In a long road race, runners are sometimes greeted by stands of volunteers bearing fresh bananas or orange slices to keep their energy up. In real life, no one appears to hand us healthy snacks when hunger nags. These convenient snacks can be carried in your purse or tucked in a desk drawer, and they’re healthy, to boot.
Trail mix
Dried fruits are full of antioxidants. And nuts offer vitamin E, protein, and healthy fats. Both are high in calories, so a small handful will do.
Mini–yogurt packs
Yogurt has 100 more milligrams of calcium per serving than milk. Go for those with no added sugar.
Instant oatmeal
High in fiber and iron, this whole grain beats back heart disease. Skip the flavored, sugary packs.
Whole-grain cereals and frozen waffles
Fiber-rich whole grains offer lots of nutrients like cancer-fighting selenium and heart-healthy potassium and magnesium.
Low-sodium, low-fat soups
Try vegetable, bean, or chicken noodle for about 90 to 170 calories per cup, 2 grams of fat, and 90 to 470 milligrams of sodium (your daily limit should hover at 2,300 milligrams of sodium).
Nut butters
Add cashew or almond butter to your peanut-butter routine. They’re full of healthy unsaturated oils and protein—but watch the calories.
Smoothies
Those made with whole fruits and yogurt are full of antioxidants, fiber, and calcium. Check for added sugar.
Frozen fruits and vegetables
They’re processed at the peak of freshness.
Comments (29)
Yes, smoothies are good, but does anyone know any good recipies so that I could make one at home that would actually be healthy?
I use a frozen can of 100% juice (orange or whatever flavor you like), water, ice, and fresh or frozen fruit. For example, one of my favorite combos is a cranberry juice base, a spoonful of limeade (also frozen), strawberries, mangos, and peaches. You can also find bags of mixed berries. Just make sure you use a good blender on liquify and/or grate setting to make it smooth, unless you don’t mind fruit chunks.
FYI, you can also add no or low fat yogurt, sherbet, and even banannas. You really cannot go wrong. You just have to watch the sugar content. Just play around with it and eventually, you’ll get it perfect!
I got this recipe from the Fat Flush Diet but I doctored it up a bit. It contains psyllium root powder, found at any local health foods or vitamin store; this stuff is like straight fiber and is so good for you, but you can always skip it if you’re just looking for a refreshing drink and not a super healthy one. Also, please note that psyllium root thickens quickly and should be consumed right away. Here goes:
Pour a cup of cranberry juice (the purer the better) into a blender; add a scoop of vanilla protein powder, a 1/4 cup of frozen berries (of your choice), and a cup or so of ice. Start the blender; now, drop in a tbsp of psyllium root powder, a tsp of flax seed oil (optional) and 1/2 a banana. If the mix becomes too dense, add small amounts of juice and ice until it’s right. Sometimes i add silken tofu (about a 1/4 of the package). Blend for about a minute and serve. This will make about 12-16 ounces.
For smoothies, I usually just use fresh fruit and fruit juice.
My favorite is strawberries, pineapple, tangerine juice, and flax meal.
My favorite smoothie is made with one banana, vanilla yogurt (small carton), handful of fresh or frozen blueberries, four or five fresh or frozen strawberries, four or five chunks of frozen mango, four or five chunks frozen pineapple, about a tablespoon of flax seed. Yum!
For about 35 years I have been making a smoothie for my children and grandchildren.
Blend some skim milk, frozen strawberries, and a small amount of whatever sweetener desired. You have a wonderful strawberry smoothie. You can use any frozen fruit. mmgood.
I make a smoothie just about every morning for breakfast. My mixture is as follows: About 3-4 tablespoons vanilla yogurt, a heaping teaspoon frozen juice (whatever you like), a teaspoon wheat germ, teaspoon milled flax seed, about a teaspoon oat bran, a scoop of vanilla whey protein powder, and whatever fruit I have on hand. (I like to mix it up. A typical smoothie will contain a couple strawberries, 2-3 blueberries, 2-3 raspberries or blackberries, 2-3 grapes, half a banana, 3-4 chunks of fresh or canned pineapple.) Then I add 3 ice cubes and blend until it is smooth. After I pour it into a glass, I pour some soy milk or juice into the blender to rinse out what’s left in it and add it to the glass and stir. Makes a wonderful breakfast that is not too high in calories and keeps me satisfied for hours. Sometimes I add a little sweetener of various kinds, but this is really not necessary!
My favorite tasty (and healthy) smoothie recipe:
non-fat plain yogurt, banana, frozen or fresh blackberries, honey, flax oil, and oatmeal. Blend it up, and top with some granola if you prefer. Yummy!
For smoothies I use the frozen fruit mix, add some apple juice or water, non-fat plain yogurt, a touch of vanilla, and either a small amount of honey to sweeten or a ripe banana. Mmmm good! Kids love it too. Have a large cup and you get all the fruit you need for a day.
I use mixed fruit jello no fat, mix in quarter cup of vanilla no fat yogurt and stir in strawberries. Let congeal and serve with no fat topping. Can add other fruits and a little bran fiber cereal.
This is great! In this order: 1 banana, 4 large strawberries, 10 raspberries, 1/4 c. orange juice, 1/2 c. vanilla yogurt, 1 c. ice. Blend ’til smooth. If the berries are frozen, it’ll be a real freezy texture.
I use 1 banana, 1 cup of frozen fruit mix, 1 can of any Kern’s fruit juice, 2 tablespoons of wheat germ and a scoop of soy protein powder (any flavor). Sometimes I will add a tablespoon of peanut butter. I use this for breakfast almost every day.
My recipe is similar: Put one banana in the blender and about a cup of orange juice. Add a few pieces of frozen fruit of your choice. Spoon in about 1/2 c. of plain yogurt. If the banana isn’t very ripe, you may want some honey. Add ground flax seed and blend, blend, blend! Mmmmm!
Kris
If chocolate is your thing, this is IT! So-o-o easy and quick. I use one cup of chocolate soy milk to one cup of frozen fruit. That’s it! Chocolate cherry is my favorite and very delicious! Mix and match any fruit you like. You can add one teaspoon of ground flax seed for added benefits. Enjoy!
I am a vegetarian and try to avoid dairy….I make a smoothie with vanilla flavored soy milk, add 1 cup of frozen mixed berries, and slice up a banana, and then blend. It’s quick, healthy and delicious!!
Christine, here’s a good smoothie recipe:
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen mango
1/4 tsp cinnamon
400 mg chewable vitamin C
1 Tbs wheat germ
2 small containers low fat yogurt, any flavor
1 ripe banana, cut up
1 apple, cubed
1 cup orange juice or other juice
Whip it up in the blender…. good stuff, I have it for breakfast. I make 2 batches (4 servings) and freeze them. very good for energy.
My favorite smoothie:
1/2 cup skim milk, lowfat yougurt, 1 banana, Tblspn wheat germ, + whatever fruit I have on hand fresh or frozen.
I buy fresh berries and freeze them. Place whatever berries you like with 1/4 cup juice (I use pineapple) and a half of a banana in a blender. Delicious!
If you use frozen fruit you don’t have to add ice, which is nice! I try not to use anything with sugar added, but I do add a little Stevia, which sweetens it nicely! If you aren’t familiar with Stevia, it is a natural sweetener that also contains a lot of fiber. You can buy it in the health section of your grocery store or in health food stores. You can also grow your own stevia plant and harvest the leaves yourself!
My favorite smoothie is made with 1 cup orange juice, a slice of extra firm tofu, half a frozen banana and 1/2 cup of some other frozen fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc). You can add a small amount of flax seed oil. Thick and delicious, like a shake!
The best smoothie I have come across and make just about every day is 1/2 cup fat free milk, 1/2 cup fat free vanilla yogurt, 1/2 medium banana, 1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder, and 8 ounces of ice. It’s thick, delicious, and very filling. It has 230 calories and a ton of protein. Definitely a must try.
Just wanted to mention that you can also add (or “disguise”) carrots into any of these wonderful smoothie recipes above. What I do is buy a big bag of them, peel them, and run them all through a food processor first. Use the very finest shredding disk you have. Then just throw in a handful of the shredded carrot into the blender with the other smoothie ingredients. There will be a bit of “texture” to smoothies with carrot added, but you can easily get used to it, knowing the health benefits you are getting. Simply freeze the rest of the shredded carrots in small plastic baggies (in handful-size amounts) to use in future smoothies.
My Cold Weather Smoothie: I make my serving of Oatmeal or any hot cereal and add it to the blender of blended fruit if frozen. This gives it time to thaw out and lose the chill. You can preblend fresh fruit to save time. Add a small amount of liquid if it is to thick for your straws. Great hot-to-go drink! You can add flax seed, bee pollen, cinnemon, raisens, and many others for added boost. Satisfies the hunger for 3-4 hours and warms the belly!
Favorite smoothie-1 cup of unflavored organic soy milk,1 scoop vanilla protein powder, and 1/2-1 cup of your favoite frozen fruit (mixed berries, strawberries and bananas, etc.). Blend!! It makes a wonderful breakfast, or snack. AND YES-the soy is really great for you and tastes great in a smoothie.
This is a good list of snacks… oatmeal, smoothies and soups are my personal favorite on this list…
sorry but i don’t have a smoothie recipe for you guys… just throw some fruit in a blender with some OJ
But why do none of these lists ever mention deli sliced turkey? almost no fat, high in protein, very satisfying. Sure it has a small amount of cholesterol in it but so do all meats, and i simply need a meat in my diet.
my top 5 snacks… (random order)
1.) turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, mustard
2.) toasted bagel with locks and (low fat) creamcheese
3.) Rice crispies with chopped bananas (or any other plain cereal really)
4.) Soup with lots of veggies in it (preferrably homemade). usually contains a protein of some sort (chicken, beans)
5.) Oatmeal
All of the comments posted have very helpful, and I appreciate the time the participants took to post their ideas. I was able to make a grocery list without feeling like I would have to count pennies afterward.
i tryed all ur smoothies and they all taste like poo.
i hate you all.
go to boost.