Back to School Part 1: Healthy, On-The-Go Snacks

Summer is drawing to a close yet again and school is back in session. There is a hint of fall in the air and pumpkin spice flavored items are available and cannot be ignored. Now is a great time to reset healthy eating habits for the changing season if things have gotten a little loose over the summer. I know I tend to get somewhat lackadaisical with my summer meal preparation due to enjoying outside recreation during the long sunlit evenings. It can be a little tough re-centering my mind around organized healthy meals and snacks to encourage a productive and healthy fall season. I ease my way into this process by focusing on some quick to prepare recipes that are packed with nutrition.

The recipes below for a homemade fruit smoothie and five-ingredient granola bars are convenient, once prepared, to take with you during a busy work or school day and their yield is typically large enough to provide options for several weekday snacks or meal accompaniments. I also like these two healthy snack options because they are readily available grocery store items that are often expensive in price, but you can easily prepare them at home in a short amount of time. I invite you to incorporate these simple items into your fall healthy eating routine!

Kale and Apple Smoothie

This recipe has become one of favorite smoothie recipes because I love the flavors of the kale and apple mixed together with the smooth vanilla yogurt and I am a fan of the finished product’s light green color. This recipe is also a great way to incorporate green vegetables into your eating if you or your family is typically not a big fan. Leafy greens like kale are loaded with micronutrients and fiber, but they are low calorie foods since they are non-starchy vegetables (only 25 calories/serving).  The sweet apple and yogurt flavors help mask the flavor of the kale making this a sweet, healthy treat with a bonus green leafy vegetable! You can also choose to make smoothies with similar ingredients, but substitute frozen mixed fruit for the kale and apple to vary the flavors.

Recipe adapted from: http://www.cookincanuck.com/2014/10/kale-apple-green-smoothie-recipe-vegan/

Photo Credit: https://nadialim.com

Prep Time: 10 minutes                                                  Total time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup of unsweetened almond milk, unsweetened soy milk, or skim milk
• 1 ½ cups of (packed) chopped fresh kale (I usually use curly kale)
• 1 gala or pink lady apple cut into chunks (I use one of these options because I prefer their crisp and sweet flavor)
• 1 cup of light vanilla yogurt or light vanilla Greek yogurt

Preparation:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and place on mix or blend setting.
2. Mix or blend all ingredients until smooth.
3. Place smoothie in 8 ounce drinking glass or jar. This recipe should yield between 8-16 ounces of smoothie. If you would like to increase the recipe yield, simply double the ingredients. When I prepare smoothies at home, I like to prepare them in bulk and store the contents in 8 ounce jars with lids (the blue glass jars are my favorite) to use as grab and go options for meal or snack needs. I typically keep prepared smoothies for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Information: (Approximate since I altered this recipe from the original) Serving size: 1 smoothie | Calories: 125 cal | Fat: 4.0g | Saturated fat: 0.1g | Carbohydrates: 22.3g | Sugar: 9.5g | Sodium: 181.3mg | Fiber: 6.0g | Protein: 4.2g | Cholesterol: 0mg

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