Wednesday, October 19th, 2011...12:00 am
simple snack: dark chocolate chip, nut and dried fruit medley
I’m a snacker. By about 3:00 on most weekdays, I experience the afternoon slump and get a little bit hungry (and grumpy). Though I’ve been known to raid the receptionist’s candy dish from time to time, I usually keep myself in check by stocking one of my desk drawers with healthy, simple snack options.
Instead of wasting my money on pre-packaged trail mixes that have way too much added salt and sugar, I like to make my own snack mixes with simple, high-quality ingredients that I can buy in bulk. I usually keep a pint-sized canning jar stocked with a delicious homemade trail mix with me at work. My favorite ingredients include dark chocolate chips (I like Ghirardelli), dried cherries and unsalted almonds, pecans and peanuts.
{Half a cup of this dark chocolate chip, almond, pecan, peanut and dried fruit mix satisfies my mid-afternoon snack attack.}
I choose unsalted nuts to better control the salt content of my snack — but I don’t go completely without it! I like to sprinkle a little bit of sea salt (maybe half a teaspoon per pint) to ward of salt cravings and balance out the sweetness of the dried cherries and dark chocolate.
Do you go through the afternoon slump ‘n grump? What healthy snacks do you like? Share with me in the comments section!
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perfect for work or play!!!
8 Comments
October 19th, 2011 at 12:33 am
hey kim!! love this snack you’ve described here!! trader joe’s makes one similar to this ~ love the sweet and salty of the chocolate chips, nuts and dried fruit!! hope your tuesday was perfect and thanks so much for your support and compliments as always!!
xx ~ kristina
October 19th, 2011 at 7:40 am
@kristina i love trader joes! i like getting chocolate-covered almonds there. two birds, one stone, right?
have a great tuesday friend!
October 19th, 2011 at 9:28 am
I’ve been eating a lot of apples lately. The “crunch” and the crisp flavor wake me up and somehow help keep my mind engaged. I also like that an apple is a set portion. I can’t keep reaching into the bag for more after it’s gone!
October 19th, 2011 at 10:50 am
@susan i remember reading somewhere that apples had a better effect on waking you up in the morning (probably from all the B vitamins in it) than coffee. not sure about all the research/validity, but i remember doing this for a while in the mornings to help ween myself off of my 2-cup coffee addiction. (i now also sleep at least 7 hours a night instead of, oh, um, 4). natural portion control! oh mother nature, you so smart.
October 21st, 2011 at 1:03 am
my favorite snack is a little cheddar cheese with 2 or 3 dried apricots (ones without added sugar), and a small handful of unsalted almonds. good mixture of flavors and textures.
October 21st, 2011 at 7:09 am
@danielle yum! that sounds like a great snack…im a total cheese addict
October 31st, 2011 at 4:38 pm
This is indeed such a great snack! I like to stock up on the dried fruits/nuts at Trader Joe’s and keep them in my desk drawer. I just mix it up whenever I need a healthy pick-me-up.
October 31st, 2011 at 9:15 pm
@caro amen sista! gotta keep those stomach pangs away with something a bit healthy
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