10 Super Berry Smoothie Recipes

For my family, spring signals the beginning of little league baseball and a renewed level of busyness that makes staying on top of nutrition a bit of a challenge. Recently, I've been using berries, another spring/summer favorite, to keep my kids fueled up. Using a simple blender, I can have a tasty treat whipped up in minutes that includes many greens that my kids wouldn't normally eat. 
 
Berries are sweet, but also contain a boost of disease-fighting antioxidants, fiber and vitamins. It's fun to hear my kids ask for a second glass, especially when I know it's loaded with spinach, kale, or chia or flax seed to add fiber, protein and healthy omega fats. I make it a goal to get at least three servings of fruits and vegetable in each smoothie I make.
 
When I see deal on berries, I buy double what I need and put half in the freezer. Then I can just pull out what I need, whenever I need it, and clean up is easy too: just pop the blender parts in your dish washer or hand clean with hot soapy water. Fuel yourself with berries and other great smoothies by trying these SparkRecipes.  Read More ›

How to Conquer Your Snack Attack

I’ll admit it up front: I am a snacker. In fact, I have a snack twice a day. My body screams for food around three p.m. every day, even though I make a point to eat breakfast and lunch. If I ignore the hunger, I end up grabbing and devouring handfuls of chips or cookies as soon as I get home around five p.m.  Therefore, I plan ahead and have a non-perishable snack stashed in my desk drawer at all times, usually homemade trail mix.
 
My second snack attack hits in the evening, and is not related to true belly hunger at all.  In the evening, I want to eat food for comfort.  You know what I’m talking about. At the end of a long day, all I seem to want is chocolate ice cream along with my favorite TV show, book or magazine. 
 
There is nothing inherently wrong with snacking. In fact, snacking can help with weight loss by warding off afternoon and evening binge eating.  However, the snack should be factored into your total calorie intake for the day, and should contain about 150 calories. A balanced snack should have about 15-30 grams of carbohydrates and three to five grams of protein.

Unfortunately, this type of healthy snacking is NOT happening in America, for children or adults.  While I know you are probably not really surprised by this statement, you may be surprised at the numbers.  Read More ›

Quick & Healthy On-the-Go Snack Recipes

You know the drill – by the time the late afternoon rolls around, you’re starving and the office candy jar starts looking better and better. Save yourself the temptation and try one of these simple, healthy, and satisfying portable snack ideas instead.

A bonus: not driving home starving means much less temptation to hit the drive through!

• Medium-size fruit (or 1 serving dried fruit) with 1 serving unsalted nuts (any kind)
• Greek yogurt (just store a few in the fridge at work!)
• Medium-size fruit (banana) or veggie (celery, carrots) with 2 TBSP nut butter
  • Tip: try buying the pre-portioned nut butter packets – easier to bring to work than a whole jar, and then you have portion control built in! They are usually sold in 100 calorie packets at the grocery store.
• 1/4 cup hummus with as many chopped veggies as you want (carrots, celery, peppers, etc.) 

If you have a little time one night (or over the weekend), try some of these healthy snack recipes, too. Just make a batch ahead of time and pre-portion them out into baggies or tin foil so all you have to do come morning is grab one and go!
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6 Fun Facts about Peanut Butter

Did you know today is National Peanut Butter Day?

In honor of our favorite nut butter day, we decided to share some fun facts with you. Read on for a super-cool graphic, our best peanut butter recipes, and a poll with an urgent question: chunky or creamy?

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Beat the Afternoon Slump

Keep your batteries charged well into the evening

Recharge the Right Way
If you feel a yawn coming on not long after lunch, you’ve fallen for the P.M. slump. Stay awake the healthy way with natural energy boosters. From simple tricks to smart snacks, getting back on track is surprisingly simple. Click through for the perfect pick-me-ups.  Read More ›

23 Ways to Top Your Popcorn (for Under 150 Calories)

My favorite snack of late is air-popped popcorn. A whopping 3 cups of air-popped popcorn is a mighty filling whole-grain snack yet only has 92 calories, plus 19 g carbs, 3 g protein, and 4 g fiber. But have you ever eaten plain air-popped popcorn? It can be rather bland and dry. As the saying goes, the secret's in the sauce. For under 150 calories, you can flavor your popcorn in plenty of ways. Salty or sweet, spicy or savory--it's up to you.

Once you've popped your popcorn, it's time for the seasoning. To get your dry herbs, spices and other seasonings to stick, you'll need a little liquid, usually in the form of a fat. A little goes a long way, but you can even have butter on your popcorn without going over 150 calories!

Wondering how these varieties stack up against the tins of gourmet popcorn we're all bombarded with during the holidays? While these all have 150 calories or less, the cheese, buttered or caramel versions can have up to 300 calories in a little more than a cup, with 18 g fat!

Let's get popping!
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8 Super Snacks to Try This Year

If you've been struggling with the "no eating between meals" rule, you're in luck: in recent years, that diet myth has been debunked. Snacks are important, especially when are active or trying to lose weight. Go too long without eating, and your blood sugar will drop. Your stomach will rumble. You'll get grouchy--and you'll turn into the cookie monster (or the chip monster or the "will eat the first thing I find" monster).
However, it's easy to fall into a snack rut. If you're tired of eating the same old snacks, you'll love today's "Stuff We Love" list: I'm sharing some new-to-you foods you might want to swap into your snack rotation this year.

I keep snacks in my purse and car at all times to ward off hunger-induced grouchiness and overeating. Believe me: I'm a mild-mannered yogini and health food lover when I'm fed regularly, but when I am starving, watch out! I get cranky and will eat anything in sight! Read More ›

Fuel Up without Filling Out at the Gas Station

Are you traveling for the holidays? Chances are high that you are—AAA reports that 93.3 million Americans will be traveling between Christmas and New Year’s Day, which is a 1.6 percent increase from last year. And when you're traveling, you'll surely need road snacks to keep your hunger at bay. When you’re pressed for time on the road, you might stop by a gas station to grab a quick bite to eat. But beware—gas stations are home to many foods that are packed with sodium, trans fats and preservatives. However, if you look closely, you can find some decent options to meet your needs in a pinch. If you were to choose between a package of trail mix and a stick of beef jerky at a gas station, which is the better choice to refuel you on your trip? Read More ›

Tips to Help Young Athletes Eat Healthy

Back in the 1980s when I was playing high school and college sports, there weren’t a lot of healthy options when my teams would travel to tournaments or meets. Standard options at concession stands included hot dogs, chips, candy, and soda. Back then, bottled water was nowhere in sight. McDonald’s was the typical bus stop choice on the way home because they were the only fast food chain coaches could count on.  Meals were burgers that came with fries and a soda. To substitute milk for the soda would cost you extra and courtesy cups for water were the size of three ounce Dixie bathroom cups. Many times my mother would send me off with a snack of nuts and raisins or orange segments to try and balance things out.
 
My college volleyball coach selected Wendy’s as her restaurant of choice when we were on the road each weekend because they were the only fast food option back then with a salad bar. Coach didn’t pay for soda, fries or desserts like a Frosty out of the team budget, which helped a little. However, it was still a choice of a hamburger or the salad bar as our meal option. Today we know that not every salad bar is diet-friendly but back then only the nutrition majors like me knew the strategies for salad bar survival.
 
Unfortunately not that much has changed today. Busy lives continue to make healthy eating a challenge for a young athlete. Weekday practice schedules cause families to grab Food on the Run on their way to the next event.  Parents spend weekends sitting at soccer and football fields or ball diamonds causing children options like “walking tacos,” candy or chips from the concession stand or the after game snack provided by a team parent.
 
With snack food and hectic schedules continuing to influence young athletes for several decades, it isn’t any surprise that an article published online in April for the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior found that parents tend to be dissatisfied with the healthfulness of food offerings at youth sport settings.  Here are some tips to help keep your young athletes active and healthy at the same time.
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Non-Messy Kids’ Snacks

I have 3 kids with completely different personalities, but one thing is for sure—they’re all messy eaters. Like most moms, cleaning up after their mess becomes never-ending and frustrating. There are several things I do to make snacking less messy, especially when I’m on the go. Hopefully these tips can clean a little mess out of your life.  Read More ›

Do You Need a Pre-Workout Snack?

I often see articles about the "best pre-workout snacks" to eat. But how many people really require one? If you’re going out for a walk or a bike ride or playing a little tennis, you probably don’t need to eat before you go. Many people just assume that they need a snack when it’s really not necessary.
 
So when should you eat a pre-workout snack? If it’s been several hours since your last meal, you might want to eat a little something, especially if you’re starting to feel hungry and/or low on energy. You also might want a snack if you’re going to be doing intense exercise for more than an hour. If you have a health condition, such as low blood sugar or diabetes, you probably need a pre-workout snack but talk to your doctor to see what’s best for you.  Read More ›

Better Than Store-Bought: Granola Bars

Editor's Note: This is a new series about how to re-create some of your favorite healthy foods at home.

Granola bars are a healthy on-the-go snack, but some packaged versions contain high fructose corn syrup, preservatives and sweet ingredients that negate some of that nutritional benefit. This homemade granola bar recipe includes whole grains, natural sweeteners, healthy nuts and dried fruit, with protein and fiber to keep you going. Even better: The recipe is super adaptable. You can adjust the amount of brown sugar to suit your taste, and add any combination of dried fruit you like, or omit the fruit. Neither rock-hard nor super soft, this crunchy-chewy granola bar lives up to its good-for-you reputation. Read More ›

Baked Potato Chips: Are They Healthy?

A health halo has been placed on baked chips while fried chips have been getting a bad rap. But are you really making a healthy choice when you toss a bag of baked chips into your shopping cart? Let’s take a closer look.

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Manage Those Pre-Dinner Munchies

When you get home from a busy day, it’s tempting to grab that bag of chips in the pantry to munch on while making dinner. But doing so can quickly pack on the pounds! That’s why I always keep veggies and dip in the fridge. For the veggies, I usually have a bag of baby carrots or some sliced green peppers. For the dip, I mix a container of low-fat sour cream with a packet of Ranch dip mix.

I shared this tip with Tiffany and she tried making the dip with plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.  Read More ›

10 Supercharged Smoothies

Blend up one of these delicious immune-boosting and vitamin-packed drinks for a healthy snack.

Carrot-Peach Smoothie
Makes: 6 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Get the recipe 

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