Popcorn
Oh, how I love me some salty, buttery popcorn. I still have a hard time avoiding this one at the movies. For those of use following a gluten-free diet, it can precarious to indulge. Although, corn and even the buttery topping is naturally gluten free, popcorn can be contaminated. Often, farmers use the same trucks to transport wheat and corn, leaving those with particular strong sensitivities to gluten playing Russian Roulette at the theater.
Even if gluten isn't a concern, that bag of deliciousness is far from an ideal snack. My first line of defense is to eat before the movie. It's way easier to pass up when I'm not hungry. My second is to stay home and Redbox it or catch an even newer flick on Vudu. If I choose the latter, I make sure to have some frozen seedless grapes on hand. They're a little crunchy and a little sweet, just what I need to satisfy the urge. Note that grapes aren't part of the Anti-Candida Diet (ACD), but they'll be back in my diet in just a few months.
Granola Bars
GF granola bars or cereal bars aren't impossible to find anymore, but they're still loaded with tons of unnecessary sugar. I make Breakfast Bars from Elana's Pantry on a regular basis instead. They're easy to customize. I make mine with dried blueberries and carob chips
. Occasionally, my husband will ask me to not make them. You see, no matter how healthy something is, if you eat the WHOLE PAN, it's not going to be good for you. My man simply has no will power. The bars do call for agave so they aren't ACD friendly. Drats. But, brown rice cakes are. I eat them with almond butter spread on top. It's pretty tasty and curbs that desire for something crunchy. I also works for replacing popcorn.
Trail Mix
Here's my ingenious substitute for trail mix: Trail Mix. I'm so clever. I make my own sweet and salty snack using pepitas (pumpkin seeds), almond slivers, cashews, carob chips
and some dried cranberries. Notice I've skipped the peanuts. Peanuts are actually legumes and don't offer all the healthy fats that nuts and seeds do. Carob chips are fantastic little morsels that taste just enough like chocolate to give the mix a sweet kick without adding sugar. Candy Bars
I swear vending machines glow brighter and call out to me every afternoon around 2:30. Reese's Cups are my downfall. I always say I'm going to eat one cup and save the other, but it just doesn't happen. Lately, I've been having an Arbonne Fizz energy drink in the afternoon and that gives me just enough sweet and caffeine to keep me going. But, if I really must have something that feels more forbidden, I'll go for my Almond Coconut Protein Fudge or Elana's Pantry Cookies with Yacon which are ACD friendly. If Candida isn't your concern, flip over to her website for a full list of healthier sweet recipes. Just try something. Her chocolate chip cookies are a favorite around here. Elana's was the first blog to convince me that I could prepare my own healthy food without twenty ingredients. She's kind of my hero.
Ice Cream
This is along the same lines as the trail mix. I guess I'm just not that creative. But, when you are craving something cold and sweet, nothing else is going to do. You can try going for regular ol' yogurt, but even that can be drowning in sugar. Instead, try making your own ice cream. Here's my favorite ice cream recipe. I found at Sweet and Savory Life. I double the recipe as one is barely enough for the whole family. I also use this for making protein milkshakes for the kids' breakfasts.
Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream
(Look in the Asian aisle of your grocery.)
(I use honey.)
That's it for this week. Please share any super easy healthy snack ideas in the comments.
Happy Friday, ya'll!
-Melie
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