I brought my own snacks to the Harry Potter premiere last night, and I think it was a smart move.

By swapping

a large Coke

for

this Super Fruit Tea

I’ve managed to cut out the high fructose corn syrup completely and reduce my calorie intake by at least 150. As an added bonus, this super fruit tea provides 100% DV of both B12 and Vitamin C.

By trading

a medium buttered movie popcorn

for

these sea salt & black sesame wildrice crisps

I’ve successfully cut the fat in half  and added 12g of whole grain per serving!

By substituting

a box of Raisinets

with

this Iced Oatmeal Raisin Luna Bar

I’ve picked a snack with half the sugar and significant amounts of Vitamins A, B,C, E, and K. Did I mention there are also plenty of minerals and protein in this 70% organic bar?

The best part? These snacks cost a total of $6. Assuming the coke costs $4, the popcorn costs $5, and the raisinets cost $3 (and those are all very low estimates), I’ve totally halved the money I would’ve spent!

You guys have a great weekend. I’ll be at the beach next week with Kirby’s family, so I have another week of beach themed posts lined up!

Image Sources: Coke, Popcorn, Raisinets.

I love IBC Cream Soda just as much as the next girl, but you know what I don’t love?

These ingredients:

Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup And/Or Sugar, Natural And Artificial Flavors, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Caramel Color, Potassium Sorbate, Calcium Disodium EDTA.

Preservatives and high fructose corn syrup? No thanks. Oh, and caramel color? Why is that even necessary?!?

Needless to say, I was pretty excited when I found a recipe for Homemade Maple Cream Soda on Care2 that called for three simple ingredients: Sparkling Water, Maple Syrup, and Pure Vanilla Extract.  Pure maple syrup isn’t cheap, but it tastes so much better than Mrs. Butter-worth’s/Aunt Jemima (if you ask me), and it isn’t riddled with HFCS. If you’ve never had it, then I promise it’s worth the splurge. Everyone probably already has vanilla extract in their cabinet, and sparkling water sells for around three dollars for a 4 pack. Easy peasy!

The best part is that this soda is as delicious as it is easy to make! I won’t lie; I added an extra teaspoonful of maple syrup and didn’t regret it. It’s definitely reminiscent of IBC Cream Soda, but it’s less sweet in a way that is tasty and doesn’t make me feel bad about myself.

After taking Clementine for a walk in the park yesterday, I wanted nothing more than a large and delicious snow cone. I briefly considered picking one up on the way home, but a Styrofoam cup filled with high fructose corn syrup didn’t sound entirely appetizing. I decided to make my own using ingredients we had around our kitchen, and it was probably the best snacky decision I’ve made since my recent smoothie-related one.

I stuck to a few, simple ingredients, since my main goal was to achieve a healthier snow cone. Grape juice, Blood Orange Star Fruit Green Tea, and ice seemed like a tasty enough combination for my first attempt. The final product was a treat that was both refreshing and guilt-free, albeit a little tart.

I learned a few important lessons while making these snow cones, and I’ll put them to good use the next time I’m craving one:

• When using a food processor to make a homemade snow cone, it’s best to crush the ice by itself. Add the juice/tea mixture to the cups full of ice just before consuming to avoid a big mess.
• More juice and less tea is the way to go if the goal is a sweeter snow cone. It seems obvious because it is, but sometimes the obvious is still a mystery to me. Adding a little honey can only help matters.
• The longer you blend/crush/shave the ice, the better. Tinier ice makes a more authentic-tasting snow cone.
• Experimentation isn’t a bad thing. My next batch of snow cones will probably have completely different (but still healthy) ingredients. I’m thinking mango juice and/or coconut milk?

Happy Saint Patty’s Day, guys!

Nature's Path Flax Plus Pumpkin Raisin Crunch

I love Raisin Bran Crunch, but I do not love high fructose corn syrup (and I don’t even know what the hell modified corn starch is).  I recently finished a box of Flax Plus Pumpkin Raisin Crunch, and it’s comparable in taste but has much better ingredients.  The ingredients are organic organic organic, and who doesn’t love flax?! It keeps you regular, man.  I suggest trying it with rice milk.  It’s a winner.