Black Wood Spoon

Webster® defines a snack as “a light meal; food eaten between regular meals also; food suitable for snacking.”(merriam-webster.com)

Dictionary.com says that a snack is “a small portion of food or drink or a light meal, especially one eaten between regular meals; a share or portion.” (dictionary.com)

For years, I created my own definitions. 😂

My snacks were not ‘small’ or ‘light’. Most often, my snacks were convenience foods (i.e., chips, cookies, chocolates, ice cream, and the occasional bagel with cream cheese). You know the kind of package that rustles LOUDLY in the library, office, or other quiet setting. Often, I would glance at the recommended serving size and wonder, “Who eats these portions sizes?! 👀” I didn’t.

Commonly, snacks were meal substitutes when I was hurried, busy, tired, or simply didn’t plan my meals. You know…eating popcorn out of the bag until the bag contents are gone, grabbing ‘something quick’ until I have more time to prepare food later, or consuming large portion sized meals to staved off later hunger (at least that is how I reasoned to myself). Also, snacks were a calming factor after a stress-filled workday or disappointing circumstance.

I misused the premise that “I was just a person who loved snacks”. Honestly, I lacked healthy boundaries around my eating habits. I didn’t know how to snack in a healthy way. Sure, I heard people suggest consuming ‘healthy’ snacks like fruits, nuts, or smoothies. Honestly, though, I didn’t always want to consume fruit, nuts, or smoothies. Other times, my favorite fruits were sold outside of the local peak season; so, the flavors and textures were downright disappointing. Like many other people, I enjoyed a delicious smoothie.  Nevertheless, I had to realize that smoothies containing only fruit with high sugar contents were just as nutritionally unbalanced as sugary processed snacks. 😣

Finally, I find myself submitting to portion control and consumption frequency in new ways. (As if I were a wrestler tapping out of a match in surrender. Sigh.) Yes. Portion control like those expensive fine dining tasting menu courses. Well, perhaps not exactly closely mirrored, but closer than I ever imagined. I gained a new level of appreciation for the goal of enjoying the flavor and textural nuances of food without damaging my body through over consumption. ☺

So, bring on the snacks, with a consideration of fitness level and health challenges guided by portion control and consumption frequency…even for ‘healthy’ items such as fruits, nuts, and smoothies.

‘New-to-me’ foods that have become favorites:

*All the photos below are photos of my purchases from the F & P, farmers markets, and/or grocers; none were obtained from the internet.

 Cucumber & Pineapple Salad

Well. This dish was an ‘end-of-the-summer’ stunner. In my search for pressed juice ideas, I stumbled upon this flavor combination and decided to make a salad. I never made this dish, seen these items combined, or used these flavors together; so, the process seemed a bit intimidating.

I was pleasantly surprised. Sweet, tangy, cool, and crunchy danced on my palate. The lime ‘lifted’ the salad, and the mint brought everything together. I couldn’t get enough. Surely, this salad will reappear next spring and summer.

 Kombucha

Oh man, how I enjoy kombucha! I began consuming kombucha for flavor but continue consuming for how it calms my gut.

Frequency is a huge guide for my kombucha consumption. Generally, I enjoy kombucha once every couple of weeks; sometimes the span is longer. Sometimes, my consumption of one bottle takes a few days; other times, a few hours.

Regardless of the consumption time, I have come to enjoy Brew Dr® and Health•Ade® brands. Some of my favorite flavors include Wildberry Ginger, Ginger Lemon, Lemon Turmeric (not shown), Pink Lady Apple, and Blood Orange-Carrot-Ginger.

 Jonagold Apples & Pomegranates

My first encounter with the Jonagold Apple (the result of a cross between the Jonathan and Golden Delicious Apples) was aiight. I did not consume the Jonagold whole; instead, the Jonagold served as a sweetener in a freshly pressed beet juice. Its fruity sweetness combined with the Pomegranates’ punch and lift to balance and soften the earthiness of the fresh red beets.

Surely, the freshly pressed Pomegranate juice tasted more ‘alive’ than the bottled version. A-mazing! 😋

#iluvsnacks #bws #foodlove #portioncontrol #consumptionfrequency #cucumberpineapplesalad #kombucha #jonagoldapplesandpomegranates #appreciationforflavorandtextures #plantforward #authenticallylovingmyself