Desperately need help with snack ideas
Posted by u2s5thmember on Jan 03, 2007 · Member since Oct 2002 · 2 posts
Hi everybody!
I need help figuring out some ideas for afternoon snacks which will be filling and give me a lot of mental energy/clarity. The issue is that I have several dietary restrictions which leave me at a loss for what to eat/make.
I need something w/o dairy, wheat/gluten, and soy. I can't have much sugar at all either.
I think I might need lots of protein, but I don't know for sure.
Snacks like almonds & an apple don't seem to fill me up... and neither does hummus w/carrots. what am I missing? any ideas?
Thanks for any suggestions!
Brandy
Hi there!
I've found that it helps to eat a snack that contains fat, carbohydrates (especially fiber), and protein in order to stay full and help keep the nasty hypoglycemic reactions away.
You could try:
A sandwich made with gluten free bread, hummus, and your favorite vegetables.
A small portion of beans & qunioa with a little bit of olive oil
Nut butters such as tahini, almond, cashew, or peanut spread on fruit
A serving of sweetened rice, almond, or oat milk
A nut butter, fruit, and soy-free milk smoothie
Homemade granola bars
Falafel (use a gluten free flour) and a serving of juice
Spinach salad with olive oil based dressing and your favorite fruits, vegetables, beans, or nuts
Smaller portions of leftovers make good snacks too.
Hope that helps! :)
If oats are okay, these are yummy and can be made easily. http://www.ourvegankitchen.com/snacks/nutballs.htm
http://www.ourvegankitchen.com/sauces/Nutty%20Fruit%20Dip.htm
Quick n Easy, substantial and energizing--microwave baked potato with marg.
This sounds wierd but--apples! I once read on one of those Internet forwards that an apple in the morning is more "awakening" than coffee....well I don't think it would work to get these particular eyes bright and shiney in the morning, but I do use apples as a pick-me-up during the long Spanish afternoons (which go from 1 PM to about 9). You're getting fibre, vitamins, natural sugars, and it's healthy and filling. I like to keep my apples in the frig because then they are always crisp and refreshing. And there's something really satisfying about crunching a crisp, juicy apple.
I have been wheat-free for over a year now and boy, it was tough at first, it seemed an uphill struggle to find any food that didn't contain wheat, but I read and re-read labels and started reading recipe books. I needed to eat more regularly too, every couple of hours or so, and found oatcakes to be a real godsend. These are like a cracker but made from oats (be careful because there are some that also contain wheatflour and still profess to be oatcakes) and are fab with anything savory (home-made hummus, deelish), sweet (sliced banana is a fave) and "naked" with a soup and salad. They can be crushed up and put into a quiche base along with another gluten-free flour (eg. buckwheat, soya). There are even sweet versions made with fruit and ginger which can be crushed as you would digestive biscuits to make into a cheesecake base.
Rice is also a great food - I love making and eating sushi with leftovers! I try to ensure that I have leftovers from our evening meal, which I can take to work. Soups are great too (there are some cup-a-soups that are made with potato flour which are quick and easy).
I also try to divide my lunch, sort of eat half now and the other a little later! At first I was eating a little and often maybe 6 times a day, now (15 months later) I down to "normal" 2 or 3 times a day. I haven't put weight on, I've lost it and my childless-bearing hips are diminishing! It's hard to describe but I feel really well, my skin and hair have improved and I didn't need hayfever tablets throughout the summer, a win-win.
For me, I had to start cooking and baking more to accommodate my food pattern and make sure I always had something with me that I could eat - fruit is the ultimate fast food!
Hope this helps. Best wishes, K
Me again! Remember to drink plenty of fluids, perhaps you are not as hungry as you think but actually dehydrated. Try a glass of water or a herb tea before turning to food; if you are still hungry 5 or 10 mins later, then perhaps a bite to eat is what you need.
K
Thanks you guys!
I LOVE the microwave/baked potato idea. we have a toaster oven at work where I could cook regular and sweet potatoes... and make all the rest of my coworkers hungry. :-) I could probably even surprise my system by adding some microwaved veggies (broccoli etc) to the potato.
I really also appreciate the wheat-free sympathetic words from K. It feels extremely hard to find things to eat which fit my dietary restrictions and my lack of time for cooking restriction.
I would love as many suggestions as possible, so please keep your ideas coming.
Thanks a MILLION for your help!!!
Brandy
Lots of great advice here!
I, too, am familiar with the wheat problem. I haven't been on a wheat-free diet in a little while, but I'm thinking I might benefit from at least a few months of wheat-free, sugar-free eating. I am a believer in stress as a cause for illness, but I'm living in somewhat of a stressful time and feel changing my diet is what I need to control my symptoms (celiac, psoriasis)--alleviating all stress at this point is just a little too optimistic. So, I'll be 'proactive' instead. What do I munch on without wheat? Let me think...
(1) Spelt flour everything... baked, anyway. I make muffin-like cookies... they're just a fluffy, chewy, healthy cookie (and they're filling). Oats, spelt flour, oil/applesauce, maple syrup to sweeten. I make lots of these and freeze them. They thaw really quickly so I usually just take out one or two at a time and pack them for snacks and lunches. I use this recipe as a guide: http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=6242.0. I substitute the wheat flour with spelt, and sometimes a bran (usually spelt bran). The addition of bran amps up the fibre and thereby makes a more filling snack.
(2) Nuts. I know you mentioned them but I'm thinking of one in particular: brazil nuts. These things fill me up extremely quickly. They're really high in fat however, so don't eat too many. Someone else mentioned nut butters. If you can find a good bakery or health food store (or even grocery store) you might be able to get a good rice or spelt bread. Spread nut butter on these or gluten-free crackers (available just about everywhere).
(3) Granola. I make large batches of granola to snack on throughout the week... my favourite combo is maple syrup and cashew butter. The grains I use are millet, barley, oats, spelt flakes and kamut flakes. I add ground flaxseed, prunes and cashews to the mix as well. YUM.
(4) Lots of raw veggies... and nut butter. I don't always find this satisfying, but if I eat enough it'll curb my appetite for carbs and high sugar/high fat foods.
(5) Rice cakes. Sounds like an empty snack, but if you pair it with a nut butter and a little maple syrup or agave nectar, they can be yummy and filling.
.... I'm sure there's more, but I'm at a loss. Once I get back into the swing of a wheat-free diet I'll remember more and post it. I actually enjoy going wheat-free sometimes, I get to rediscover the plethora of grains in my pantry while finding new recipes and even newer grains to cook and bake with. It really opens up the range of foods you eat, while making things interesting and just as satisfying as gluten-laden foods. I hope this will prove to be a rewarding journey for you! Try not to think of it as deprivation, but rather opportunity... there is so much out there to try. Be creative.. and enjoy! Good luck!
My favorite snack in the afternoon is a plain, simple roasted sweet potato with a little Earth Balance, salt and pepper.