FitSugar

Delilicious: Tic-Tac-Toe Peanut Butter Style

babysugar — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 05:00:35 -0700

Eeny, meeny, miny, mo, have some fun with tic-tac-toe! Turn a meal into a game time gobble with lil jolts of protein and tasty fruit pieces. Moms with a wipe clean place mat at their disposal are at an advantage but anyone with a piece of paper and a pen can play this game. Using a cookie cutter or any circular cutting shape (I used a baby bottle cap), take two pieces of bread and cut out small circles for the game pieces. Cover half of them with peanut butter and the other half with Nutella. Then put banana slices on the nutty ones and raspberries on the cocoa flavored bits. Tiny diners can pick their flavors and play one round to see who can get three pieces in a row. The game can go as the pieces last, which won't be long!

View 5 Photos ›

Do you have a healthy snack recipe that your tots love? Share it with other lunch making mamas in The Children's Table group over in the LilSugar community!

Tasty Treats For Halloween Bashes: Trick or Treat Lollipops

LilSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:30:34 -0700

Halloween may be all about the costumes and candy, but that doesn't mean you can't trick kids with a treat that's healthy too. Take an all-time childhood favorite – the lollipop – and convert it into something that will fill trick-or-treaters up with necessary nutrients.

Take a selection of firm fruits like watermelon, cantaloupe and pineapple and cut them into thick slices. Then using cookie cutters cut them into fun shapes, filling holes in one slice with smaller pieces from other fruits like blueberries, grapes or strawberries. Place bamboo skewers into the pieces to create fruit lollipops that lil ghosts and goblins can't keep their hands off of throughout the party.

Do you have a healthy treat that your tots love? Share it with other lunch making mamas in The Children's Table group in the LilSugar community!

10 Grab and Go Snacks For New Moms

LilSugar — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:30:20 -0700

Once baby arrives, new moms tend to trade in the bowls of ice cream for healthy snacks that will nourish them while helping them shed the baby weight. While healthy eating can be tasty, it isn't always quick and with a lil one demanding constant attention, eating with one hand and on-the-run is essential. We've rounded up 10 quick and easy one-handed snacks that should give a new mom the energy she needs to make it through the day.

View Slideshow ›

Happy Puffs Keep Munchkins Eco Munching

LilSugar — Wed, 27 May 2009 04:00:22 -0700

Baby puffs are a staple in many mama's snack arsenal. However, until now, the only options were from the major baby food manufacturers, neither of which made organic versions of the treats.

Happy Baby, the Brooklyn-based fresh-frozen organic food company, has introduced the first organic puffs, Happy Baby Puffs ($4). The 100 percent natural goodies have half the sugar of existing brands and are made from whole grains, real fruits and real vegetables fortified with calcium and vitamins B and D. The quick-to-dissolve munchies come in three flavors – Apple, Banana and Greens – that will have tots and their parents reaching for the eco-friendly containers. These containers are made from redundant materials from lilsugar favorite Method created from BPA-free, 25 percent post-consumer recycled materials. And for those who want their food purchases to do even more, each Happy Baby purchase is linked to a donation to Project Peanut Butter to feed malnourished children.

Healthy Eating Tip: Snack on Small Servings of Leftovers

FitSugar — Fri, 15 May 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Crackers, fruit, and granola bars are common snacks, but who says a snack has to be made from "snack food"? Smaller servings of leftovers make great snacks. Just prepare yourself a serving size that's 200 calories or less. Last night's soup, a piece of chicken on a small piece of bread, some pasta and cheese, or roasted veggies make great snacks. Not only will you be getting a unique and healthy snack pick-me-up, but it's a great way to make sure leftovers don't go to waste.

Source

Healthy Recipe: Easy Whole Grain, Fruit, and Nut Energy Bars

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 11:00:00 -0800

The ongoing peanut butter recall has claimed some of my go-to snack bars, but the good news is I've been inspired to get more creative in my kitchen. This recipe for homemade energy bars is truly a cinch and allows you to be as flexible as possible with whatever you have in your cabinets. I used almond butter, chopped dried apricots, and cashews in my batch, but the possibilities are endless.

Next time, I will use a little more nut butter because the honey seemed to overpower its taste, and the bars didn't hold together as well as I would have liked. Other than that, they were delicious and a great pre-workout snack. Eat them straight from the fridge or warm them up before eating for a gooier treat.

To see the recipe, read more.

Easy Whole Grain, Fruit, and Nut Energy Bars
Wellsphere

Ingredients

3 cups puffed whole-grain cereal (e.g., puffed wheat or Kashi)
1/2 cup chopped nuts or seeds (or a combination)
1/2 (or up to 3/4) cup chopped dried fruit (one fruit, or a combination)
3 tablespoons ground flaxseed
1/3 cup creamy nut or seed butter (e.g. peanut, cashew, almond, soy; natural style is fine)
1/2 cup honey (or brown rice syrup, light molasses, sorghum, or maple syrup)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x9-inch square metal baking pan foil; spray with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl mix the cereal, nuts, dried fruit and (optional) flaxseed; set aside.
Place the nut butter and honey in small heavy saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly for about 1 minute until bubbly and smooth.
Pour hot mixture over cereal mixture in bowl, stirring to blend (mix well to coat all of the cereal).
Transfer mixture to prepared pan. Using a large square of wax paper or foil, firmly press mixture down into pan to firmly compact.
Bake until just golden around edges, about 10 minutes.

Cool completely. Remove bars using foil liner and cut into 16 bars or squares.

Makes 16 servings.

Print recipe with images | without images

10 Healthy Snacks to Keep at Work

FitSugar — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 12:00:00 -0800

It is always a good idea to stock up on healthy snacks to keep at work. You shared your go-to satisfying snacks that prevent you from venturing to the vending machine and reaching into the candy jar. Take a page from your fellow Fit readers and mix up your snacks to keep things interesting; check out these 10 ideas for healthy snacking.

Fruit: apples, bananas, oranges, grapes . . . anything goes!
Veggies: carrot sticks, celery, edamame . . . the sky's the limit!
Larabars, Kashi TLC granola bars, Luna Bars, Nutrigrain bars
Single servings of nuts or trailmix: Save money and packaging by buying in bulk and portioning at home.
Preportioned cheese: String cheese, Laughing Cow wedges

There are five more suggestions so read more.

Crunch: Kashi TLC crackers, Soy Crisps
Peanut butter: Smear it on apples or crackers.
For the 'fridge: yogurt, cottage cheese
Popcorn: Bring air-popped corn from home.
Cereal: Go for lower-sugar options or oatmeal.

Source

Healthy Habit: Lunch on High Fiber and Lean Protein

FitSugar — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 05:30:00 -0800

If eating healthier is one of your goals for 2009, you might want to reconsider your lunches. Nutritionist Alexa Fishback, author of The Daily Fix, has a way to make your mid-day meal work for you. Stay tuned for upcoming nutrition tips from Alexa and be sure to enter our Get Fit For 2009 giveaway for a chance to win a personalized nutrition plan created by Alexa, along with many other amazing goodies.

Here's Alexa's lunch advice:
When it comes to our midday meal, many of us choose whatever is most convenient or perhaps forgo lunch altogether as a tactic to save calories, time, or money. Others build up a ravenous appetite (often because they have skipped breakfast and/or a midmorning snack) and jump fork-first into a midday calorie trap. Here are a few tips to navigate some common lunchtime scenarios:

Stuck in the conference room for a lunch meeting? Discretely peel away the cheese from the pre-made turkey sandwich and grab a mustard packet instead of mayo; drink a bottled water instead of a soda, and opt for the fruit salad over the cookies. While it might not be your favorite meal ever, wouldn't you rather save the calories for Saturday night?
Working at your desk through lunch? Plan ahead. Pop open a can of Amy's Organic lentil soup and heat it up in the office kitchen. Then pair with some whole wheat crackers and an apple. Not too shabby for a quick lunch.

For two additional lunch ideas, read more.

Eating out? Order a salad loaded up with lettuces and other nonstarchy veggies, a portion of lean protein (grilled chicken breast, tuna, or chickpeas), and a portion of unsaturated fat like avocado or nuts to add a creamy flavor. Ask for a vinaigrette dressing on the side and enjoy your meal with a multi-grain roll.
Stay-at-home mom eating at home? Toast a couple slices of whole wheat bread to bring out the nutty flavor, spread a tablespoon of natural almond butter on each piece, and top with either banana or strawberry slices – yum.

For more tips, check out all of Alexa’s Healthy Habits or pick up her book, The Daily Fix.

Source

Healthy Habit: Don't Forget to Snack

FitSugar — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 05:30:00 -0800

If eating healthier is one of your goals for 2009, I have some good news for you about snacking. Nutritionist Alexa Fishback, author of The Daily Fix, encourages folks to eat two healthy snacks a day. In fact, it is one of her 12 healthy habits. Today, she explains the science of snacking. Stay tuned for more tips, and be sure to enter our Get Fit For 2009 giveaway for a chance to win a personalized nutrition plan created by Alexa, along with many other amazing goodies.

Now, for Alexa's snacking advice:
Aim for a midmorning and a midafternoon snack every day in addition to your three regular meals. This may be the single most important tip out there. So many of us think that calorie restriction is the way to lose weight and so try to not eat in between meals. In reality, your body needs fuel consistently through the day for energy and to keep your metabolism working for you. Incorporating two healthy snacks each day, one midmorning and one midafternoon, is the key to fueling your body and staving off cravings that lead to overeating at meals or late at night and subsequent weight gain.

To see Alexa's suggestions for snacks, read more.

Make it simple - choose two of these three snacks every day for optimal health: a single-serving yogurt (I love nonfat Greek with fruit), an ounce of nuts (I love almonds and pecans), and/or a piece of fruit or a cup of cut fruit or berries. Not only will these snack options improve your weight profile (I promise) - they will also add to your nutrient profile by giving you the fiber, calcium, and vitamins your body needs, and from whole foods, not supplements.

For more tips, check out all of Alexa’s Healthy Habits or pick up her book, The Daily Fix.

Source

Speak Up: What Healthy Snacks Do You Keep at Work?

FitSugar — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 03:26:37 -0800

My tummy starts grumbling around 3 p.m., and when it does I'm always thankful that I have healthy snacks just an arm's distance away. Keeping healthy snacks at my desk prevents me from choosing something more unhealthy to satisfy my hunger (like the treats from YumSugar that magically appear in the kitchen) and from eating everything in sight when I get home from work.

Currently, my desk drawer is holding an apple, some almonds, and a Larabar. I also brought a couple containers of nonfat Greek yogurt for the communal refrigerator. What snacks do you keep at work?

Source