Our
summers life's are always packed full of something, like most people. My family loves to camp in the summers and we are always on the go doing something all year long. I have really been trying to watch what I am eating and lose some weight. So I am always looking for some ideas and new things to keep if fresh for me. I not only want to have healthy things for me but for Noah as well. He is already wanting what Joe and I are eating and it is only going to get worse when he can ask for the stuff himself. So I want to be setting a good example for him as well. I a few years these will be great to take for after school activities for Noah. Evenings at the ball field, football field or where ever he chooses to have us drag him!
Joe and I have different approaches to how we feel Noah should eat. Yes we agree it needs to be healthy and we don't give him alot of junk. But Joe feels he needs to eat everything on his plate and I feel as long as he eats all his protein and some veggies that is ok. My parents never made us sit until our plates were clean,. Yes we did need to eat onur dinners but were not made to clean our plates. Where as Joe came from a generation where you do that, in fact most of the time he will eat what is left over just because. I don't think that is a healthy way of doing things. I will say he has gotten much better about that sort of stuff.
I have heard all the rage about Pinterest, my cousins, my friends, people on facebook, everyone. I set up an account months ago but never really bothered with it. In having a conservation with my friend
Meg she was telling me about all the things she cooks from there and other ideas she has gotten. So one night she sat and texted me thorough a Pinterest crash course. So thanks Meg for the lesson and the new addiction.
Here are a few snack ideas I saw and modified to help me stay healthy and not grab that candy bar and sugar.
For all of these snacks you will need two containers, a smaller one and a larger one. The small one needs to fit inside the larger one with room left. So you can put your snacks in around them.
You use the smaller bowl for your dip and have your snack around it in the bigger bowl, so you have it all in one. The nice thing is you can but a lid on both of them and take them pretty much anywhere. You can pretty much use this for any type of snack you can imagine.
I like Ranch dressing with my veggies, but dressing can be pretty unhealthy, so I have started to make my own. I get the Hidden Valley Ranch Packs.
I use the fat free mayo and 1% milk. I haven't tried the skim milk yet because I don't know if taking that much fat out of it would leave it with any flavor. I like it for two reasons this way, first is it alot lower calorie and second it is alot thinner so you don't need as much, especially on a salad. So I put the serving size I want in the smaller bowl and put the veggies around it. You can use carrots, green peppers, celery or even broccoli. Now that it is summer and we have a few cherry tomato plants in our yard I can't wait until those are ripe and ready to eat.
Another thing I have fallen in love with recently is the whipped Jif peanut butter.
I have to be honest I am not a big peanut butter eater, but I really love this stuff. It is nice and fluffy. As you can see on the picture you can use apples or even celery with it. The top has a recipe to add honey and cinnamon to make a flavored type dip.
I am not a big mustard fan but you could do mustard and pretzels, chips and dip. I could go on and on. Not only can these ideas save you in calories but it will also save you in money, especially on a road trip or from vending machines.
I would love to hear what types of on the go snacks everyone else makes and would love to share.
Happy snacking.
Melinda
