Don't Make This--Make These Instead!

I found a somewhat disturbing "recipe" on the back of a brand-name cracker box. Don't make this! It has you mix equal amounts of creamy peanut butter and marshmallow creme, spread that on a cracker, then top with a slice of banana and a slice of strawberry. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Really, I feel like the cracker people are pushing it.

Get this: "If serving at breakfast, replace marshmallow creme with cream cheese."

Would anyone actually consider making this for breakfast? Spreading sugary artificial goo on a piece of partially-hydrogenated cottonseed oil, starch, and more sugar, then giving it to a loved one? If the answer is "yes", please read the rest of the entries in my blog and then ask the question again.

There are ways that we can turn this frown upside-down. Here are some snack examples I've just come up with off the top of my head. Make these!

1. Spread a real graham cracker with nefuchatel cheese, top with sliced strawberries

2. Spread a real graham cracker with peanut butter, top with sliced banana, and sprinkle with cinnamon

3. Spread a homemade sunflower seed cracker with homemade ricotta cheese, a drizzle of honey, and a few smashed blueberries

4. Slice a carrot in half, spread with peanut butter, and dot with raisins

5. Steam some broccoli. Top with butter.

Okay, the last one is not so much in the "snack" vein, but it sounds delicious to me! In any case, the take-home point is that one can easily prepare snacks out of whole foods and things reasonably close to whole foods. Raw fruits and veggies go with a variety of tasty toppings, and you can experiment to make nutritious alternatives. When you go shopping, always check the labels. If you see the words "high fructose" or "partially hydrogenated" or anything your great-grandmother didn't have access to at the market, put that product back, 'cause it's not food. It might be calories, but it's not food.

How about you? What sort of easy whole-food treats do you enjoy?