It’s easy to whip up delicious, healthy meals and snacks that you can take and enjoy anywhere:
Mason Jar Meals: Why settle for drab grab-and-go fare in sealed baggies when you can enjoy a delicious, nutritious meal gorgeously packed in a glass mason jar?
Here’s an idea for a take along breakfast that’s high in fiber and protein: Fill a 16 ounce mason jar with half a cup of oats and half a cup of low fat yogurt, topped off with juicy, tangy fresh fruit such as raspberries and blueberries.
For an amazing lunch salad, start with a 2 inch layer of protein (lean meat, chickpeas or lentils) followed by a 1 inch layer of quinoa, topped with a colorful mix of vegetables, including tomatoes, cucumbers, beets and chopped peppers. This is great served with balsamic vinaigrette.
It’s a Wrap: Lettuce wraps are a light and delicious alternative to ordinary sandwiches and there are all kinds of ways to stuff them.
If you love Tex-Mex, simply fill two lettuce leaves with a mixture of lean ground turkey, beans, cherry tomatoes, avocado slices, and some shredded cabbage. For a sweet and healthy variation on PB&J, spread your lettuce leaves with a layer of peanut butter, add chopped apple and shredded carrots, and dress with a few spoons of Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Gourmet DIY Popcorn: A cup of popcorn popped in a tablespoon of olive or coconut oil has only 50 calories per cup, making it a great base for a light, yet filling snack.
There are endless ways to jazz up popcorn, so make a big batch and make a variety of single-serve portions. If your tastes run exotic, season your kernels with spices such as turmeric, cumin and cardamom, or if you like yours Italian-style just toss with freshly chopped herbs like parley, rosemary or chives and some grated Parmesan.
Spreadable veggies: Don’t think of veggies just as a side dish.
Sweet potatoes, pumpkin, beets, carrots, cucumber, peas, and avocado are amazingly good (and good for you) served as a dip or spread. To make a spicy cucumber hummus, in a food processor toss one small-deseeded cucumber along with some chickpeas, garlic clove, spicy seasoning, and a tablespoon of tahini. Blend until smooth and place in portable plastic containers – to be enjoyed with your favorite chopped vegetables or some crunchy high-fiber crackers.
Trail mix: Nuts on their own qualify as a healthy snack because they are loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
Even better, they go great in DIY trail mix made with your choice of almonds, pistachios, Brazil nuts, or walnuts (figure on about 12-15 nuts per serving), along with some roasted pumpkin seeds, bits of dark chocolate, unsweetened fruit, and high fiber cereal for extra crunch.
For delicious high fiber meal plans, recipes and tips on healthy eating, drinking and losing weight, check out my latest book, The Miracle Carb Diet: Make Calories and Fat Disappear – with Fiber!
Tanya Zuckerbrot MS, RD, is a registered dietitian in New York City and the author of two bestselling diet books: The Miracle Carb Diet: Make Calories and Fat Disappear – with fiber and The F-Factor Diet. Subscribe to Tanya’s free weekly newsletter and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest,and LinkedIn
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