Five Healthy Snacks For Summertime

If you’re anything like me, you love to snack. I often feel like I’m snacking 24/7 which isn’t healthy if my choices aren’t. So, today I’m sharing a few of my favorite hardy snacks for summertime. All you need are a few ingredients you probably already have in your fridge and pantry. When I have the urge to snack I want one quick, and these recipes require no cooking, baking, just mixing!

Peanut Butter Balls 

Calling all peanut butter lovers! This power snack satisfies my sweet tooth without leaving me feeling guilty. All you need is:

• ·         Peanut butter
• ·         Brown sugar
• ·         Protein powder
• ·         Raisins
• ·         Coconut (optional)

Now I don’t exactly measure out my ingredients, I just eye it. You can just adjust this recipe to your liking. The good news is you really can’t mess it up. As long as its sticky enough to roll up the mixture, you’re set! Personally, I love coconut so I toss some in the mixture before I roll them and enjoy having some extra on the outside. After I’m finished, I pop the tray of peanut butter balls into the freezer for about an hour and snack on them for the next few days. 

Apples & Peanut Butter/PB&A Sandwich

You can’t go wrong with apples and peanut butter. This is definitely my go to snack in a pinch. Tanking this delicious treat a step further I like to add apple slices on my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Call me crazy, but it adds just the right crunch to a classic lunch choice. 

Tomato Mozzarella 

If you can’t tell, I’m a tomato lover. Every summer my dad cares for a little garden filled with them and we usually end up with a tomato overload and all recipes incorporate tomatoes so they don’t go to waste. For this snack all you’ll need is:

• ·         Tomatoes (I prefer cherry tomatoes for this recipe)
• ·         Fresh mozzarella
• ·         Basil
• ·         Balsamic Vinaigrette

In our kitchen, we have a little basil plant growing which isn’t big enough to suffice for what I was making, so I just used chopped basil from the grocery store. Let me say, its much better if you have access to a fresh basil plant over the dried kind. Either way I could eat this every single day!

Veggie Salad

This veggie salad is super simple and quick to make. All you need are vegetables of your choice. I chose tomato and cucumber (I usually add green pepper as well). Then I like to top it off with Larosa’s Italian dressing to add some extra flavor. And of course you can’t forget a slice of bread for dunking when the veggies are gone! 

Veggie Salsa

Let me just say, my mom makes this one best. All you need are a few basic ingredients:

·         Frozen white corn

·         Cucumbers

·         Black beans

·         Cayenne pepper

·         Italian dressing

All you do is thaw the corn, slice the cucumbers, and drain the black beans. Again, the amount of cayenne pepper is up to you (the more, the spicier!). This recipe is great for gatherings, it’s healthy and delicious!

Well, I hope you enjoyed these five simple and healthy summer snack ideas. Let me know if you try any of them! 

xx Mariah