Healthful Holiday Snacks

Posted: Dec. 1, 2004

Between-meal snacking becomes a common occurrence during the holiday season with the additional traveling, entertaining and other festivities. Here are some tips and recipes to keep the snacks on the healthy side.

Portable snack ideas:

• Trail mix
• Fresh or dried fruit
• Cut-up vegetables
• Lower-fat crackers, snack bars or muffins
• Pretzels
• Mini bagels
• Cold cereal
• String cheese

Recipes:

Smoked Salmon Spread
This is a delicious spread that even children like. Red canned salmon or leftover fresh salmon work the best in this recipe. Use this spread on raw vegetables or crackers.

1 tub (12 oz.) light cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 tsp. liquid smoke (optional)
1 Tbl. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. salt (optional)
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 can (15 1/2 oz.) red salmon, drained or 2 cups of flaked fresh salmon
2 Tbl. chopped celery
2 Tbl. chopped green onion

Remove skin from salmon and mash bones. Blend first seven ingredients in a mixer. Stir in salmon, celery and onion.

Yield: About 3 cups (24 servings)
Calories per serving: 65 per 2 Tbl.
Carbohydrate: 1 g
Fat: 5 g

Party Snack Basket

3 Tbl. margarine
1 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
3 cups small pretzel sticks
3 cups Corn Chex
3 cups Rice Chex

Melt margarine and Worcestershire sauce. Add onion and garlic powders. In separate large bowl, mix together pretzels and cereals, then add melted margarine mixture. Stir well and divide into two 10”x15” baking pans.

Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring twice. Pour out onto paper towels to absorb the fat. Store in airtight containers when cooled.

Yield: 18 servings
Calories: 81 per 1/2 cup serving
Carbohydrates: 14 g
Fat: 2 g

The following recipes are from Nabisco Reduced Fat Cookies and Crackers:

Italian Roasted Red Pepper Dip

1/2 cup nonfat sour cream alternative
1 Tbs. Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
1 (7-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained
1/4 cup minced scallions
1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves
Reduced Fat Wheat Thins Snack Crackers

In electric blender, blend sour cream alternative, Parmesan cheese, garlic, sugar, mustard and black pepper until smooth. Add red peppers; blend using on-off motion until peppers are coarsely chopped. Remove from blender container; stir in scallions and basil.
Chill at least 1 hour. Serve as a dip with the crackers.

Yield: 1 1/3 cups of dip
Calories: 31 calories per 1 Tbs. dip and 3 crackers
Fat: 1 g
Saturated fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 55 mg

Triscuit Granola Toffee

32 Reduced Fat Triscuit Wafers
1/4 cup Fleischmann’s margarine
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 (1-ounce) square semisweet chocolate, melted
1/2 cup low-fat granola cereal, crushed

Arrange crackers on greased 15 1/2”x10 1/2” x 1” baking pan, forming a 14” x 7” rectangle: set aside.
In medium saucepan, over medium-high heat, heat margarine, sugar, water and salt, stirring constantly until mixture reaches 300 degrees or until small amount of mixture dropped into cold water separates into hard, brittle strands; remove from heat.
Stir in baking soda; immediately pour syrup over crackers in pan, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with granola, pressing lightly into mixture. Drizzle with chocolate; cool. Break into pieces.

Yield: 1 pound
Calories: 128 per 1-ounce serving
Fat: 4 g
Saturated fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 125 mg
Dietary fiber: 1 g

Source: Columbia St. Mary’s

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