Written by Kelli George
Part of National Nutrition Month 2014

We have all heard that ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’, right? But who really feels like eating a plain apple EVERY SINGLE DAY? Apples are delicious, but I know that I am not the only one who gets tired of eating the same foods all the time. I am always looking for new ways to switch up the way I fix my healthy fruits and vegetables to make them even more appealing.

Image by Kelli George

One of my favorite healthy snacks is a play on the typical apple and peanut butter combination. Instead of just an apple with peanut butter spread on it, you also top the apple slices with some granola and dark chocolate chips! (Because who doesn’t love an excuse to eat more chocolate?) Eating the whole apple with the peanut butter, granola, and chocolate chips provides nearly ½ of the recommended daily protein intake for most adults (0.8-1 gram per kilogram of body weight) (CDC, 2012). That’s half of your protein needs in one snack! I personally use dry oatmeal as my granola choice, but you can always have fun with it and add some flavored granola, mixed nuts, or any other topping that appeals to you.

Not only is this snack packed with fiber, protein, and healthy fats, but as an added bonus it is so much more filling than simply eating a plain apple. When it comes to eating fruits and vegetables, sometimes it can be easy to sacrifice taste for nutrition. This snack is definitely an exception to that fact because it just tastes so good!

I think the most common theme here is finding snacks that are healthy yet tasty! What are other ways that you like to make your fruits and vegetables fun and tasty?

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012). Protein. Retrieved from website:
https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html