Friday, March 25, 2011

Seeking the perfect snack

It should be obvious now but I love snacks. The perfect snack must meet three criteria in my mind -Big taste (bold, interesting, reminiscent), fun texture (crunchy, melty, gooey), and the must - easy to fix for quick snacking! Ummm sounds like potato chips to me. Never plain chips, usually barbeque with a sweet touch, but willing to try most flavors (I must promote Zapps Voodoo Gumbo, had I been home any more time before being put in the hospital for the end of my pregnancy I was very close to charging 24 dollars worth to have these Lousiana spicy deliciousness sent to my house. These are hands down my favorite. They are spicy, sweet, and the perfect crunch!!!) But I digress. I obviously need to limit this snack, chips are a huge downfall for me. I use them not as a snack but my main go-to. So I need to find replacements that will be way less calories, less carbs (because I find plenty in other sources) and hopefully beneficial to my health (vitamins, protein, minerals). But I will be happy just to cut down the calories to start. So my food victory was to replace my chip snack today (though I have been chip free for almost a week which I hope to claim as a victory tomorrow). It was Friday today and that means the kid in me wants sugar and junk food. What would satisfy my chip fix today oh I know the seaweed snack. Yes I replaced chips today with a seaweed snack from Trader Joe's (my second favorite place after Whole Foods. Whole Foods makes me feel healthier for stepping in the door and I love to stand in front of the pepper section is just pretty with all the colors and energizing. I know weird, but I am sharing the truth with ya'll. Trader Joe's makes me feel like a treasure hunter because every trip always leads me to one interesting find, I may like I may not but I like to seek out the hidden gem). The gem our last trip was these seaweed snacks. They are intriguing. They meet the snack criteria, Big taste (it's the flavor of many sushi wraps, its a bit salty and earthy ? and the color is strong/rich, fun texture(not crunchy but crumbly melty. It doesn't smoothly melt but crumples in your mouth like a wafer.) And super easy to grab. The package resembles many cookie packages. And the great thing if I sat down and ate the whole package (which I wouldn't because you aren't going to grab a handful of these snacks and down them. You will eat them one by one.) But if you did eat the whole package you would consume a total of sixty calories. Yes, a total of sixty calories. And the package costs less than a dollar. It says it is two servings but there are at least two helpings left (possibly three) and it has served three servings. Do you know if you eat a bag of potato chips even just the "single serving like Big grab size - which really is three servings- most chips snack bags would equal about 420 - 480 calories. A meal in truth. So seaweed snacks is the victory. I'm trying to change my life with tweaks. I am not looking for the quick fix but changes I can live with in the long run. I may not eat the seaweed snacks everyday but they will be in the shopping cart in the future. Movement today was filling out my dance card with the best partner in the world. He isn't quite two feet tall but adorable, smooth, and the best motivator in the whole world. My little guy and I turned on a dance music channel and began to move to the beat. I couldn't quite grasp the rhythm and my lil' boy started to give me that "Heave-Ho , Oh no " look with the big eyes. We found a country station to be more of our speed where we could grape-vine, two-step, and spin our way to giggles and big smiles. My partner was starting to become the party pooper and fussy near our fourteen minute mark. However I couldn't believe how quickly the time passed after we changed the channel. My hope is that one day I will be moving and exercising without prepping myself "Okay we got move today. What should we do." I hope with these daily strides that I will be getting ready for bed and think wow I didn't realize I did that much today. I was never out of breath and just had fun and still managed to squeeze in two hours of exercise movement. I hope that it will be because my lil' guy and I went to the park and played in our yard. I have to remember that. I have to remember it is about getting healthy now but it's really for the memories to come. May your HealthFULL Journey lead you closer to your dreams. May it even perhaps inspire them. 'Til we meet again. . .

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