After working a twelve hour day and cooking a quick dinner, it’s kind of tough to plan and prepare healthy snacks for the next day.  So my go to snacks lately have been all about healthy options and convenience such as fresh fruit, nuts, and single serving hummus products.  Usually, I would rather portion out raw veggies and hummus to bring as a snack to save money.  But the other day I spotted Dippin Stix’ for 99 cents!  I bought the carrot & hummus combo to try out.

One container has 60 Calories, 2 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 2 grams of fiber, & 3 grams of protein.  A great mix of healthy fat, fiber, and protein.  Typically, I usually consume closer to around 150-200 calories for a snack so I paired the single serving hummus combo with some grapes.

Have you tried any single serving hummus snacks?

What’s your go to healthy and convenient snack?

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Kasey

It’s such a light, fresh, and delicious snack which is perfect for these hot summer months.  It also has a great balance of fiber/whole grains, protein, and fat.  And because lycopene-rich tomatoes are in season, they are extra flavorful right now! 

I have been using Bible Bread Five Whole Grains, Gourmet Crispbread to make this simple and delish snack…

What’s your favorite snack during the summer months?

Kasey

Today is National Almond Day!  If you’ve been a reader of Fit For Wellness for a while, you probably already know how much I heart almonds and almond butter!  Almonds + Fresh Fruit = My Favorite Snack! 

Why do almonds deserve a day of celebration?  Almonds are a great source of protein, healthy fat, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.  Specifically, almonds are very high in vitamin E which may protect against cardiovascular disease.  Almonds are also high in calcium, magnesium, and potassium.  An interesting tidbit I read today… Almonds contain a natural form of the same drugs used to treat Alzheimer’s disease. 

One serving of almonds equals 1 ounce or 23 almonds which is approximately a small handful.  A serving contains 160 calories, 14 grams fat (only 1 gram of saturated fat), 6 grams protein, and 3 grams fiber.

I pretty much eat almonds (or another type of nut) everyday for my mid-morning snack.  I also frequently enjoy almond butter & jelly sandwiches on whole wheat bread.

Do you eat almonds (or any other nut) regularly?

What’s your favorite way to eat almonds? With fruit? Almond butter? Added to side dishes, cereals, or salads?

Hope you are having a great week!

Kasey

There was karaoke and a ton of delicious food!

Yes, one of my friends has on a Christmas hat with feathers! 

I was very happy to prove my husband wrong (who believes no one likes goat cheese) by making the most popular appetizer of the evening- Goat Cheese Crostinis!  The serving platter was empty by the end of the party.

Ingredients

~5 ounces of goat cheese

2 tbsp chives, finely chopped

salt & pepper to taste

~1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

~24 small toasted crostini slices or crackers

Mix the goat cheese and chives. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Spread about 1/2 Tablespoon of the goat cheese mixture onto each crostini or cracker and then top with shredded parmesan cheese.

So easy and delicious!  Compared to cow’s milk products like cream cheese, goat cheese is lower in fat, calories and cholesterol.  It also provides more calcium than cream cheese.  Many people at the party thought the appetizer was made with cream cheese because of its rich and creamy flavor. 

Are you a fan of goat cheese? 

Have you finished your holiday shopping?!

Kasey

At first glance, hard winter squashes can be intimidating but they are actually pretty easy to prepare.  Not to mention, they are delicious and nutritious.  Acorn squash has plenty of vitamins A & C, potassium, and fiber.  When I bought my acorn squash, I planned on  preparing it my favorite way… Roasted!

Roasted Rosemary Acorn Squash

1 acorn squash

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

salt to taste

First, bake the whole squash in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool for about 20 minutes.  Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds and mushiness with a spoon.  SAVE the seeds and put aside… trust me on this one!

Cut the squash into wedges and spread out onto a nonstick pan.  Drizzle the wedges with olive oil and season with cayenne and rosemary.

Roast the wedges at 450 degrees for ~40 minutes.

Cory and I loved the roasted green pumpkin acorn squash!  I served it along with some baked chicken.  The rosemary gave another dimension of flavor.  Next, time I want to use fresh rosemary instead of dried for even more flavor. 

What about the gooey seeds I told you to save?  Roast the seeds along with the squash! 

First, I rinsed and cleaned the gooeyiness away in a colander.  Then, I tossed the seeds with olive oil, salt and pepper and cooked at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes. 

Tasted similar to roasted pumpkin seeds which is one of my favorite snacks.  I seriously am never throwing away squash seeds again!

What is your favorite way to cook winter squashes?  Have you ever roasted squash seeds?

Thanks for reading

Kasey

I was delighted as soon as pulled into the parking lot.  Seriously, how cute is this place?!

There was a gorgeous display of fresh fruit toppings (kiwi, mango, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, watermelon, strawberry, etc) along with some crunchier toppings like low-fat granola, nuts, & cookies.  I decided on the pomegranate flavor frozen yogurt but first I sampled the original flavor which tasted like a Greek yogurt but frozen (note to self- start freezing Greek yogurts!).  I added fresh kiwi and raspberries and a waffle cookie.

Frozen yogurt contains active live cultures which helps support a healthy immune system and may help regulate digestion. While frozen yogurt is often a lower fat and lower Calorie alternative to ice cream, you have to be careful with serving sizes and toppings.  The size options at Pinkberry were “mini”, “small”, “medium”, and “large”.  I ordered the “small” size which equals about 3/4 cup of frozen yogurt at 180 Calories, 32 gm sugar, 5 gm protein, 0 gm fat, & 15% of the Daily Value of Calcium. I added an extra 30 Calories of fresh fruit and an estimated 80 Calories from the Waffle Cookie for a grand Calorie total of 290 Calories.  My “Fro Yo” was outstanding!!!  Pinkberry’s employees actually portion everything out for the customers which is a huge benefit in my opinion. Some other Frozen Yogurt joints are self-serve which means you can pile on a much frozen yogurt and toppings as you want into a pretty generous bowl and pay by the ounce as you leave.  That sounds dangerous in regards to portion control because many underestimate serving sizes.

Have you enjoyed a frozen yogurt treat this summer?  Have you ever eaten frozen Greek yogurt?

Kasey

The above picture is of Nicole and I with the bride-to-be at her bridal shower.  Of course, I had a wonderful time with everyone and we are counting down the days until the next bridal party event- the bachelorette party is in NYC over Labor Day!

After living together for four years during college, my passion for nutrition definitely rubbed off on Nicole.  Can you believe she did not know what fiber was until she moved in with me?!  After almost a full day spent at the airport due to flight delays, Nicole showed up to my house with a couple healthy snacks she picked up at the airport.  I was impressed with what she choose for snacks considering it can be a challenge to find healthy snacks at the airport.

First, she grabbed a bag of Popchips in place of regular potato chips. Have you tried Popchips yet?

It was my first time trying Popchips and I thought they were delicious.  They contain >50% less fat than regular, fried potato chips and about a quarter less calories! 

The other nutritional impressive snack she pulled out was dried mango.  You definitely have to be careful with dried fruits because some products contain lots of added sugar.  This particularly brand’s only ingredient was organic mangos!

The dried mango was delicious but very chewy.  My only gripe is that it got stuck in my teeth while eating!  While I’m flying, I usually pack a couple snacks like a handful of nuts or a Larabar to hold me over until the next meal.  What is your “go-to” snack while traveling?

Before I go, here are some of my favorite wedding pictures…

Hope everyone is having a great week! Till next time

Kasey

Good news- We purchased a new touch screen desktop! It is pretty fantastic.  The screen is massive (23 inches widescreen) and doubles as a TV in the bedroom.

On to my recap of my experiences with St. Lucian food…

There was a “Fruit Man” who visited our beach everyday via boat.  We often purchased fresh mangoes and coconuts from the “Fruit Man”.

The “Fruit Man”

My friend Claudia with mangoes she bought from the “Fruit Man”

My friend Nicole and I enjoying fresh coconut water

“Nature’s Gatorade”

Mangoes, papaya, and plantains were plentiful during my stay in St. Lucia! I had some form of mango everyday I was in St. Lucia- either in the form of fresh fruit, fresh juice, yogurt, mojito, or daiquiri (so delicious!!). 

One medium fresh mango contains about 135 calories, 4 grams of fiber, and is a great source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium.  I took full advantage of the delicious fresh fruit available.  Let’s just say, I certainly was not at risk of developing scurvy! 
 

I also enjoyed fresh papaya and papaya pancakes which were outstanding! And of course, I ate plantains regularly. The thinly fried plantain chips were all the rage; they even sold them in little bags just like potato chips.

Papaya and plantains are also a great source of vitamin C, vitamin A, and Potassium!

What’s your favorite way to eat/drink mangoes?

Have you ever drank coconut water straight from a coconut?

Stay tuned for a recap of my favorite St. Lucian dishes and my adventures in the Rain Forest!

Kasey

Claudia & I

Cory & I

Unfortunately, I was too busy with my Maid of Honor duties and hanging out with friends and family to take any pictures of the food

Speaking of food, I am loving the versatility of plain Greek yogurt!  Initially, it took me a little while to get used to the slightly sour taste but I loved the creaminess!  The more ways I discover to eat Greek yogurt, the more I fall in love with it! 

 
I am really excited to see that many of the mainstream companies are starting to produce more affordable lines of Greek yogurt. I love Fage but it’s on the pricy side. What’s so good about Greek yogurt?  Well for starters, it has almost double the amount of protein of regular yogurt which helps with satiety.  For example, the Fage Greek yogurt pictured has 20 grams of protein per cup compared to around 12 grams of regular, fat free, plain yogurt.  Also, it has over 50% less sugar than regular yogurt!  Not to mention, it is thicker and creamier than regular yogurt.

How do I eat my Greek yogurt?

For a snack, I just add fresh fruit…

For a more filling meal such as breakfast, I add fresh fruit plus whole grain cereal…

At dinner time, I often add a dollop of fat free Greek yogurt to my tacos instead of sour cream…

And sometimes I like to use it as a dip for baked chips…

Have you tried Greek yogurt yet?  What are some different ways you eat Greek yogurt?

I have been so consumed with wedding mania that I have no plans for my birthday which is tomorrow!  I may celebrate with a couple friends tomorrow after work and then go out to dinner with my family over the weekend. 

Have a great day and thanks for reading

Kasey

Hello!  Thanks everyone for the sweet comments about my bridal shower   Can you believe it’s almost March?!  May 29th (our wedding day) will be here before we know it! 

Over the past few days, I have tried a handful of new food products that I wanted to share.  First up is Amy’s Light in Sodium, Low Fat Butternut Squash Soup.

This soup started off pretty promising with good nutritional stats- zero saturated fat, zero trans fats, and two grams fiber per serving!  This was lower in sodium than most canned soups with 290 mg of sodium per serving. 

The soup had a light, thin consistency.  It would be a great companion to a salad or sandwich.  My major complaint is the strong metallic taste.  Overall it was “good”, I give it a 7 out of 10 on the taste scale.  I do not plan on buying this again.

Next, I finally tried a Kind Bar- the Fruit & Nut Delight.

As many of you know, my heart belongs to Larabars in the world of snack bars but, this bar was really good and it was a nice change in bar consistency. Kind Bars are made of whole nuts and fruits bound together with honey while the Larabars have fruit and nuts that are grounded/pureed together to form a bar.  This Kind Bar had great stats with 170 calories, 11 grams fat (mostly unsaturated fats), 3 grams fiber, and 5 grams of protein.  Overall, I liked this new product “better” than the soup and give it a 8.5 out of 10 on the taste scale.

Last but not least, I tried another flavor of Food Should Taste Good chips after loving the Jalapeno flavor so much!

The Buffalo flavor was fabulous and pretty similar to the Jalapeno flavor but made with cayenne pepper instead of jalapenos. As for the nutritional info…

A little higher in sodium than the other flavor but still low in saturated fat and good source of fiber! Overall, these chips were the “best” new food product I tried and gave them a 9 out of ten on the taste scale!  I ended up dipping them in plain greek yogurt which was pretty tasty!

Have you tried any new food products?  Any fun plans for the weekend? 

I’m helping throw a HUGE party this weekend for my best friend’s wedding.  Tomorrow, I took off of work so I can run errands for the party, buy all the food, cook, etc.  Next post will likely feature some of the party foods we will serve.  Have a great day and thanks for reading!

Kasey