Healthy snacks?

Thanks - I'm interested, too!

Quinoa has a lot of protein to keep you feeling full:

Onion Quinoa Bites
4 servings 274 calories

2 cups cooked quinoa
1 large onion, chopped
¼ cup cheddar cheese or Daiya (optional)
¼ cup chopped chives
¾ cup flour
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 eggs
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Canola oil, for cooking

1. In a medium bowl combine quinoa, cheese, onion and chives. Add flour, cayenne pepper and sea salt. Toss until coated.
2. Beat eggs and lemon juice together. Combine with quinoa mixture and mix well.
3. Form into small balls and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
4. Heat a large skillet to medium heat and coat well with oil. (Make sure you allow your skillet to get warm before adding quinoa) Cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side or until brown.

To make the dipping sauce combine 1/2 cup Greek yogurt or vegan sour cream with 2 teaspoons minced garlic (more or less to taste), 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional). Mix well and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Quinoa Pizza Bites
Makes 40 bites

2 cups cooked quinoa
2 large eggs
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 cup chopped pepperoni slices (1/2 of a 7 oz bag)
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried crushed oregano
Pizza sauce for dipping

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together all ingredients, except pizza sauce, in a medium mixing bowl.
3. Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup to the top (1 heaping Tbs each), and press down gently to compact.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Nutritional Information for 5 bites Calories - 175, Fat - 10g, Protein - 9g, Fiber - 2g, Calcium - 10mg, Carbs - 12g

Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Bites
Makes 24 bites

1 cup cooked quinoa
1 large egg
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped cooked chicken
1/4 cup buffalo sauce (we used Frank's)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 tsp minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
Ranch or Blue cheese dressing for dipping, if desired

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together all ingredients.
3. Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup to the top (1 heaping Tbs each), and press down gently to compact.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Nutritional Information for 4 bites Calories - 109, Fiber - 1, Fat - 4, Protein - 8, Calcium - 6, Carbs - 11

Cheesy Quinoa Bites
Makes 28 bites

2 cups cooked quinoa
2 large eggs
1 cup shredded carrot
2 stalks green onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together quinoa, carrot, egg, green onion, garlic, cilantro, cheese, flour, salt and pepper.
3. Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup to the top (1 heaping Tbs each).
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Calories 130 for 4 bites.

Spinach Parmesan Quinoa Bites
Makes 30 bites

2 cups cooked quinoa
2 large eggs
2 cups baby spinach leaves, chopped
1 cup diced onion
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
Dash of sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients together.
3. Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup to the top (1 heaping Tbs each), and press down gently to compact.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Ham & Cheese Quinoa Bites
Makes 3 dozen bites

2 cups cooked quinoa
2 eggs
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup diced onion
1 cup finely diced ham
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 Tbs fresh chives, chopped
1/2 cup panko
1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together all ingredients.
3. Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup to the top (1 heaping Tbs each) and press down gently to compact.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Quinoa Bites
Makes 36 bites

2 cups cooked quinoa
2 large eggs
2 stalks green onion, diced
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried parsley
3/4 cup finely diced ham
3/4 cup finely chopped cooked chicken
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl.
3. Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup to the top (1 heaping Tbs each), and press down gently to compact.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Nutritional Information for 4 bites Calories - 131, Fiber - 1g, Fat - 6g, Protein - 10g, Calcium - 11g, Carbs - 9

I will give you two of my favorites and super easy. I cut up a small ,very ripe banana,freeze for 2 hours,put in blender or mini food processor. I add a touch of vanilla,and a slash of almond milk. It makes a BIG serving of creamy,yummy ice cream! Also,I freeze 15 purple,seedless grapes(serving size and high in antioxidants) They satisfy my sweet craving,and have crunch,so they last longer. I also freeze my yoplait yogurt.I microwave it for 10 seconds,and it is very good. I like snacks that take me longer to eat,as it is more satisfying.

Love all the quinoa recipes.

Bump! Love all the quinoa recipes!

bump

weeeeee....veggie wheels from Hungry Girl


1 medium low-fat tortilla (about 110 calories with at least 6 g fiber)
¼ cup chopped red bell pepper
½ cup fresh spinach (stems removed)
1 Tbsp chopped tomatoes
1 Tbsp chopped scallions
1 Tbsp ff cream cheese
¼ tsp ranch seasoning mix, dry

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and ranch seasoning until smooth and mixed thoroughly.

Microwave tortilla until slightly warm. Lay the tortilla on a flat surface and evenly spread cream cheese mixture on top of it.

Place spinach, red peppers, scallions and tomatoes evenly over cheese layer. Very tightly roll the tortilla up from one end to the other, creating a pinwheel of layers, as opposed to a burrito. Wrap the tortilla securely in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for at least one hour.
When you're ready to eat, remove the plastic wrap and cut off both ends of the wrap (where the tortilla does not fully wrap around). Slice the rest of the wrap into 6 circular pieces. Enjoy!
6 pieces per serving…… 143 calories, 2.5 g fat, 506 mg sodium, 27 g carbs, 10 g fiber, 3 g sugars, 10g protein.



No-Bake Energy Balls
I copied this recipe from pinterest........ so yummy!!!!!!

No-Bake Energy Bites Recipe 133 calories per ball (figured on 20 balls)

Ingredients:

1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats)
1 cup toasted coconut flakes
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla
Method:

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like. (Mine were about 1″ in diameter.) Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Makes about 20-25 balls.

Ali’s Tip:

Substitution ideas can abound for just about any of these ingredients! Feel free to substitute in your favorite nut butter (almond butter, sunflower seed butter, etc.) for the peanut butter. And you could also add in some wheat germ in place of some or all of the flaxseed. I would caution, though, against substituting agave nectar for the honey, as the honey’s thickness helps hold things together.

Some other fun substitutions for the chocolate chips (or an addition to them) could include:

chopped dried fruit (apricots, dates, raisins, etc.)
dried berries (cranberries, cherries, etc.)
chopped almonds, pecans, or sunflower seeds
other chips (butterscotch, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, etc.)
Update: Many of you in the comments have asked about substitutions for other ingredients. The joy of these bites being “no bakes” is that this recipe is super flexible. If you end up needing to omit one of the dry ingredients (such as coconut or flax), just add in some extra of whatever other dry ingredient is remaining (for example, the oats). If you feel like your energy bites are too dry, just add in extra honey or peanut butter. Enjoy!!!

I have other recipes on my blog.... not just snacks. As I went back to review what I put on your forum, I noticed I missed a couple that are on there. Feel free to help yourself and look around!! Some have pictures, some do not. I have several cookbooks (Taste of Homes Diet Comfort Food Cookbooks - 3 in the set that I've seen so far) and I also have Hungry Girl and Cooking Light. As I try new recipes, I put them on here!! I LOVE THEM!!! It gives a big variety and my entire family loves them!!!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Seshankle