Tag Archives: snacks

America the Food-iful

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I’ll go ahead and apologize for the punny title, but not for how much I love food (and America)! With Memorial Day coming up this weekend I thought I’d try and put together some fun, healthy-like recipes that you can share with your friends at your BBQs!

Naturally, I took to Twitter to ask my friends what they liked to make/eat and got a few good responses. After that I basically just texted my friends. I’m the kind of girl who brings the veggie tray, chips and salsa, or beer. I like to cook, but…okay, no I don’t.

Below are some recipes that you can try this weekend, if you just click the name! Some are healthy and some are just tasty.

Cowboy Caviar

This one’s great because you can eat is alone or with chips to dip!

Jell-O Poke Cake 

It’s colorful and delicious!

Red, White, and Blueberry Trifle

God bless America.

Oven Fried Pickles

Someone make me these, stat.

Skinny Buffalo Chicken Dip

This is pretty much my go-to for parties. I’m actually pretty good at making it.

 

Super healthy options also include fruit or vegetables. You can get creative and go all ‘MURICA if you want, too.

What are some of your favorites?

 

Snaaaaaacks

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Hey, I’m Ashley and I love food. This should not come as a surprise to anyone who knows me in real life, follows me on any type of social media, or if you have read any of my other posts.

Crunchy things are my weakness. Ice cream is my soulmate. Pizza is my best friend.

You get the picture, right?

How did the internet get this footage of me?

It’s so easy to sit on the couch and grab a bag of chips or popcorn and just munch away, not worried about portion size or calories. I’m guilty of it, even as I’ve been trying to be on this “healthy lifestyle”. I can often be found sneaky chips and crackers and other delicious things late at night knowing the only person I’m actually hiding from is myself. It’s ridiculous!

Lately I’ve been trying SO HARD to do better with my eating habits. It’s definitely working, but not without a little change in my thinking. This definitely includes snacks.

Instead of grabbing chips or something salty, I’ve been binging on fruits and veggies. Of course, sometimes you need a little bit more to go with those fruits and veggies…because that stuff gets boring real fast.

I’m obsessed with this little cuties. The amount of them I eat might be embarrassing if they weren’t so delicious.

I’ve been toying around with Greek yogurt (yuck) and have found that it’s tolerable when I put a lot of different stuff in it. It might sound crazy, and you’re probably thinking why don’t I just eat stuff I like? Well, I’m trying very hard to stick to my plan, so that means I need to get creative.

These three things and a dash of cinnamon…

…make for a delicious fruit dip!

 

Greek yogurt is a great breakfast food time. Of course, I like to mix in bananas, cocoa powder, and sometimes even a little natural sweetener because it isn’t something I can eat by itself. For veggies, I use the yogurt and a packet of ranch season to make a super light dip. So many things to do with it!

You might be able to guess by now that I also love dips of all kinds. Hummus and carrot sticks, crackers, or cucumbers is always filling… BUT, WAIT.

Did y’all know that chocolate hummus is a thing? Because it is and it ain’t half bad.

Get on this.

These are just a few things that I’m obsessed with right now. Also: mushy bananas because those are the best.

And coffee.

Is coffee a snack?

Anyway, if you have any tips or delicious treats you love, let me know! I’m always on the lookout for new things!

Recipe Box: Foodball Edition

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When I sat down to write today, I really wanted to follow up on Jenn’s post about the Broncos and share my love of football too… but since I haven’t run a race in many months, I needed a different angle.

Enter food.

Of course.

Now that football season is in full swing and fantasy teams have been drafted, every Sunday at my house has become Foodball day. Clay and I spend Sunday mornings cooking and preparing snacks for the nearly ten people that pile on our couch starting at 1:00 to binge on beer, chili, chips and sports. (To be fair, I usually get a workout in on Sunday morning, so that the laziness of the rest of the day doesn’t catch up to me.)

foodball

He’s a Browns fan, but he humors me and cheers for the Packers, too.

The menu typically includes Clay’s Turkey Chili (which has no recipe… otherwise I’d share that with you today), Buffalo Chicken, guac, chips, some kind of dessert (last week I made Cleveland Brownies… get it?), pizza and other snacks. It ends up being quite a spread, but you need that kind of sustenance for 8+ hours of football viewing.

The chili is always a hit, but the sleeper favorite is the Buffalo Chicken. This shredded crockpot dish is a regular in our house because it’s so so so easy to make, and can be used in a lot of different ways. We like to put the shredded chicken on pizza, over salads, on a bun, in a wrap, or even eat it plain.

All you need is:

  • Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (3-4)
  • Your favorite Buffalo sauce (we’ve used Frank’s and Wegmans brands and love both)
  • Ranch seasoning packet
  • Your crockpot. Duh.

Since we usually prepare our Buffalo Chicken for meal prep or parties, we typically use 4-5 chicken breasts, though you can just do 2-3. We usually go through a whole bottle of Buffalo sauce and a complete seasoning packet, but if you use less chicken, you just need enough sauce to coat and cover it a little. The seasoning can be cut in half, too.

Place your chicken boobs in the crock pot, cover with Buffalo sauce and Ranch seasoning, and cook on high for 4-6 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours. You can start checking it after about 4 hours to see if it’s cooked through and ready to shred. I shred it in the crock pot so the chicken can soak up more of the Buffalo sauce, and then I keep it on warm when we’re serving to a group. If it’s for meal prep, I’ll shred it, leave it to cool down a bit in the crockpot and then move it to tupperware and the fridge.

Serve with tortilla chips, rolls, wraps or on pizza!

What’s your favorite tailgating or football food?

Cotopaxi’s Journey to Good Health: Good Eats

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I love food. Like, a lot. I love food so much, this is the second food-related post you’re getting from me this week!

But my focus this week is prompted in part by Cotopaxi, a company dedicated to making a positive impact on the world. Our friends there shared their mission:

At Cotopaxi, we’re all about encouraging people to get out, stay active, and do something good everyday. Giving is a huge portion of who we are, and as a Benefits Corporation, our hiking backpacks tend to be the most popular and create a big impact. We donate a percentage of every sale to various organizations that support global health initiatives, which is why we’re excited for all ways that we can promote better livelihood!

That’s totally rad, if you ask me! Not only providing equipment and promoting healthy living, but giving a portion of those proceeds to help fund initiatives dedicated to global health? Yeah, that’s a cause I can get behind.

When Cotopaxi contacted us, they also provided this cool infographic, highlighting ways to live a healthy lifestyle. I’m going to break it down over the next few weeks and share with you my favorite ways to do each of these things.

Cotopaxi_IMDM_v03@2x (1)

This week? I start with Energy.

I talk a lot about healthy eating and meal planning and making sure I’m eating the right food to fuel my workouts. One of my favorite tips they offer is “focus on adding nutritious foods rather than eliminating food groups and specific foods.” Can I get an amen?! That’s probably one of the hardest things for people to understand, especially in a society that has been completely inundated with fad diets and nutrition styles. I mean, if you’re going to eliminate something from your diet, getting rid of soda and highly processed foods isn’t the worst plan, but entirely cutting out carbs? NONSENSE.

Carbs are fuel, guys! Your body needs them if you want to feel good and perform well. The same can be said for proteins and fats. And making sure you get lots of veggies in during the day? Yeah, that’s another awesome tip. Veggies are so delicious – and I’m always working on making sure I’m getting enough.

Homemade Turkey Burger on a bed of mixed greens and advocado. Mmmm.

Homemade Turkey Burger on a bed of mixed greens and avocado. Mmmm.

I typically work out 5-6 days a week, and my workouts are usually made up of a healthy mix of cardio and strength – and I usually go to the gym after work, before dinner. Consequently, if I don’t have a snack beforehand, I’m usually starving and have a crummy workout. I like to have something small before I head out just to make sure I’ve got the energy to work hard and feel good.

Some of my favorite things to snack on? There’s a variety! Lately, it’s been a Quest protein bar, an Rx Bar or a handful of trail mix. I try to find something that doesn’t have a ton of sugar and doesn’t make me feel too full – having an upset stomach during a heavy training day is no bueno friends. Sled pushes will turn into pukies otherwise.

Quest Bars are heavy on protein and light on sugar!

Quest Bars are heavy on protein and light on sugar!

Rx bars are great because of their simple ingredient list!

Rx bars are great because of their simple ingredient list!

To be fair, this trail mix is kind of candy...

To be fair, this trail mix is kind of candy…

These snacks are easy to keep on hand – I have some stashed in the pantry and at least one protein bar in my car all the time, just to make sure I’ve got fuel when I need it. My philosophy? Put good in and you’ll get good out. Fuel your body with good, healthy, well-balanced food and your body will reward you with solid performances in the gym, on a run, on a hike and in life!

Stay tuned next week for a fun yoga adventure, featuring my fiance, who has never really done any yoga before! #tryallthethings

Recipe Box: Pumped Up {Healthy} Cookie Dough

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I don’t know about you, but I love to bake. And even more, I love to eat. While I’m baking. Don’t get me wrong, I love cookies and cakes and brownies – but even more, I love cookie dough and cake or brownie batter. Something about the pre-baked goodness just makes me feel some kind of way.

Now, I know there’s always the risk of the “raw egg” situation – but I’m a risk taker. Honestly, until the cookie dough betrays me, I’m going to keep eating it. I like to live dangerously.

However, worse than the raw eggs is all the sugar. My favorite cookie dough makes my favorite cookies: oatmeal chocolate chip. My great aunt’s recipe calls for both brown and white sugar. They’re delicious, but generally, not that good for you. And I gave up junk food for Lent. So while I may want to eat cookie dough, I can’t.

I’ve also set some higher fitness goals for myself with regards to the weight room and that means upping my protein intake – I typically get my protein from a protein bar in the morning, tuna or grilled chicken at lunch, a protein shake after the gym and either more chicken or ground turkey as part of dinner.

This all gets me pretty close to meeting my protein goals, but some days I just need a little more umph.

Enter one of my favorite snacks: Healthy Cookie Dough Dip from Chocolate Covered Katie

cookie-dough-dip

photo source: www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com

Now, her recipe is pretty well on-point. I’ve made small tweaks to fit my needs.

 

  • 1 1/2 cups chickpeas or white beans (1 can, drained and rinsed very well) (250g after draining)
  • 1/8 tsp plus 1/16 tsp salt
  • just over 1/8 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup nut butter of choice (I prefer peanut butter, but any will do.)
  • up to 1/4 cup milk of choice (unsweetened almond milk is my go-to)
  • 1 scoop of protein powder of choice
  • Sweetener of choice  (No sweetener needed for me!)
  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips (Or none. Again, Lent)
  • 2 to 3 tbsp oats

Throw all of these things (except the chocolate chips) into a food processor. Let it spin for a minute or two, empty into a bowl (or a tupperware if you’re me and you like to snack on it over a couple of days), mix in your chocolate chips if you’re using them and enjoy! You can serve it with graham crackers or don’t even bother and just use a spoon. #guilty.

The biggest changes I made to Katie’s recipe are taking out the sweetener – Lent, duh – and adding the protein powder. Obviously, you can use whatever protein you prefer, but right now, I’m a little obsessed with this:
pb protein

Quest Peanut Butter Protein. This shizzzzz is so delicious. Easily the best-tasting protein with the best composition. Less than 1 gram of sugar, 23 grams of protein and only 110 calories per serving. It tastes mixed just with water or almond milk as a post-workout shake and it is incredible in any other kitchen concoctions. That’s one of my favorite things about Quest products – they bake so well! Granted, I’m not actually backing this cookie dough, but you totally could!

Needless to say, I’m obsessed. I think the last time I went to Wegman’s, I picked up four cans of chickpeas. Specifically so that I have them on hand to make this whenever I want.

The best part? It fulfills my cravings for something sweet without blowing up my entire diet, which is always a win. Maintaining a healthy relationship with food is a thing I am alllll about. Food is delicious and I enjoy eating it and I don’t like feeling guilty when I do. This absolutely keeps that from happening. Happy tummy, happy Kyle.

 

Chick Chat: Snack Attack!

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What’s the best meal of the day? Snack. Boom. Done.

The Scoot a Doot chicks LOVE us some snacks. We try to keep the snackage on the healthy side, and we’re more than willing to share. Okay, maybe not more than willing, but at least willing. At the very least, we share snack ideas with each other… and now we’re going to share them with you!  And rest assured, this is nothing but our unbridled opinions. The links below are just for your information. No one sent us free snacks. But, you know, we certainly wouldn’t object to getting free snacks! Would you? (Hint, hint).

Mer

Oh, yay! We are back to my favorite subject: FOOD!

I feel like all the time is snack time at our house. Snacks for everyone! My kids are grazers, they like to eat smaller meals throughout the day rather than full meals. Breakfast can last all morning long and as far as I’m concerned, that’s not a bad thing!

Some favorite afternoon snacks are mixed nuts, trail mix, that sort of thing. Whole wheat sandwich thins with either Justin’s or MaraNatha peanut or almond butters, sliced bananas and cinnamon. Fage or Chobani Greek yogurts are delicious and easy.

Now I’m hungry.

Me too, Mer. Me too. 

Jess

I’m not always the healthiest of snackers, so I need easy grab-and-go snacks in order to make the right choices. You can always find some sea salted almonds or cashews in my snack drawer at work, nestled next to a bag of sweet potato Pop Chips. Whole wheat bagels with chunky organic peanut butter and a banana is yummy and filling.

But my absolute favorite healthy snack is Greek yogurt with Nature’s Path pumpkin flax granola. People, this stuff is amazing. I mean really, really delicious. When in doubt, I always fall back on it for breakfast or a snack!

Jess

Greek Yogurt and delicious looking granola a la Jess!

Cam

My favorite snack currently is juiced veggies and fruits but since you can’t put that in a basket and ship across the country, a very close second is belVita Breakfast Biscuits.

They’re like graham crackers but come in a couple different varieties, like blueberry and apple cinnamon.  They’re not very low in calories but they’re high in fiber, grains, and vitamins.  They’re a cookie substitute that satisfies my sweet cravings when I don’t have time to juice or make a smoothie.  The package comes with 4 biscuits but it usually only takes 2 to fill me up.  And my kids love them too!
Belvita. Not Velveeta.

Belvita. Not Velveeta.

Vic
I’m a snacker. And I usually crave fritos.

Yes, I know they are bad for me. Yes, I know they have no redeeming qualities. But I love them nonetheless.

Occasionally, I throw caution to the wind and eat them anyway, but I typically snack on fresh fruit (apples, bananas and grapes are my faves) or yogurt (Noosa, Chobani bites or Oikos Greek yogurt.)  I also love pretzel thins, raisins, pita chips with hummus, sunflower seeds and nuts – any type of nut, I don’t discriminate.

Vic is never too busy for Noosa!

And to try to stave the cravings, I also drink LOTS of water. I’m hoping it will fill me up so I’m not hungry – read, snacking – but that rarely works as well as I’d hoped.

Brooke

I love snacks! Who doesn’t? I have a lot of awesome crackers and cookies in my house, because I have kids and we don’t completely
deprive them of treats (aka junk food), but I always make sure they have a healthy snack first. And I try to avoid most of the treats by
keeping the pantry and fridge stocked with my favorite healthy stuff.

Flavored almonds and I are totally having a moment right now. I love the wasabi spiced almonds and the vanilla roasted are great if I want something sweet.

Brooke likes sugar AND spice!

Brooke likes sugar AND spice!

Kashi trail mix bars are my “on the go” snack; I always have one in my tote. And some days, my favorite snack is a latte from Starbucks. That totally counts, right?

Of course, I eat lots of fruits and veggies too.

Bec

If I were a dinosaur, I’d be a Snackosauras. Seriously. If I could realistically make my entire diet of snacks, I’d be a happy girl. Don’t get me wrong, I love mealtime, but I LOVE snacktime. And it happens so often, which is even better!

In my unhealthier days, snacks were a box of Cheez-its. Or a pint of Ben and Jerry’s. Yeah, the whole thing. In both cases. These days, I’m working on making snack time part of my healthy diet and making sure my snacks are nutritious, tasty and satisfying.

Like a lot of the chicks, I’m a big fan of Justin’s Almond Butter (the vanilla flavored packet is a go to high calorie snack when I need protein) and Greek yogurt (Noosa and Chobani top my list, but Oikos does in a pinch). Lara Bars, Kind Bars, nuts or seed based snacks (Somersaults… delicious), fruit and veggies, or cheese and whole grain crackers are all in heavy rotation.

But when I’m craving something salty by the handful, it’s all about Boom Chicka Pop. This four ingredient wonder is addictive, so be careful. But at 35 calories a cup, you don’t have to be too careful. Three cups of that in a baggie is the best 100 calorie pack known to man. It’s salty and fresh and just so good.

Chicka chicka yeah yeah! (Name that film).

Chicka chicka yeah yeah! (Name that film).

So, who’s hungry? Me? Yes. You? Probably. And we don’t want to leave our readers hungry! So…..

We’ve decided to share our snacks with you, for real. There’s a link below for a little giveaway. We’ll select two winners and you will receive a box of yummy snacks from either Chick Bec or Chick Brooke. We probably won’t mail you any Greek yogurt, because ewww, but we’ll make up boxes of our faves and send them out to you. Good? Good!

rafflecoptersnackattack

Click the pic to enter!

These are the Chicks’ favorite snacks. What are yours? Tell us all about them!