snacks

The holiday season is over and it’s back to work this week! I generally eat very healthy all year round, but even I can’t avoid the temptations of sweets between Thanksgiving and New Years. Christmas week was especially hard because I took the week off. I definitely got off my schedules. Yes, schedules. My sleeping, eating and exercising habits are very methodical. I can tell my body is a little out of whack, so I am looking forward to getting back on track. I always eat two snacks a day. One between breakfast and lunch then one between lunch and dinner. Here are some of my favorite snacks to pack for work.

-Celery and 1-2 TBSP almond butter (MaraNatha No Stir Almond Butter is my favorite brand)

-Small apple and 1-2 TSP almond or peanut butter

-1/2 cup cottage cheese and fruit (I buy full fat cottage cheese because it usually has less ingredients. The Breakstone brand has been my favorite with fresh pineapple).

-1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese with a dash of vanilla extract and cinnamon (I LOVE this snack. It’s so creamy and delicious; almost like a dessert. Ricotta cheese is a great source of whey protein – from what I’ve read. It is also much, much lower in sodium than cottage cheese. I like Sorrento full fat ricotta cheese; I think this brand has a good texture)

-A handful of walnuts with about 3 prunes

-Mini carrots with Holy Guacamole or Hannah’s Organic Hummus (both come in snack size and are available at Costco)

–SoDelicious Greek Style Coconut Milk (dairy free) Yogurt

–Boom Chicka Pop or Skinny Pop Popcorn

What you your favorite healthy snacks?

xo Miss Alyss

If baking up a storm in the kitchen isn’t your thing than I have the dessert for you. This Rocky Road Sea Salt Bark is quick and super easy. You can use any toppings or chocolate you like, but I think this is a great combo. It’s a great dish to serve at parties and it’s also gluten-free!

Ingredients

Hersey’s Special Dark Chocolate Chips (12oz)

Approx. 1 cup of mini-marshmallows

Approx. 1/2 cup of sliced almonds

Sea salt

Directions

Spray a small baking sheet with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. This will help keep the parchment paper in place. Next, spray the top of the parchment paper which will allow you to easily remove your bark.

Fill a medium sized pot a quarter of the way up with water over low heat. Place a heavy metal or glass bowl on top. The bowl should not touch the water. Add the chocolate chips to the bowl, stirring occasionally. Remember the bowl will become very hot, so use an oven mit. The chips will melt quickly (about 5-10 minutes). It’s important that the water does not touch the melting chocolate or it will seize. Be careful that the steam escaping from beneath the bowl does not come into contact with the chocolate (or you).

Once all of the chips are melted removed the bowl from the heat. Use a rubber spatula to transfer the chocolate to your lined baking sheet. Next, use a flat edge spatula to evenly spread the chocolate. Then, add the marshmallows, almonds and sea salt. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for at least an hour allowing the chocolate to harden. When ready to serve, use a butter knife to break the bark into jagged pieces. Since you used cooking spray and parchment paper, you can use a good knife to cut even shapes too.

Enjoy!

xo Miss Alyss