Veggies as snacks???

[HappyMommy2]

Snacks are the downfall of our efforts to be healthy. We always seem to grab carbs - goldfish, cereal, toast, etc.

Does anyone have great ideas for making it easy to have vegetables as snacks?

The ones I can think of are boring: Pre-Slicing carrots/celery for dipping in ranch/peanut butter/hummous.

Let's hear your creative ways to help yourself and the whole family grab veggies....

[spughy]

I'm a fan of presliced veggies with a few caveats:

1) Keep them moist. The best way is wrapped in a damp tea towel in a container in the fridge. The downside to this is that they are not immediately visible when you open the fridge.
2) Sometimes raw veggies on a completely empty stomach don't go over well, intestinally. Just sayin'.

My favourite veg raw is actually turnips or rutabagas. Peel them pretty deeply and then slice into sticks. Yum. I also love cucumber, especially dipped in baba ganoush.

[columbusmomma]

You could make a veggie pizza and pre-slice it. Yes the crust would be carb but you could use whole wheat flour. You could also make veggie shish kabobs(I bet that's spelled wrong) and use your families fave veggies. Just slide different pieces on a wooden stick and eat raw!

[corrie43]

I do my veggies in a soup and have a cup of soup for a snack, or make a nice salad for a snack. Sometimes I will have baby carrots with dip.

[lil_miss_understood]

Originally Posted by columbusmomma

You could make a veggie pizza and pre-slice it. Yes the crust would be carb but you could use whole wheat flour. You could also make veggie shish kabobs(I bet that's spelled wrong) and use your families fave veggies. Just slide different pieces on a wooden stick and eat raw!

I'm sure there are a couple of ladies in the Allergies forum who have carb-free pizza crusts (there is a pretty strong grain-free contingent in there), fwiw.

[SquishyKitty]

Sliced cucumbers, baby carrots, sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes, olives, hummus to dip everything in, raw bell peppers and goat cheese is delicious.

I also like to take a big bunch of veggies and wrap them in a tortilla with a tiny bit of bleu cheese or ranch dressing for a quick snack.

I don't do veggies on an empty stomach all the time very well, I tend to need a little carby something to kind of absorb or cushion my stomach, I guess. So maybe a few crackers to go with the veggies.

I will also slice up 2 big oranges in the morning and take them to work, and snack on them throughout the day. Same with strawberries. I also like to have grapes pre-washed and ready to snack on.

Also having a slice of cheese to go with the veggies will make you feel full for a little longer than just plain veggies. I love a nice piece of sharp cheddar.

[rainyday]

We like roasted sweet potatoes. I often add them cold to a kid snack, and they're pretty popular.

For a crunchier snack, how about roasted beans? I've done lentils and chickpeas. Use cooked but still firm beans, toss with olive oil, sprinkle with salt to taste, and then bake at about 350 until they've reached the desired crispiness. They're good when they've just gotten sort of crispy but still sort of soft inside, but the're also good if you let them go all the way until they're nice and dry. I keep them in the fridge just to be safe, but they're great for grabbing when we're going to be out and about. They're also fabulous with a glass of red wine! If you google recipes for them, there are some people who like them with herbs and spices too.