Snowpeas, Hummus, and Fruit Snacks

SNACKS.

We all snack at some point during the day in between meals (yes, even the health freaks out there snack too, but on good nutritional foods, of course), and if you're like me where your meals are not usually that big, snacking is essential to staying satiated throughout the day.

Bear with me here, but I'm going to go off on another spiel about unhealthy eating before I get to the good part on healthy eating and the wide array of tasty options to stick to it.

Now, snacking gives oftentimes a more negative picture than a positive one because people usually associate it with grabbing a bag of chips, a handful of cookies, or a packet of Pop Tarts. Of course, snacking in that form is a lot more convenient, as in all you have to do is rip open some kind of packaged food... but there's a reason why it's packaged, guys. Stuff like that is usually heavily saturated in loads of sugar, salt, preservatives, and food chemicals that are meant to keep the food edible for longer than what is natural. Sure, you may think "you eat it, it tastes good going down, you poop it out. End of story." Sorry to say, that is not quite the way it works. I mean, you've probably already heard similar bits and pieces of this coming from different sources-- a diet that consists of these junk foods on a consistent basis eventually attributes to bigger health issues like diabetes, obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and cholesterol, nutrient deficiency, maybe even cancer, as well as symptoms that come with these like memory loss, diminished vision, brittle hair, difficulty sleeping, digestive issues (i.e. bloating, stomach ulcers, heartburn, constipation), oh goodness... the list could go on forever, and a lot of dietitians and doctors are all too familiar with this long line of health problems that are unfortunately very common among too many people here in the U.S. 

So why is this so hard to address? Much of it is due to the society that we live in where we, as consumers, are inundated with an overwhelming amount of options when it comes to food choice. 

Some people also indicate that having low income is another factor that influences the quality of food that people eat, but honestly, I think education plays a bigger role in determining that-- I say that because I know for fact that it is possible to still eat healthy on a budget that doesn't break the bank, but more on that later. What's worse is that lack of education on proper nutrition (which includes knowing what to look for on labels of foods), lack of time and energy for most overworked Americans to cook food at home, and the flashy sales/marketing in grocery stores are all big contributors to the prevalence of unhealthy eating. 

But here is the catch: it doesn't have to be that way. Changing your diet and adjusting your palate to appreciate whole foods that are better for your body is just like anything else in life: it takes time, it takes baby steps, and even a few hiccups along the way. Want to give "Meatless Mondays" a try? Start there. Swap out soda or soft drinks for seltzer water? Do it. Maybe you're aiming to have at least one piece of fruit a day? Go for it. Then perhaps in the middle of a long week, you have an intense craving for something naughty, like Mickie D's. While I do have very severe reservations against fast food, especially McD (grrrrrr), to such a craving, I say... ok fine, but this should really REALLY be every once in a while.. like once every other month. Frankly, I think such an occasional break is actually needed in order to not lapse into a period of full-on binging, so feel free to treat yo' self when you feel that you deserve it. All in moderation, obviously. 

Ultimately, as long as you put in the effort to try and be more conscious of what you feed yourself, I think the change isn't too hard. To get back on the subject of snacking, here are some examples that you can easily prepare that require zero cooking, have full nutritional benefits, and will definitely prove to provide long-term satisfaction (i.e. feeling full and not get tired or crash afterward).

Savory Snack: Snow Peas and Hummus

You know what hummus is (or at least I hope you do), but if you're not in the camp of veggie lovers, you might wrinkle your nose at snow peas and wonder what it is or what it tastes like. Don't judge just yet! These thin, flat pea pods are an great source of fiber, Vitamin C, iron, and manganese (this is the mineral that helps our body form connective tissues and bones, help our blood clot when you gets cuts, maintain fat and carbohydrate metabolism, and keep those sex hormones in check-- you might laugh at the last one, but it's pretty important for many reasons, especially for women in keeping regular menstrual cycles, production of breast milk after giving birth, etc.).

*Fun fact: These guys are also known as Chinese pea pods, you may have seen them and eaten them before unknowingly, since they are commonly used in Chinese stir fry dishes!

Anyway, below is a picture of a simple snack of snow peas that I paired with creamy hummus for dip. You could blanch the snow peas lightly if you do not like eating things raw, but I was fine with eating just as is after giving them a rinse. Taste-wise, they are very crisp with a slight sweet after-taste. If texture if important to you and you like crunchy things, then you will like this too!

Sweet Snack: Fruit Snacks

Umm, no, I'm not referring to those gummy Welch's fruit snacks, but to actual, juicy whole fruit. I know there's a lot of interesting ways to incorporate fruit into your diet out there (i.e. juicing, fruit infused water, fruit blended into smoothies, dried fruit, etc.), but nothing will give you the full benefits as much as just eating the fruit whole and raw. You're not only getting all the vitamins, antioxidants, and other goodies, but the flesh of the fruit itself has a lot of dietary fiber! 

There are two groups of dietary fiber: soluble and insoluble (most veggies and fruit have a good mix of both). Soluble fiber is what helps to lower cholesterol and keep blood glucose levels in line. Insoluble fiber helps to push bowel movements.

*So if you have trouble with "dropping the kids off at the pool", this is all the more important for you!

That's right, you need to have enough of this stuff in your diet to keep them poopies moving along out of your system. Another name for dietary fiber is bulk or roughage, and this is basically parts of vegetables, fruit, and legumes (let's just call these plant foods to keep it short) that our bodies can't completely break down and absorb. That means that most of the plant foods that we eat passes through our digestive system in its whole form, and this is exactly why a high-veggie diet also keeps you at a healthy weight! Essentially, our bodies suck up all the nutrients that the plant foods have, then the hardier/fibery parts are discarded through our daily toilet breaks. No fats or grease left behind to linger in your arteries or sit in your gut! Also, plant foods are high in water content, which naturally fills us up to make us feel full and thereby prevent overeating. How great it that?

Now, onto the fruit snacks! Below is a bowl of ripe raspberries... they are basically nature's candy! The burst of the refreshing juices in your mouth, the slight crunch of the seeds, the sweet and tart flavor are better than any candy bar, in my opinion.

Teddy was eyeing me in the kitchen as I was rinsing these (he associates the running of water with food, since I usually wash his lettuce right before giving it to him), and I tested whether he would be interested by waggling two in front of him... needless to say, he enjoyed the raspberries and bopped me with his nose to ask for more! 

Raspberries are definitely more of an occasional treat for bunnies like Teddy (they have their own individual diet and can't have too much sugar), but for people, these berries are a potent source of nutrients. Among the many nutritional benefits, raspberries are known for having a certain antioxidant that is good for eye health. Most people are more familiar with red ones like those pictured above, but they also come in black, purple, yellow, and gold! Each color of raspberries have their own unique set of nutrients and vary in flavor/sweetness. Right about this time of year is probably the last month or two when these berries are in season (see this chart that lists when certain fruits and nuts are in season during the year), so if you see them in the grocery store anytime soon, be sure to pick up a carton!

Onto the next fruit snacks, strawberries and kiwis!

I don't know of anyone who doesn't like either of these fruits, not only do they taste good, these guys are an abundant source of Vitamin C, minerals, and antioxidants! Specifically, strawberries are known for having phytonutrients and flavanoids that makes it rosy red and visually appealing. Those phytonutrients and flavanoids have anti-inflammatory properties that are good for cardiovascular health and maintaining great skin. Ladies, instead of relying too much on anti-wrinkle creams for your face, load up on the strawberries ;)

Kiwis have very similar healthy properties as well, but I only just learned through my research that they are actually a superfood for growing children as well as for pregnant women and breastfeeding women. For kiddies, the copper in kiwis provide aid in brain development, bone growth, red blood cell production, and overall support for the immune system. 

For pregnant women and healthy fetuses, the high amount of Vitamin B6 (also known as Pyrodoxine) that kiwis have play a vital role in building the fetus' brain and nervous system. Interestingly, another side-benefit of Vitamin B6 in kiwis (as well as other foods like whole grain cereals, beans, bananas, and papayas that also have Vitamin B6) is that it helps relieve morning sickness in the early stages of pregnancy. Rather than taking medication that may not be good for both the mother and the fetus, it might be better to reap the natural benefits from whole foods like those mentioned.

As the Father of Modern Medicine, Hippocrates, once stated and his words still ring true today:

"Let food be thy medicine and let medicine be thy food."