Fighting the Snack Food Craving
I know we have talked about his before but I love when we all talk about what we do to stop the food cravings. Yesterday, I bought groceries and most of it was fresh vegetables. I have a huge square rubbermaid container that I keep prepped vegetables in so we can grab to eat quickly. So, last night, I washed and dried and made carrot spears and celery spears. I also love to keep red and yellow bell peppers sliced so I can grab those to eat quickly too.
There are also some other things that I do but mostly those things are to make eating vegetarian easier. While I will eat canned beans in a pinch, I usually cook a pot or two of beans on Sunday. Today, I'm cooking black beans and limas. I'll put them in individual serving containers so that we can take for a lunch and for quick access for meals when I haven't planned.
I think preparation is the best possible choice for eating healthy.
What are your thoughts. Do any of you boil a batch of eggs for a quick snack?
I love to have boiled eggs handy for a snack. I also love celery with a bit of peanut butter and a few cranberries. I keep fruit on the counter...some fresh and some dried plus some nuts. I have raised garden bed now and the bounty is coming soon. Fresh green, yellow and red peppers, zucchini, jalepenos, radishes, carrots, and some melons. We are very spoiled in the Central Valley of CA when it comes to fruit and vegetables. We have fruit stands everywhere with things that have just been picked.
Every week, JB buys a dozen eggs and hard-cooks them for snacks. I cannot eat a whole hard cooked egg as it seems too dry and it sits halfway down, so I take 2 eggs and mash them well, add chopped green onions and a bit of mayo and eat that right out of the dish...much easier to swallow for me.
I also keep celery washed and cut and stuff it, when I need something to chew on, with cream cheese then roll the pieces in assorted seeds and nuts (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, sliced almonds, coconut, walnut bits). very satisfying and fills that CRUNCH factor.
I also use my bigger crock pot and make my own kind of BAKED BEANS- using many different kinds of beans- white, black-eyed, kidney, chickpeas....all protein, I add mustard, homemade tomato catsup, onions, garlic, dark molasses and lean ground meat (beef, chicken, turkey or pork). That way I can quickly heat up a cup of beans easily...I even love them cold.
I buy the small cans of good quality salmon when they're on sale (I am not into tuna)...drain well, add a tbsp of green relish and some mayo for moisture and eat that, also right out of the dish...the cats enjoy the salmon "juice" which is high in GOOD fat and that is excellent for shiny fur. (even MY fur)...great protein
Another quick meal for me is Protein-Rich Salad...I always have romaine lettuce (much more nutritious than the regular lettuce), washed and chilled and have tiny "snack" baggies filled with leftover meats (chicken, part of a pork chop, shrimp, leftover steak, turkey, ham) in the freezer. I can defrost the meat if I plan ahead, toss that into the chopped romaine lettuce, green onions, carrot pieces, tomatoes, cucumber and add several scoops of mixed seeds (same as listed above). This makes a guilt-free and satisfying meal quickly and has lots of protein.
In an emergency when my body is saying FEED ME!, I can always make a quick Hot Chocolate Protein Drink...I used skim milk powder (instant) instead of water to add protein, keep my bones strong and satisfy any nutritional needs. Actually, my Hot Chocolate protein drink is my "GO TO" at bedtime when I take my cancer meds...the warm milk also helps encourage sleep.
A small bowl of oatmeal-aka rolled oats- (not instant or processed)...a quick snack made in the microwave...with milk, cinnamon and my assorted nuts and seeds..add a wee bit of honey or brown sugar and that makes a satisfying treat before bed. In my cupboards are also Cream of Wheat and Red River Hot cereal. (add raisins)
My last on the list is home made soup...I make a healthy "bone broth"...roasted & darkened bones (whatever meat you like)...the roasting browns the bones which makes a healthier and tastier broth...that takes a while. But, once the broth is made (I make it in batches and freeze), I add pot or pearl barley, onions, garlic, dried celery leaves from my garden, beans, lentils, crushed frozen tomatoes (again from my garden) and add whatever lean meat that you prefer. The result again, is a high protein snack/meal.
The trick is to have it there and ready...or freeze in individual portions. I have even frozen soups in ice cube trays...grab two "cubes" and microwave!! VOILA! If it is too much work to prepare, we grab the wrong stuff, right?
If I do not eat something before bed, I get very cold when I lie down...very strange but then I have always been rather unique.
Nancy,
All good ideas. I love the salmon too. My DH is always saying, I don't know how you do it, but we get home from work and within minutes, you have these wonderful foods hot and ready to go. LOL....It's about thinking ahead. Good to see you posting again. I know you are so busy with all the things you are doing so when you swing by, we love it.
I have all kinds of good ideas....I just haven't done them in awhile. Thanks for reminding me.
I am a person that does not mind eating the same thing until it is gone. So when I am being organized and focused I prepare a non carb veggie on Sunday or Monday. It may be cabbage or Turkish green beans etc. Once it is cooked it goes into the fridge. I prep my protein and place in a single serving baggie. I clean and chopped, slice, dice, veggies for salad put each in its own plastic container in the fridge. When it comes time to eat I turn on my George Foreman grill ( the most time consuming part of the process). When it is hot I put a serving of the protein on the grill, put a serving of veggies in the microwave and throw the salad together. It usually takes 3-5 minutes for the protein to cook and by then the veggies are hot and the salad made. My protein choice is usually fish or chicken tenderloins. Quick and simple all week once the prep is done. I have gotten out of the habit since we have been travelling so much. Also frozen, cleaned shrimp (large or Xlarge) is great. It defrosts in a minute or less running water over it. I add it to salads, grill it, or saute it lightly.
I keep pecans and walnuts around and the obligatory peanut butter. I also like to keep carrots, celery, and bell peppers on hand to snack on. I don't usually snack on boiled eggs but I do eat them for breakfast and I do boil extra for use on following days.
Jeannie you are so right about prep. Without it I just don't do what I need to and with the prep I can have a healthy meal in 5 minutes that is also tasty. That's just as quick as throwing together a sandwich.
Better run I am headed to the Y.
Linda, I hope your visit to the Y was good.
another plus to prepping the veggies is that you remember to use them. I don't know how many times I have left perfectly fine cauliflower go bad because it wasn't prepped and I didn't want to take the time to cut it up....now I prep it all and just take a few flowerets for different meals or to eat raw or in a salad.
I love keeping shrimp in the freezer to thaw in a little cold water and throw into a veggie dish...so healthy too.
You and I think a lot alike...
