Keep healthy snacks handy! Scheduled snacking is a smart strategy for maintaining stable blood glucose and achieving your weight goal. Snacks help you stay motivated by avoiding hunger, which is what often leads us to abandoning our program.
New! Holiday Recipe
Dr Karen’s Coconut Cacao Real Food Balls
Ingredients:
- 2 cups walnuts, halves and pieces (Costco)
- 1 cup sunflower seeds
- 1 cup coconut, shredded
- 2/3 cup organic cocoa powder (Costco)
- 8 fresh dates, pitted and coarsely chopped (Costco)
- 2 tablespoons water
- Pinch of salt
- 1 to 3 drops peppermint oil (optional)
Method:
- Combine the walnuts, sunflower seeds, dates and coconut in the bowl of a food processor.
- Pulse for 30 to grind the ingredients.
- Add the cocoa powder, salt, water and the peppermint oil to the bowl and process until the mixture forms a paste.
- Form the paste into medium sized balls by rolling a portion of the paste between your palms.
- Place the finished balls on a tray lined with waxed paper and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Top 10 Low-glycemic Savvy Snacks
Eggplant
I love to sauté eggplant in a splash of olive oil.
Edamame
One and a half cups of edamame make a great snack.
Peanut Butter & Celery
One or two celery stalks and 1 table- spoon of peanut butter
Spaghetti Squash
Baked spaghetti squash topped with vegetables makes a great snack.
Yogurt
Buy low-fat or nonfat, no-sugar added. I love plain Greek yogurt. Yogurts with “live cultures” are healthiest. If you are sensitive to dairy, try a soy yogurt.
Low-glycemic Snack Bar
I always have a healthy snack bar available that has good protein, healthy fats, and low-glycemic carbohydrates to hold my hunger and keep my energy.
Nuts
An ideal combination of unsaturated fat, protein and carbs.Nuts are portable and nutritious. Buy raw, unsalted nuts or peanuts in the shell; average size is a “handful,” about 200 calories, depending on the variety.
Fruit
Whole fruit including berries, melon, apples, oranges and grapefruit have the most fiber and fewest grams of carbohydrates per serving. Eat along with some nonfat yogurt, low-fat cheese, or a handful of nuts.
A Hard Boiled Egg
A perfectly balanced snack.
Hummus
Two tablespoons of hummus with cut-up crunchy veggies.
- Yogurt: Buy low-fat or nonfat, no-sugar added. I love plain Greek yogurt. Yogurts with “live cultures” are healthiest. If you are sensitive to dairy, try a soy yogurt.
- Nuts: An ideal combination of unsaturated fat, protein and carbs.Nuts are portable and nutritious. Buy raw, unsalted nuts or peanuts in the shell; average size is a “handful,” about 200 calories, depending on the variety.
- Hummus: Two tablespoons of hummus with cut-up crunchy veggies.
- A Hard Boiled Egg: A perfectly balanced snack.
- Peanut Butter and Celery: One or two celery stalks and 1 table- spoon of peanut butter
- Fruit: Whole fruit including berries, melon, apples, oranges and grapefruit have the most fiber and fewest grams of carbohydrates per serving. Eat along with some nonfat yogurt, low-fat cheese, or a handful of nuts.
- Spaghetti Squash: Baked spaghetti squash topped with vegetables makes a great snack.
- Edamame: One and a half cups of edamame make a great snack.
- Eggplant: I love to sauté eggplant in a splash of olive oil.
- Low-glycemic Snack Bar: I always have a healthy snack bar available that has good protein, healthy fats, and low-glycemic carbohydrates to hold my hunger and keep my energy.
Sign up for newsletter
Sign Up for Dr. Karen’s Newsletter for Wellness Tips