Store bought, HEALTHY, snacks! (Part 1: Chip & Dip Edition)

      Lets admit it, when we go to the grocery store, we all purchase snacks! But, we all want the snacks that taste good and that are unhealthy like Doritos, Oreos, ice cream, etc. We need to step back and look at our options. There are alternative prepackaged snacks that we can purchase at the grocery store that still taste good and wont make us fat (and low on calories)! I am going to share some there snacks that you can buy at the grocery store to keep in your backpack when your hungry during classes, in-between classes, and even during your commute.

1.
Sun Chips Original
Calories: 140 per serving
Tip: Always buy the chips that say kettle cooked not baked or other salty chips

2.
Veggie Pirate's Booty
Calories: 130 per serving


3.
Garden of Eatin' Blue Tortilla Chips (No Salt Added)
Calorie: 140 per serving




4.
Snyder's of Hanover Multi Grain Pretzel Sticks
Calories: 120 per serving





5.
Terra Sweet Potato Chips
Calories: 160 per serving



6.
Stacy's Simply Naked Pita Chips
Calories: 130 per serving







Use these to dips to add flavor!

Cedar's Simply Delicious Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Calories: 50 per two tablespoons


Newman's Own Black Bean & Corn Salsa
Calories: 20 per two tablespoons


Wholly Guacamole Classic Dip
Calories: 50 per two tablespoons

If you liked this post, stay tuned because there will be a Part 2 of more healthy snacks that can be bought at the grocery store!

How to stay full longer

Everyone likes to eat. it's simple. As a human, it is a bad thing to continuously eat more times a day then you should be. It is even worse to eat more than necessary of foods that are bad for you. Especially as a college student, we are always on the go, studying/doing homework, and attending class. Being busy can cause you to feel hungry, even though your body is not hungry. I am going to give you a few tips of ways to keep your body feeling full. Also, feeling hungry all the time will cause you to spend more money on food. So incorporate these tips into your diet and you will save money and stay full longer!

1. Eat more food that contains waters/broth. For an example eat more soups like chicken noodle and vegetable soups. Soups are also low on calorie.
2. Eat more greens. For example we eat more greens like lettuce, baby spinach, and other mixed green salads. Also, make sure you use low fat/low calorie salad dressing.
4. Eat more fruits. Some fruits that keep you full longer are apples, blueberries, cantaloupe, grapefruit, oranges, peaches, strawberries and watermelons.
5. Eat more vegetables that do not have as much starches. Some of these vegetables are asparagus, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes and squash.
6. A tip is, to start off a meal with soup or mixed green salad. Also, when every you have random "munchies", try snacking on the non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, carrots celery, etc. (listed above)
7. Add vinegar and cinnamon food whenever possible. They help regular your blood sugar level and make you feel full longer.
8. Any green or orange vegetables into your diet. They contain 90% water, and of course water keeps you full.
9. Eat lots of fish because they contain omega 3 fats, which keeps you full. Fish is also high in protein and contain few calories.
10. Eat a lot of oats, especially for breakfast because they contain beta-glucan which helps the body release CCK, a hunger-suppressing hormone.
11. Eggs keep you full for a very long time, studies show for up to 36 hours.
12. Eat foods with a lot of fibers, they help with digestion as well.




And of course, DRINK LOTS OF WATER, during, before, and in between meals!

Healthy Eating 101 - No Red Meat

 

4 years ago, I decided to change my diet for health benefits and personal reasons. I decided to stop eating red meat FOREVER! That means no eating beef and no eating pork. This is a lifestyle change I decided to include into my healthy lifestyle. Click 'Read More' to learn about the benefits of a red meat free diet.

Beef Udon Soup (Try something better than ramen in a cup) #soupoftheday

Soup is always pack with so many flavors, usually because of the long cooking time, but this beef udon soup will provide those flavors with less time and still have the same taste!

The ingredients provided will have enough for two servings and will take 10 minute preparation time to make.  The cooking time will take about 15 minutes.  

You will need:

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 (10 ounce) bag sliced cremini mushrooms

3 cups of beef broth

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt or more if desire

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

1 (10 ounce) container of Trader Ming's Ginger Peanut Noodle Salad, gently chopped

1/2 pound Trader Joe's Shaved Beef Steak

Once you have all the ingredients prepare you will have two step process to make this flavorful and warm beef udon soup.

1.  In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat, until shimmering.  Add the mushrooms and saute stirring occasionally, until they begin to release their liquid, 5 to 8 minutes.  Stir in the beef broth and increase the heat to high.  Bring the broth to a boil, then add the salt and pepper.  

2.   Stir in the noodles.  Carefully drop in the raw beef slices.  Cook until the beef turns brown, about 1 minute.  Remove the soup from the heat, taste, and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.

1

Once you are satisfy with the flavor of the soup, you are read to enjoy your delicious warm soup.

~ CollegeMenu

How To Maintain A Healthy Lifestyle

It can be tough trying to balance homework, a social life, work and eating healthy at the same time. Here are some useful tips that will help you out:

1. Learn about proportion sizes:Pay attention to the number of servings contained in the package, then note the calorie and fat content per serving. Also, you can use a smaller plate; it might look full, but you're still eating less.

2. Drink Water: The health authorities commonly recommend eight 8-ounce glasses, which equals about 2 liters, or half a gallon.

3. Eat breakfast: Breakfast provides you with the energy and nutrients that help you concentrate more in class and for the rest of your day.

4. Try to limit junk food and sugary drinks: Try to limit stops at fast food restaurants, if you decide to go, try to substitute for a healthier option.

5. Find healthy snacks: Instead of getting a snack from a vending machine, try to carry a granola bar or a fruit of your choice.

6. Don't skip meals: Skipping meals can reduce your body's blood sugar levels and you'll feel tired. When you cut back meals you might not be getting all the vitamins you need in the day.

BEST Protein Bars.....EVER!!!

There are many times where you want to grab a snack on-the-go. For me, I like to grab a bar and throw it in my bag before I go to work or school. Bars are always an easy on-the-go snack. It's small, easy to store, can fulfill your hunger for a few hours, and it provides better nutrition than most on-the-go snacks. But most bars are high on carbohydrates, high on fat, and low on protein. These bars advertise that they are high in protein, but they don't advertise carbs or calories. The whole point of a protein bar is for the protein, not the carbs. You can find many protein bars at grocery stores or retail stores: Met-RX, Powerbar, Pure Protein, Clif, Special K, and Supreme just to name a few. Years ago, I became aware of a protein bar that is high on protein, low on carbs, and satisfies my dessert cravings. Click 'Read More' to find out which bar I am talking about.

Breakfast Is The Most Important Meal Of The Day! Oatmeal with Berries and Almonds

Breakfast Is The Most Important Meal Of The Day!

As we all know breakfast is very important and many people tend to forget this to start their morning right.  Not only breakfast being the important meal of the day, but finding a healthy meal can be tough to make.  I have a 3 step easy breakfast instructions for you though!  

Oatmeal with Berries and Almonds

Oatmeal with berries and almonds has vitamins and the nutrients you need to start your day right!  All you need is 1 1/4 cups of water, 1/4 cups frozen blueberries, 1/2 cup milk, and 1/4 cup sliced almonds.  The ingredients are easy to get and the steps are easy as one, two, and three!

1.  Empty the oatmeal packets into a medium microwave-safe bowl. Stir in the water and frozen blueberries.

2. Microwave on high until hot, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring once halfway through.

3. Stir in the milk and top with the almonds.

And their you have it, a nice healthy breakfast to start your day!

~ CollegeMenu