# Snacking



## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

If too much weight is a problem and you love to snack on chips and such, try making apple chips with a dehydrator. Just made my first batch. They're not crispy but a little chewy (very thin). Sprinkled a very light touch of cinnamon. Awesome. Healthy and low calorie. If you get the munchies try these or other fruits.


----------



## Zexious (Aug 2, 2013)

^How interesting! They don't sound too bad! I will say that I am a fan of good ol' fashioned apples, though xD


----------



## CanadianaSally (Jul 19, 2013)

I enjoy shrimp or cut up veggies... usually have a plate ready to eat


----------



## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

I quite fancy trying drying some stuff, what sort of dehydrator do you need, I wouldn't want to spend a lot straight off, I know cheapskate.


----------



## gssw5 (Jul 30, 2013)

You can also make kale chips. They are crunchy like chips but hardly any calories, and you can use the oven so no special equipment needed. Below is the recipe I follow, but I don't have a salad spinner so I use a paper towel to dry the kale, and I put the kale in a bowl and toss with the oil. 

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2.With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt.
3.Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.

I think they will keep in a container or zip lock for a few days, but my kids eat them so fast I have never gotten to find out.


----------



## Lockwood (Nov 8, 2011)

Golden Horse said:


> I quite fancy trying drying some stuff, what sort of dehydrator do you need, I wouldn't want to spend a lot straight off, I know cheapskate.


You can start off trying some things in a warm oven on cookie sheets. Apple chips, apple rolls ups, (or any other fruit you can think of) Kale chips, etc..can all be done in an oven and recipes are easy to find on the internet.

I can tell you from experience that the cheap ones really are not worth it. I started off with a smaller round one, and yeah..it dried some herbs ok...but you had to constantly restack the trays because of uneven drying, and there was no way to set the temp.
Veggies need different temps than fruit, and herbs need different temps than jerky. After a season of fiddling with the little ones and being dissappointed in the results, but knowing I wanted to keep drying stuff, I got one of these-
http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/dehydrators/non-timer-models

Worth. Every. Single. Penny.

I dry tons of stuff from the garden and will never run out of food, even if I run out of money to buy food.  
(they can be found cheaper if you look around the web)


----------



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I adore dried fruit. However, it is not a good idea for weight loss. I can snarf down 8 apricot halves as if they are nothing, forgetting that I just ate 4 apricots. the calories are still there, but the bulk and water , things that help you feel full, are not.


----------



## Ninamebo (May 25, 2013)

My go to snack is good ol fashioned carrots. I can't get enough of them. It works out nicely because there is always a bag sitting around the barn!


----------



## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

tinyliny said:


> I adore dried fruit. However, it is not a good idea for weight loss. I can snarf down 8 apricot halves as if they are nothing, forgetting that I just ate 4 apricots. the calories are still there, but the bulk and water , things that help you feel full, are not.


I have to say I agree. 

BTW I read the study from NIH (Natl Institute of Health) while back, and for example munching on fresh apples brings the weight down, because the digesting takes more calories than apple offers. I bet it should be even better for greens (like kale etc.).


----------



## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

kitten_Val said:


> I have to say I agree.
> 
> BTW I read the study from NIH (Natl Institute of Health) while back, and for example munching on fresh apples brings the weight down, because the digesting takes more calories than apple offers. I bet it should be even better for greens (like kale etc.).


A long time ago when I was very seriously overweight, I went on an "apple diet". I had to eat one large apple before every meal. The apple helped me to feel less hungry so I are whatever I wanted - just not nearly as much. I only found it difficult to keep up with because I really hate apple skins but overall I did lose weight!

Probably a good habit to get into. If I could find a way to conveniently skin apples or a way to keep them from browning I would do it again.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I really like apples, however my problem with them (as well as other fruits) is that I'm getting tired of them at some point and can't force myself to eat them for while. 

BTW, does anyone eat persimmons? I wonder how good for the health/help with weight or quite opposite those are.


----------



## frlsgirl (Aug 6, 2013)

I make my own 100 calorie snack packs using dehydrated fruit and nuts. If I eat fruit by itself I'm even more hungry then before I ate anything; but if I add nuts it turns into a filling snack. 

Sometimes when I'm short on time I'll just grab a handful of almonds without any fruit. It helps me bridge the gap between breakfast and lunch.


----------



## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

DancingArabian said:


> A long time ago when I was very seriously overweight, I went on an "apple diet". I had to eat one large apple before every meal. The apple helped me to feel less hungry so I are whatever I wanted - just not nearly as much. I only found it difficult to keep up with because I really hate apple skins but overall I did lose weight!
> 
> Probably a good habit to get into. If I could find a way to conveniently skin apples or a way to keep them from browning I would do it again.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_



as with most fruits and vegetables, almost all the nutrients are in the skin. I hate apple skins, too, but I lose most of the nutrients when I peel them.


----------



## CowboysDream (Nov 12, 2011)

tinyliny said:


> I adore dried fruit. However, it is not a good idea for weight loss. I can snarf down 8 apricot halves as if they are nothing, forgetting that I just ate 4 apricots. the calories are still there, but the bulk and water , things that help you feel full, are not.


Yup you have to be careful! Because you can consume a lot of sugar this way haha. 

I had a dehydrator and I adored it! I would make my own jerky, dehyrated apples and pineapple yum yum


----------



## Lockwood (Nov 8, 2011)

CowboysDream said:


> Yup you have to be careful! Because you can consume a lot of sugar this way haha.
> 
> I had a dehydrator and I adored it! I would make my own jerky, dehyrated apples and pineapple yum yum


I love dried pineapple! Did you dip them in anything, or just slice and dry? Did you ever try drying the canned chunks? Did it work?


----------



## CowboysDream (Nov 12, 2011)

Lockwood said:


> I love dried pineapple! Did you dip them in anything, or just slice and dry? Did you ever try drying the canned chunks? Did it work?


I just cut up fresh pineapple and then dried it. I liked the thinner pieces better  

I did not dip them in anything but they were still delicious! We dried them on the top rack and ham on the second rack lol.


----------



## Lockwood (Nov 8, 2011)

CowboysDream said:


> I did not dip them in anything but they were still delicious! We dried them on the top rack and ham on the second rack lol.


**wipes drool from chin...**


----------



## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I love dried fruit so worth getting
I've discovered that the sweet pickled gherkins I've been snacking on have zero calories - did not expect that
Then I found that two - just two - of the tiny chocolate covered cookies I've rationed myself have a whopping 100 calories.


----------



## Lockwood (Nov 8, 2011)

puts it in perspective...huh.


----------



## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

I think fresh celery is better to snack on. I are half a small sandwich bag of apple chips. Got a tummy ache and realized I'd eaten 3 apples. Scrap that idea. So now fruit leather is in the dehydrator. 4 large apples and 1/2 cup of homemade blueberry jam that didn't quite set. Smells so good. It's a good idea to check kiji for a dehydrator and other local ads. Mine is a Salton (round) altho one should get a couple of fruit leather screens with a very fine mesh. The Salton (wally world) has an adjustable temp. dial. Not all of them do.


----------

