Healthy snacks for busy moms

Today Laura is giving you great ideas for healthy snacks.
Over the years eating Gluten, Soy, and dairy free, I have come to realize that with a few really great staples in my kitchen it makes life so much easier when my blood sugar is rapidly dropping after a busy day! I will admit that it took time and repetition in order for me to really get in a routine of always remembering to have quick things to snack on but once I got the hang of it I'm always thanking myself for it.  One MAJOR issue I run into is that almost all prepared foods on our grocery store shelves are made by major manufacturing companies that package their foods in the same factory as other wheat, gluten, soy, or dairy products.  For someone like me, who is sensitive to even small amounts, I really prefer not to buy products that are also processed with dairy, soy, and gluten products. This presents a bit of a challenge when needing foods to snack on.  The motto, "if you want something done do it yourself" definitely applies here.  Even though it does take a little extra effort on my behalf, I have now started making my own trail mix to keep in my car and also in the house.  Here is my favorite trail mix recipe:

TRAIL MIX

Almonds (unsalted/raw)

Walnuts

pumpkin seeds

dried cranberries

shredded coconut

small bits of 85% cocoa chocolate (agave sweetened)

Each food has such medicinal properties to it that can be so beneficial to ones body. The nuts provide the omega fats that our brains live on, cranberries have major antioxidants and help prevent urinary tract infections, a coconuts oil is very healing for the gut with lots of fiber, pumpkin seed is rich in antioxidants and has vitamin E, and the chocolate is good for the brain and heart (in small amounts). 

Usually on Sundays I find some time to prepare my trail mix for the wk. and often times my trail mix lasts me 2-3 wks.  I get out a huge bowl and start my mixing the nuts, seeds coconut shreds, and cranberries. In a blender or hand held cuisinart I break up a chocolate bar and shred it finely. Then I add the chocolate bits and package in a small glass container to place in my car and a larger glass container for the house. About once a day I find myself in my car realizing my blood sugar is dropping and I am always so happy I have something healthy, easy, and nutritious to eat. Definitely stick to dark chocolate if you are going to add chocolate at all.  There are some health benefits to dark chocolate, especially for women to help regulate hormones at certain times in the month. There is a reason we crave chocolate from time to time ladies! The trick is not to eat your entire stash in one setting! Only grab a handle or two! It's just a snack and not meant to be an actual meal.  

RICE CAKES

Another Staple in my kitchen is rice cakes! To substitute my bread, I have come to terms with rice cakes. No, they don't hold up well, but YES they do crunch and I like that! In the mornings, I often will scramble and egg, top a rice cake off with avocado, a little sea salt and pepper it is the easiest breakfast ever. 

ALMOND MILK

Almond milk is another great staple.  If I plan to workout in the morning and I want to spare my protein intake until after my workout, I often will use almond milk with a buckwheat cereal and top it with banana and berries. After my workout I'm usually ready for a protein of some sort for lunch. I also use Almond milk for smoothies, add a little almond butter, and a couple of dates- It's the perfect date shake!

KALE CRISPS (who needs chips?)

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper. With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.  Turn off oven but let them dry in the heat until they are ready to eat