Chicken is the most versatile food you can find, except possibly for turkey. You can bake, broil, roast, sauté, and fry (but because we are aiming for healthy, we won’t do that) it.

It can be cubed, sliced, julienne, and diced. Cut a large chicken breast into strips and bread them to make chicken fries. Or bake or broil to make chicken fingers you can top a salad with, or use to dip into some low fat ranch dressing or another kind of dip.

The strips are great for those days when you should eat lunch but you don’t really feel like it. A few chicken strips and a piece of cheese will replenish your protein.

Yes, chicken breast is more expensive, but it also weighs in at one third the fat per ounce compared with dark meat chicken.

And all of the above suggestions can be applied to turkey, or even ‘that other white meat’, a nice lean piece of pork for a bit of variety.

Meal Planning 101

Save Time And Money By Planning Your Meals

Finger Foods are great at parties and family get-togethers. They are a wonderful alternative to a filling meal at important functions of just about any type. Easy to prepare and even easier to eat, make some healthy finger foods for yourself and see how versatile they can be.

Finger foods make great snacks on the go. Take cheese, for instance. It provides calcium and protein which we need each day. At about ten in the morning, it’s not quite time for lunch, but it is a good time for cheese snack. Cut a slice off of a block and enjoy.

Buying a block of cheese is more economical than a bag of cheese sticks if you plan on using it as a snack quite often. Saving money is just one more reason to turn to cheese as a healthy snack.

If you buy a large block at Costco, make sure you freeze it into individuall portions. It can go moldy very quickly if not kept in optimum conditions in your fridge. Also keep in mind that one ounce of cheese is the equivalent of two dice, if you are watching your weight.

When it comes to finger foods, think about how you can recreate some of your own favorites at home. There are two benefits to making your own finger foods.

One, you save money. Two, your ingredients are fresher.

If you’ve eaten a lot of processed food, it might take a bit of getting used to when it comes to eating fresh fare. There is the time factor in getting them prepared, but it is well worth it because the taste is like no other.

Everything has a sweeter taste when they are fresh, and you can also avoid the issue of whether or not foods which come in plastic wrap are bad for you because the chemical leach into your food.

Meal Planning 101

Save Time And Money By Planning Your Meals

Muffins can also be baked with marmalade or jelly in the center as a secret surprise for the members of your family, or even peanut butter.

You can mix and match your favorite breakfast foods to find a yummy breakfast muffin to help kick start your morning every day of the week.

Most people don’t think of muffins as a lunch item, but they are a healthy alternative to greasy burgers and fries.

Why not try a veggie muffin instead of eating out for lunch by adding your favorite vegetables to your muffin mix.

Sweet potatoes and zucchini make wonderful muffins, healthy and filling, and great with a bit of cheese for protein.

And of course, you can have a carrot muffin, either plain, or sweetened up with some raisins, cinnamon, and even a bit of cream cheese and lemon zest on top for a mini carrot cake treat.

For those who think vegetables in muffins doesn’t sound appealing – don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. I didn’t think a vegetable in a muffin would be good until I tasted one at work. It was terrific. And who doesn’t love carrot cake?

Sprinkle some fiber ingredients such as oats or wheat germ in the mix and you get an extra health perk too.

Fruit also works well in muffins. Go for some cranberry muffins with orange zest, or raisins and cinnamon. If the fruit is dried, it will have a candied taste after being baked.

Choose your favorite treats and turn them into a healthy muffin snack you can enjoy any time of the day. You might even and some nuts and seeds for a bit of satsifying extra crunch.

Little changes can be made to the muffin mix to get a health boost. Instead of adding oil, measure out half as much oil and add applesauce to the mix.

Less oil will cause the muffins to dry out faster when baking, so time and temperature will need to be adjusted to keep your muffins moist.

Egg whites can be substituted for raw eggs with yolks.
Are you catching the muffin madness, yet? Start today with new muffin creations like these that the whole family will enjoy and can grab in a flash, and you will definitely feel the benefit of healthy snacking.

Meal Planning 101

Save Time And Money By Planning Your Meals

We couldn’t talk about snacks like cookies without discussing their counterpart, the muffin, which can also be healthy if made at home.

Cookies are eaten as dessert at the end of the meal.

Muffins provide that burst of energy and tasty goodness first thing in the morning. Here are some ideas for healthy muffin snacks.

Muffins are a very car-friendly food. They can be baked in muffin cups so they are easy to carry around in your hand. They store well in sealed containers in the fridge. Mini muffins are great for kids with tiny hands.

Don’t you ever just want to nibble on something at those odd hours of the day? Muffins are perfect for that. Put a few in your lunch bag or box for a day at work. They work well in the car, in the park, walking through the mall, and anywhere else you might be during the day.

The thing about muffins is they can have any number of gooey, good-to-your-taste buds ingredients. For breakfast, think about bran muffins. Sounds kind of plain doesn’t it? Try adding some crumbled turkey sausage, or shredded cheese to liven up your next breakfast.

Don’t eat meat? Vegetarians can use vegetable breakfast patties or skip the meat altogether.

Add cheese and add diced peppers for a Southwestern flare.

Meal Planning 101

Save Time And Money By Planning Your Meals

Fiber is a nutrient that helps us to stay regular. Certain fibers latch on to fats in the digestive system and flush them right out of the body. The more fiber you eat, the more fat it can potentially flush out of your system. That sounds like a win-win situation to me.

But fiber in cookies?

Yes!

Fiber comes in many forms. Whole grains provide fiber, so to add this healthy ingredient to your cookies. You can also include some wheat germ, quinoa, oat bran, or whole oats to your cookie mixture, especially if you are making oatmeal cookies. Oatmeal chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin are two of my faves.

You can also add a bit of nutmeg or cinnamon to bring a somewhat spicy flavor to your cookies to make them more satisfying.

Another tasty ingredient that goes well in cookies is dried fruit. Dried fruit not only gives you the goodness of fruit to your cookies, but it also can add color to them.

We traditionally see raisins in cookies, but it’s time to shake things up. How about dried dates, apricot pieces, or cranberries?

Give it your best shot. Experiment and see what inventive cookies you and your family members can come up with.

The dried fruit and the chocolate chips also help keep the cookies moist, so you will need to use less fat.

Remember, you don’t have to put all of these ingredients in one cookie. You can make several batches of tasty, healthy cookies, so try a new taste every day and see how many new family favorites you can come up with.

And after all, there is really no such thing as a terrible tasting cookie, now is there….

Meal Planning 101

Save Time And Money By Planning Your Meals

Now, it’s time for some fun. You get to add the special ingredients to the cookies. You know, the yummy ingredients that make the cookies taste oh so good.

For chocolate chip cookies, instead of using regular chocolate chips, add a few mini chocolate chips. You use less chocolate even though it looks like more.

There will be just enough sweetness in every bite to keep you satisfied, but not enough to expand your hips and waist too much.

You can add pretty much any kind of nut to a cookie. Just make sure that you don’t put too many, as they are high in fat, and try to limit the shortening you use, since the nuts will also contribute to the moistness of the cookie.

The softer the cookie, the more fat it tends to have. So go for the light, crisp kind.

You can also add a new twist and flavor to your cookies with a bit of vanilla essence, or try lemon, maple or even rum flavored extract depending on the ingredients.

Italian cookie presses are great for designer biscotti on the run, pressed into different shapes, for everyday eating, or holiday gift giving.

Biscotti are another great choice. With their twice-baked dough, they are crunchy, hearty cookies you can eat on the run any time. And you don’t have to pay a ton of cash per cookie in shops if you make your own!

Meal Planning 101

Save Time And Money By Planning Your Meals

Have you ever met a person who didn’t like cookies? I haven’t. But, I often feel guilty about the calories I’ve consumed while eating those scrumptious treats.

We all know that cookies can be fattening. I try to eat just one, but that works about as well as it does with the potato chips.

So, this just means that we need to get creative with our cookie baking in order to make them healthier.

Here are some ideas to make your next batch of cookies, ones you can get away with eating without feeling guilty.

First, let’s start with the ingredients. Avoid using prepared cookie dough in the store. It is loaded with preservatives even if the cookies are sugar free.

Making homemade cookies gives us an advantage in this aspect because we don’t need to preserve our dough or the finished cookie. They will probably be eaten long before they pass their freshness date, so only fresh ingredients should be used.

When making cookies, the basic dough is usually the same for most recipes. You need flour, eggs, and sugar.

Cholesterol watchers can mix in egg substitute instead of regular eggs.

Splenda is now formulated for use in baking even though it is a sugar substitute. So if you are watching your calories, it can be used in our homemade healthy cookies. Be prepared though. The cookies may taste differently and require more or less baking time when using these substitutions, so be sure to keep this in mind when using them.

Some people use honey, or maple syrup. Again, it depends on the kind of cookie you intend to make.

Meal Planning 101

Save Time And Money By Planning Your Meals

You can make your own ice cream sandwiches as well if you have ice cream in a square container that you can slice from. Cut two pieces of pound cake, cut in half again, fill each with a slice of your favorite flavor ice cream, and enjoy.

Frozen bananas are great too. Cut your bananas into half inch slices and freeze on a baking tray covered with wax paper so they don’t stick.

Take out a handful of slices, cut up small in a food processor, and put the frozen banana bits into a disposable dixie or other cup. Take it with you, and in about 5 minutes it will be icy and creamy. I usually add a tiny taste of vanilla or maple essence, or maple syrup, for a really luxurious and fun dessert.

Baked or fried banana works well in the opposite way, as a rich hot dessert so satisfying, especially with a dash of maple syrup, that you will not even miss having cake, and you will be getting at least one daily allowance of fruit and a ton of fiber.

These are just a few suggestions for dessert on the run.
What are your favorite desserts? Can you amend the recipes so they are functional as on the go foods?

Try these ideas and come up with some of your own for mobile dessert treats everyone will love.

You can even have a dessert block party, where everyone contributes a dessert that’s easy to eat on the move. Then you will have plenty of yummy ideas for dessert on the go any time!

Meal Planning 101

Save Time And Money By Planning Your Meals