Healthy Snacks..

HARD BOILED EGGS

Make some hard boiled eggs and have a quick high protein snack on hand at anytime! Hard boiled eggs are an excellent source of protein, simple to prepare and each one only has about 76 calories. Eggs are also very nutritious. They don't just contain fat (yolk) and protein (white). In fact, they contain a wide array of essential vitamins and minerals.

Vitamins

• A: good for the skin and growth.
• D: strengthens bones by raising calcium absorption.
• E: protects cells from oxidation.
• B1: helps properly release energy from carbohydrates. 
• B2: helps release energy from protein and fat.
• B6: promotes the metabolism of protein.
• B12: an essential vitamin in the formation of nerve fibers and blood cells.

Minerals

• Iron: essential in the creation of red blood cells.
• Zinc: good for enzyme stability and essential in sexual maturation.
• Calcium: most important mineral in the strengthening bones & teeth.
• Iodine: controls thyroid hormones.
• Selenium: like vitamin E, it protects cells from oxidation.

Not only do eggs contain the highest quality source of protein available but they also contain almost every essential vitamin and mineral needed by humans. In fact, egg protein is of such high quality that it is used as the standard by which other proteins are compared. Eggs have a biological value (efficacy with which protein is used for growth) of 93.7%. Comparable values are 84.5% for milk, 76% for fish, and 74.3% for beef. Eggs really are the best protein money can buy, and it has all those other valuable vitamins and minerals too.

The yolk is extremely high in cholesterol, containing more than two-thirds of the recommended daily limit of 300 mg! However, the yolk has many health strengths necessary for immunity, healthy skin, nerves and vision. The yolk contains good amounts of B Vitamins, Vitamin A, iron and riboflavin.

Egg whites are very low in calories, have no fat, no cholesterol, and are loaded with protein. The egg white is less likely than the yolk to harbor dangerous salmonella, but due to the health risks that raw eggs present, consumption is highly discouraged by medical experts.

Directions For Making Hard Boiled Eggs

• Place the eggs in a saucepan with just enough cold tap water to cover them by one inch.
• Bring water to a boil.
• Promptly reduce heat to low medium and cook for 10 minutes.
• Remove saucepan from heat
• Using a ladle or slated spoon, place each egg into a bowl of iced water to chill.
• Chill for a few minutes until egg is completely cooled.
• To peel, crack the egg and roll on a counter top to loosen the peel.
• Dice and serve.

Serving Size 1 egg
Calories: 70
Fat: 5.0g
Carbs: 1.0g
Protein: 6.0g

FROZEN GRAPES

frozen grapes are probably my favorite healthy snack. I have a huge sweet tooth, so I'm always looking for healthy choices for sweet snacks. I was tipped off to frozen grapes by a fellow co-worker. She saw me eating a bowl of grapes and asked if I had ever froze them. I thought she was crazy! She insisted that I put a small amount in the office freezer overnight. The next morning I came into the office, opened up the freezer and bit into one of the frozen little orbs. It was like a sweet little candy and the taste was amazing! The inside of the grape attains a nearly creamy consistency when frozen. The sweetness is also magnified! I have been freezing grapes for years now and they are on the top of my list for healthy snacks.

There is also a great snack tip for freezing grapes. They take longer to eat than regular grapes, so in all likelihood you’ll eat fewer. Not only do they taste amazing, but they are also very good for you and provide quality nutrients. Grapes contain beneficial compounds called flavonoids, which are phytonutrients that give the vibrant purple color to grapes, grape juice and red wine; the stronger the color, the higher the concentration of flavonoids.

These flavonoid compounds include quercitin, as well as a second flavonoid-type compound (falling into the chemical category of stilbenes) called resveratrol. Both compounds appear to decrease the risk of heart disease. Grapes are also excellent sources of manganese and good sources of vitamin B6, thiamin (vitamin B1), potassium, and vitamin C.

Serving: 1 cup
Calories: 104
Fat: 0g
Carbs: 27g
Protein: 1g

TUNA

Tuna fish is a quick and easy high protein snack to make anytime. Just mix a can of water-packed Albacore tuna with a tablespoon of nonfat mayonnaise and you have a snack that contains over 30 grams of protein!

Health BenefitsTuna, an excellent source of lean protein, vitamins and minerals. Tuna can also help lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids can help lower the risk of heart disease, ease the pain of arthritis, reduce asthma complications, and is essential in the growth and development of young children.

Protein is essential to building lean muscle mass and providing the body with energy. The protein in tuna contains all essential amino acids required by the body for growth and maintenance of lean muscle tissue. The protein in tuna and all other fish protein are considered to be a complete protein sources.

The protein source can be important to lose weight because high quality proteins such as the protein in tuna can be used to maintain an active metabolism. Low quality protein contains low amounts of the essential amino acids required for use in protein synthesis and means the protein must either be used for energy or converted to fat.

Which Type of Tuna To Buy?
Several different varieties of tuna are canned. Skipjack, Bluefin and Yellowfin (called Ahi in Hawaii) tuna are canned and sold as "light meat," while Albacore (also called Longfin tuna , Tombo Ahi, and Ahi Palanacan) is the only tuna that can be labeled premium "white meat".

To get the most omega 3 fats from your canned tuna, choose water-packed tuna rather than oil-packed. The oil mixes with some of the tuna's natural fat, so when you drain oil-packed tuna, some of its omega 3 fatty acids also go down the drain. Since oil and water don't mix, water-packed tuna won't leach any of its precious omega 3s.

Tuna (Starkist. Chunk Light in Water)

Serving: 2 ounces
Calories: 60
Fat: 1g
Carbs: 0g
Protein: 13g

Tuna (Starkist, Chunk Light in Olive Oil)

Serving: 2 ounces
Calories: 160
Fat: 13g
Carbs: 0g
Protein: 11g