Snack Happy

Growing up in sweet little Antigonish in the seventies, we had a small grocery store called MacDonald Brothers on Main Street. If my mother was too busy to go out, she would call in her order: " two cans of tunafish, one can of cream of celery soup......" , and one of the brothers' sons would deliver the cardboard box full of groceries right to our kitchen table with a smile! The store had about 5 aisles and a well worn wood floor - I would have noticed that because I liked to lie on the bottom of the shopping cart. The butcher was at the back behind a glass counter full of freshly cut meats; his apron covered in blood. I am sure I heard screams coming from back there.....no wonder I tend towards vegetarian foods so often!
There was one shelf at the end of an aisle with vachon cakes, and a small selection of cookies. Snacks were usually simple, real foods -  Mom always kept a bowl of fresh fruit on the table and other than that it may have been cheese or honey on a homemade biscuit. Thanks Mom!
Now, fast forward to our supermarkets these days - oh, I am not mooning about the past -  just trying to make a point about what the term 'snack food' has come to mean.
There are aisles and aisles filled with snack 'food-like' items. Think of granola bars, cereal bars, mammoth muffins, chips, tortilla chips, dozens of cookie and cracker choices, yogurt tubes, pop, and on and on!!!
Now, don't get me wrong - snacking can be great to avoid that mid afternoon slump, to bridge the energy gap between meals that are more than 4 hours apart, to supply nutrients, and to prevent overeating later on - but make sure you snack on real food.
Choose snacks like fresh fruit, raw veggies, cereal and milk, or nut butter on toast.

Nuts and seeds (raw and unsalted) make a power - packed snack. Full of protein, fiber and healthy fats.
A nice handful of almonds or walnuts with an apple mid afternoon will keep you going until dinner.



MIKE'S MIX

Mike makes this mix up regularly and puts them in little bags to take to work so that he won't get tired and cranky by mid afternoon - and oh, when that man gets cranky- well.... lets just say he needs his nuts!

It is a mixture of almonds, raisins and a few chocolate chips for a little kick!

 Pop 'em in...

Happy and energized - great recipe Mike!