's motd Sat Feb 20, 2010 - Snacks

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SNACK ATTACK!

Saturday, 20 February 2010

Now don't get me wrong. You know, I love my meals. But...I love my snacks, too! When I was a kid, of course I had my favorite snacks. I guess I thought of having those snacks as preparing for my next big meal! In fact, my "snacks" used to be more like "pre-meals." You know, getting my taste buds ready for lunch or dinner! Let me tell you about some of my faves...

Oh, I loved Eskimo Pies! Mmmm, those wonderful chocolate shells on the outside were so-o-o delicious. As I sunk my teeth into the shell, they'd soon be greeted by that delicious vanilla ice cream. The saddest moment was when the last bite was gone and all I had left was that silver wrapper, which I of course proceeded to lick clean!Another one of my favorite snacks was a sandwich. Not one of those flimsy little sandwiches, either...oh, no! I'm talking about a sandwich built for a construction worker. Of course I couldn't do any construction work when I was a kid but hey, that didn't stop me from having a sandwich made for one, believe me!

I liked to make club sandwiches with three slices of toasted white bread. I'd slather mayonnaise on all three slices of bread then start building my sandwich with bologna, Swiss cheese, Creole tomatoes, slices of bread & butter pickles, onion slices, mustard and romaine lettuce. Then I'd cut my sandwich into quarters and put little toothpicks into each section to hold them together. And if I wanted a snack while I was out roaming the French Quarter, I'd go have a fried oyster or shrimp Po-Boy sandwich, dressed, of course. (That means with everything on it!)Another favorite snack of mine was dry cereal. I just loved watching TV with a box of Sugar Smacks or Sugar Pops sitting in my lap. I didn't need milk, the sugary cereal was all I needed. I'd sit there watching TV, eating one handful after another. And I'd be totally entertained, that is, until the box was empty!

Now I know, none of those were really great snacks. But I'm sure you know that a lot of people here in 2010 still snack the way I used to when I was a kid..."Oh, I feel like eating a little something, like maybe a bucket of KFC?" Here's another thought..."You know what would make me feel better right now? A cheeseburger with some freshly-battered onion rings!"Now you know that your snacks are not supposed to be like another meal! You eat snacks between meals using some of those portions of food you haven't included in your three big meals of the day. For instance, most people don't get their vegetables in everyday. I constantly remind you to eat 5-6 portions of vegetables daily. But some of you still don't. So snacking on veggies is a way to reach that 5-6 portions of veggies your body needs daily.

Sometimes I make a tray of celery sticks, carrots, a few cherry tomatoes and sliced cucumbers. I pour on a little red wine vinegar and add a teeny bit of parmesan cheese. It's really good and those veggies really fill me up without adding lots of calories.If you haven't had your portions of fruit for the day, get them in during your snack time. Have a cup of yogurt or a cube of Laughing Cow cheese with a few pita chips. Now those are healthy snacks.And when should you snack? Well, sometime between breakfast and lunch, lunch and dinner. And I don't believe you should ever snack after dinner...on anything!Now, if you take my recommendations on what to eat at snack time, believe me, you will see a weight loss. And I know, that's something you really want to see!Love,