After-School Snacks

Your kids are going, going, going all day, so when the bell finally rings it’s no surprise they’re looking for something to help recharge, refuel and re-energize. Or maybe 3:00 pm rolls around and you hear your stomach cue that time for a mid-day pick-me-up. What sets a snack apart is the idea that it’s supposed to be quick and readily available for that instant boost. When it comes to the perfect snack, we’ve got you covered for easy, tasty and nutritious choices to fill any part of the day.

Nutrition-Packed Snacks

·        Ants On A Log

Spread celery sticks with peanut butter or low-fat cream cheese. Top with raisins or dried cranberries.

·        Banana Split

Top a banana with low-fat vanilla and strawberry frozen yogurt. Sprinkle with your favorite whole-grain granola or cereal.

·        Snack Kabobs

Put cubes of low-fat cheese and grapes on pretzel sticks.

·        Easy Fruit Pizza

Spread vanilla Greek yogurt over a graham cracker and top it with cut fruit

·        Critter Crunch

In a bowl, combine Wheat Thins, Cheerios, animal crackers, honey bear-shaped crackers, shredded wheat cereal, raisins and M&Ms.

Get Creative and Dip it!

·         Dip baby carrots and cherry tomatoes in low-fat ranch dressing

·         Dip strawberries or apple slices in low-fat yogurt

·         Dip pretzels in mustard

·         Dip pita chips in hummus

·         Dip graham crackers in applesauce

·         Dip baked tortilla chips in bean dip

·         Dip animal crackers in low-fat pudding

·         Dip bread sticks in salsa

·         Dip a granola bar in low-fat yogurt

·         Dip mini-toaster waffles in cinnamon applesauce

Delicious Snacks to Stock Your Fridge

·     Low-fat cheese- eat as a snack, on a sandwich or to top cooked eggs

·     Vegetables- choose a wide variety and add to egg dishes or pair with a dip like hummus or peanut butter

·     Fruit- fresh, frozen, dried and canned will work but avoid added sugars

·     Water- try water before sugary drinks or add a flavor packet for a new taste

·     Nuts and nut butters- use on a sandwich, as a snack or as a dip for fruits and veggies

·    Eggs- if you’ve got a microwave, then you have a quick and easy breakfast

·    Milk and yogurt- choose fat-free or low-fat milk and yogurt

·    Hummus- this bean spread is perfect as a veggie dip and on sandwiches or crackers

·    Salsa- a great way to add veggies to your day, salsa pairs well with whole-grain chips or tortilla chips

·    Use the Nutrition Facts Panel- helpful for monitoring sugar, fat, calories and serving size

Cereal isn’t just for breakfast anymore! Check out these creative ways to incorporate cereal into your snacks, as seen in the August Hy-Vee Seasons magazine:

Cereal Yogurt Dip

Makes 1 2/3 cup.

1. Combine 2 (5.3 oz) containers Hy-Vee Greek vanilla yogurt and 1 (3.25 oz) cup Hy-Vee vanilla pudding in a bowl.

2. Transfer dip mixture to a serving bowl. Top with 1 cup Kellogg’s Apple Jacks cereal.

3. Serve with apple slices for dipping. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie Bowls

Serves 2.

1. Place 1 frozen banana, 1 (5.3 oz) container Hy-Vee Greek vanilla yogurt, 1/3 cup Kellogg’s Krave Double Chocolate cereal, ¼ cup Hy-Vee skim milk and 2 tbsp Hy-Vee natural creamy peanut butter.

2. Cover; blend until smooth.

3.  Divide between two bowls.

4. Top with additional cereal, banana chips, coconut flakes and Hy-Vee mini semisweet chocolate chips.

Check out our blog on Smart Snacking for additional snack ideas! 

-West Lakes Hy-Vee Dietitian Team

Packing a Healthy Lunch

Whether you’re preparing meals for yourself or for your family, one challenge that many face is finding the balance of time, using healthy ingredients and staying within budget. For the sake of time, it is easy to opt for the meal that is ready in minutes or is a convenient and prepackaged item. Oftentimes, convenient meals are not made with fresh ingredients and contain high amounts of sodium and other additives. Prepackaged meals are convenient, but can be high in price. Below are a few lunchtime ideas that are timely, healthy and budget-friendly.   

Sandwich Recipes

These ingredients don’t require any cooking; just a few assembly steps. 

*Tip: Make enough sandwiches as needed for a few days. Freeze them in individual bags so they’re easy to grab and pack for lunches; they’ll then be thawed by lunchtime.

Gourmet PB Sandwich

Flatout flatbreads + peanut butter + granola + diced apples 

Veggie Ribbon Sandwich

Whole-grain sandwich thin + 1 light laughing cow cheese wedge + zucchini ribbons + 1 serving sliced deli turkey

Tip: Use a vegetable peeler to slice cucumber, carrots, and zucchini into thin ribbons for sandwich fillings.

Waffle Pretzels

Hy-Vee waffle pretzel + 1 serving reduced fat cheese + veggies (carrots coins, cucumber slices, thick cut pepper strips work well)

Open Face Bagel Thin

Whole-grain mini bagel half + 1 wedge strawberry Laughing Cow cream cheese spread + dried cranberries or sliced strawberries + sliced almonds 

Inside-Out Sandwich

Spread mustard on slice of deli turkey + wrap around sesame breadstick, pretzel rod, or mozzarella cheese stick.

Sub-On-A-Stick

Thread onto bamboo skewer or pretzel stick: cubed whole-grain bread + deli meat + spinach or lettuce leaf + grape tomato + cheese cube + olive

Pack Per Department

Below are just a few items that are easy to add to your lunch bag.

Salad Bar:

DiLusso salads

Grape and cheese cups

Table-ready veggie packs

Health Market:

Horizon Organic Milk singles

Almond Breeze Almond Milk singles

Produce:

Whole fruits

Wholly Guacamole snack packs

Baby carrots

Dippin' Stix apple slices/dip

Meat:

Sargento Balanced Bites

P3 Protein Packs

Healthy Beverages

Packing a healthy lunch beverage is also important. Choosing water or non-flavored milk will not lead to added sugar consumption. Below is a brief calorie and sugar comparison chart for various beverages per 8 ounces. As you can see, water and low-fat milk (skim or 1%) are the lower sugar options.

Drink	Calories	Sugar (g)
Water	0	0
Low-fat milk	100	11
Orange juice	110	22
Juice drink	150	28
Powdered drink mix	90	24
Soda	100	27

-West Lakes Hy-Vee Dietitians Team

Back-to-School Breakfasts

It’s that time again! Time for new school supplies and school clothes. Although each new school year means adjusting to a new schedule and routine, we want to make the transition easy with MyPlate. MyPlate is a healthy model for anyone to follow to assist in building balanced meals. MyPlate breaks down each of the food groups to healthy portions that you can use for your own plate. Fruits and veggies should fill half your plate, while protein and whole grains each take up one-fourth. Milk, cheese, yogurt or another dairy option will complete the meal, providing a variety of nutrients. 

You may have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It’s true because it’s the first meal of the day, but all meals are equally important! Studies show kids who eat breakfast are more likely to have higher test scores, stay focused, have healthier body weights and lower blood cholesterol levels. Starting off the day with key nutrients including protein and fiber will help control hunger, keep you full, focused and ready for anything the day may bring. Eggs, nuts, Greek yogurt, milk and protein-fortified cereals and bars are some examples of protein-rich foods. Oatmeal, whole-grain breads or cereals, fruits and vegetables are options that are high in fiber. Try some of these delicious combos for busy school mornings:

Whole-Wheat Blueberry Pancakes or Waffles

Swap whole-wheat flour for white in your pancake and waffle batter. Throw in some fresh or frozen blueberries and top with more fresh berries and a drizzle of honey. For fun, toss in a scoop of chocolate protein powder for some "mock-choc" pancakes.

Veggie Scramble & Whole-Grain Toast

Scramble an egg with the vegetables of your choice, such as broccoli or spinach. Serve with or on top of a slice of whole-grain toast.

Fruit & Nutty Oatmeal

Make your favorite herbal tea and use the hot water to make oatmeal. Top with dried fruit, chopped nuts and a dollop of Greek yogurt. Add chia or flax seeds for added texture and fiber.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Blend: 1 cup strawberries, ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, ½ banana, ½ cup orange juice and 4 to 5 ice cubes.

Blackberry Yogurt Breakfast Parfait

Alternate layers of Greek yogurt and blackberries in a parfait glass or bowl. Sprinkle on granola or nuts to finish!

Breakfast Bean Burrito

Scramble an egg with 1/4 cup black beans. Warm a whole-grain tortilla, fill with egg and bean scramble, top with salsa and wrap up for a quick breakfast on-the-go.

Breakfast On-the-Go Options:

Not enough time for a sit-down breakfast in the kitchen? Try these breakfast tricks that are non-messy, simple and quick to prepare...but most importantly taste great and provide you the energy to start your day off right. 

-Breakfast Taco

1/4 cup 2% shredded cheddar cheese on whole-wheat tortilla. Microwave 30 seconds; roll while warm. Add salsa, if desired. Serve with fresh fruit (1 serving).

-Breakfast Sandwich

1 egg, 1 slice 2% cheddar cheese, 1 whole-wheat English muffin, Sandwich Thin or Bagel Thin, and 2 tsp margarine (or 1 wedge of Laughing Cow cheese).

-Banana Dog

Spread peanut butter on a tortilla shell; place banana in the middle and fold.

-Ham & Cheese Wrap

Wrap string cheese with a slice of Di Lusso deli ham; place whole-grain bread around meat and cheese. Serve with fresh fruit (1 serving).

-Traditional On-the-Go

1 cup dry cereal in a bag and 1 cup berries. Grab a carton of low-fat milk to drink on the side.

-Breakfast in a Bag

Kashi Heart to Heart cereal in a plastic bag, 6 oz carton of light, non-fat yogurt.

-Breakfast Parfait

1/2 cup drained, canned fruit, 1/2 cup light, non-fat yogurt; 1 to 2 tbsp of low-fat granola or whole-grain cereal.

Tune in to our blog next week for some healthy back-to-school lunch ideas!

-West Lakes Hy-Vee Dietitian Team

Iowa State Fair Food Finder App

The Iowa State Fair officially starts this week! People come from all over to experience all the fair has to offer. This includes the entertaining shows and attractions, the delicious award-winning baking entries, the rides, the livestock, different 4-H projects, and yes, even the butter… both fried on a stick and carved into a life-size cow. The fair food itself is an attraction. This year, the fair features over 40 new foods ranging from Bomb Pop Lemonade to Cheesy Fried Enchilada Funnel Cake. What will they think of next year?

FYI – it’s completely okay to indulge in a couple of your favorite not-so-healthy fair foods. If you’re someone who is curious though about the nutritional information of the foods offered at the fair, or maybe you’re someone living with diabetes and need an educated estimate on how many carbohydrates are in your meal, you’ll be pleased to know there is an app available that allows you to do just that – browse the nutritional info of Iowa State fair foods. This app is called the Iowa State Fair Food Finder. Even if you have zero desire to know the nutritional info of your favorite fair foods, this app also serves as a fair food map and informs you of the different locations of fair foods.

   

This app contains a healthier fair food list. The list displays foods under 600 calories, such as:

·         Turkey Sandwich; 1 sandwich, 423 calories

·         Chicken Sandwich; 1 sandwich, 393 calories

·         Shish-Kababs (beef and vegetable); 1 kabob, 176 calories

·         Shrimp, grilled; 5 jumbo shrimp, 203 calories

·         Greek Gyro; 1 gyro, 595 calories

·         Walking Taco; 1 taco, 470 calories

·         Fresh Fruit; 1 cup, 46 calories

·         Pork Chop on-a-stick; 1 chop, 381 calories

·         Lamb on-a-stick; 4 ounces, 234 calories

This app also shows just how much physical activity it will take to burn off calories consumed. After selecting a food and viewing its nutrition info, you can then enter your weight and choose an activity and the app will generate exactly how long it will take you to burn the calories from a serving. Since fair-goers do a lot of walking, below you’ll see examples of new foods as well as traditional foods and the time it’ll take to walk off the calories.

Here’s a link to the web app: http://data.desmoinesregister.com/fairfood/index.html

1. Apple Taco: 410 calories per serving

Although this dish contains apples, the deep fat fried taco shell definitely makes this an indulgence. The good news is that you’ll be doing a lot of walking by just being at the Fair. For a 120 pound person, they’ll need to walk at a slow pace (1-2 mph) for 3 hours and 35 minutes to burn the 410 calories. Knowing this, it’s smart to stick with just one serving!

2. Bauder Mud: 790 calories

Brownie chunks with cream cheese in a chocolate shake and topped with whipped cream and chocolate syrup… this sounds like the kind of treat that will stick around much longer than it takes to consume. For a 140 pound person, this will take 5 hours and 55 minutes of walking at a slow pace (1-2 mph) to burn all those calories. Best to skip the sky ride and lace up if you decide to indulge in this Baud boy.

3. Traditional Funnel Cake: 1119 calories

For a 160 pound person, they’ll need to walk at a slow pace (1-2 mph) for 7 hours and 21 minutes to burn all these calories in a serving.

4. Turkey Drumstick: 1136 calories

This is one of the Fair’s most popular. Be prepared to be walking a lot with this one! For a 180 pound person, it’ll take 6 hours and 38 minutes of walking at a slow pace (1-2 mph) to burn the calories.

So in summary, go ahead and enjoy a couple of your fair food favorites, but indulge in all the other activities the fair has to offer. Enjoy the 2017 Iowa State Fair!

-West Lakes Hy-Vee Dietitian Team