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In this issue you will find:

1. Easy Snack Ideas for a Healthier You

2. Our monthly cartoon!

Last month we talked about new ideas for brown bagging...if you missed the article, you can view it by clicking here.

This month I'm following up with some easy snack ideas for after school (or work), because let's face it....we all get hit with the "munchies" (whether we're willing to admit it or not!)

As far as the kids are concerned, I'm going with my "three door" theory. As soon as they're through the front door (after school), they open the refrigerator door...no luck there? They head for the pantry door!

I often find my own kids peering into our refrigerator for what seems like hours at a time.....what are they hoping to find? Wild, exotic dessert choices? Thirty-one flavors of ice cream? As luck (for them) would have it, their choices are limited to fruits, vegetables, cottage cheese, or flavored yogurts. If that's not to their liking, door number three (the panty) leads them to rice cakes, peanut butter, whole wheat crackers, or low-sugar cereals.

If those choices still don't "hit the nail on the head", then they probably realize that they just weren't that hungry. (But take it from me, they've already "settled" on something....in most cases, fruit or yogurt.)

Some of you might be thinking that I've limited their choices to an extreme....I beg to differ. I've just taken all those nutrition articles I've read and put them into practice. We are, after all, what we eat!

Okay...enough said....here are my suggestions for some easy, healthy, snack ideas!

Snack Ideas

Vegetable Snacks

The great thing about vegetables is that they can be eaten "as is." Celery and carrot sticks can be pre-cut packed in ice water and stored in plastic containers for easy kid access.

One other thing....when shopping the produce section....remember to let color rule your choices. The deeper the color of the produce, the healthier it is for you...think red, purple, green, and orange!

• Cherry tomatoes--easy to pop in your mouth
• Carrot sticks--great eaten alone or dipped in peanut butter
• Celery sticks--eat "as is" or fill with cream cheese or peanut butter and raisins
• Cucumber slices--again, eaten alone or dipped in cottage cheese
• Red, green, or yellow pepper slices--sweet and delicious

Fruit Snacks

Any fruit choice is a great one....but for more flair, they can be cut up and added to low-fat yogurts for a more filling treat. Or blend with ice and low-fat milk for a smoothie treat. See more recipe ideas here. Or freeze with yogurt for an ice pop treat.

• Apples
• Bananas
• Orange slices
• Peaches
• Pears
• Strawberries
• You get the idea...experiment with any in-season fruit!

Grain Snacks

• Low sugar cereals with milk
• Whole grain crackers with low-fat cheese slices
• Rice cakes spread with cottage cheese
• Whole wheat mini rolls spread with peanut butter
• Low fat microwave popcorn

Protein snacks

• Tuna salad
• Egg salad
• Sardines and crackers

See you next month!

Susie