Snacking before Dinner (Is it a Do or a Don't?)

Growing up my mother would always yell at us as we quietly opened up the snack cabinet or fridge, when she wasn't looking, to grab a snack before dinner. She must have had eyes in the back of her head to see us, however, immediately the lecture on how eating before dinner would ruin our appetite would begin.  Now that I am on my own schedule and only cooking for one, I am free to snack and eat as I please, which could be the reason I am not 50 lbs overweight.  


For all of you pre-dinner snackers, check out Real Simple's 9 Healthy pre-dinner snacks to curb your appetite, while cooking.  I have to say after reading these I immediately rewrote my grocery list so that I could start preparing these amazing snack.  My personal  favorite is number #2! What a great idea.


1. Cashew Strawberry Crunch
Think of this as a gourmet cook's PB & J. Spread 1 tablespoon of cashew butter on a slice of Ryvita Fruit Crunch. (Or substitute peanut butter and Triscuits.) Drizzle with ½ tablespoon honey and top with sliced strawberries. 


2. One Minute Antipasto Plate
Roll a thin slice of prosciutto or ham around a part-skim mozzarella string cheese. Eat with a few olives and grapes, or add roasted bell peppers (from a jar) drizzled with balsamic vinegar. 


3. Pineapples and Pistachios
Combine about ¼ cup dried pineapple pieces with about 25 pistachio nuts. (For a treat, use chile-lime pistachio nuts, available at specialty stores.) Other winning dried-fruit-and-nut combos: raisins and peanuts, apricots and almonds, cherries and hazelnuts.


4. Cottage Cheese and Apples
Slice an apple, such as Fuji or Granny Smith, and top with ½ cup of low-fat cottage cheese (look for 4-ounce four-packs from Breakstone). Or replace the fresh apple with two drained cinnamon-spiced apple rings, such as Musselman's (which can be found in the canned-fruit aisle).


5. Cheese Melt
Spread ½ teaspoon of spicy mustard on a cocktail-size slice of thin whole-grain rye bread. Add a thin square of sharp Cheddar (about the same size as the bread) and broil until the cheese melts, then top with a slice of tomato and a sprinkling of caraway seeds. 


6. Parmesan Pita Chips
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan evenly over a 4-inch whole-wheat pita. Dust pita with ¼ teaspoon dried oregano and broil until the cheese browns. Cut into quarters


7. Creamy Feta-Walnut Dip
Place 2 cups plain nonfat yogurt in a sieve lined with a coffee filter. Let stand in the refrigerator for 1 hour or overnight. Discard the liquid and spoon the thickened yogurt into a small bowl. Add ¾ cup (3 ounces) crumbled Feta cheese, 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 tablespoons finely chopped toasted walnuts, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon hot sauce. Mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend. Makes 1½ cups. 


8. Edamame
You can buy these in your frozen food section.  Just heat in the microwave.  Sprinkle with a little salt and enjoy!



9. Fresh Veggies and Dressing
Slice a cucumber into strips and place on a plate with baby carrots or baby corn. Dip in a lower-fat dressing, such as Annie's Naturals Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette or Trader Joe's Carrot-Ginger.

(Photo and recipes courtesy of RealSimple.com)