Wednesday, September 19, 2012

School Spritz: 3 Healthy After- School Snacks


Hey guys! I'm so excited because I just got a youtube yesterday! My channel is orlygirl04. Please subscribe! Although I have not put any videos up yet, I will be putting up videos soon! Also, whenever I upload a video there, I will put them here so you guys can watch them! I will be doing a "what's in my bag?" video and a "room tour" video soon so stay tuned for that! Have any other video requests for me? Please comment below! I would love to hear from you guys! Also, for video requests or if you want to just chat with me, I got a new email so please inbox me at: tiffanipan2@gmail.com. Also, I am making a vlog channel as well, which is for personal and random videos. If you know how to get a second channel on youtube, PLEASE let me know in the comments below, because that would help me and others who are looking to do this too!

I'm starting a new series for you guys called "school spritz". It's basically where I give you advice on stress, making friends, and all that jazz relating to school! I will also be making videos about these topics, so you can also see me while I'm talking to you guys, not just reading an essay by me....boring right?

You know those days when you come home from a long day of school and look in the fridge and think to yourself, "what am I going to eat for snack today?" If you have this dilemma, you're not alone! I go through this dilemma too, and I'm pretty sure others do too! In this guide, I looked up healthy foods you can snack on when you come home from school.

Check them out below...


Mix-n-Match Trail Mix. Making your own healthy trail mix is a great way to experiment with different whole grain cereals, nuts, dried fruits and even chocolate. Start with a fiber base of two different whole grain cereals, one cup of each. Add one cup of mixed nuts like almonds, cashews, peanuts or Brazil nuts and a half cup of dried fruits; raisins, bananas or pineapple will add some natural sweetness to your mix. Optionally, you can add a half cup or less of chocolate chips. Chocolate has some great natural antioxidants and is healthy to eat in small doses.



Fruit Smoothies. Fruit-based smoothies can be just as delicious as high-calorie milkshakes and need only a few ingredients. The best base for smoothies is bananas because they act as a thickener, making smoothies rich and creamy. Keep a few bananas in your freezer so they are already ice cold. One banana per smoothie is all you need. Add other fruits, fresh or frozen, to your smoothie and blend until everything has completely mixed. Encourage your teens to experiment with different fruits; you can even start a smoothie special of the week.


Veggies, Pita and Hummus. My favorite! Chips and dips are the go-to snack for teens, however they are high in saturated fats, unhealthy to eat every day. As an alternative to chips, try freshly cut vegetables like celery, carrots, cauliflower or broccoli. Pita or whole grain crackers also go great with hummus and can be more filling than vegetables. Hummus is a creamy dip made out of chick peas and spices; this dip is a great source of protein and comes in a variety of flavors.

Options are from here.
Photo is from here.

What do you snack on when you come home from school?!




Monday, September 17, 2012

Food for Thought: Lemon Hummus

Ever since the first time I tried Whole Food's Lemon Hummus, I loved it so much that every time I went there to buy food, I always went to pick up the hummus first! LOL. It was just that good! For those of you who don't know what hummus is, it's a dip made from pureed chickpeas. It's a great dip for pretzels, chips, vegetables, and anything else you can think of. It is  I highly recommend trying hummus to anyone who has an open mind about trying new foods or who is bored of the usual salsa ...it's just SO good!

Hummus comes in many different flavors, but my favorite is lemon hummus. I love citrus because the vitamin C in them keeps you healthy at all times. Hummus is great for parties, with chips and veggies on the side. I just realized that making your own lemon hummus is easier than I thought! Just take original hummus (any brand that makes hummus) and squeeze about a quarter to a half a lemon (depending on what acidity you want your hummus to have) and VOILA! Enjoy your hummus!

Would you try hummus? Or make it yourself? What else would you dip into it besides pretzels, chips and veggies? 

xoxo,
Tiffani