Who needs a snack right now? Man o Man, I need a snack – like a few times a day right now.
What’s a girl to do? I tell you what, I have caught my hand reaching for the Frito Lays a few times a day. ENOUGH is ENOUGH.
I have everything in my house right now to prepare for my snack-attacks and today I am going to get prepared. What happens when I am not prepared and I feel like snacking? Popcorn happens, chips happen, cookies happen. When eating those processed snack foods, I feel MORE hungry and it sets off a chain of events. I call it the “Screw-Its”. I start to “not care” about my diet as much. The carbs creep in, my blood sugar creeps up, my insulin levels creep up, cortisol levels creep up. I don’t feel like exercising and my sleep patterns are a mess.
What a disaster.
Here’s what I am going to do and I want to share this with you because you may just be in the same situation right now as I am. Heck, we are all pretty much feeling the same way. I am not special or different. There are a few of us who eat less when faced with a stressful situation. Most of us eat more (stress eaters) and the choices we make are not the right ones.
Enter my snack plan! Here is what is on my homemade sugar-free snack menu today.
- Sugar-free gummy bears
- Sugar-free popsicles
- Peanut butter cookies
- Frozen protein balls
- Chick-Pea snackers
- Sheri’s sugar-free smoothie
Ya, I know. There are a gazillion other snacks that we can make but for today – and just for today – I am going to make these in my kitchen and I am going to share the recipes with you. These are not fancy or complicated recipes. They are just super simple ideas that will not send you all over town looking for weird or difficult to find ingredients.
Let’s get started!
SUGAR-FREE GUMMY BEARS
Ingredients:
- 1 package Sugar-free jello
- 2 packages Gelatin
- 1 cup Hot water
- Stevia for extra sweetness
I take the sugar-free jello and two packets of gelatin and place them in the blender.
- Add 1 cup of hot water and blend.
- Pour into gummy bear molds
- Set in the fridge for two hours
Enjoy!
+now, if you don’t have gummy bear molds or you don’t want to order them on amazon, just take a deep dish (like a pie plate) and pour the mixture into the plate to set – cut the finished product into tiny squares. They don’t have to be in “bear shapes”.
SUGAR-FREE POPSICLES
Ingredients:
- 1 package sugar-free jello
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1/2 cup milk or almond milk
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- Frozen or fresh fruit of your choice
I mix everything together in the blender and then pour into popsicle molds. Let sit and set for a few hours and enjoy!
SUGAR-FREE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
Ingredients:
- 1 cup sugar-free peanut butter
- 1 cup sugar alternative
- 1 egg
I mix all ingredients and space out on a cookie sheet, flatten with a fork.
Bake at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes.
Allow sufficient time to cool
NO COOK PROTEIN BALLS
Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups of your favorite nuts/ seeds
- 1/2 cup frozen berries or cherries
- 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
- 2 tbsp sugar substitute
- Optional 2 teaspoons chia seeds
- Optional 2 tbsp protein powder
- Optional grated coconut to top with
Mix everything in a food processor. Roll into balls. Roll in grated coconut. Store in the fridge.
SHERI’S SUGAR-FREE SMOOTHIE
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup frozen berries
- 1 teaspoon natural peanut butter
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
- 1.5 cups almond or coconut milk (can also use regular milk)
Mix everything. You can add sugar substitute to make it sweeter. It makes 2 huge cups.
CHICKPEA SNACKERS
Ingredients:
- 1 large can of drained chickpeas
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Season with salt/ pepper/ and all your faves!
Bake at 375 for 45 minutes shaking halfway through. Make sure they are crispy before taking out of the oven.
You need to eat these the same day as day two they are no longer crisp.
Snack smart my friends – take some time and some healthy ingredients and make yourself some snacks to feel great about.
