I don't know about you but I live for snacks. Whether it is eating popcorn while watching a movie, crunching on something salty while I read a book, that piece of chocolate when you are having a bad day or that snack that is almost a meal when you have a long stretch until dinner but you know you will never make it that long without eating something else. That last one is the worst because I absolutely get HANGRY and my family can tell you I am not pleasant when that happens.
I could tell you about air popped popcorn and the ways I doctor it or that vegetables are good for you to snack on, and I might do that in the near future, but today i want to talk about snacks that make me happy or at least make me feel like I am missing out on the good stuff so much. I have a few go to snacks that get me excited enough that it doesn't feel like "diet food" at all.
First up today we have Peatos! If you have not heard of these yet let me give you the scoop. These crunchy snacks can be purchased online at www.peatos.com. I bought a variety box with some individual serving bags with all 5 flavors. They have cheese curls, zesty ranch, fiery hot crunch curls, classic onion and fiery hot onion. What makes these different is that they are made from peas. Nearly every crunchy snack you find in the store is made with corn, potato or white flour. For someone like me that wants to get away from those 3 more often I love that these are different. I won't say they are exactly like a crunchy cheese curl because peas do taste different than corn but in truth they are REALLY, REALLY GOOD. Both fiery hot varieties are my favorites but I wouldn't turn any of these flavors down.
Seond, I love taquitos and I love buffalo chicken. When I can get a buffalo chicken taquito at the convenience store I usually get pretty happy with my little snack. Of course, I am trying not to eat all those fried snacks, especially onces wrapped in corn tortillas. Instead let me introduce the low carb buffalo chicken taquito. These are so fast and so simple but have become a staple in my snacking rotation. Before I tell you how to make it though I need to give a shout out to my find of frozen shredded chicken breast. When you only want about an ounce of chicken this stuff is amazing! I can toss a small handful into anything without having to cook a chicken breast or open a can and waste half of it. If you ever see some in your freezer section PICK IT UP. You'll thank me later.
Preheat your oven to 350° and lay a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Place sliced mozzerella cheese on the parchment and bake for just a few minutes. When the edges begin to brown it is perfect. While it is in the oven microwave a small amount of the frozen chicken and your buffalo wing sauce of choice at 50% power for 2 minutes. Put the chicken on one edge of the cheese and roll it up. As the cheese begins to cool after a minute they will hold the shape and be delicious. I like to use ranch dip. I mix a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch with some nonfat Greek yogurt for my dip.
My third snack is probably my favorite. I love getting a little spicy in my snacks and there is nothing better for a little heat than stuffed jalapenos. My air fryer is my best friend for this as it lonly takes about 7 minutes. I like to use about 3 to 5 fresh jalapeno depending on the size. Cut them in half lenghwise and scoop out the seeds. Fill with a small amount of whipped cream cheese, sprinkle some everything but the bagel seasoning on top and break up a precooked piece of bacon. I piece of bacon will go a long way when you are just sprinkling it on top of this bite size snacks. Once that is done I place them in my air fryer at 400° for 5 to 7 minutes.
My fourth and last specific snack I want to include is crunchy cheese. I make these 2 different ways and it depends on how long I am willing to wait and if I am using sliced cheese or shredded cheese. Also, it depends on if I am adding anything to flavor my snack. The quickest way is simply to preheat a small or mini waffle iron. Spray the iron with cooking oil and add a serving of shredded cheese (and whatever you want with it.... I sometimes add chopped peppers or tabasco to the cheese) and close the lid. Wait about 5 minutes and voila you have crispy cheese. The other option I prefer for sliced cheese is to preheat your oven to 200°. Cut your cheese slices down into 8 pieces and lay them out on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes then raise the oven tempurature to 375°. Bake for another 10 minutes. Let them cool and you will have cheese crackers of every variety your heart desires.
Lastly, I want to give a special mention to my new favorite purchase. I found these bowls on Amazon listed as Double Dipper Bowls. I have found that when I have pistachios and need to shell them as a go these are amazing. I use them for veggies with dip or the cheese crackers with salsa. Each side holds about a half cup so it is perfect for portion control making sure I don't go overboard. Also, since I know I eat with my eyes first it looks full and that makes me feel like I am getting more. Try it with fruit and yogurt or anything else you can think of where you would want to keep things seperate but still eat them together. I plan to make some chili as it gets cooler outside and I know I'll be using these with some of those cheese crackers on the opposite side.
I am all ears if you have some favorite snacks to stay on track!
Comments