MEGAN LEARNS TO COOK: SNACKS

I don’t know about you, but I grew up in a household where there wasn’t a huge emphasis on healthy snacking, so I usually went for the bag of chips, cookies and cheddar snack type of treat. Although I’ve broadened my horizons to enjoying foods past what I used to eat at recess, I still fill my pantry with Flamin’ Hot Limon Cheetos and Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies from time to time. I think those types of snacks are totally okay, but maybe not ideal for my everyday. The idea of a “snack” can sound like something you make for a kid, but I usually need a little more fuel to get me from lunch to dinner. I’m finally been breaking some of those old habits and finding new alternatives that work for me. Here are some easy snacks I’ve been loving.

Rice cakes are your friend.

You can use a rice cake as base for just about anything. These are some of my favorite combos:

• Almond Butter, Sliced Banana, Sprinkle of Cacao Nibs, Drizzle of Honey

• Mashed Avocado, Crushed Himalayan Salt, Crushed Pepper, Garlic Powder, Paprika (or just replace all those toppings with some Everything But The Bagel Seasoning)

• Almond Butter, Sliced Strawberries, Cinnamon

Rice cakes make such a good base, and there are a lot of combinations you can make. Let me know some of your favorites!

Dates

Okay, I guess I’ve been sleeping dates because they are the perfect treat when I want something sweet. I slice them in the middle to give it an opening without cutting it completely in half and add a little bit of peanut butter inside. Make sure they are pitted. If not, you will need to remove the pit, and for a little crunch I like to add some cacao nibs on top. I’ve seen people freeze their dates with peanut butter, which I have not yet done, but that sounds delicious.

Matcha Smoothie

This might count like a little more than a snack, but if you missed out on breakfast and are in need of a caffeine boost, this will have you covered. I don’t remember where I got the idea for this, or if I just experimented with what I had in my pantry one day, but this one’s pretty tasty. All you’ll need is a blender and the ingredients below. Blend it all up and let me know what you think!

• 8 oz of Oat Milk (or milk of choice)

• I tsp Matcha Powder

• Vanilla Protein (required amount) - I like to use this one.

• 1 Frozen Banana

If you are looking for a quick grab-n-go snack with minimal preparation, here are some of my other faves:

• Dried Mango

• Pomegranate Seeds

• Banana Chips

• Nuts (Almonds, Walnuts, etc.)

• Hummus with Veggies or Chips

• Sliced Apple with Peanut or Almond Butter