Healthy Snack Tips & A Pretzel Recipe

I try to eat healthy, exercise regularly but there is one area that seems to be eluding me; snacking! I confess, I'm a sucker for snacks and it doesn't matter whether they're sweet or salty or a combination of both, I love them all! Chips, cookies, chocolates and candy- you name it, I'll eat it! For 2012, though, I've resolved to be more conscientious about my snacking and encourage you to join me if snacks are your Achilles heel, or your kryptonite or just the one habit you can't seem to control. Here are my best tips for healthy snacking.

1. Swap out sugary, high fat treat for fresh fruit or veggies with a low fat dip.
2. Keep just a handful of nuts or low fat granola or trail mix handy for when you get the urge to snack. This will help you to maintain steady blood sugar levels and reduce your cravings.
3. Drink more water to keep you full and to reduce the need for snacking.
4. Reduce snack portions- read labels carefully. You would be surprised at how small the portions are in some of the snacks you eat.
5. Don't deny yourself, just don't overdo it. Buy the 100 calorie packs of your favorite snacks to help you control yourself. Once that tiny bag is done, that's it!

Pretzels are a healthy snack alterative and can be used in many ways for your snacking enjoyment. Here is a cute recipe for you to try:

Chocolate Coated Pretzel Strawberry Pops

Ingredients:

Snyder's Dipping Sticks
Chocolate chips- 12 oz
Strawberries

Place chocolate chips in a microwave bowl and microwave on high for about 1 minute. Remove and stir with a rubber spatula. Mix until melted- you can always pop it back in the microwave if chocolate is not completely melted.
Dip one end of the pretzel sticks into the chocolate, twirling it around to completely cover the one half of the pretzel stick
Allow chocolate to dry. Stick a large, ripe but firm strawberry on the plain end of the chocolate covered pretzel stick. You can dip or drizzle more chocolate on the strawberry if you desire. Enjoy!

You can also make Chocolate Covered Pretzel Berry Kabobs using jumbo pretzel sticks and an assortment of berries. Just cover the entire length of the pretzel stick in chocolate, using the same method above and add the berries once the chocolate is dry.

Give it a try and let me know how you like them.




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