Too funny, Rosie!
Yep, I got the acorn. Thanks much!

MISSINGROSIE said:You are welcome just fold so steam does not escape ..twist the two points
Can fold as many times as you want scrunch..crunch..whatever rings your bell

Okay, Thanks!!

MISSINGROSIE said:I could give you easy fool proof recipes...no mess and quick...but they involve touching

Me, too, Rosie ... I don't mind handling meat. btw ... I don't buy cuts with bones (unless I can use them in soups) cuz I don't put bones in my trash cuz they draw critters.

Also healthy veggie side dishes ... please.

I am horrible at meal planning and am not an imaginative cook.

Boy, you people. I guess when Mom said don't play with your food you really took it to heart. Gene

Nope ... I spent most of my adult life living at my desk 12 hours a day. When I got home ... I did not want to cook ... who cared about healthy ? ... Now, I am paying the price.

I was wondering what some of you may keep on hand for a healthy snack for those times when you just don't want to stop and fix something to eat. That's when I used to grab some junk food to fill the void, so I could just keep on working.

Last week was a week of projects and there were long periods for several days in a row when I didn't eat in a timely fashion and I found that I actually made myself ill. I don't think that is wise, so I need a plan B.

Any suggestions ?

For me it is Jicama. 2nd choice dried Apricots, 3rd - plain crackers. Gene

Lyn, I've always wished that they made "kibble" for people for just those occasions. Purina Human Chow!

RoseBlush1 said:I was wondering what some of you may keep on hand for a healthy snack for those times when you just don't want to stop and fix something to eat. That's when I used to grab some junk food to fill the void, so I could just keep on working.

Last week was a week of projects and there were long periods for several days in a row when I didn't eat in a timely fashion and I found that I actually made myself ill. I don't think that is wise, so I need a plan B.

Any suggestions ?

My go to snacks-

I eat a bowl of Special K Cereal with soy milk.

A banana

Yogurt

Toast or an English muffin

Really any fruits or veggies that I might have around.

I grab a handful of walnuts if I want to stop there. They are healthy and I despise them. After eating walnuts...I am done.

If I want a comfort food snack (try it before you discount 😊) a packet of instant cheesy grits...100 calories and it really fills me up and it takes a minute - literally. Long shelf life too.

Sometimes I grab pitted olives black or green.

I LOVE crunchy red pepper with lite ranch dressing

Sometimes I will have carrots soaking in a good balsamic. ( not often but it was a go to snack for a while )

Chickpeas drained well...with or without dressing

I used to grab mozzarella sticks and an apple but I think I ate too many.

Apples with premade caramel dip
And my FAVORITE addictive ...ElPaso Taco shell...the hard ones spicy ..really hot.., I LOVE those things. 2 for 150 calories. I think 1.5 gr fat ..
Maybe that is each...I don't have any in the house to check.

If I want more than a snack..more like a lunch...a packet ( 1/2 actually...) yellowfin tuna in oil and a small container of jasmine minute rice..tossed.. Love it.

If I am going to be active in the yard knowing I will be getting dirty with a big project, I pack a cooler full of ice and load it with water and Gatorade especially if it is hot outside. I keep fruit inside the cooler and then something like cheese sandwich crackers, carrots, or even (organic) tortilla chips and salsa along with a package of hand wipes. I eat lightly while I work. I need sustenance but I don't need to be overly full.

Rosie - not tuna in oil !! Canned tuna in water is so much better for you. Google it if in doubt. Gene

The tuna in OO in the 'foil" packets contains not much oil. . Mixed with the rice..it adds needed moisture...in water it is too hard to swallow...needs some fat of some sort. . If not worried about calories, it is fine to use the yellowfin in oil. Some say more nutritious in water and it has a lot to do with the fact that nutrients are lost as the oil is drained off.. But I am not draining that small amount of oil. Even with the rice, it is still a fairly low cal lunch. Unless I am doing something with the tuna that will add flavor and a bit of "grease" I don't normally choose the foil packet with water.

Last week was a mess as far as fueling my body, They re-scheduled the installation of the furnace and I had workmen inside and outside the house for four days ... all day long.

It seemed like every time I turned around there was a workman in my way and every project morphed into a PROJECT instead of a task.

I managed to get a decent breakfast with a workman in the kitchen, but then the rest of the day fell apart. I did grab fruit and veggies when I thought of it, but I didn't drink enough water and I didn't get enough calories during the day for the work I was doing and at night, I was so tired, I didn't even finish eating what I fixed for dinner. Everything I ate last week tasted like cardboard. I simply did not want to eat.

By Friday, my body was in full protest mode. I was almost fainting with hunger, but I still did not want to eat. Go figure. It's the first time I wished I had a stash of cookies or protein bars around just to get something in my body.

Gene you had mentioned in another thread when I said I was not an imaginative cook something about not learning from our mothers when we were young and I blamed my inability to meal plan on long work days. I've thought about that a lot since then. Actually, the foods I grew up on are no longer considered to be healthy foods. Many of the things recommended today were never included in our diet.

So learning how to plan and have everything available is a bit awkward at this stage. I am getting there, but rather than go back to old habits, it's like I don't eat. Not good.

Last week is a perfect example of how I can set myself up for failure.

Thank you for the suggestions. I just came back from errands. I bought veggies to roast for dinner. I don't know what I will have with them.

I just had a hard boiled egg and an apple. Now, I have to go sweep the standing water off of my deck.

I'll check back.

Celery and peanut butter is a good one also. I have a coworker who will snack on carrots and grapes. He likes them especially when it's hot outside since it helps him cool down some.

I forgot about celery and peanut butter..that is a good one too.

This is store bought...but I get a great kale and cranberry salad with a hot asian dressing ..I find that a little heat goes a long way towards hunger control.

I keep frozen grapes in the freezer and frozen melon ... great snacks ..

Seems like I just need to plan better. Guess nothing would have helped much last week. It was just total chaos.

Thank you for all of the tips.

Yes, frozen grapes are cool. Gene

This is a very simple thing but I started cooking my brown rice in the oven rather than on the stove-top and find it to be so much easier. The rice turns out much better in both taste and texture, too.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/rec...

I don't boil the butter and salt. It seems silly to make an extra dirty dish, so I just boil the water in a tea kettle and add the rice, salt, butter, and boiling water to the baking dish and stir. If I want the rice a little stickier in texture, then I use a 2:1 ratio of water to rice. I've used a small amount (maybe half) of E.V. olive oil instead of the butter, too, and it was fine.

I usually get Brown Jasmine Rice or Brown Basmati Rice which is much tastier than plain brown. Yum!

I will try that!