Hybrid Snacking as Featured on The List Show
You know when that craving hits? Maybe it’s for a bag of a salty-crunchy-greasy, or a hankering for sticky sweet-melty-chocolate. Either way, you gotta have it and you gotta have it now.
You can satisfy these cravings without completely going over the top. Enter hybrid snacking, which features something typically considered junk food, but paired with healthy ingredients. Hybrid snacking can be a good strategy to balance your junk food cravings out with nutritional foods.
Bollywood Trail Mix
Junk food: Sesame sticks (those little twiggy things that are deep-fried in soybean oil)
Mix with health foods:
- Roasted almonds
- Roasted cashews
- Roasted edamame
- Dried cranberries
- Curry powder
Mini fruit pizzas
Junk food: Sugar cookies
Top with health foods:
- Fresh summer fruit (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, kiwi)
- Creamy cookie topping: Chill a can of regular (not light) canned coconut milk or coconut cream until solid. Pour off the clear liquid, if any. Whip the coconut milk solids with an 8-ounce package of Neufchatel (light) cream cheese until smooth and fluffy, about 4 minutes on medium-high speed. Towards the end of whipping, drizzle in 2 tablespoons agave nectar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Chill covered for one hour before using.
Monkey S’Mores
Junk food: Marshmallows
Layer with health foods:
- Dark chocolate chips or squares
- Graham crackers made with whole grains
- Sliced bananas
Grill them in foil pouches, or microwave on a plate, with the marshmallows on one cracker, and the chocolate bits and bananas on the other. Sandwich together before eating.
Optional: pair with a glass of milk for even more nutrition
Nachos
Junk food: Tortilla chips (some are healthier than others)
Top with health foods:
- Vegetables and fruits (diced bell peppers, tomatoes, avocado)
- Beans
- Reduced-fat cheese
- Nonfat Greek yogurt (instead of sour cream)
- Salsa
- Cilantro
I'm a chef nutritionist, not the food police. I eat cookies but make sure to eat my broccoli too.
