My Kitchen > Grab and Go Snacks | Printable Version |
Snacks for the Sweet Tooth
Who doesn’t have a sweet tooth at least once in a while? It’s best to quell a strong sweet tooth with natural sugars first, such as fresh, canned or frozen fruits or 100% fruit juices because these contain fiber and other nutrients. You can also try the following snacks to help a sweet fix. They may not have the nutritional punch of an apple with a tablespoon of peanut butter, but they’re sure to tame a sweets craving!
• Dove Dark Chocolate Promises, 3 pieces (126 calories)
• 24 Frosted Mini Wheats (200 calories)
• 2 Fudgsicle low fat pops (120 calories)
• Edy’s Frozen Fruit Bars (60-120 calories depending on flavor)
• Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwich (150 calories)
• Ice cream sundae: ½ cup Edy’s Slow-Churned Vanilla Frozen Yogurt with ½ cup fresh or frozen strawberries or blueberries and 2 tablespoons granola cereal (200 calories)
• Swiss Miss Fat-Free Hot Cocoa with Calcium (50 calories)
Bake It Better
Because many packaged baked treats contain added sugar, salt, and trans fat (a type of fat that has a similar detrimental effect on the heart as saturated fat) you might consider baking your own sweet treats. You can modify recipes with ingredients that are lower in fat and sugar and even boost the nutrients while cutting out the chemical additives and preservatives many baked goods contain. For example when making chocolate chip cookies, you can use whole wheat flour instead of white, add oats or ground-up bran cereal for more fiber, and use less added sugar (decreasing the amount by up to 1/3 cup is not noticeable). Pureed fruit such as applesauce or prunes work well as a fat replacement in brownies and cookies.
Try these recipe substitutions in your favorite cookie, muffin, brownie, or cake recipes:
Sugar | Reduce sugar by 1/4 to 1/3 cup in baked products and desserts. For example, if recipe calls for 1 cup, use 2/3 cup. |
Sugar | Replace sugar with a sugar substitute like sucralose in baked goods, which can reduce the calories from sugar in a recipe by 50-100%. Follow package directions for the sugar substitute. Baking times may be shorter. |
All-purpose flour | Substitute whole wheat flour for up to ½ of the flour. |
Butter, margarine, oil |
- For cookies and cake mixes, replace half the fat with ½ as much applesauce or mashed banana (for example if the recipe calls for 1 cup butter, use ½ cup butter and ¼ cup applesauce) - For brownies, replace all of the fat with half as much applesauce or prune puree (for example if the recipe calls for 1 cup butter, use ½ cup applesauce) * May need to reduce baking time by 25%. |
Eggs |
Use egg whites (usually 2 egg whites for every egg) or ¼ cup egg substitute. |
Full-fat sour cream Full-fat cottage cheese Full-fat ricotta cheese |
- Use nonfat or reduced-fat sour cream or nonfat plain yogurt. - Use 1% or nonfat cottage cheese. - Use part-skim ricotta. |
Cream |
Use evaporated skim milk. |
Whipping cream |
Use nonfat whipped topping or cream (note that this is only nonfat if one serving size is consumed). |
- Heart Health
- Choosing a Gym
- Essential (and Optional) Kitchen Appliances
- Learning to Ask “What do I Really Need?”
kitchen
Kitchen Basics
Tools and Equipment | VIDEO
Selecting A Chef's Knife
Essential (and Optional) Kitchen Equipment
Essential (and Optional) Kitchen Appliances
Time Savers | VIDEO
Five Tips for Getting Supper on the Table in Record Time
Simple Technique | VIDEO
Mistakes Every Chef Makes and How to Avoid Them
Commonly Used Cooking Techniques
Basic Knife Skills
The Basics
Quick Reference Guide for Commonly Used Measuring Units
Herb and Spice Substitutions
Food Safety | VIDEO
Food Safety Basics
Tips for Fresh Produce Safety
Cook & Eat
Think Outside the Box
Creative in the Kitchen
Lighten Up | VIDEO
Leaner and Lighter Cooking
Know Your Fats | VIDEO
Easy on the Olive Oil
Olive Oils-What’s the Difference?
A Chef’s Tips for Dining Out
Culinary Adventures
Take a Culinary Leap
A Cooking Community
Fresh is Best
Leftovers | VIDEO
The Right Time for Some Left Overs
Slow Cookers | VIDEO
Selecting a Slow Cooker
Adapting Your Favorite Recipes to a Slow Cooker and Other Slow Cooking Tips
A Few Words on Slow Cooker Safety
Hot Topics
Seasonal Foods | VIDEO
Cooking Root Vegetables
Super Foods
Cooking up Fruits and Vegetables
Gluten-Free
Tips For Cooking Gluten-Free
Living Gluten-Free in a Gluten-Loving Household
Sweeteners | VIDEO
A Sugar by any Other Name is Still Sugar
Tips for Moderating Sugar Intake
Artificial Sweeteners
Where Does Your Food Come From?
Where Did All the Farming Go?
Where Does Our Meat Come From?
Cooking w/ Kids
Picky Eaters | VIDEO
Attacking the Problem Behaviorally – Yours and Theirs!
Creative Food Solutions
The Power of You
Meal Makeover
Why Makeover?
School Lunch | VIDEO
Setting a new Rule for Lunch in School
Fun in the Kitchen | VIDEO
Cooking with Toddlers
Cooking with School-age Children
Cooking With Teens
Age Appropriate Tips to Get Your Kids Cooking
Sneak Attack
Teach a Little, Sneak a Little
My Kitchen
Navigating the Aisles | VIDEO
Shopping Around for Health
Stocking the Staples | VIDEO
Cooking Beans
Cooking Grains and Flours
Oils
Spices, Herbs and Vinegars
Shopping on a Budget
A Few Tips for Cutting Down Your Grocery Bill
The Must-Haves Food Shopping List
Grab and Go Snacks | VIDEO
Healthy Snack Bites
Snacks for the Sweet Tooth
Why, When, and How to Snack
Blogs
Inside Ana's Kitchen