It’s around 4 in the afternoon and I start to feel it…

The grumble in my tummy, the uncontrollable craving for something salty or sweet or salty and sweet! And just like clockwork, my feet automatically walk over to the kitchen pantry or fridge.

I stand there, staring at the cucumbers or peppers or the dried mango – hoping that’s what my hands are going to pick. But inevitably I go for the chips, chocolate or candy.  Ahhh… that blissful moment as you scarf it down.

And then comes the not-so-blissful moment, the moment of guilt that you know you’ve just done something really bad!

While I can’t promise to cure you of all of your late afternoon cravings, I can say this: I’ve got some great EASY recipes for relatively healthy snacks that are almost as satisfying as the “not-welcome-here-junk-in-the-trunk” snacks!

Super Crunchy Sesame Soy Cucumber Salad

2-3 Persian or pickeling cucumbers with the skin on (sliced)
?1 Tbs Soy sauce?
2 Tbs Rice wine vinegar?
1/2 Tsp Sesame oil
1 Tsp Sesame seeds
?1/4 Tsp Red chili flakes

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl.  Refrigerate for about 5-10 minutes. Yum! (And if you’re feeling extra motivated… add a handful of bean sprouts in there.)

If you’re looking for something sweet, try this tasty treat:

Baked Apples

1 Apple (I like Red Delicious or Fuji)
1/4 Tsp. Cinnamon
1 Package of Stevia

Wash and cut the apple in half.  Sprinkle the cinnamon & Stevia on top. Place in a microwave safe container & cover.  Cook in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. It’ll come out hot, sweet and delicious!! Totally satisfies my sweet tooth!  (Again, if you want go the extra mile… mix a few teaspoons of apple juice and dash of pure vanilla extract.  Pour over the top, and then cook.)

Feel like pizza but don’t want the calories?

Low-fat Easy Pizza

1 Oroweat 100 calorie thin bread
1-2 Tbs. Tomato pizza sauce
1-2 Tbs. Lowfat or fat-free mozzarella cheese

Open up the bread and put a tablespoon or two of your favorite tomato sauce. I will generally get pureed tomatoes and just put a bit of garlic salt and oregano in there.  Then top it off with your favorite low calorie or non-fat shredded mozzarella cheese.  Put on any veggie topping you like!  Red bell peppers, mushrooms, sliced red onion – anything you want. Then bake it in the oven at 450 degrees for about 7-9 minutes.  Your own mini low-LOW-fat pizza in minutes!

Looking for something filling?

Eggwhite Eggstravaganza 

Whenever I feel like I need to eat something filling, I go for egg whites!  I eat them boiled or I eat them fried in a pan with some non-stick spray.  Egg whites are an egg-cellent (sorry I couldn’t resist) source of protein, which is fantastic because it’ll give you sustained energy with very little calories.  

Because I love spicy, I usually eat them with some sliced pepperoncinis or tamed jalapenos on a slice of whole wheat bread! No, I’m not kidding!  It’s a great match!  Oh, and the best part: it takes under a minute to cook!

And last but not least, my favorite sweet snack (It doesn’t hurt that it makes me feel like I’m on a Hawaiian Island!)

Toasted Coconut With Fresh Pineapple

I slice my fresh pineapple into chunks (you could use canned for a shortcut).

Then I get coconut slivers, put them on a sheet pan and place it in the oven at 425 degrees for about 2-3 minutes. 

The coconut gets a great toasty flavor and then I just sprinkle it right on top of the pineapple.  Such a great sweet tooth satisfier!

I hope some of these snack suggestions will help you stay away from those mean cookies, unfriendly chips and just downright tough to resist chocolate cake. Just remember when you hear the grumble, it only takes a minute to whip up a healthy alternative in place of those bad snacks!