I found when I was pregnant that I had bouts of hunger, some days food wouldn't even cross my mind and it was only because the school bell would ring that I would remember to eat. Other days, the stash of crackers in my desk would be emptied, I would be so hungry that I was practically shaking. Now that I'm breastfeeding, I find myself getting up at 3am to feed my little one and then myself! There are times I will go longer without eating because of life getting in the way but Breastfeeding does burn a large amount of calories-about 200-500+ calories a day are used simply to produce milk which is a great help for shedding the pregnancy pounds but being so hungry can be dangerous too. If you're like me, you reach for what's convenient and will satisfy the quickest. I usually am a grazer, I eat a couple meals throughout the day, breakfast and lunch being very substantial and then snacks and a light supper. The bonus with being a grazer is you are less likely to gorge when you do encounter some food. We don't keep bags of chips in the house and I've been working on self-control not to bake chocolate chip cookies. I will admit though, Reese Peanut butter baking chips sometimes make their way into the shopping cart, but they're always gone within a few days :)
Because of this, I've been playing around with different snack foods in the house.
Top quick snacks-
- Yogurt and granola (see recipe below)
- Granola bars (see recipe below)
- carrots and hummus (see recipe below)
- pita chips
- crackers
- almonds, pistachios, or other non-salted nuts
- craisins [oddly, I don't like raisins, has to be craisins- probably because of the sugar ;) ]
- guacamole (see recipe below)
- any fresh fruit
- smoothies (see recipe below)
- Fruit and dip (see recipe below)
Recipes: While I tend to follow a recipe to the letter, the great thing about these ones is that you can mix and match to your hearts content! If you want something Gluten-free or nut-free, makes the substitutions where you want. Another great thing is you can make these with your kids very easily and they can then be in charge of their own snacks.
Granola: You can buy granola anywhere but to keep it as natural as possible and to ensure you're maximising the nutrients you want, make a batch of this, put it in a sealable bag or container and leave it in your fridge. A handful with some yogurt (or on it's own) is a great source of protein. While granola is high in fat, you're working with healthy fats and sugars rather than the processed kinds.
3 Cups Whole Oats
1/2c flax seed (ground or whole)
1/2c sliced almonds
1/2c raisins
1/2c sunflower seeds
1/2c pumpkin seeds
1/2c crushed pecans
(you can keep adding nuts if you want)
2c Honey or Pure Maple Syrup
Spread the mix out on a cookie sheet and bake at 250 for about an hour, until it's golden brown.
Let it cool then crush it in your hands and store it in a sealable container or bag.
Granola Protein bars: Again, you can buy granola bars or protein bars but this is a super delicious option and a great snack!
2c rolled oats (large flake)
1/2c wheat germ
1/2c Cocount
1/2c flax seed (ground or whole)
1/2c sliced almonds
1/2c raisins
1/2c sunflower seeds
1/2c chocolate chips
1/2c crushed pecans
(you can keep adding nuts if you want)
1/2c Non-instant skim milk powder (this is an option is you want a little more protein)
1c Honey (pasteurized if you're pregnant)
2c Natural Peanut Butter (get the real stuff)
Mix all up and put on a pan. Bake at 350 until brown and crunchy on the edges. Let cool slightly then slice into bars
Hummus: Traditional recipes add Tahini (sesame seed paste) but I can never remember to buy a jar of that so I make it without
1 large can of chickpeas rinsed (but reserve a bit of the liquid to mix in)
The juice you reserved
Pinch of salt & pepper to suit your taste
Throw this all in a food processor and mix it!
Add ins: Give your hummus a little oomph!
-Jar of roasted red peppers (add a little of the oil it comes in to the hummus but pour out the rest before adding the peppers)
-Jar of sundried tomatoes (add a little of the oil it comes in to the hummus but pour out the rest before adding the tomatoes)
-Roasted garlic
Guacamole:
-2-3 Ripe Avocados (get rid of the peels and seeds)
-1 Tablespoon of Lime juice (or lemon if you don't have any limes)
Mush this all together
Add about 1/2teaspoon of Cumin or a finely chopped coriander leaves
Season with salt & pepper
You can also add...
-chopped tomatoes
-minced garlic
-minced jalapeno pepper
Smoothies: Smoothies can be made with pretty much anything in your fridge! I like the spinach for some extra iron (I promise you don't even notice it!)
-Handful of frozen berries or other frozen fruit
-Handful of spinach
-3 large spoonfuls of your favourite yogurt
-About 1c of milk or water
-1 banana
(optional: scoop of protein powder)
Blend this all together and enjoy! If it's too thick, add more water or milk. Great for after a workout or mid morning snack.
Fruit dips:
-Mix about 1T of brown sugar in a bowl of vanilla yogurt--dip fruit!
Chocolate pudding fruit dip: This recipe has been floating around recently and it is absolutely delicious! You will not believe until you try it!
-half cup of pitted dates softened in hot water (about a half cup of water)
-3 ripe avocados (peeled and seeded)
-three quarter cup pure maple syrup
-three quarter cups of cocoa
-2 tsp pure vanilla extract
-pinch of salt
Throw this all in a food processor to mix then enjoy!
Try something new and tasty! Share your favourite recipes too! Having quick, easy snack foods will help keep you from going through the drive-thru or hitting the vending machine.
See you at the gym!!
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