Quick! Afternoon snack needed STAT!

I was in need of a mid-morning, filling, low-calorie snack today.  This also works so well in the afternoon, around that 3 PM lull.

Quick Yogurt Pick-Me-Up

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup any Yogurt (Greek/almond/coconut/soy)
• 1/4 C fruit (organic strawberries and blueberries are absolutely GLORIOUS this week)
• 1 Tbsp honey, agave, Stevia to sweeten (if desired)
• 0.5 - 1.5 tsp nuts and seeds (pumpkin, sesame, walnuts, etc)

This quick power snack will range from 90-190 calories depending on what you choose for the amounts listed above.  This is a great pick-me-up with a combination of simple carbohydrates, protein, and fats.  Pumpkin seeds offer Vitamin A, Calcium, Iron. Sesame seeds offer Vitamin A, folate, niacin.  Walnuts, Mother Nature's Little Secret (and my favorite nut, hands-down!), boast high protein, Vitamins A, C, E, K, B6, niacin, choline and are very high in folate.

Opinion: I prefer staying away from flavored or "pre-fruited" yogurts.  They're usually loaded with extra and totally unnecessary preservatives, color additives, sugar and other random ingredients.  Just do me a flavor (and a favor!) and buy plain.  Add you own goodness.

Calorie breakdown (based on above quantities)

• Greek yogurt = 65 cals
• Coconut yogurt = 104 cals
• pumpkin seeds = 12.5 cals
• sesame seeds (1/2 tsp) = 13 cals
• honey/agave = 60 cals
• Stevia = 0 cals
• strawberries = 12.5 cals
• raspberries, blackberries, peaches = 15-16 cals