FitSugar

Super Bowl Snack: Make Your Own Hummus

FitSugar — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 03:00:00 -0800

The Super Bowl seems to be a lot about snacking, and it's easy to eat mindlessly when there are munchables right in front of you. So if you're throwing a Super Bowl party or attending someone else's, forget the cheesy nachos, buttery popcorn, and creamy veggie dips. Make some homemade hummus instead. It is so simple to make yourself and fresh veggies go so well with hummus.

Want to see my recipe? Then read more.

What you need:

1 can of garbanzo beans (strained and rinsed)
2 cloves of garlic, minced (you can always use more)
1 - 2 tbsp tahini (it's made out of ground up sesame seeds)
Juice from 1/3 of a lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

Place all of the ingredients in a food processor for a few minutes, or until the mixture is creamy and smooth.
Serve in a bowl with fresh veggies (carrots, red peppers and cucumbers are my fave), sliced pita bread, corn chips or whatever else you like to dip. You can also make these homemade pita chips and add those to your hummus platter.

Fit's Tips: This is a basic recipe, so play around with it. Add your own special ingredients like grated carrots or artichoke hearts.

Print recipe with images | without images

100 Calorie Snack Ideas

FitSugar — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 11:45:00 -0700

Stores are full of 100 calorie snack bags (even Bob from "The Biggest Loser" thinks they are great) that are often full of small amounts of processed foods. If you are looking for a low-calorie snack, I say it pays to find foods that fulfill some nutritional needs.

Hard-boiled egg
This excellent source of protein is prepackaged naturally. Simple to prepare and, when eaten simply (no devil-ing), only costs you 78 calories! I like to make three or four at the beginning of the week to have on hand for my morning snack on the days that I don’t have eggs for breakfast.

String cheese
One stick is about 80 calories, and these sticks are child friendly too. It is always nice to snack on the same foods as your kids. After all, string cheese is entertaining (oh so fun to peel each string), and they are easy to tote around. Though they are full of calcium, watch the fat content of your cheese stick and look for low fat or reduced fat if you can find it.

Hummus and Pita
You need to keep your portion small to stay under 100 calories. You only need two tablespoons of hummus spread on 1/4 slice of pita pocket bread. Make this snack even more nutritious by using whole wheat pita bread. I also enjoy dipping carrots and red pepper slices into hummus. This method helps me increase my daily veggie intake.

iVillage has some more ideas for you to try. Chances are high you'll find something to satisfy your snack craving.

Source

Kettle Pita Chips SOUND Good For You...

FitSugar — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 13:30:00 -0700

I like snacking, and often I crave salty crunchy things. I just tried a new tasty snack called Kettle Pita Chips? They're a cross between a cracker and a chip - very light and flavorful, and great for dipping (in homemade hummus).

These chips come in two varieties: Salt Kissed, and the one I tried, Salt & Pepper. I'm annoyed because these pita chips are a bit deceiving. They sound healthy, and are sold in many health food stores next to other healthy snacks (like those Sesame Blues made by Garden of Eatin'), but they contain the dreaded "enriched flour." Although it is organic enriched wheat flour, so I guess that makes it a little better. Let this be a little reminder to make sure you check the ingredients on food labels.

Want to see the nutritional info and a photo of what these really look like? Then read more

Serving Size	1 oz
Calories	120
Total Fat	3.5g
Saturated Fat	.5g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	230mg
Carbs	20g
Fiber	1g
Sugar	1g
Protein	3g

These could be a lot worse for you - the sodium is much lower than I expected - but the fact still remains that they're made with "enriched flour." It stinks that companies market foods to look healthy when they're really not. I guess I'll stick to Sesame Blues for my dipping pleasures.

Snack Attack: Make Your Own Hummus

FitSugar — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 08:30:00 -0800

You can buy hummus just about anywhere these days, but nothing compares to the taste when it's freshly made. And it's really easy to make - the hardest part is buying all of the ingredients.

What You'll Need:

1 can of garbanzo beans (chick peas)
2 cloves of garlic, minced (you can always use more)
1 - 2 tbsp tahini (it's made out of ground up sesame seeds)
Juice from 1/3 of a lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Place all of the ingredients in a blender for a few minutes, or until the mixture is creamy and smooth.

Serve in a bowl with fresh vegetables and sliced pita bread. Or even better, try it with homemade pita chips. This would also be a great snack to have while watching the Super Bowl.

Fit's Tips: This is a basic recipe, so play around with it - add your own special ingredients like grated carrots or artichoke hearts.

Eye on IRON

FitSugar — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 03:00:00 -0800

Spinach went from being one of ‘the healthiest foods you could eat’ to ‘the throw it all out as fast as you can’ foods. In case another media crazed E-Coli outbreak surfaces, we're going to have to find other ways to get that iron, as spinach was (and still is) one of the best plant sources of getting this mineral.

For further ideas on how to get your iron, read more

Eat more foods rich in Iron, such as:

Meat, such as Beef, Pork or Lamb
Liver, if you can stomach it
Cereals, such as Total and Cream of Wheat
Potatos, with the skin still on
Beans, such as Garbanzo Beans

Fit's Tip: To further enhance your absorption of Iron, pair foods high in Iron with foods high in Vitamin C, like bell peppers--the Vitamin C helps absorb more Iron into your body. An easy and yummy way to get your Iron on: Try dipping Vitamin C-rich bell peppers into a garbanzo bean made hummus.

Source

Snack Attack: Not So Devilish Eggs

FitSugar — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 09:00:00 -0800

Ingredients:
1 dozen eggs
1 16 oz. container of Hummus (you can go with any variety you want)
A few pinches of Paprika
A handful of slivered almonds

*Hard boil the eggs. Cut the eggs in halves (length-wise) and remove the yolk. Fill the hole where the yolk was in each half with a scoop of hummus. Top with a few raw, slivered almonds and a pinch of paprika. Do this for each egg half.

Why we like it: Deviled eggs are a typical and easy snack but hardly a healthy one due to the yolk and mayonnaise concoction that makes the deviled egg so devilish.
Hummus (rather than a yolk-mayo mixture) cuts the fat and adds iron.
Paprika adds a bit of Lycopene.
Almonds provide some good fats (yup, such a thing exists) that help lower cholesterol.
Egg whites are always a great source of protein.

*How to hard boil an egg: Put all the eggs in a pot and cover fully with cold water. Cook until water boils. Then boil the eggs for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from heat and rinse under cold water.

Talk about a healthy snack.

What's the Deal With: Probiotic Hummus

FitSugar — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 03:00:00 -0700

Predicted to be a food trend of 2009, Probiotics, those beneficial bacteria, are being added to all sorts of foods, from dairy products to energy bars. Probiotics have been found to support both the digestive and immune systems, prevent constipation, benefit your skin, and lower blood pressure. Yogurt is naturally chock full of the bacteria, but I just found a probiotic hummus made by Wildwood Organics.

To find out if its worth buying read more.

The list of ingredients reads: "garbanzo beans, garlic, probiotic cultures (L. acidophilus, Bifidobacterium ssp., L. casei) . . ." The label, however, doesn't list the amount of cultures. Many of these enhanced products don't contain enough bacteria to provide health benefits, so they're not worth paying the extra cash. Studies show that doses between 100 million and 1 billion colony-forming units (CFU) are effective for improving immune function, intestinal infections, and digestion. So if you want the benefits of probiotics, it's best to take them separately in supplement form, such as Acidophilus Pearls.

Food Review: Cascadian Farm Fiber Right Bars

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:00:02 -0800

Women need between 25 and 30 grams of fiber a day, and sometimes meals alone won't bring you to your daily quota. I'm always looking for quick snacks that are high in fiber, and when I came across these new Cascadian Farm Fiber Right Bars ($4) at the store, they looked like a tasty way to help me reach my goal.

To find out how these Almond Butter Crunchy Granola Bars taste and see how many calories are in one serving continue reading

Your Healthy Food Swaps

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:00:27 -0800

Since decadent foods like ice cream, baked treats, and fried foods tend to be high in the calorie department, it's good to have a few healthy food swap ideas up your sleeve. Here are some shared by fellow FitSugar readers.

"Avocado instead of mayo . . . sure it may have fat in it but it's healthy fat and tastes delicious. Hummus instead of cream in sauces and soups . . . adds a ton of flavor and protein." - mamasitamalita
"I use balsamic vinegar (not vinaigrette) on my salads without any oil. It gives the same powerful flavor kick but for a lot less calories." - laellavita
"Replace ranch dressing on my salad with cottage cheese." - genipher85

For more great ideas, keep reading

Healthy Dose Link Time

FitSugar — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:00:02 -0700

Read about the physical collapse of a Biggest Loser contestant - That's Fit
What your workout music says about your personality - Never Say Diet
Learn natural ways to disinfect your home this flu season - Daily Spark
The fitness editor of Self weighs in on Nike's new Lunar Glide - Fresh Fitness Tips
A seasonal surprise that is dulling your libido - Vitamin G
Not into running? You can walk your way slim - Shape
A brief love note to string cheese - Social Workout
Dealing with your friends dealing with your diet - Health
Would you be willing to try dessert hummus? - Vital Juice Daily