Snacking... We must snack to loose...

The New Craze.... Protein, Protein, Protein...  At gyms all around the world there is a bodybuilder gulping down a high protein shake.  Remember the movies where you will see someone making the high protein shake with eggs and kale and all sorts of crazy add-ons? I will never forget the first time we watched, "The Game Plan" with the Rock.  In it, he makes his newly found daughter her morning breakfast in a blender.  Eggs, protein, tuna fish... you get the picture.  The kids wanted to make it too.  So, as any good and crazy Mom would, we did.  Lots of silly fun, a horrible smell, and of course all of it went straight down the drain.    Well, we can make a yummy protein shake now, and snacking shouldn't be only celery sticks and water.  We need snacks to keep our bodies working properly, to aid in our weight loss goals, and to keep our glucose stabilized.    It is unfortunate that snacking has gotten such a bad rap because snacking isn't the problem, its the choices we make for our snack that start the troubles.  High carb and high sugar snacks help to make the body feel good for a very short time.  It breaks down quickly and  releases glucose into the blood at a quick rate.  Have you ever eaten a bag of chips and maybe a small candy bar and felt hungry still?  That's 320 calories down and you are still hungry.  Foods that are dense, complex carbohydrates and proteins, take longer to break down in the body and glucose is released slowly into the bloodstream.  Our bodies feel fuller longer and our glucose levels stay steady allowing the body to burn FAT.  We want to slowly move our body to make better choices.  Fruits, Vegetables, whole grains.  Now how does that come to be when you are looking at the clock at 10 am and you are hungry.... or you know at breakfast that you won't be back home until mid day?  We have to take time  to plan.  We want to look to foods that "Contribute" to our body not adding empty calories.  What do I enjoy snacking on???  Lots of options.

I am in LOVE with GC, Scandinavian Bran Crispbread.  I eat it with peanut butter, with turkey and veggies, with salsa, with everything.  Each crisp bread is only 12 calories and very dense.  It is filling and I eat them whenever I want.  They are low on the glycemic index too and help keep the body stable.  You can buy them at Whole Foods, or save a bit of money and order them at www.iherb.com.
I make chicken and cube it up and eat throughout the day.  Many people enjoy almonds.  They are great but definitely recommend eating your serving along with a citrus fruit.  Why?? Both are extremely high in fiber and are a super food choice together.  Protein shakes, high protein - low sugar bars are also an option.  Be careful of the added sugars though.  Great options are Lara Bars.  The sugars in these bars are all "God" made sugars from the fruits.  Kind Bars and Pure Protein bars are also great choices.
My next LOVE is Chickpeas.... yes, I said Chickpeas.  They are a great source of fiber, protein, and folic acid.  They are also a great source of copper, magnesium, and zinc.  They also help to lower cholesterol and stablize blood sugars.  You will hear this often in all of my blogs.  It is extremely important to keep blood sugars from spiking when wanting to shed the extra weight.
With all that said time for two of my favorite recipes using .... CHICKPEAS..... Hooray.  One is an amazing snack option and believe or not, one is actually a dessert with Chocolate.  Oh yes, I said it... chickpeas and chocolate.
Hope you will try both and comment back on your thoughts.
Happy Friday....

Roasted Chickpeas
 These are approximate measurements.  Use your own judgement when adding these spices.  If you like cumin go heavier, or if not a big garlic fan, go lighter. 

1 can of chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2-3 pinches white pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground sea salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil


 Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Rinse each can of chickpeas under cool running water in a strainer.  Some of the chickpea casings may come off.  That is okay.  You can try to remove them by lightly rubbing your fingers over each bean or leave them on.  (It won't affect the taste or texture, I left most of mine on).

You will need a separate bowls for each chick pea mixture.  In each bowl, add a can of chickpeas followed by the olive oil or honey.  Continue to add the rest of the spices for each chickpea mixture.

Evenly coat the chickpeas in it's mixture.  Place chickpeas on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.  I found it helpful to turn the chickpeas every ten minutes so they don't burn on one side!

Let cool to room temperature.  You will know they are done when you taste one and its crunchy all the way through!

 Chickpea Cookie Pie
2 cans white beans or garbanzos (drained and rinsed) (500g total, once drained
1 cup quick oats ( I use gluten free oats)
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 T Olive Oil
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup brown sugar (Seems like a lot, but this makes a big pie.  You can try adding less, if you’re used to healthy desserts; I chose to use this much because the people to whom I served it are used to “normal” desserts.
1 cup chocolate chips ( you can also tried dried cranberries if you want to omit the chocolate)

So easy to make!
 Blend everything (except the chips) very well in a food processor. Mix in chips, and pour into an oiled pan (I used a 10-inch springform pan, but you can use a smaller pan if you want a really deep-dish pie.)  You can also cook in a 9x13 rectangular pan and make cookie bars.  Cook at 350F for around 35 minutes. Let stand at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.