Carmen Long
Simply Delicious
After a few months filled with cookies, candies, and cakes, the New Year provides a fresh opportunity to rethink how we snack. Many of us plan to make more time to exercise, get more sleep, lose any extra weight gained over the holidays, and eat healthier as we move into 2026.
For young children, or for people who do not eat large quantities of food at mealtime, snacks are a key part of the daily food plan. Healthy snacks provide a way to incorporate important foods we need each day but may not consume during meals. Fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy, and whole grain foods all make excellent snack choices. Taking time to include these options in your snack plan can make a meaningful difference.
MyPlate.gov is a helpful tool for thinking about the foods we need to include in our diets to support good health. Use it as a guide when selecting snacks. Before reaching for something to eat, ask yourself if you are truly hungry. Sometimes we eat for reasons other than hunger. We may be tired, thirsty, bored, or stressed. I sometimes find myself to be a procrastination snacker. If there is something I would rather not do, eating a snack can feel like a tempting way to delay the task just a bit longer.
Before snacking, try drinking a glass of water and waiting a few minutes to see if hunger remains. Use that time to complete a small chore at home or in the office that you may have been putting off. Make a phone call, write a note, pay bills, sweep the floor, pick up clutter, or wash a window. Exercise is another option. Get on an exercise bike, use the treadmill, or take a short walk to burn calories while you wait. If you are still hungry after fifteen or twenty minutes, then select a healthy snack.
Portion size also matters. Even healthy snacks can contribute too many calories if multiple servings are eaten at one time or if snacking occurs too often throughout the day. For foods with labels, count or measure what is considered one serving. You can even make your own one hundred calorie snack packets by reading the food label and measuring portions accordingly. When we eat directly from the package, we tend to eat more than we intended.
Fresh fruits and vegetables in their natural form do not require food labels. These items are nature’s fast foods. They come in their own packaging and are ready to eat with minimal preparation. Simply wash and enjoy. Clementines are one of my favorite snacks. They are easy to toss into a bag and perfect to eat on the go or at a sporting event. They taste great, smell wonderful, and are full of nutrients.
I also find that I eat more vegetables when I have something to dip them in. Try this easy, low cost hummus recipe to add protein and flavor to your snack of carrots, cucumbers, or celery this New Year.
Hummus Is Yummus
Ingredients
- One can garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas, drained with liquid reserved
- One tablespoon lemon juice
- One tablespoon olive oil
- One clove garlic, crushed, or one eighth teaspoon powdered garlic
- One half tablespoon ground cumin
- One half teaspoon salt
- Sesame oil, optional
Sides for Serving
- Carrots
- Celery sticks
- Cucumber rounds
- Pita chips
- Directions
- Place all ingredients into a blender and blend.
- Stop the blender and remove the measuring cup from the lid.
- Continue blending while slowly pouring the reserved bean liquid through the opening until the mixture becomes thick and smooth.
Source: ncefnep.org
