Satisfying Snacks

Crispy Kale Chips

Mona’s Family Favorites: Not only is kale one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables out there, I also have an amazing little secret. When roasted, kale crisps up just like a potato chip! And did we mention that it tastes great as well? These chips truly are a snack you can feel good about eating! You will be amazed!

Crispy Kale Chips
 
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Recipe type: Satisfying Snacks
Makes: 3 Snack portions
Ingredients
  • 1 bunch kale, washed and dried
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 ½ tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Remove the leaves from the stems of the kale and break into bite-size pieces. Discard stems.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, toss the kale pieces in a mixture of the olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to coat.
  4. Spread the coated kale pieces on a sheet pan in a single layer and bake for 15 minutes, or until the edges of the kale have browned.
  5. Sprinkle the baked kale with Parmesan cheese, and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Perfect Portion Crispy Kale Chips

HELPFUL TIP: Kitchen scissors make quick (and very precise) work of removing the kale leaves from the stems.
Serving size: 1 cup Calories: 100

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Homemade Granola

We’ve packed our granola with whole-grain oats, pecans, raisins, spices, and a small amount of brown sugar and oil for a fortified, absolutely delicious on-the-go snack. Also, thanks to its great crunch, its just as satisfying as a yogurt or even ice cream topping.

Homemade Granola
 
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Recipe type: Satisfying Snacks
Makes: 20 Topping or 10 Snack portions
Ingredients
  • 2 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • ½ cup chopped pecans
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 cup raisins
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 300°F, and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, toss together the oats, pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the honey and canola oil, and then pour over the oat mixture, tossing to evenly coat.
  4. Spread the coated granola on the prepared sheet pan in a thin layer, and bake for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
  5. Let the granola cool for at least 15 minutes before tossing with raisins to serve. Store in an airtight container for up to 10 days.
Perfect Portion Homemade Granola

HELPFUL TIP: Any combination of dried fruit can be used in place of the raisins, though nutritional information provided is for 1 cup (unpacked) of raisins.
Serving size: 3 tbsp Calories: 100

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Skinny Strawberry Milkshake

While this recipe blends into a milkshake that is just as smooth and creamy as you would expect, it has one big secret to keeping the calorie count low. It doesn’t actually contain any ice cream! While that may have you turning the page, we promise that blending frozen strawberries into vanilla-scented milk creates the exact texture and flavor you love in a milkshake.

Skinny Strawberry Milkshake
 
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Recipe type: Satisfying Snacks
Makes: 2 small milkshakes
Ingredients
  • 1 cup frozen whole strawberries
  • ⅔ cup 2% milk
  • 1 ½ tablespoons sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
  1. Place all the ingredients in a blender, and pulse 8–10 times to break down the frozen strawberries.
  2. Blend for 1 minute, until milkshake is completely smooth. Serve immediately.
Perfect Portion Skinny Strawberry Milkshake

HELPFUL TIP: Top these with 2 tablespoons of canned whipped cream for an additional 15–20 calories, depending on the brand. We prefer Land-OLakes brand “whipped heavy cream” that does not contain corn syrup.
Serving size: ¾ cup Calories: 100

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“Hot Cocoa” Pretzels

Anson’s American Treasures: You’ll be amazed by how much these pretzels taste like a steamy mug of hot cocoa, marshmallows and all! After a quick coating of egg white and vanilla, we toss the pretzels with cocoa and sugar and bake until crisp. It actually tastes like marshmallows! The pretzel, chocolate, and meringue flavors combine as the perfect balance between salty and sweet. This snack is sure to bring back great childhood memories and will definitely satisfy any chocolate craving!

5.0 from 1 reviews
"Hot Cocoa" Pretzels
 
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Recipe type: Satisfying Snacks
Makes: 10 Snack portions
Ingredients
  • 100 mini pretzels (about 4 packed cups)
  • 1 large egg white, beaten
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 275°F, and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, toss the pretzels in the egg white and vanilla extract until all are evenly coated.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar and cocoa.
  4. Add ⅔ of the cocoa and sugar mixture to the pretzels, and toss until well coated.
  5. Spread the coated pretzels in a single layer on the paper-lined sheet pan, and sprinkle the remaining ⅓ of the cocoa and sugar mixture over the top.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping pretzels halfway through. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Perfect Portion Hot Cocoa Pretzels

HELPFUL TIP: You can use either salted or unsalted mini pretzels in this recipe, but salted pretzels add a nice contrast to the sweet cocoa coating.
Serving size: 10 pretzels Calories: 100

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Avocado Toast

My daughter’s own recipe! Just add mashed avocado and spices to tomato to top your favorite healthy light toast, The healthy fat from the avocado enhances the absorption of lycopene, the good anti-oxidants in the tomatoes. A snack to stay fuller longer, too! One slice of avocado toast is 100 calories… the perfect portion!

Avocado Toast
 
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Recipe type: Satisfying Snacks
Makes: 5 Snack portions
Ingredients
  • 1 medium Haas avocado, pitted
  • ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper
  • Per Slice:
  • 1 slice light wheat bread
  • 2 slices fresh tomato
  • Garlic powder
  • 2 basil leaves
Directions
  1. Scoop avocado out of the peel and place in a small mixing bowl. Use a heavy fork to mash the avocado until it is spreadable, but still chunky.
  2. Add the lemon juice to the avocado, and season lightly with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Toast the wheat bread to your liking.
  4. Spread 1∕5 of the mashed avocado onto the toasted wheat bread. Cover, and refrigerate any unused avocado for up to 3 days.
  5. Top the avocado toast with 2 slices of fresh tomato, and lightly season the tomato with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place fresh basil leaves over the tomato before serving.
Perfect Portion Avocado Toast

HELPFUL TIP: This recipe makes enough mashed avocado to prepare 5 slices of avocado toast. If you are preparing all 5 slices at once, you will need about 2 small tomatoes to make the 10 slices of tomato needed.
Serving size: 1 slice Calories: 100

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Smart Snacking

Surveys show that 90% of adults snack every day, often several times per day in fact. When you are snacking smart, it is actually a very good habit to have. It keeps your body’s fire burning while also keeping your blood sugar levels even. The problem is that most Americans snack on processed carbohydrates like chips and candy that are very low in fiber and nutrients.

A better way to snack is to choose those with a combination of food groups or a combination of macronutrients (such as carbohydrates, protein, and fat). An ideal snack would pack both protein and fiber, which will fill you up and boost your energy. As for the portion, a smart snack should fall between 100 and 200 calories for most people. This is just enough to satisfy the between meal hunger pangs without going over your daily caloric needs.

While we have also included an entire section of snack recipes in The Perfect Portion cookbook, here are a few quick and easy Grab and Go Snack options. Not surprisingly, they all contain 100 calories (or even a bit less)!

  • 1 medium apple
  • 5 dried apricots
  • 1 medium banana
  • 13 dry-roasted almonds
  • 2 cups Stovetop Popcorn
  • 40 baked Goldfish crackers
  • 25 grape tomatoes
  • 31 pistachios

 

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Eat a Bunch of Crunch

Raw veggies not only add color and crunch to your party, plus the fiber keeps you fuller. For 20 calories or less, you can enjoy 1 cup of celery sticks, broccoli, zucchini, baby carrots, peppers, or cucumbers! Happy Munching!

Smart Dipping

1 cup sugar snap peas = (35 calories)
1 cup sliced radishes = (20 calories)
1 cup celery sticks = (15 calories)
1 cup broccoli florets = (20 calories)
1 cup baby carrots = (70 calories)
1 cup sliced cucumber = (15 calories)
1 cup sliced zucchini or squash = (20 calories)
1 cup sliced bell pepper = (20 calories)
½ cup Oven-Fried Potato Chips, see recipe below = (100 calories)
7 whole-wheat pita chips = (100 calories)
10 pretzel chips = (100 calories)
6 reduced-fat woven wheat crackers = (100 calories)
8 multigrain tortilla chips = (100 calories)

 

We forego the mess of deep-frying with a tidier and healthier alternative, the oven-fried chip. Rinsing our potato slices washes away sticky surface starch, allowing us to use a mere 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a couple of spritzes of cooking spray to “fry” our chips. Not to mention, they taste fantastic! You can have your chips and eat them too, without any guilt.

Oven-Fried Potato Chips
 
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Recipe type: Satisfying Snacks
Makes: 8 Snack Portions
Ingredients
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 ½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives (optional)
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 475°F. Spray 2 sheet pans with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Slice the potatoes into very thin slices, about ⅛ inch thick. For best results, use a mandolin slicer or the slicing attachment of a food processor.
  3. In a large bowl filled with water and the ½ teaspoon of regular salt, soak the sliced potatoes for 10 minutes. Drain well, and pat potatoes dry.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, toss the sliced potatoes with the olive oil, separating the slices to ensure that each is evenly coated.
  5. Arrange the oiled potatoes in single layers on the prepared sheet pans.
  6. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges of the potatoes are well browned.
  7. Season with the seasoned salt, pepper, and chopped chives before letting cool for at least 5 minutes.
Perfect Portions Oven-Fried Potato Chips

HELPFUL TIP: Soaking the sliced potatoes in salted water helps remove some of their excess starch and liquid content, making for crispier baked chips.
Serving size: ½ cup Calories: 100

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Stovetop Popcorn

Fresh popcorn is a fantastic snack, because it provides great volume (2 cups for 100 calories!), great crunch, and endless flavors. As a whole grain, popcorn is a wonderful source of dietary fiber, but it’s also only as healthy as what you cook it in. We selected fruity, heart-conscious extra virgin olive oil for popping this simple, yet satisfying staple. Try different flavors to spice up your week!

Stovetop Popcorn
 
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Recipe type: Satisfying Snacks
Makes: 8 Snack portions
Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup popcorn kernels
  • ½ teaspoon popcorn salt (see tip)
Directions
  1. Add the oil to a heavy 6-quart pot over medium-high heat.
  2. Allow the oil to heat for 1 minute before adding the popcorn kernels and covering immediately.
  3. Keep the pot covered, and let sit until you hear the first kernel pop. Once popcorn has begun to pop, shake the pot from side to side while still keeping it over the heat.
  4. When popping slows to 3–4 seconds between kernels, remove from heat, and shake for at least 10 more seconds before removing lid.
  5. Immediately transfer the popcorn to a large bowl. Season with salt or spice it up with suggested blends (see ingredients).
Spice it Up Blends:


Cracked Pepper and Rosemary:
½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

Garlic and Oregano:
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

Tex-Mex Spiced:
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground cumin

Perfect Portion Stovetop Popcorn

HELPFUL TIP: Popcorn salt or “superfine salt” is recommended to better stick to the popcorn, but ordinary table salt can be used if it is the only salt you have on hand. You can also make your own popcorn salt by processing table salt in a spice grinder or small blender/food processor for 1 minute.
Serving size: 2 cups Calories: 100

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Caprese Salad Stacks

Cooking doesn’t get more simple or satisfying than this. We layer slices of sweet tomatoes, creamy fresh mozzarella, and basil for a fantastic looking and tasting snack or appetizer. Use different colors of heirloom tomatoes for variety.

Caprese Salad Stacks
 
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Recipe type: Satisfying Snacks
Makes: 8 Snack portions
Ingredients
  • 2 heirloom tomatoes
  • Salt and pepper
  • 8 (1-ounce) slices fresh mozzarella cheese
  • 16 leaves fresh basil
  • 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 ½ tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
Directions
  1. Slice ends off tomatoes, and discard before slicing each into 8 equal slices.
  2. Season all sliced tomatoes with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper.
  3. Halve each slice of fresh mozzarella cheese to make 16 half-moon-shaped pieces.
  4. Assemble the “stacks” by topping a slice of tomato with a piece of mozzarella. Stick the stem of a basil leaf under the mozzarella to hold it in place.
  5. Make a second layer of tomato, mozzarella, and basil on top of the first. Repeat to make 8 double-layered stacks.
  6. Drizzle all with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar before serving.
Perfect Portion Caprese Salad Stacks

HELPFUL TIP: This is also great as an appetizer. Lean the second layer of ingredients on a slight bias to create a “leaning tower” of tomato, rather than simply stacking the ingredients straight up.
Serving size: 1 stack Calories: 100

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Cinnamon Roasted Carnival Almonds

Craving a delicious snack while shopping at the mall this season? Those cinnamon sugar aromas from the pretzel kiosk are tempting… instead, pack yourself a Perfect Portion 100 calorie pack of our delicious Cinnamon Roasted Carnival Almonds. Keep an extra bag in the glove compartment for the next shopping trip! Yum!

Cinnamon Roasted Carnival Almonds
 
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Mona’s Family Favorites: I make these almonds as a snack for my family and friends, and they always say, “Really, I can have 12 for only 100 calories?” Yessiree! Plus, you can feel good about eating them! Almonds are packed with a slew of nutrients, like fiber, protein, vitamin E, and magnesium, making them one of a handful of “power foods!” Though these are best right out of the oven, they also make a great homemade gift.
Recipe type: Satisfying Snacks
Makes: 30 snack portions
Ingredients
  • 16 ounces raw shelled almonds
  • 1 large egg white, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 250°F, and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, toss almonds in the egg white and vanilla extract until all are evenly coated.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
  4. Add ⅓ of the cinnamon-sugar mixture to the almonds, and toss until well coated.
  5. Spread the coated almonds in a single layer on the paper-lined sheet pan, and sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture over the top.
  6. Bake for 1 hour, shaking the pan to stir halfway through. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Perfect Portion Cinnamon Roasted Carnival Almonds

HELPFUL TIP: Using raw or “natural” almonds in this recipe is an absolute must, as pre-roasted almonds will over-roast and get bitter upon baking. If you can’t find raw almonds in the baking aisle, check the end caps in the produce section, as they often have fresh seeds and nuts there as well.
Serving size: 12 almonds Calories: 100

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