Card Night - Lower Fat Snacks Ideas
I post many recipes from my repertoire and many of them are not exactly diet friendly or heart friendly. They are recipes I have cooked for years from treasured dishes of my childhood and those I served in my restaurant. I love to cook with butter and with cream, sour cream and cream cheese. I do like "fried" foods. However, it's time for me to consider my own diet and healthier eating habits.
One thing I learned over the years is that you need to look at the labels on products that are advertised as low-fat. While they may lower the fat, the fat is often replaced with higher levels of sodium. So be mindful of this when trying to cut down on the fat. Some of us, like me have to be more careful of sodium levels and with fat. Fat in moderation can be tolerated; sodium not so much.
We may be next in hosting our small group of friends for card night so I am thinking about new and different appetizers. Jalapeno Poppers "popped" into my head. In addition to health concerns for all of us, I want to keep the cost lower and stretch my dollars so that other healthy snacks can be added to the table.
The boxed frozen variety of Jalapeno Poppers and those that you get at restaurants are generally fried and loaded with sodium. When I make the filling I will use cheeses that are lower in salt and in fat but still have a good melting quality. And, instead of frying them, they will get baked.
My assortment of snacks will include small clear tumblers filled with affordable fruit and topped with a dressed up yogurt topping with some crunchy granola or crushed nuts. Easy enough to set on a side table while playing cards! Another healthier snack might be a whole wheat mini pita pocket filled with tuna (packed in water and drained) with some celery and onion and just enough mayonnaise to bind it together. Perhaps some celery boats filled with finely diced vegetables, herbs and just enough low sodium and low fat cream cheese to pull it all together. This replaces the average vegetable and dip platters where the cost can mount up quickly.
One thing I learned over the years is that you need to look at the labels on products that are advertised as low-fat. While they may lower the fat, the fat is often replaced with higher levels of sodium. So be mindful of this when trying to cut down on the fat. Some of us, like me have to be more careful of sodium levels and with fat. Fat in moderation can be tolerated; sodium not so much.
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| High, Low, Jack, Game On! |
The boxed frozen variety of Jalapeno Poppers and those that you get at restaurants are generally fried and loaded with sodium. When I make the filling I will use cheeses that are lower in salt and in fat but still have a good melting quality. And, instead of frying them, they will get baked.
My assortment of snacks will include small clear tumblers filled with affordable fruit and topped with a dressed up yogurt topping with some crunchy granola or crushed nuts. Easy enough to set on a side table while playing cards! Another healthier snack might be a whole wheat mini pita pocket filled with tuna (packed in water and drained) with some celery and onion and just enough mayonnaise to bind it together. Perhaps some celery boats filled with finely diced vegetables, herbs and just enough low sodium and low fat cream cheese to pull it all together. This replaces the average vegetable and dip platters where the cost can mount up quickly.
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