Are you traveling this holiday season....

Thanks to Alana Sugar who wrote a wonderful article on the Whole Foods blog site, the idea of carrying snacks during this holiday season re-energized me!  Think about it, we spend so much time out in the streets (during or after work) to shop for holiday presents for loved ones, meeting up with friends, or just running our regular errands, that we tend to get hungry while "out on the road."  I don't know about you but shopping makes me hungry!!!  I am the first to stop by Auntie Anne's for a pretzel or Duane Reade for a bag of chips or sour candy.

This year, let's do something different!!!!!!!  Try these wonderful, quick and easy snack recipes that you can create at home to pack in your bag for those long nights out and about and will at least hold you until dinner time!!

1. Pumpkin seeds are my new found friend for snacking.  According to Livestrong.com and WHF, Pumpkin seeds are loaded with essential minerals. Just 1/4 cup of raw pumpkin seeds offers 1.04 mg of manganese. This is over 50 per cent of the RDA (recommended daily allowance.) Manganese is needed to keep bones strong, normalize blood sugar and regulate cholesterol. Other necessary elements in pumpkin seeds are magnesium, phosphorous, tryptophan, iron, copper, protein, zinc and vitamin K.  

Five-Spice Pumpkin Seeds: Toss salted pumpkin seeds (also known as pepitas) with sesame oil and Chinese five-spice powder, then bake at 350° until crisp.  

If you can't five the five-spice powder in your local grocery store, here is the recipe compliments of Linda Larsen at about.com: 

Five-spice powder

• 1 tsp. ground Szechwan pepper
• 1 tsp. ground star anise
• 1-1/4 tsp. ground fennel seeds
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground white pepper

2. Edamame is another one of my favorite snacks to keep on hand.   It's easy to make, easy to eat, and can fit in a ziploc bag to fit in your purse when you are on the move.  This little soybean contains a lot of nutrition and many health benefits and has really become a popular choice of snack food in my household.  For more information, you can look up the nutritional facts and health benefits here.

Edamame (found in your grocery frozen vegetable section):  Toss these frozen soy beans into a pot of boiling water for 4-6 mins.  Drain and season to taste.  I like using lemon pepper for flavor. 

3. Do you have 20 minutes to spare????  Try this great Basic Healthy Granola recipe from Wholeliving.com:

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 1/4 cups regular rolled oats
• 1/8 cup flax meal
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 1/8 cup apple juice
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar, optional when adding dried fruit
• 1/4 cup shelled sunflower seeds
• 1/8 cup orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1/2 cup chopped dried pineapple
• 1/2 cup chopped dried papaya

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheet with canola oil (you may also use cooking-oil spray or line baking sheet with nonstick foil). In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flax meal, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well. In a small bowl combine the apple juice, maple syrup, honey, and optional brown sugar. Mix well.
   
2. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until the mixture is fully combined and moist. Spread the mixture on the greased baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
   
3. Remove from the oven and stir, breaking the large chunks into smaller pieces. Add the dried pineapple and dried papaya and bake for an additional 8 minutes or until crisp. Remove from oven and allow to cool. While still warm, stir to break up any remaining chunks. When completely cool, store the granola in an airtight container.
   
   

We are going to be giving ziploc bags quite a bit of business over the next few weeks.  Here's to healthy snacks in your pocket book this holiday season.  There's more to come....


~ Knife Out