Its easy to reach for the take-out menu when you have unexpected guests or are just heading home from a long day at the office. Before dialing your local delivery driver give this quick crowd pleasing meal a try and you’ll be surprised just how delicious and it was to make!
The portions included in this recipe serves 6 or provides enough left overs for several lunches. Continue Reading…
Who doesn’t love raw cookie dough? This quick protein ball snack is perfect when you have a quick craving for sweets! Garden of Life’s RAW Protein and Greens adds the vanilla flavor you want from a cookie while adding a nutritious serving of veggies and greens.
A total of six protein balls provides a full serving of RAW Protein and Greens including 20 grams of protein and a combination of 6 organic green vegetables. Using almond flour makes this recipe gluten-free and adds an additional boost of protein but regular all-purpose flour can easily be used instead. Continue Reading…
Snack Preparation—Enjoy Healthy Treats On the Go
When I combine a full time job, blogging, my Easy store and spending time with my husband sometimes my schedule gets out of hand and I forget to do important things – like eat. I can only imagine how someone who has kids feels!
I’ve learned over time that the best way for me to avoid skipping meals is to pack a wide variety of items that I can toss in my purse or the office fridge, so no matter how crazy the day is I have something ready for a quick grab-and-go snack.
Grab-and-Go Snack Preparation
When I have downtime over the weekend I try to prepare for the week ahead by slicing up anything I want to pre-package and bring along to work. I’ve found that Hickory Farms Summer Sausage and Cheese is a great option that stays fresh all week long.
I like to slice up several types of cheese and wrap each package individually in Saran Wrap. Once packaged into portions I place all the cheese together in a Ziplock baggy.
Summer sausage goes in its own bag, sliced into perfect grab-and-go snack portions. I remove the skin before I start slicing because it ensures there is no mess to clean up when I just need a quick snack on the go.
Apple slices are great options that will round out a meal if all you have time for that day are the snack bags you prepared. Pre-cut apples from the store will save you time, but if you prefer to cut your own, lightly toss the slices in lemon juice immediately after cutting. This will help prevent browning and give you a couple days’ worth of shelf life in the refrigerator.
Some snacks require no preparation at all. Tossing a box of crackers or a package of nuts in your desk drawer can provide something to snack on while reading emails in-between meetings. I have a bad habit of eating an entire box of crackers instead of taking a break, so for me I need to portion out each snack into individual servings. Ziploc snack bags are perfect for creating your own ‘100 calorie’ packs. If you don’t have time to portion out each serving, it helps to take out what you want to eat and put the rest of the package away. This keeps me from mindlessly eating.
You’ll be surprised how full you feel after just a few snacks and you may not need to grab that unhealthy fast food lunch after all. Just like the Lunchables you ate as a kiddo, these grab-and-go snacks can provide a good balance of protein, dairy and fruits if you plan accordingly.
Don’t forget to drink water throughout the day. Often the signs of thirst are confused with those of hunger and having snacks on hand won’t prevent you from becoming dehydrated. I started using a water measure that helps keep me on track for drinking at least two 24ox bottles of water per day.
There’s no substitution for eating a proper meal, but if you don’t have time these quick grab-and-go snack options should help stave off any hangary meetings that may pop up unexpectedly. What are some of your solutions to remembering to eat when you have a busy day? Do you have any other go-to snacks you’d recommend?
Disclaimer: This post was brought to you by Hickory Farms. All opinions, ideas and writing are my own. I was compensated and received a product sample as inspiration for this post.
Football Snack Ideas & Game Day Tips
Love or hate football, everyone watches the Super Bowl (even if it’s just for the commercials). Whether or not you are rooting for the teams playing, hosting a Super Bowl Party is a fun way to get together with family and friends in celebration of one of America’s favorite non-holidays.
With the Broncos headed to San Francisco for Super Bowl 50 we couldn’t be more excited to watch the game and see if the Lombardi trophy will be headed home to Denver. We don’t have many friends who are Carolina fans so our entire household will be rooting for the home team this coming Sunday.
The Big Game itself can span several hours, so use these tips to keep your football snacks fresh and delicious throughout the day.
Tip 1: Serve football staples that are room temperature.
When food doesn’t need to be heated or cooked, it will stay fresh longer. Beef and Turkey Summer Sausage from Hickory Farms is the perfect example of a game day sampler that you can cut up and leave out throughout the party (if there’s any left after the first few minutes… – summer sausage goes pretty quickly in our house).
Nuts are another Super Bowl Party fan favorite salty snack that doesn’t require any refrigeration throughout the game. The Grand Nut Party assortment has the perfect variety of nuts and party mix that can be served in bowls throughout the watching area of the party.
Tip 2: When prepping for the game, don’t cross-contaminate.
Food safety experts will tell you that you should always use separate cutting boards and knives for meats, vegetables and cheeses. This will help ensure that anyone at your Super Bowl party with an allergy isnt exposed to something they don’t want, and if you have anything raw, it prevents bacteria that could cause food borne illnesses. If you don’t have more than one cutting board, prep each item individually and wash your cutting board thoroughly in between items.
Tip 3: Prep ready grab items in advance
Pre-slice and store each of your appetizers in their own containers. Set out as much as you need for the 1st quarter of the game on a small tray and refill throughout the party. This ensures that everything is the proper temperature and tastes fresh throughout the entire game. Soft cheese is one item that can dry out if left out for a long period of time like a 4 hour football game. By making a cheese platter with a few options and storing the rest for refilling, you can help ensure that everyone is able to enjoy the football snacks.
Tip 4: Add limes to guacamole to keep it from browning
If you plan on serving fresh guacamole (vs. something you purchase in advance from the store) squeeze fresh limes over the top before storing it. The citrus acid helps create a barrier to prevent oxidation from occurring by ensuring that the PH level of the guacamole remains low. Why don’t they teach that in high school science class?
Tip 5: Make smaller portions to keep temperature-sensitive foods fresh.
If you are making a 16-oz. serving of something like 3-layer dip portion it into four 4-oz. containers. This allows you to replace the bowl after each quarter and helps keep the dish the proper temperature throughout the entire game. If serving a hot dish, use a crockpot or keep the bulk of the food on simmer at a low temperature. You can easily refill a smaller dish throughout the game from the main pot.
I hope these tips help your Super Bowl Party go off without a hitch. Do you have any other tricks or tricks you’d add to this list? Leave a note in the comments!
Disclaimer: This post was brought to you by Hickory Farms. All opinions, ideas and writing are my own. I was compensated and received a product sample as inspiration for this post.
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