Six Simple Snack Ideas to Banish Santa Stomach this Season

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It never fails, each year as Christmas creeps closer and closer, I get the itch to say Fa-la-la-la-la to all our healthy eating habits as I turn into a baking fool.

And once I've voluntarily sequestered myself in the kitchen, it's just so easy to grab a toxic (albeit delicious) holiday treat to satisfy those snacking urges.

I know I'm not alone - you just ate that cookie, didn't you?  The one sitting there on the plate with the imperfectly iced angel wing?  Yeah, I know, that one had to be taken care of, because no one else would want to eat such an ugly cookie.

I hear you.

But I also know that you probably don't really want to rely on holiday junk food (as yummy as it is) to fill you up these days.

It's hard not to grab what's out and easy, though, isn't it?

So here are my top go-to snacks to save those unhealthy choices for the treat that they should be and not a mini-meal. 

They're all easy to have on hand to help you deck your hunger instead of your health this season.

1.  Vanilla Yogurt

Gv requests "nilla with yogurt" at least three times a day, so we eat a lot of this one.  

I'd made the mistake of putting a couple of chocolate chips in her yogurt several months ago for a special treat and that became the new way to eat yogurt.  

Always.  

Luckily, I came up with the idea to splash some vanilla in and that has become her new favorite.  

So much healthier and no sugar!  Start off with a good yogurt (make your own Greek yogurt in the crock pot - see how here) and then just pour in some vanilla.

How much vanilla?  Well, you know how recipes usually call for 1 teaspoon of the stuff?  We triple that.  We just squeeze that bottle until our kitchen smells sweet or the yogurt begins to turn to soup, whichever comes first.

Thankfully, we haven't reached the soup stage yet.

Mix it all up and then be ready to remind your taste buds that no, this concoction is not loaded with sugar and yes, it is totally delicious.

2.  Mock-a-Mole

Better known as the lazy person's guacamole.  This is my favorite way to eat the stuff, probably because it takes no effort to whip up and that's especially important when you wolf the entire bowl down in the five minutes following said mixing.

Simply scoop some ripe avocado out into a bowl (our minimum is two), squirt a little lime in (we usually use half of one) and then shake some salt and pepper over it all.

Stir it all up until it's smooth or you can't take it any longer and you just start shoveling the stuff into your mouth with the spoon.  

Yeah, it's ready then.

3.  Smoothies

No time to make a meal, but still concerned about getting some good stuff down your gullet?  Smoothies to the rescue!

You just dump whatever it handy and edible into something that blends and then drink it all up for a surprisingly filling snack.  

Our current binge food is this easy applesauce energy smoothie.

4.  Nut or Snack Mix

These are both special things I mix up every year, both to keep around the house and to give as gifts.  

The good thing about both of these holiday treats is that they don't have to be your standard toxic Chex Mix (although I usually make a version of that, too!).  My favorite version is an Asian mix full of plenty of wasabi powder.  G's favorite is one that's all ginger and spice.

Nut mixes are an especially healthy choice, particularly if you find a recipe that doesn't use a ton of sugar.  

I have several concoctions that I play around with each year (and can flip to the back of the recipe page for rankings by each member of the family).  I'll certainly be making a batch or two soon, so hopefully I can share more details with you then.

5.  Cheese

Cheese can be healthy - really!  Especially if you make it yourself.  We have been devouring all the variations of my homemade mozzarella around here lately.  I will be sharing much, much more on that very soon, but in the meantime, here's a really easy cheese to make for your first time.  

I'll often spread some of this deliciousness onto some great homemade bread for an easy snack - and another of Gv's favorites. 

6.  Standard Snack Staples

We have a bunch of snacks in our regular rotation, and I've found that always having a variety on hand makes life easier when you're as busy as one of Santa's elves. 

Check out this post for a list of our top munchies and if you still haven't found something that keeps you from reaching for the batch of fudge you just shoved in the fridge, poke around the blog a bit - just type "recipe" in the search box - and see if something catches your fancy.

Now go cover yourself in flour and chocolate and bake up a slew of treats for you and everybody else to enjoy - but keep a few of these tasty tidbits on hand to help you say Fa-la-la-la-la to unhealthy choices - at least when you need an energy refill during all that festive holiday action.


What's your favorite thing to snack on at Christmas (healthy, or otherwise)?  I'd love to hear!  Either leave a comment below or email me at lisahealy (at) outlook (dot) com.

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Applesauce Energy Smoothie

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I'm not a big fan of breakfast.

Oh, I eat in the mornings, for sure, but breakfast foods and I have never really gotten along.  Just ask anyone whose house I spent the night at as a kid.  They might not remember much about me these days, but I betcha they'll remember one fact:  I can't stand eggs.

I'll pretty much eat anything you stick in front of me, even if I don't like it, but not eggs.  At least not when I was a kid.  These days, I'll possibly force down a few if I'm a guest at your house, but that's only if there's nothing else to fill my plate with.

So what do I like to eat best in the mornings?

Leftovers!

Nothing's off limits for me in the morning - pizza, fish, pasta, soup, anything with cheese on it...

So finding something to eat in the mornings was never really a problem.  I've always just heated up whatever I find in the fridge, which takes all of 1 minute and 45 seconds, perfect for my lazy self to deal with.

However, ever since Gv started needing to eat food all day that my body didn't manufacture, my go-to breakfast foods of choice haven't worked out quite so well.

Sure, there are plenty of times she's on board with the rice and beans from the night before, but this girl likes her breakfast.

Yogurt (with my homemade granola), oatmeal, grits, waffles, and yes, eggs are all high on her list in the mornings.

Not really a big deal, because none of those things are too difficult to make (remember, I'm lazy!), but none of those things get me really jazzed, so I usually end up fixing her something and then melting some cheese on a slice of bread and calling that my meal.

Not exactly the best way to fuel my body for a day of chasing after my little Energizer Bunny.

So I've been trying to come up with something that I can make that's breakfasty enough for Gv, but at the same time, not a standard breakfast food.

Enter the world of smoothies.

Sooooo many options and soo many good things to dump in.  They're super-easy to make - and super-easy to eat - you just slurp it down while you're getting your morning going.

Usually I whip up a pretty boring combination of ingredients: yogurt, bananas, berries, various spices, grains, seeds and powders, along with some milk or whey to liquefy it better and make it slide down the old gullet faster.

But the other day, I made something truly special.  It's just the thing for this time of year, when everyone's brain turns to cinnamon and spice.

The only problem is, Gv and I have been enjoying these milkshake-like treats so much, our apple budget has gone through the roof.

Good thing they're still in season right now.

So give this applesauce energy smoothie a try for yourself.  It's ridiculously easy to make and will fill your belly with all sorts of wonderful nutrients sure to stick to your innards and fuel your body for a busy day!

What You Need:

1 cup applesauce (use this insanely easy recipe to make it!)

1 banana

1 cup milk (or whey from this simple homemade cheese)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup oats

4 Tablespoons hemp powder

2 Tablespoons flax meal

2 Tablespoons wheat germ

1 Tablespoon chia seeds

A shake or two of cinnamon, depending on whether your applesauce had some already or not (just add it until you like the taste)

What You Do:

1.  Dump everything into a blender, Ninja (like I use), or whatever else you have on hand to mix and pulse things up into a liquid.

2.  Drink it all up, then go do those five things that you know you won't have the energy for in the afternoon, when the sun has drifted behind the clouds and your warm flannel sheets are just calling your name.

And don't be afraid to play around with the amounts of everything - or even omit some of the ingredients, because I know not everyone will be as weird as I am about adding in all sorts of crazy grains, powders, and seeds!

Just don't add eggs. 

  

What's your favorite thing to stick in a smoothie?  I'd love to hear!  Either leave a comment below or email me at lisahealy (at) outlook (dot) com.

Also, if you don't want to miss a single minute of great tips like this and all the fun around here, be sure to sign up for free updates and then look forward to having each post delivered right to your inbox.

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Yummy in Their Tummies: A book bursting with healthy recipes your kids will love!

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Yesterday, time got away from me.  

Gv and I had been up to our ears in the week's Latticed Learning fun and I didn't even realize until it began to grow dark outside the window (darn you, time change!) that it was time to start dinner.

Usually, this wouldn't be a problem.  I pretty much have my major meal decisions planned out ahead of time, thanks to our weekly menu routine, but this week was a little wacky and for some reason, I hadn't figured anything specific out for any of the days yet and had already gone through our fresh veggie haul from the weekend, using up our chicken and salmon dinners in the process.  I could go international, but we were out of rice and there was already a pot of garbanzo beans simmering away on the counter to replenish our weekly supply of hummus.  That left soup (because Fridays have to be pizza!) and while I had plenty of fresh stock in the freezer, it was frozen in a gallon-sized chunk which would take forever to thaw, never mind the fact that even if I did rustle up enough gunk around the house to throw in there, it wouldn't really have enough time for the flavors to meld and thus would result in a pretty mediocre mess of slop.

I resorted to fixing an enormous salad, which we have every night, but my plan was to supplement the massive bowl of greens with generous portions of my latest batch of homemade mozzarella and then a giant bowl of popcorn for a treat.

Of course, when I opened the box of greens, I discovered they were prematurely slimy and since there was no way I'd be throwing out all that food (not to mention money), I threw it all into the skillet and we just ate our salad as spinach.

You know you've been there, and have probably wished for a resource that contains an assortment of fast and healthy recipes that have already met the approval of picky little eaters around the world. 

That's why I'm so excited to team up with Dr. Orlena Kerek, Pediatrician, and 15 other busy moms around the world to bring you our new book:  Yum! Deliciously Healthy Recipes for Kids. 

This book is chock-full of quick & easy, healthy meals that are time-tested kid favorites. Inside, you'll see:

12 Healthy Breakfast Recipes
13 Healthy Lunches Recipes
19 Healthy Dinner Recipes
10 Healthy Dessert Recipes

&

18 Healthy Snack Recipes

Which of your favorite Syncopated Mama recipes will you find inside?  You'll have to grab your own copy to find out, as well as discover new delights from my fantastic co-authors.

Just click here to nab your copy of this great new book, and introduce your family to some tasty new morsels they'll be sure to love.

Use the coupon YUMMY for $3 off until the end of November!

What meals are you most excited to find recipes for?  I'd love to hear!  Either leave a comment below or email me at lisahealy (at) outlook (dot) com.


Also, if you don't want to miss a single minute of great tips like this and all the fun around here, be sure to sign up for free updates and then look forward to having each post delivered right to your inbox.

Insanely Easy Applesauce (Sugar Free!)

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I'd been meaning to make homemade applesauce for years and years, but it wasn't until Gv and I were focusing on farms during our Latticed Learning time that I finally got around to trying it.

Oh.  My.  Goodness.

It was the best stuff ever, and has become our favorite dessert - especially warm, right out of the crockpot!

And of course you know I had to make it without any sugar and do it all in the most lazy way possible, which means no peeling and just dump it all in the crockpot!

Since it's apple season now, you can buy even a big old bag of organic apples super-cheap.  Go get yourself some and then make this pot of deliciousness right away:

What You Need

8-10 apples (I used Gala)

2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar (I use this) or acid of choice

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

What You Do 

1.  Use one of these to chunk up your apples (don't peel them - there's good stuff in that skin!)

2.  Throw the apples into your crockpot along with the vinegar and cinnamon.  Set it to cook on low for 4 hours.  Then walk away.

3.  Spend the next few hours enjoying how delicious your house smells.  When the four hours are up, use an immersion blender like this to get it all to a smooth consistency (yes, even with those peels!).

4.  Try not to just sit and eat the entire batch at once, especially when it's warm!  No guilt, though, since it's just made of apples!

Have you ever made homemade applesauce before?  Did you do it in the crockpot, and did you leave the skins on?  I'd love to hear!  Either leave a comment below or email me at lisahealy (at) outlook (dot) com.

Also, if you don't want to miss a single minute of great tips like this and all the fun around here, be sure to sign up for free updates and then look forward to having each post delivered right to your inbox.

Linked up with:  Merry Monday, Motivation Monday, Thoughtful Spot, What'd You Do This Weekend, Made for Kids, Meet Up Monday, Totally Terrific Tuesday, Little Learning Link Up, Two Uses Tuesday, Lou Lou Girls Fabulous Party, Tell it to Me Tuesday, Good Tips Tuesday, Talented Tuesday, Wordless Wednesday, A Little Bird Told Me, WFMW, Hit Me With Your Best Shot, The Mommy Club, The Happy Home Life, Creative Muster, Grandma Ideas, The Ladies Collective, A Little R&R Wednesdays, This Is How We Roll, Frugal Family Linky, Creative Ways, Hearts for Home, Creative Exchange,Thursday Favorite Things, I'm Lovin' It,Kitchen Fun & Crafty, Inspiration Spotlight, Home Matters, Pretty Pintastic Party, Weekend Potluck, Awesome Life Friday, Creative Collection, The Beautifully Creative Inspired , Kids Activities