Garden of your heart

Snack and Dessert Attack

My husband is a snacker!  Often he would have grabbed granola type bars (with loads of sugar), ice cream if it was in the house, anything that is sweet tasting.  Well....those things are not in our home any longer and so I am having to find creative ways to help my husband eat healthier, yet feel as if he is eating something good!  :)

Here are some snacks we now have around the home:

1.  Nuts and seeds:  Almonds, walnuts, pistachio, sunflower

2.  Fruit and dried fruit:  Apples (due to being fall), banana's, mango's (fruit sweetened), organic raisins, home-canned applesauce,   (fruit and nuts are a great food together...or apples with peanut butter, almond butter, etc)

3.  Veggies:  Celery, cucumber, carrots, etc.   (These are his least favorit snacks)     He thinks that I am weird to like peanut butter with celery, or a dip made from cream cheese for the other veggies.  He doesn't know what he is missing.

4.  String Cheese

5.   Desserts (when I make them):  *Fruit Crisp (we just had peach crisp the other night.  I use Sucanat as the sweetener....using the smallest amount).  If you buy fruit when perfectly ripe (like at a Farmers Market, picking it in the yard, Apple Orchard, etc) they tend to be much sweeter.  *Oatmeal  raisin cookies (I use Sucanat for the brown sugar and evaporated Cane juice crystals for the refined sugar)

6.  Leftovers - sometimes there is just a little bit of leftovers (not enough for a meal for anyone) from dinner the night before....I will save those for when my hubby wants a snack after work.  He leaves really early and gets home in the middle of the afternoon, so he usually wants something when he gets home from work. 

7.  Sometimes a cup of herbal tea after dinner with Stevia is the perfect way to get something sweet with no calories!  :)

*******

Here are some alternative's to using refined sugar (which I haven't used in a couple years).

*Evaporated Cane Juice Crystals

*Sucanat

*Honey

*100% Maple Syrup/sugar

*Stevia

Now that my hubby is at work again, he is finding it harder to stay away from sugar.  As a teacher it is amazing how many people give you sweets, or parties they have, etc.    All I can do is help him to do well when he is at home!!!!!!!!!!   :)

snacks

05:30, Monday, October 27, 2008 .. Posted by Anonymous

Debbie,

Reading this I thought of a recipe I came across recently for a healthy "power bar". Here's the link if you are interested: http://www.elanaspantry.com/snacks/power-bars/ And a blog I've been enjoying recently (healthy foods) is here: http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/

Take care,
Catherine

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06:12, Monday, October 27, 2008 .. Posted by Deblyn

Thanks Catherine! That recipe looks great and the blog will be good to read! :)

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06:59, Monday, October 27, 2008 .. Posted by gabbie427

My hubby is a snacker too. It gets irritating, because then he isn't hungry for supper!

God's Blessings,
Amy Jo