When was the last time you took a good hard look at your pantry? How much time do you spend in the snack aisle of your grocer? Can your children identify the various fruits and vegetables in the produce section at the commissary? Do your kids snack on a diet of "plastic and sugar" (as my husband likes to call high-calorie, carb-rich treats)?
Summertime is a great time to bring into play a healthier snack routine, if you’ve fallen off the good-eating wagon. As the school year comes to a close and our schedules tend to open up a bit, it’s easy to put to bed bad habits and warm up to good nutrition as you kick off your “fun in the sun!”
Did you know there is a great sugar alternative that actually helps transform sugars and carbohydrates into healthy energy? NXT Nutritionals Inc. is leading the way with their healthy natural foods, beverages and their groundbreaking new sugar alternative, SUSTA Natural Sweetener. And this is one sweet little sweetener. After trying a sample, it’s replaced all those “other” sweeteners in my house. It’s light fruity taste makes it perfect for your fruit bowl, sun tea, lemonade stand, citrus bar recipe, salad dressings and marinades … you name it. SUSTA contains probiotics, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other all natural ingredients. It's heart healthy and great for your bones and immune system. There’s no funny bitter aftertaste; trust me, my son would let us know; so yes, kids will like it too. We sprinkle SUSTA on our cereal, and you can use it in place of sugar in your fruit punch drink mix.
Bake sale for the squadron? Yes, you can bake with SUSTA, and with those ever looming PRTs ... a cookie that’s got fewer calories and more fiber is a very GOOD cookie! SUSTA-sweetened products like Healthy Dairy Yogurt Smoothies, which are all-natural and non-dairy, full of vitamins, antioxidants and probiotics -- soon available in grocers nationwide -- are enjoyed by students at the US Naval and US Air Force Academies, now that should tell you something! Learn more about SUSTA and NXT Nutritionals here.
Ice cream, popsicles, frozen treats … we all love them! Why not engage your kids in the kitchen to make your own healthier versions? By utilizing fresh fruit (strawberries are in season) and 100% juice products, you can create delicious treats your kids will rave about! POPS! Icy treats for Everyone by Krystina Castella is one cool recipe book that can spark your icy imaginations. Using simple ingredients such as berries, vanilla extract, honey, fresh juice and yogurt, the popsicle possibilities are endless. The POPS! author even shows you how to create your own frozen treat molds!
Decaf sun tea, fresh squeezed lemonade, chilled sparkling water with fruit slices and cherry-in-the-middle ice cubes are refreshing and easily replace soda and other sugary summertime beverages. Freezing low sugar all-fruit juices and then blending them into slush type drinks are always a chill sensation with kids; get crazy and blend in non-fat fruit yogurt and a few frozen strawberries for a homemade smoothie.
Push the snack envelope at your next cookout, omit the traditional high calorie “chips and dip” and substitute with carrot, zucchini and squash wedges and veggie dip -- make your own using nonfat yogurt and fresh herbs … plant an herb garden and let your kids watch their food grow! Gardening isn’t new … it’s just cool! Take it one step further and let your kids set up a produce stand! We plant our herbs in a window box and let them grow on the deck … this is a great way to grow if you’re in housing or in an apartment setting.
If you live at the base pool during the scorcher months, rethink your cooler. Frozen grapes are super tasty and help keep the temperature chilly. Skip the ready-made sandwich kits (super high in calories and sodium) and try making lean turkey wraps, but hold the mayo -- heck even hold the bread! Try wrapping sprouts or carrot shreds in deli turkey, all rolled up in a thin slice of provolone (or your favorite cheese) secured with a toothpick … so gourmet for the splash zone! And skip the chips! Opt for rice crackers or rice cakes … but steer clear of those with artificial flavors and sweeteners that only ups the sugar and fat grams.
Who knows where eating healthy will lead? Do you have a healthy snacking tip to share with other Macaroni Military families? Leave a comment here!
