Healthy Snacking

It's food week here on TFC. Perfect timing because food has been on my mind big time for the past week. I consider myself a pretty healthy person. I exercise regularly. I kicked that nasty smoking habit several years ago. I don't drink much. And I'm vegan. People often assume that being vegan automatically means you're a health nut... in fact you are probably starved. Not the case. There are still just as many unhealthy things out there for vegans to eat. And I'd been eating more and more of those lately. Oh and it didn't help that I decided I would cheat and eat dairy again while I was on my honeymoon. (Veganism is an ethical choice for me, so I feel guilty for the cows when I violate it, but you have to break your own rules from time to time.) I do that on occasion. Usually only for one day though--on my birthday. The result, I came home from my honeymoon three pounds heavier. It was time to get healthy again!

I'm also a big snacker--or grazer as my mom calls it. All the family gatherings there are trays of veggies and chips and salsa and potato chips and dip and especially lots of olives and chocolates around for grazing. Grazing/snacking is definitely a healthy way to eat. I've read in numerous places that its better for you to eat several small meals instead of big ones. But my downfall is that I snack when I'm not even hungry. I just have this need to chew. And if I bring a bag of chips up to my desk while I'm working... they just all disappear. Oh and working late night at a bar with access to both a popcorn maker and a fryer and frozen french fries... not good.

So I've been trying to reform my habits this past week. Since I'm all about writing things down and making lists, I've decided to try keeping a food journal. And it's definitely been keeping me in check. In the late afternoon when I'm tempted to grab cookies and tortilla chips, I actually stop to think about what I'm doing and I go that's not actually going to give me the energy I need, so I grab a yogurt and some pistachios instead.

The pistachios were on sale recently. I'd forgotten how much I love them. Carrot sticks are just as good to dip in hummus as chips are. And clementine oranges? Almost as satisfying as cookies. Okay not really, but the thing I really love about the cookies is the chocolate. I'm a chocolate fanatic. Fortunately Trader Joe's sells a bunch of dark chocolate and it's vegan. One or two pieces of that and an orange satisfies the sweet tooth. Another healthy snack for my sweet tooth (because my sweet tooth is my big weakness... well and the salt... love salt too) that I'd forgotten about is apple slices and peanut butter.

Oh and I have a new morning snack. It's something I was always afraid to try but then I was sent a big box of citrus fruits for the holidays.. Grapefruit! I thought it was a weird old lady food and that it would be bitter and horrible. But once I had it, I was geared up for the challenge and wanted to try it. The best thing about working at a bar is one of my customers always seems to have an answer for my conundrums. I've got the guy I can ask about computers, the one I can ask about anything home repair or construction related, and I've got some foodies. They explained the proper way to cut a grapefruit to me and filled me in on a little secret: you can sprinkle salt on grapefruit to reduce the bitterness and bring out it's natural flavor. Well, I love salt so I was happy to try that. And I'm now officially a grapefruit addict.

As for that pesky need to chew on things when I'm not even hungry--sugar-free gum. So far it seems to be working!

I'm already feeling better now that I'm doing this healthy snacking. What about you? What are some of your favorite healthy snacks cause I'm definitely looking for more. They say it takes 21 days to break an unhealthy habit, so I need some variety to keep me going!

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