Green Options

Snacking is not a bad thing. In fact, if you find yourself craving “something” at 3 o’clock or after dinner, you should take the time to really figure out what that “something” is. You body is sending you signals all the time, and it’s your job to listen to them. Wanting or craving snacks is sometimes your body’s way of telling you that it is not completely satisfied or balanced. Maybe your lunch was too salty so you find yourself craving something sweet. Maybe you have been eating too many creamy foods, like yogurt and smoothies and your body and brain really wants something crunchy. Maybe your blood sugar has dropped because you skipped breakfast.

Snacking smartly can help diminish your cravings in a healthy way, help restore balance and help to simply put you in a good mood. By choosing a healthy snack that you actually enjoy you can help with your concentration, brain function and ward off that irritability that may be on its way. So when that next craving hits, ask yourself, “What am I really in the mood for”? Here are some healthy snack options ideas, broken down into categories, crunchy, sweat, salty and creamy, from The Institute of Integrative Nutrition.

You and your family may be trying to eat more vegetarian fare. Or, even better, you might have taken the plunge.

And then it sinks in: come mid August, your child will be bombarded with greasy, unhealthy food in the school cafeteria.

Whether your little one attends a “meat- and nut-free” school, or you simply wish to ward off the deep-fried chicken, here are a few ideas for your Back-to-School grocery list:

Let’s face it, we all like to pretend we NEVER let our precious youngsters have any sugar or sweet treats. In reality, we are REAL parents and our kids do get some treats. How can we manage allowing a sweet tasty every now and then while still making the healthiest choice for our kids?

My top priority is to ensure the safety and well being of my children. All five of them. An important part of keeping them safe is teaching them healthy eating habits. As such, we are constantly on the search for healthy, fun, tasty snack foods. We are also dealing with a great deal of health issues, such as Celiac (a gluten intolerance) and food allergies. On days when I forget to pack a snack before beginning our afternoon mayhem, we find ourselves in the organic fruit section at the grocer picking out a fresh organic apple, peach or banana. Fresh, unprocessed foods are always a wonderful, delightful and healthy choice.

Regular potato chips are tasty but not good for you. Health-food variety veggie chips, on the other hand, can be a pricey way to indulge in slightly more nutritious snacking. But with a little time and effort, you can enjoy a third option that’s both healthful and cheap: crispy, homemade veggie chips.

There’s no need for a deep fryer and gallons of cooking oil, either. All you need, in addition to

[...]