Raw Food Snacks Under 200 Calories

Hello Everyone . . . I've just returned from a long book tour on the California coast - for my new book "Raw Energy" - in which I gave many talks and raw food demonstrations at several independent book stores such as Warwick's in La Jolla and Copperfield's in Sebastopol. I also did a live television bit for San Diego Living and an internet video for www.organicauthority.com. My visit to the Real Goods store in Hopland allowed me to travel through wine country - which was extraordinarily green. Apparently, California has had quite a bit of rain thus the countryside looked more like the emerald hills of Ireland rather than the normally golden hills of California.

I have to recommend one restaurant, in particular, to those of you visiting San Diego . . . "Miguel's" in Point Loma. If it's a nice day, make sure to ask for a table on the second floor open-air porch! Miguel's offers true Mexican fare at its finest! If you enjoy shrimp ceviche, theirs is spectacular . . . delicate raw shrimp marinated in fresh lime juice and green chili sauce . . . superb - as is their taco salad.

The topic today is raw food snacks. To prevent weight gain and keep energy up and your mood and blood sugar stable, aim for two or three 150- to 250- calorie snacks per day, depending on your activity level. Here are some delicious energy bites and drinks all under 200 calories - they're all nutrient-dense and filling, plus there's no need to worry about consuming unhealthy fats or refined ingredients!

1. 2 small celery ribs, each stuffed with 1 tablespoon raw almond butter
2. 1 small apple and 1/4 cup raisins or currants
3. 10 to 15 raw almonds, hazelnuts, or pecans
4. small plate of carrot sticks, bell pepper strips, celery sticks, radishes, and cucumber slices with
1/3 cup guacamole dip
5. 2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries or berries drizzled with raw honey
6. 1 cup freshly made raw almond milk and 1 large dried fig
7. quick banana smoothie: 1/2 frozen banana blended with 1 cup fresh, raw almond milk and
dash of cinnamon or nutmeg powder
8. small handful of unsulfured, dried fruit: cherries, apples, apricots, pineapple, or mangoes
9. 8-ounce glass of fresh carrot or apple-ginger juice - put your juicer to work for your health!
10. 1/4 cup of your favorite raw trail mix
11. 2 or 3 small fresh fruit kabobs
12. half an avocado with a squeeze of lemon juice and sprinkling of sea salt & dried basil
13. 2 cups freshly made gazpacho
14. 1 tablespoon raw tahini (sesame seed butter) or raw almond butter and 1 tablespoon raw
honey swirled together


NOTE: The above article was written by Stephanie Tourles, lic. holistic esthetician, herbalist, nutritionist, author, and raw foods enthusiast. It was adapted from her latest book, Raw Energy, (Storey Publishing, 2009). The information is true and complete to the best of her knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of Ms. Tourles. She disclaims any liability in connection with the use of this information. It is for educational purposes only.