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Grain Snacks |
Grain foods make great snacks because they fill you up and help curb hunger. Plus, they don’t come with a lot of added fat. Instead, they’re packed with complex carbohydrates that provide our bodies with energy. Leading nutritionists recommend that 55 to 60 percent of our daily calories come from carbohydrates.
Bread
A toast to toast! Toast and slice into quarters for dipping into hummus, low-fat cheese dips and extra-chunky salsa. For a sweet treat, top with cinnamonsugar, jelly, honey or applesauce. Or, use toasted whole wheat bread as a casing for vegetable and lowfat cream cheese sandwiches. Also, try topping bread with sliced apples.
Cereal
Munch on dry cereal, or use it to top yogurt and ice cream. Combine cereal with dried fruit, pretzels and marshmallows for a tasty trail mix delight.
Crackers
Team crackers with low-fat cheese and luncheon meats. Or, use wheat crackers as a platform for a chunky fruit and yogurt dip.
Tortillas
Spread a wheat tortilla with low-fat peanut butter and jelly, and roll up a new snack. Or, make a quick quesadilla by placing slices of cheese on a tortilla, microwaving until the cheese melts and folding the tortilla in half.
Grain-based mini meal or snack ideas …
- A bagel topped with peanut butter before you begin your day combines carbohydrates with protein and some fat to keep you fueled all morning long.
- For a tasty alternative to milk, stir low-fat yogurt into ready-to-eat cereal for a breakfast that’s ready in less than one minute.
- Wrap thinly sliced cheese, salsa, and black beans in a whole wheat tortilla for homemade Southwestern “takeout.” Warm in microwave.
- Stow pretzels, crackers, breadsticks, and ready-to-eat cereals in your briefcase, desk drawer, or gym bag for an energy-packed snack that’s ready when you are.
- A slice of raisin bread with a cup of hot tea is a tasty indulgence to enjoy during the cold winter months.
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