Healthy Warm Weather Snacks

It is that time of year again. The weather is getting warmer, the sun is coming out, and the department stores have broken out the bikinis! This is the time of year when my family takes a vacation, barbeques in the yard, goes swimming, and spends a ton of time eating. Whether you are lounging on the beach or spending time with family and friends in the back yard, these healthy snacks are sure to satisfy your cravings for good food while keeping you on track with your diet. 

1. Frozen watermelon: We love cutting watermelon into bite size shapes and using this light treat as a way to cool down on a hot summer day. This is so refreshing. 

 2. Hummus: My family is Greek so I loooovvveee hummus. There are so many different kinds of hummus too! Garlic hummus, roasted red pepper hummus, black bean hummus...yum! Try serving this tasty dip with baby carrots, celery sticks, or whole wheat pita chips.

3. Grilled Pineapple: Yum! I love grilled pineapple. Just toss a few rings of pineapple onto the grill and let it get that sweet, smoky flavor. These pineapple rings are great on their own or atop grilled chicken breasts. 

4. Berry Chicken Salad: You know it is summer when the berry chicken salad comes back to Panera Bread Co. However, you do not have to go out to eat to enjoy this flavorful and satisfying salad. Just grab some of your favorite greens, strawberries, pineapple chunks, mandarin orange sections, blueberries, grilled white meat chicken, candied almonds, and light poppy seed salad dressing. Toss everything together and enjoy. This salad is always a huge hit at our house.
** To make your own candied almonds, place almonds, Truvia, and cinnamon in a saucepan. Turn the stove on medium-high heat. Stir until almonds are coated and sugar has caramelized. Spread out on a sheet of wax paper to cool. You will want to stir constantly so the almonds do not burn. 

5. Frozen Banana Pops: Cut bananas into 2 halves and place each on a popsicle stick. Dip each in sugar-free chocolate syrup. Place on a piece of wax paper and freeze. You could also roll each of these in crushed nuts or dark chocolate chips before freezing. 

6. Cinnamon Chips and Fruit Salsa: This is another favorite in our household. Take a package of flour tortillas and cut them into wedges with a pizza cutter. Spritz them with cooking spray and place them in single layers on greased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with Truvia and cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown. To make the salsa, core and slice 1 Fuji apple, slice enough strawberries to make 2 cups, and peel and slice 2 kiwis and 2 bananas. Pulse all of the salsa ingredients in a food processor or blender just long enough to be chopped. Add 2 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1 tbsp fresh lime juice. Place the salsa in a bowl, cover, and chill for at least 20 minutes before serving. This is such a refreshing treat! 

7. Frozen Grapes: I love these! Frozen grapes make an amazing snack to help cool you off on a hot summer day. This is also a great way to preserve grapes that you have purchased in bulk. Frozen grapes are also great for curbing ice cream cravings.

 8. Sour Patch Grapes: I found this idea on Pinterest and fell in love! This is a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth when you're craving candy. All you need is a bunch of green grapes and a package of lime Jell-o mix. To make: wash your grapes thoroughly. Do not worry about drying them off because you'll need them to be a little wet to make the Jell-o stick. Pour the Jell-o powder onto a plate. Roll your grapes through the powder until they are covered. Another great way to do this is add the damp grapes and Jell-o powder to a Ziplock bag, seal, and shake to coat. Refrigerate until serving. 

9. Frozen Yogurt Tubes: This is super easy and satisfying. Buy tubes of yogurt (like Go-Gurt) from your local grocery store and place them in the freezer until they are firm. This is a great treat for kids after swimming, a soccer game, baseball game, etc. These are also great for school lunches. By the time you get to lunch, it is defrosted! However, I prefer to enjoy these tasty tubes frozen on a hot summer day. 

10. Frozen Pineapple: Like watermelon and grapes, pineapple tastes amazing frozen. It is almost like eating a fresh sorbet. We usually purchase canned pineapple chunks (packed in 100% juice), place them on toothpicks or skewers, and freeze. It is that simple! 

NOTE: The frozen fruits listed above make great additions to sparkling water or sparkling wines to make sangria! 

Enjoy!