Many of us spend weeks in advance preparing for spring break by eating healthy and working out six days a week in order to achieve the highly sought after “beach bod.” Even with all of this time and effort spent on getting tone, tan and fit, it’s inevitable that junk food comas will ensue in the following days after the fun comes to an end. However, there is an easier way to continue on this healthy streak even after spring break is over — swaping your bowls of ice cream for frozen fruit, switching up your favorite pop with a healthier alternative, and eating some junk food in moderation! Here are some different ideas on foods that you can eat to continue eating healthier even after spring break!
1. Switch pop for a fruit smoothie! Instead of consuming a drink that will not benefit you in any way, try making a drink that will keep you full for the majority of the day and will be a much better option than a can of pop. Plus, smoothies are super easy to make, AND you can add whatever ingredients your little heart desires.
Ingredients (for my favorite smoothie):
- Strawberries/bannanas/blueberries
- Yogurt
- Milk
- Peacut butter (optional)
- Ice
The ingredients
Directions: Add all of the ingredients to a blender (You can just eyeball the amount!), hit the puree button, AND VOILA, a healthier substitute to an everyday drink. Plus, they’re delicious and simple to make! What more could you ask for?!
If you’d like to change up this smoothie, try making a smoothie bowl! Just pour your fruity drink into a bowl and place your favorite nuts, dried/fresh fruit and granola on top! Bonus — it’s a great opportunity to post a picture of you’re cute snack on Instagram.
2. Frozen grapes! I cannot stress enough how delicious this snack is and inexpensive, too. If you’ve never tried it, it’s similar to eating frozen candy, but ten times sweeter!
Ingredients:
- A large bag of grapes
(Photo Credit: http://www.veganweightwatchers.com/great-snack-frozen-grapes/)
Directions: Choose the amount of grapes that you’d like to consume frozen, wash them, and place them in the freezer for a couple of hours. While you wait for them to freeze, wash some of the unfrozen grapes an eat a quick snack of grapes and cheese. (That is also another great and healthy snack to add to this list!) After the grapes have frozen through, take them out of the freezer and start eating!
3. Go BANANAS for this healthy treat of peanut butter, chocolate chips and, you guessed it, bananas! (Yes, I know, I’m quite corny lol.) I like eating this for dessert because it satisfies my sweet-tooth and leaves me feeling satisfied.
Ingredients:
- Banana (Can replace banana with an apple)
- Peanut butter
- Chocolate Chips
(Photo Credit: http://fitwasted.com/tag/peanut-butter/)
Directions: Take a banana, peel it, and then add a thin layer of peanut butter complete with a few chocolate chips! If you’d like to be slightly more fancy with this snack, cut up the banana into small pieces and cover each with peanut butter and chocolate chips. Freeze this snack to make it last all week and fulfill your sugary needs in one quick bite!
4. Avacado Spread — one of my favorites! I love putting this on toast in the morning and topping it off with a fried egg or even spreading it on a handful of crackers or pretzels! The best is when you eat it on toast and put sliced tomatoes on top. This snack helps to keep your craving for salty foods at bay.
Ingredientes:
- Avacado
- Seasoning (Salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc.)
(Photo Credit: http://www.greenplaterule.com/recipes/veggie-sandwich-with-avocado-spread/)
Directions: First, make sure your avacado is at it’s prime for eating and then cut open, remove the seed, and peel it. Place the contents into a bowl and begin mashing (This is my favorite part.) Add your seasonings of choice and then begin snacking!
5. Mini caprese bites. This snack always reminds me of summer, mostly because it’s my go-to every day when the weather starts getting a lot hotter, and the tomatoes start getting a lot more fresh! Not only is it delicious, but it is also extremely simple and quick to make! (Oh, and also healthy! It’s gotta be, since that’s the main point of this article!)
Ingredients:
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cream cheese
- Balsamic dressing
- Basil (Optional)
This is my go-to lunch in the summer! So delicious!
Directions: You will begin by washing your cherry tomatoes. After you give them a quick dry, place them in a separate bowl. Now, take your packet of cream cheese and scoop out about a spoonful worth; place that on the plate as well. For the last step, pour some of the balsamic dressing in a small bowl and, if you’d like to, add some basil. To eat these delicious caprese bites, you will spread some of the cream cheese onto the tomato and then dip the entire thing into your balsamic dressing! And with that, you will have the best mini caprese bites ever — mostly because you made them yourself!
6. Since you’ve had all day to eat these healthy snacks, it’s now time to go treat yourself to a bowl of ice cream! So go get your favorite kind and then scoop a little into a bowl. Remember, everything is good in moderation, even when it comes to ice cream!
(Photo Credit: http://www.buzzfeed.com/jemimaskelley/all-about-dem-scoopz)
Hopefully these simple snacks will help to satisfy your junk food cravings by opting for a healthier alternative AND help you to keep eating in a semi-healthy manner well into the summer!