Eat THIS, not THAT

It won’t come as any surprise to our regular readers that we nuts try to place a focus on leading a healthy lifestyle. Whether its by taking on fitness challenges, sharing recipes that are chalk full of healthy ingredients or by consulting with professionals on how to achieve fitness success, we are always looking for accessible ways to improve our overall healthfulness.

A vice that I think a lot of people can relate to is poor snacking habits. Whether it’s your office’s vending machine full of chips, your co-worker’s famous chocolate chip cookies or a big bowl of salty, buttery popcorn while you watch a movie or TV after dinner, the unhealthy snacks that are at our fingertips are never ending. Now, I’m not saying to abandon these treats completely, but in the effort of implementing some healthier habits, below you will find a list of alternatives to some tried and true favourites.

Parmesan & Pepper Popcorn

Try this recipe from Epicurous for an alternative to the processed, buttery microwave popcorn. Using air-popped popcorn, extra-virgin olive oil, parmesan and black pepper, it won’t disappoint you.

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

On of our guest bloggers, Kacie Hollins, brought us an awesome recipe for paleo chocolate chip cookies which uses more healthy ingredients than the traditional, but still satisfies cravings. Health Ninja’s recipe is also a great nut-free option if you prefer.

Kale Chips

One of our biggest supporters, Julia, runs her own cooking blog, The Domestic Blonde. She has a deep love for chips and even gave them up for a while. In an effort to avoid them but not feel too deprived, she shared this recipe for crunchy kale chips. Yum!

Gluten-Free, Vegan, Nut-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Our resident vegetarian, Jess, has conducted a few cooking experiments along the way, looking for easy vegan and gluten-free alternatives. She swears by this recipe, which can be made with or without the chocolate. Still rich, it’s a great (and easy!) alternative to cake.

Spicy, Oven-Roasted Chickpeas

Yes, salted cashews are probably one of the greatest snacks around. It’s  really hard to pass up a bowl of nuts when you’re having a cocktail. But, rather than snack on salted nuts, try Chow’s recipe for oven-roasted chickpeas. High in protein, these peas and some spices go a long way!

Dusty Grapes

Another one of our biggest fans, Kelly, turned me on to this idea. Rather than reaching for a big bag of candy, freeze grapes and add any flavour of jello powder to them. Still a sweet treat, but much better for you!

Berry Smoothie

If you’re a big ice cream lover, the simplest way to get a fix of something cool and sweet is to mix up a fresh fruit smoothie. I usually love vanilla and strawberry ice cream, so rather than reaching for the Ben & Jerry’s, I’ll mix up the following:

2 tbs. Vanilla greek yogurt

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

splash of fruit juice (whatever’s around)

The best part about fruit smoothies is that it’s almost impossible to make a bad one. Mix up any combination of frozen fruit, yogurt and juice and you’re set!