Wellness

@ Moraine Valley

snacks

Fall Snack Ideas

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Try some of my fall favorites this November! Great for snacks!

* Pumpkin peanut butter dip for apples
Ingredients:
1/2 can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup packed brown sugar (I use Splenda)
1/4 cup smooth peanut or almond butter

Roasted pumpkin seeds: Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray, and add a layer of pumpkin seeds. Sprinkle the seeds with a dash of sea salt, and then roast them at 325 F for about 25 minutes, or until toasted.

– Popcorn: Place kernels in paper lunch bag, spray with olive oil cooking spray, fold down top of bag two times and microwave on popcorn setting. Add some fall spices to spruce your popcorn up! (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and ginger or I love garlic powder with some Italian seasonings).

– Honey Crisp apple and slice of cheese

– Thomas’ Pumpkin Spice English Muffins with natural almond butter or peanut butter. Try to limit the topping to one tablespoon.

For nutrition/exercise questions or for more tip ideas, email Kelly at
Kelly Devine Rickert, MS, RDN, LDN,

Healthy Fall Snacks!

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Try some of my fall favorite snacks!

Pumpkin Dip for Apples

Pumpkin peanut butter dip for apples
Ingredients:
1/2 can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup packed brown sugar (I use Splenda)
1/4 cup smooth peanut or almond butter

Roasted pumpkin seeds: Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray, and add a layer of pumpkin seeds. Sprinkle the seeds with a dash of sea salt, and then roast them at 325 F for about 25 minutes, or until toasted.

– Popcorn: Place kernels in paper lunch bag, spray with olive oil cooking spray, fold down top of bag two times and microwave on popcorn setting. Add some fall spices to spruce your popcorn up! (cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and ginger).

– Honey Crisp apple and slice of cheese

– Thomas’ Pumpkin Spice English Muffins with natural almond butter or peanut butter. Try to limit the topping to one tablespoon.

For nutrition/exercise questions or for more tip ideas, email Kelly at
Kelly Devine Rickert, MS, RDN, CSSD, LDN, CPT
Moraine Valley Wellness Coordinator

Snack Tips During Social Distance!

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Now that we are home and practicing good social distancing practices, we are finding ourselves in quite the predicament…. we are around our food 24/7!!! And what happens when people are bored and around food? We eat!

Here are some tips to minimize the mindless snacking and some healthy snacks to munch on instead.

Tips to decrease mindless eating

  • Set certain times for snacks. Example, 3 pm and 7:30pm.
  • Write out on a dry erase board what your snacks will be either the night before or in the morning. (You are more likely to stick to it that way).
  • Drink water in between meals to help with fullness and hydration.
  • Minimize the junk food if possible. I always suggest to clients, it’s better to have a handful of chips or a cookie or two after lunch/dinner than to binge eat those items late at night.
  • Make a list and only go to the store once a week to distance yourself from others. If you snack too often, we run out of snacks and fresh food and have to go out to the store more often!

Healthy Snack Ideas!

  • 1 piece of fruit and handful sunflower seeds or 1/8 c nuts
  • 1 light yogurt or non fat Greek yogurt (I love Siggi’s) with 1/4 c low fat granola (optional)
  • 1 piece of fruit/veggies and 1-2 tbsp peanut/almond butter
  • 12  Kashi crackers/5 Triscuts with 1 oz low fat cheese (string cheese, laughing cow)
  • 1 Kashi, KIND, Special K protein bar, Luna, Balance, Health Warrior bar
  • 1/2 c unsalted trail mix (Enlightened or make your own!)
  • 6 wheat crackers and 2 tbsp nut butter
  • 1 hard boiled egg and 6 wheat crackers/1pc of fruit
  • 1/4 c low fat cottage cheese and 1 fruit
  • 1/2 sandwich
  • Cut up veggies and 1/4 c hummus or low fat dip
  • 2 rice cakes with 2 tbsp nut butter
  • 1 serving pretzel thins and 1 tbsp peanut butter
  • 3 celery stalks with 1 laughing cow wedge of cheese sprinkled with raisins
  • 3 cups low fat or air-popped popcorn with 1/8 cup Parmesan cheese (add some garlic or pepper too for more flavor!)
  • Enlightened Broad Beans snack packs

Whats YOUR favorite snack???