Image: Mott's

Mott’s Healthy Harvest Sauce has no sugar added. These yummy sauces are naturally sweet snacks that everyone in your family will love. Mott’s Plus Sauce has no added sugar and is packed with extras such as antioxidants, fiber or calcium. You can learn more about Mott’s apple sauces at Motts.com.

Mott’s has pledged $300,000 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure and this limited edition packing will be available through the end of October. The sauce is available anywhere Mott’s products are sold and the packs have a SRP of $2.30.

Right now, we are giving you a chance to win three 6-packs of the Mott’s apple sauce.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment here with one tip about healthy eating.

Your comment will automatically enter you into the contest, which ends on October 24, 2009. We will select four random winners from all the comments and each winner will receive three 6-packs.

Good luck!

Image: Mott's

Post from: Blisstree

Mott’s Pink to the Core Giveaway

Andrea! Andrea was our 20th commenter and was chosen at random using Random.org. She said, “Ohh I want to try this snack. I think it would be a great healthy snack for lunchtime.” I couldn’t agree more, Andrea!

For those of you who didn’t win, be sure to check out the Yogavive site for information on how to get these fabulous chips at a store near you.

Image: Yogavive

Post from: Blisstree

Winner of Yogavive Apple Chips

Since I’m not a fan of prepared energy bars (or prepared anything for that matter), I look for the closest thing to real food that I can get, and that is still practical and convenient to carry.

Here are some snacks that are easy to pack:

1. Peanut butter sandwich – Add jelly, honey, or leave it plain, and make sure that it’s wrapped up good and tight.  This won’t need refrigeration, is tolerant to a little bit of squishing about, and offers a quick hit when your energy is sagging.  Make it really, really full of peanut butter, and you can use the excess as a bit of a dip.  (NOTE:  You can try bringing through a container of just peanut butter, but I’ve heard mix reports of whether it’s being considered a “gel” type product.)
2. Raw vegetables – The crunch of celery or carrots can be satisfying and healthy, and a baggie of them is easy to slip into a carry on bag or a purse.  Also good are jicama, cucumbers (add a squeeze of lime and some chili powder for extra flavor), and broccoli.  Choose your favorite.
3. Dried fruit – Fresh fruit gets bruises or smashed too easily, so try bringing along some dried.  I’m partial to dried pineapple and mangos.  Their sweetness if just enough to keep me away from candy.
4. Nuts – Put together a mixture of your own, or stick to your favorite(s).  Keep a big baggies of them in your carry on, so you can grab a handful whenever you need a bit of energy.  They go perfect with dried fruit as well.  It’s best to avoid salted nuts, if you can.
5. Cereal – With a cup and some milk, this makes a simple breakfast, and you can always snack on the dry mix for a little crunch.
6. Cheese – If you know you’ll be eating it within a few hours, a few slices of cheese is a good protein snack.  Much longer than a few hours, though, and you’ll need to worry about refrigeration.  I think hard cheeses travel best, and are least likely to deteriorate in packing.  A wedge of Parmesan is perfect!  String cheese is great for kids.
7. Crackers and chips – These are easily crushed, so I recommend taking them along only if you’ll be eating them fairly soon.  Chances are they are not going to stay undamaged more than a day.  There are healthy choices in this category, but honestly, I’m partial to Fritos.
8. Licorice – Sweet, chewy, easy to pack, and low in fat and calories.  A great way to assuage your sweet tooth.
9. Salami – You’ll have to be careful with this, as it will eventually need refrigeration.  Additionally, there’s some pretty strong smelling salami out there, and you don’t want to stink up the joint.  Still, paired with cheese and other snacks, it can almost make you feel like you’re having an appetizer plate somewhere in Italy.  Well, okay, that’s going to take a vivid imagination.
10. Hard candies – Great for a sore throat, or just one that’s a little dry, and they are available in sweet and sour flavors to match your taste bud preferences.  Also good for kids at take off and landing, when they need to swallow and clear their ears.

Do you have any packable snacks that are your travel favorites?  Please leave your suggestions in the comments.

Photo credit: SXC

Post from: Blisstree

10 Healthy & Packable Snacks for Travel Energy

I tried the Strawberry flavor. They are somewhere in between a fruit leather and a licorice. They are licorice shaped, but have that sort of gooey-fruit-leather-iness. Yum! One 7 ounce organic fruit snack is a complete serving of fruit, has 70 calories, 1 gram of fiber, 15% Vitamin B6, and 10% of Vitamin C, Vitamin B2, and Vitamin B3.

I really like the Twisted Fruit. I think that they are a good, healthy snack, and I would definitely buy them again.

Image credit: Clif Bar.com

Post from: Blisstree

Clif Kid Organic Twisted Fruit – A Review

But this game was different. For one, Coach Todd was busy this Saturday so assistant coaches Craig and Rick had to run the game. This stressed Rick out because he was assigned the lineup, something he put a considerable amount of thought into. He didn’t want Coach Todd to find out his team had lost in his absence. Rick wanted to give each of the kids an opportunity to play different positions. But he also wanted to be sure not to favor our son with a prime position, like pitch or first base. And so Rick woke up early the day of the game to map it all out.

I didn’t want to worry Rick with the big snack decision. He had too much on his mind. So once the boys dropped off at the field, I got in the car and drove my arse clear to the next town. (It’s not that far, really. Birmingham is made up of 30-plus municipalities – and it’s kind of like standing on the Four Corners. You hop to the left and you’re in one town, and step to the right and you’re in another.)

I drove up to Krispy Kreme and I was obviously not the only person with the doughnut plan. I bought a dozen and a half of “chocolate sprinkles” and off I went

I’ll admit T-ball isn’t usually a nail-biter, but by the end of our hour Jonathon’s Mom and I were in knots. The mighty Cards were falling two points behind the Yanks when the ump said there was time for one more inning. I can’t remember the last time I cheered so loudly at a game. In the end, the Cards scored three more runs and the game was called.Our Cards remain the lead team in the league at 5-0.

After the usual hand-slaps and hoorays, the kids ran over to me and got their doughnuts.

At that moment, after clinching an elusive win, doughnuts seemed more than appropriate. I had enough left over that some kids – including Truman – had two. The team washed their sugary snack down with a soda and then hit the playground.

An hour later, as we made our way back to the car, Truman didn’t relish his team’s win. Instead, he mumbled, “I’ve got a tummy ache.”

Photos, JWJourney

Post from: Blisstree

Giving in to the Hot-n-Fresh

When vacationing, you should be both budget-conscious and health-conscious when it comes to food. It’s easy for kids (and adults) to fill up on chips, cookies and other snacks. Instead, try to think of healthy snacks.

Image: sxc.hu

Registered Dietitian Gloria Tsang, founder of online nutrition community HealthCastle.com, provides us with these five simple, healthy snack ideas:

1. Summer berries: Berries are loaded with Vitamin C, folate, fiber and phytonutrients. Berries are easy to prepare: just wash and rinse, then throw them in a container or bag and you’re ready to go.

2. Low-fat/no-fat frozen yogurt bars: What kid doesn’t love ice cream? Low-fat and no-fat frozen yogurt bars are great alternatives that provide all the satisfaction for an average of only 100 calories (check the package for the brand you choose). All you’ve got to do is pack a cooler!

3. Home-made trail mix with nuts and whole-grain cereals: Tossing nuts with whole grain breakfast cereals is a perfect way to create heart-healthy trail mix. Nuts are an excellent source of protein, fiber, phytonutrients and antioxidants. Give each kid their own bag and let them munch away.

4. Granola bars: If making your own trail mix sounds like too much work, check out your grocery store’s selection of granola bars. But choose carefully, as some can be loaded with fat and sugar. Look for bars that have at least 3 g of fiber and 5 g of protein.

5. Popcorn: Popcorn is a perfect portable snack to munch on in the car. A standard three-cup serving of air-popped popcorn contains just 93 calories and less than 1.5 grams of fat. If you prefer microwave popcorn, avoid the “buttery” or “caramel” flavors that may be loaded with calories, sugar, and trans fat.

Post from: Blisstree

Healthy Snacks for Road Trips

This T-ball season, however, the first family assigned to bring snacks brought a box of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts – both glazed and chocolate-dipped. The kids went berserk. And for the next three games, whoever was assigned snack duty – much to the delight of the kids – kept the doughnut tradition going….sometimes shaking things up a bit by adding sprinkled doughnuts to the mix.

Next week is our week to buy snacks. I could easily add small bags of Sun Chips to the grocery list and be done with it, but I feel this obligation to head out Saturday morning before the game and load up on some sugar-laden hot-and-fresh KKs.

What’s a mom to do? Go with the healthy snacks and risk my son being teased by his teammates? Or cave into the doughnuts and keep the trend going? Sigh.

My son’s team is leading the league at the moment at 4-0. I asked Rick, who is an assistant coach for the team,  his opinion. He said, “You know what they say. Never screw with a streak.” So…

Photos, JWJourney

Post from: Blisstree

The Doughnut Dilemma

1. Chocolate milk (the kind you make yourself). According to a study published in the American Dietetic Association in 2002, kids who drink flavored milk (think Quik and Ovaltine) consume more calcium and fewer empty calories, with no additional sugar or fat, compared with kids who don’t drink flavored milk. (I learned this one when I busted out the Chocolate Quik and marshmallows to make some hot chocolate today.)
2. String cheese (the real stuff). It’s all about calcium for women, and string cheese is a delicious and easy way to get some, along with protein, when you’re on the go. I love Sorrento’s Reduced Fat Mozzarella Stringsters.
3. Peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Grab yourself a couple of slices of whole wheat bread, a banana, and a jar of low-fat, low-sugar peanut butter (mmm, organic…), and you’ve got fiber, protein, and potassium all in one scrumptious snack. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s sooooo good.
4. Juicy Juice. You know, the stuff that’s “100% juice for 100% kids.” Of course you should be careful that you’re not drinking all your calories (two parts juice and one part water is how I keep a handle on that), but when you want something sweet and refreshing, all natural fruit juices like Juicy Juice are the way to go. And to make your juice sparkle, try adding some flavored or plain seltzer water instead of tap water. (I recommend Vintage Seltzer Water.)
5. Raisins. I’m sure you’ve heard it through the grapevine before, but raisins are like nature’s candy. I like Sun-Maid’s snack packs when I’m on the go, and I keep the 24-ounce reclosable carton in my pantry for snacks at home when I need a natural boost. They pack plenty of potassium, help you get your daily fruit intake, and keep things regular (if you know what I mean.)

Now, bust out the crayons and grab yourself a nutritious snack.

Contents © Copyright 2007 Kristen King

Post from: Blisstree

Get in Touch With Your Inner Child: 5 Tasty Treats That Aren’t Just for Kids

TOP 10 HEALTHY SNACKS

1. Trail mix with walnuts, almonds, dried apricots, roasted soybeans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, raisins and dried unsweetened blueberries.
2. Tropical fruit smoothie popsicles.
3. Peanut butter, chocolate soymilk and banana smoothie — see site for recipe.
4. Homemade oatmeal muffin with blueberries and mashed banana.
5. Raw veggies and kale pesto dip. Yummy recipe on this site.
6. Energy/snack bars. (My favorites are the Atkins chocolate/peanut butter bars)
7. Tomato juice or grapefruit.
8. Fruit kebab with yogurt dip.
9. Wasa crackers with almond butter and raisins.
10. Sliced strawberries.

Post from: Blisstree

Top 10 Healthy Snacks