Healthy Summer Snacks

Summer is a time for relaxing in the water, soaking up the sun and spending the majority of you spare time outdoors doing an endless amount of various activities with friends and family. The thing least likely to top anyone’s list of fun summer activities is cooking inside with the stove raising the temperature of your home. Often times, it is much to easy to grab a bag of chips or a flimsy sandwich in replace of a healthy meal. It is not surprising that many people do not realize there is no need to compromise healthy choices when wanted something quick and tasty to eat.

If you are looking for a quick snack to tide you over in between meals then look no further. Frozen Yogurt Cereal Banana Bites are quick and easy to make and won’t leave you feeling guilty afterwards. These are appealing to adults and children so you will not need to worry about making different snacks for everyone.

• Gather the following ingredients: Cheerios, Bananas, and Yogurt.
• Gather the following equipment: Wax paper, cookie sheet, two bowls and a spoon.
• Line the cookie sheet with wax paper, then set aside.
• Spoon yogurt into a bowl and set aside. Pour Cheerios into the second bowl and set that aside as well.
• Peel bananas and then cut into small or large pieces. It does not matter the size you cut the banana, unless you have a preference.
• Take one piece of banana and dip into the bowl of yogurt. Cover entirely and repeat this process with the cereal.
• Set onto the wax paper and repeat with the rest of the pieces of banana.
• Set the cookie sheet in the freezer for approximately one hour.
• Remove from freezer and enjoy!

The great thing about this recipe is that it can be modified to accommodate your personal preferences. If you are looking for a sweeter snack, try using Fruity Pebbles instead of Cheerios.

Perhaps you want more of a meal than the above mentioned snack. Instead of wasting time and energy inside in a heat filled kitchen, break out your slow cooker and prepare lunch or dinner early. Often times people associate the slow cooker with heavy stews but you will be amazed at the large variety of meals you are able to prepare in a crock pot! Anything you can think of can be prepared in a crock pot; from vegetables to dips to full meals or even desserts.

Recipes that don’t require specific amounts of ingredients are a hit as well. Depending on your own personal preferences for flavor you may add a lot of a little of each ingredient. Turkey Meatballs are one of these recipes that can be made into a snack or a meal and go great alone or paired with pasta. To make these, follow the steps accordingly:

• Gather the following ingredients: One pound of ground turkey, more or less depending on how many people you want to serve, one jar of spaghetti sauce, breadcrumbs or crushed croutons, 1 egg.
• Mix together all of the ingredients except for the spaghetti sauce and then form into balls; it does not matter the size.
• Pour a thin layer of spaghetti sauce into the bottom of the crock pot.
• Place ground turkey balls into the crock pot and cover with the rest of the spaghetti sauce.
• Turn the crock pot onto high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 8 hours.
• Serve alone or on top of whole wheat pasta.

If you are looking to make a quick vegetable to go along with a dinner you’ve already planned, consider tossing a few ears of corn into the crock pot instead. Add ½ a cup of water and cook on low heat for 2 or 3 hours. If you are looking for a sweeter style of corn you may add ¼ cup of sugar to the water as well.

If you’re thinking about filling up on snack foods, try making  a Spinach-Artichoke Cheese Dip served with wheat crackers.

• Gather 1 cup of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped, 1 cup of spinach, drained and chopped, 1 cup of miracle whip, 1 lb of your favorite cheese; I suggest using Mozzarella or Provolone, and 1 cup of Parmesan cheese, grated.
• Mix the ingredients together and cook for an hour on low heat.
• Serve and enjoy.

It’s easy to prepare healthy food that will satisfy any appetite. The key to eating healthy through the long summer days is to prepare in advance. This will allow you to spend more time outdoors with your friends and family and less time in front of that hot stove. Remember, taste does not have to be excluded when trying to cook quickly.