriander, Cumin and Caraway Crackers
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup lowfat milk
1 egg white, slightly beaten
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350º. In a large bowl or food processor, combine flour, coriander, cumin, caraway, baking powder and salt. Add butter pieces a little bit at a time until incorporated.
Add milk and continue mixing until it forms a doughy consistency. If mixture is too dry, add a tablepoon or more of milk.
Transfer dough to a floured surface and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Let sit for about 10 minutes to rise then using a floured rolling pin, flatten dough to about 1/8-inch thick.
Use a 2-inch diameter rounded or squared cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Place cut-out crackers onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Using a pastry brush, brush the surface of each cracker with egg white then prick the surface with a fork and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
Use a spatula to remove crackers and cool completely on a rack. Store crackers in an airtight container.
Yield: about 40 crackers. Serving Size: 1 cracker.
12. Maple Oat Clusters
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup All Bran or other high fiber cereal
1 cup bran flakes
1/2 cup chopped pecan or walnut halves
1/2 cup sunflower kernels
1/2 cup dried cranberries or golden raisins
1 cup chopped dried fruit (of choice)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups lite maple-flavored syrup
1/4 cup trans free margarine or spread, melted
Instructions
Heat oven to 325°F. Spread rolled oats in 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 30 minutes or until light golden brown.
Stir in crisp high fiber cereal, bran flakes, pecans and sunflower kernels.
Continue baking for 14 to 16 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove from oven; stir in cranberries and dried fruit.
Stir together cinnamon, maple syrup and butter in small bowl; pour over cereal mixture. Stir to coat well.
Continue baking, stirring occasionally, for 45 to 50 minutes or until mixture is golden brown. Spread on waxed paper. Cool completely; break into pieces.
Serving Size: 1/4 cup.
13. Oranges in Tangerine Juice
Ingredients
1 orange
Juice of 1 tangerine
Instructions
Peel and segment orange.
Squeeze the tangerine, and pour juice over the orange pieces.
14. Spiced apples
Ingredients
2 apples, cored and sliced
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup raisins
Instructions
Place all ingredients in a microwaveable container and cook on high for about 5-6 minutes.
Stir well and allow to sit for for about 5 minutes. Tastes great with a dollop of light whipped cream!
15.Honeydew Summer Salad Wedges
Ingredients
1 honeydew melon
1 package (3 ounce) gelatin, lemon flavored
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup iced water
Ice cubes
1 cup hulled whole strawberries
Instructions
Cut melon in half; scoop out seeds. Pat the inside of the melon dry using paper towels.
Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Combine ice water and ice cubes to make one cup.
Add to gelatin and stir until slightly thickened. Remove any un-melted ice.
Place each melon half in a small bowl to hold straight and firm. Place half of strawberries in each melon half.
Pour gelatin mixture over berries. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 3 hours. To serve, cut into wedges.
16. Terrific Trail Mix
Ingredients
1 cup cereal with fruit
1 cup Wheat Chex (or generic)
1 cup Cheerios (or generic)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup shredded coconut
Instructions
Mix cereals together in a large bowl. Add raisins, almonds and coconut; mix well.
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