Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Healthy snacks: Does eating this make me weird?

There's nothing like getting the side eye in the office to make you questions all life choices.

Maybe it's the stain on your pants from a toddler unwilling to use a tissue. It could be a rash decision to take leftover tuna casserole to work and heat it up in the communal microwave. Or, it might be the time you wore a shirt from the junior's department without a camisole or cardigan.

As for me, it's usually my choice in snacks, which - if we're being honest - I'm eating for a good part of the day.

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SOY JOY | Dry Roasted Edamame
One of the things I always hated when I was doing Weight Watchers was everyone telling me that almonds were the healthiest of the healthy snacks. Yes, there are a lot of redeeming attributes about the tree nut but they were also a ton of points. I could eat four almonds or a mini bag of popcorn. Four almonds ... WHOLE bag of popcorn. Easy choice. Until one day when I found Seapoint Farms Dry Roasted Edamame at Marshall's. It's 130 calories per serving and offers protein and crunch like almonds without the calories.

Why eat it? It's high in protein - 14 grams per serving - and fiber (7 grams per serving). The ingredient list is also simple. For the lightly salted, it's soy beans and sea salt. That's it.

BITTER SWEET | Raw radishes
For most of my life, I disliked radishes - or at least said that I disliked the root vegetable. Then, one day, my grandma put them on a veggie tray and changed my life. The bitter vegetable was tolerable - maybe even good - dipped in ranch dressing. Since then, I've been noshing them regularly though my style has changed. The ranch dressing is gone, and I typically eat them apple-style at my desk. It's definitely turned some heads in the office but I hate to mask its bitter fire by slicing and dipping.

Why eat it? Radishes are low in calories (16 calories for a cup) and full of fiber and nutrients. According to this article, they have been known to eliminate toxins, ease sore throats and keep you hydrated.

SEA FARING | Roasted Seaweed Snacks
I first bought these on a trip to Trader Joe's when I was in Cincinnati. They were 99 cents a package, and I was antsy to fill my cart with something as I was underwhelmed with the offerings. I took them to work as that's where I do most of my snacking, figuring that I'd grab them from the snack drawer on a desperate day. Well, desperation came about 4 hours later. It would be easy to be put off by the smell and cellophane texture but I found the wasabi flavor to be palatable and liked the snack "melt" on my tongue.

Why eat it? I really, really liked that the snacks are 30 calories a serving. Oh, and it's a pretty awesome way to get in some minerals.

Other things I love: Cut vegetables dipped in salsa, dried cranberries + popcorn, cottage cheese + jelly, hard-boiled eggs with salt and pepper.

What about you? Do your snacks turn heads?

5 comments:

  1. I always get weird looks from people for my snacks. At work, I constantly go the "What's THAT!?" and then I'd have to explain.

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  2. I love those seaweed snacks. People make fun of me for eating them at work, but they're good. Not filling, but tasty.

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  3. My coworkers all politely ignore the fact that I eat a whole baked sweet potato during our morning conference. But if you want weird looks, try bringing your home-packed lunch (consisting of two massive salads, one green, one with tuna) to the lunch conference where they provide Chinese take-out.

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  4. I love hard boiled eggs with hummus and pistachios! My coworker and I eat the same strange combinations for lunch. We also love quinoa with roasted corn and sweet potatoes.

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  5. those dry roasted edamame sounds delicious! i'm on the hunt for new work snacks, so this will be a good one to try!

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