Earlier this month, Mom and I left our covered wagons behind, and boarded a plane for the big city. Our destination? Austin, home of all things artsy and bluesy. Also home to my big brother, Jason, whom we were long overdue to visit.
My brother took us to all of Austin's must-see destinations...namely, Mia Madre's Mexican, the Thai Noodle House, and Milto's Mediterranean. However, while he was working, we decided to do what any prairie girl would do when she finds herself in a big-time city...shop for things she doesn't need.
We'd barely set foot on 6th street, our hearts all-a-flutter at the prospect of finding an Anthropolgie and a West Elm on the same block, when Mom suddenly grabbed my arm and spun me around. "I forgot something," she gasped.
"What?," I said, peeling her fingers off my arm. "Your 20% off coupon? Don't worry, I have an extra."
"No, I'm serious," she said.
I looked her over. "You're right," I said, "That belt is hideous. You should have worn the other one."
"You don't understand," she moaned, "I forgot my celery."
Apparently, she doesn't leave home without it. And apparently, she meant business.
Wow, I thought. She needs a 12-step program.
So I may have grumbled a bit as we made our 1-mile trek back to the car (passing up all the shops along the way). And I may have grumbled some more as I threw the car into reverse and backed out of a parking space that we'd found only after 30 minutes of circling.
But as we stood at the check-out line of Whole Foods, loading bags of vibrantly colored veggies into the cart, a smile crept across my face. My mom, who once lived for Dr. Pepper and Snicker Bars, couldn't get to the store fast enough to load up on celery, snap peas, and carrots. And if my mom can make that kind of transformation, I do believe that anything (and I mean anything) might be possible.
* * *
So the question is: when we have the munchies, what kinds of foods do we reach for? Salty? Sweets? Carbs? (I personally have an achilles heel for all three). So I was grateful for the snack alternatives that my mom came up with below. We hope you enjoy them too!
My brother took us to all of Austin's must-see destinations...namely, Mia Madre's Mexican, the Thai Noodle House, and Milto's Mediterranean. However, while he was working, we decided to do what any prairie girl would do when she finds herself in a big-time city...shop for things she doesn't need.
We'd barely set foot on 6th street, our hearts all-a-flutter at the prospect of finding an Anthropolgie and a West Elm on the same block, when Mom suddenly grabbed my arm and spun me around. "I forgot something," she gasped.
"What?," I said, peeling her fingers off my arm. "Your 20% off coupon? Don't worry, I have an extra."
"No, I'm serious," she said.
I looked her over. "You're right," I said, "That belt is hideous. You should have worn the other one."
"You don't understand," she moaned, "I forgot my celery."
Apparently, she doesn't leave home without it. And apparently, she meant business.
Wow, I thought. She needs a 12-step program.
So I may have grumbled a bit as we made our 1-mile trek back to the car (passing up all the shops along the way). And I may have grumbled some more as I threw the car into reverse and backed out of a parking space that we'd found only after 30 minutes of circling.
But as we stood at the check-out line of Whole Foods, loading bags of vibrantly colored veggies into the cart, a smile crept across my face. My mom, who once lived for Dr. Pepper and Snicker Bars, couldn't get to the store fast enough to load up on celery, snap peas, and carrots. And if my mom can make that kind of transformation, I do believe that anything (and I mean anything) might be possible.
* * *
So the question is: when we have the munchies, what kinds of foods do we reach for? Salty? Sweets? Carbs? (I personally have an achilles heel for all three). So I was grateful for the snack alternatives that my mom came up with below. We hope you enjoy them too!
SNACKS TO ENJOY AT HOME
We've found that one of the best ways to tackle the Munchies is to sneak up on them...meaning that if you normally get hungry at 10:30 a.m., grab a healthy snack at 10:00. It's not unusual for my mom and I to eat 6-8 healthy snacks a day (no joke!) Whether it's a handful of snap peas, or a bit of fresh pineapple and yogurt, we are all about snacking between meals!
 | PINEAPPLE DELIGHT Katie: I love, love this combination of fresh pineapple chunks, plain yogurt*, and cinnamon. (I use a LOT of cinnamon, and stir it all up). I'm too lazy to cut up a fresh pineapple, so my one supermarket splurge is to buy pre-cut pineapple in the produce department. This also works well with peeled, chopped apples. Enjoy! |
*Non-fat, plain Dannon Yogurt
 | VEGGIES & HUMMUS Barb: I like to keep my veggies front-and-center in the fridge, already chopped up, and ready to munch. For a variation on snap peas, I like to steam them in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, then add a dash of salt. Delicious! The hummus in the photo is "Sabra" from Walmart, shown with slow roasted tomatoes. For other ideas on dressing up your hummus, click here. |
| DREAMSICLE SMOOTHIE If you've ever enjoyed a Dreamsicle, then you will love this refreshing smoothie, made with oranges, mangos, and peaches. You can almost hear the Melodie ice cream truck coming down the road as you sip this tasty treat! Click here for full recipe. |  |
 | CRUNCH-A-LICIOUS There's nothing like fresh, crunchy celery paired with the sweet goodness of nut butter (we like the Smart Balance variety from Wal-Mart). Try some fresh berries on the side for a filling, mid-afternoon snack. |
SNACKS TO ENJOY ON THE GO
Katie: Snacking on the go is super easy if you take a few minutes to prep your snacks on the weekend. I like to organize my snacks on Sunday afternoon, while the school uniforms are in the wash (ha!) Remember to keep the portions small. The Ziplock "snack-size" baggies are perfect for this. When you're out running errands, you'll love the convenience of having baggies full of delicious, healthy munchies in your purse!
 | HEART TO HEART TRAILMIX We <heart> this combination of cranberries, toasted pecans, 70% dark chocolate, and Kashi Heart-to-Heart cereal. The kids love it too! Make up several snack baggies, and take 'em with you throughout the week. |
| GRAB-N-GO VEGGIES Don't leave home without your sweet red bell peppers, baby carrots, sugar snap peas, and crunchy celery! Hint: buy as much of it "pre-cut" as you can to save on prep time. |  |
 | BEL VITA COOKIES These are amazingly delicious whole grain cookies, readily available at Wal-Mart. They come in packs of four (which is way too much sugar for one sitting), so we divide them into baggies, and only eat two for a snack. Enjoy! |
| DARK CHOCOLATE ALMONDS These delicious almonds (also from Wal-Mart) are covered in a decadent, dark chocolate coating. Pack some into a Ziplock snack bag to enjoy on the go! A serving of 16 almonds makes a perfect handful. |  |
We hope you've enjoyed the snack ideas this week! Just to let you know, we also have a Facebook page where we often post new recipes and health tips. Click here to follow us on Facebook.
Happy Eating!
Love, Katie and Barb
Happy Eating!
Love, Katie and Barb
RSS Feed
