It's no secret that eating healthfully can be an ongoing challenge for many of us. Not only is the temptation of less-than-healthy food seemingly at every turn, but much of it is easy, cheap, and satisfying, fitting into our busy schedule. But for however easy it fits into our lifestyle, it can make fitting into our jeans much trickier! It can also leave us feeling lethargic, depressed, and at worst, more susceptible to illness. With that in mind, we've put together a short list of healthy homemade snacks to replace the junk food that clutters many of our pantries. We hope you'll give these and other healthy homemade snacks a try, and see what a difference it makes in the way you look and feel! No Bake Brownies As someone with an unstoppable sweet tooth, the call of cakes, pies, brownies and cookies is often hard to ignore. However, answering the call more often than I should makes me feel less in control than I'd like. So I set out to find a healthy homemade snacks brownie recipe that was tasty and indulgent enough to quiet my cravings while offering a nutritional boost. I found several online, with common ingredients being cocoa powder, pitted dates, roasted almonds, and honey. Poke around online and see which recipe suits your tastes best! There are other options with walnuts if you prefer those, and I'm sure almost any nut would work wonderfully. The healthy key of many recipes seems to be the pitted dates, which can be used in so many ways! Peanut Butter Parfait Packed with protein and fiber, peanut butter is wonderfully healthy. As with most foods, the key to ensuring it doesn't pack too much of a calorie punch is to watch your portions. While it is overall a good-for-you choice, it's not low calorie or low fat. Keep things as natural as possible, avoiding added sugars and oils, like we do with our own natural peanut butter. The only ingredient is fresh roasted peanuts, and oh, what a delicious ingredient it is! My favorite peanut butter parfait recipe is one I came across at PeanutButterAndPeppers.com. Filling, fruity and flavorful, it's a fun, sweet treat for breakfast or as an anytime snack. Check out her blog and search for 'breakfast jar parfait'. There are several others worth giving a try as well! This blog is a fabulous resource for healthy homemade snacks that are far from boring or basic.
