Part of trying to live a healthy lifestyle is finding alternatives to ready-made snacks that are usually full of added sugars, preservatives, and unwanted chemicals. We have found some alternatives that have been “life-savers” when you are having one of those “craving moments.” Does anyone else love popcorn like we do?

Well, if you are reaching for the movie theater popcorn, beware. One large “buttered” popcorn at the typical movie theater contains about 1,220 calories, San Francisco Chronicle restaurant critic Michael Bauer reminds us, quoting a decade-old survey: “You would have to swim 162 minutes to burn off that popcorn—longer than your average motion picture.”

Oh, and don’t forget the fat content. A large popcorn has about 80 grams of fat, more than 50 ofDiet Trash them saturated. That’s almost three day’s worth of saturated fat, or what you’d get from six Big Macs! And that’s if you skip the “butter.” Succumb to the “butter” on your large popcorn and you’ll boost the fat to almost 130 grams, or two more days worth, plus four day’s worth of cholesterol. But what’s another two Big Macs when you’re already up to six?

I’m sure that’s not what you want to hear as we head into the weekend and you may be off to catch a new flick. And if you are thinking about sneaking microwave popcorn into the theater, be careful of which one you are choosing. Many types of loaded with butter and trans fat as well.

Our favorite thing to sneak into the theater (shh! Don’t tell anyone because we know you do it too!) is our homemade Sea Salted Kettle Corn. We cook it in Coconut Oil, a healthy fat, and only add sea salt. It’s delicious and you won’t even miss the butter. Try it out this weekend and let us know what you think! It only takes about 3-4 minutes to make…close to the same amount of cooking time as microwave popcorn but without all the unnecessary additives!

So we want to hear from you! What is your favorite snack to sneak into a theater?

Sea Salted Kettle Corn

• Coconut Oil: enough to cover the bottom of a large pot or kettle
• Popcorn kernels: enough to cover the bottom of a large pot or kettle
• Sea salt

Place large pot or kettle on a burner and turn on High. Put coconut oil into the bottom. Right after the oil has melted, cover the bottom of the pot with popcorn. Sea Salt all the kernels generously. Place lid on kettle. The lid will trap steam inside and help to pop the corn. Let sit for 1-2 minutes as the kernels begin to heat up and pop. Use two oven mitts or potholders, hold sides of kettle and slightly shake to agitate kernels at the bottom of the pot. This will prevent them from sticking and burning. Continue this until you hear the popcorn stop popping. Immediately remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Add more sea salt and stir through if needed. Enjoy your guiltless, chemical-free popcorn!!

This is a delicious treat that our oldest, Micaiah, loves to make and helped me create.  It has a sneaky ingredient that’s good for your brain. Can you guess what it is?  Hint, hing: Pop-Eye the Sailor Man loves to eat it!

Try these out with your kids and see what you think! They are flour-less (a huge plus for those with gluten issues!), have a healthy fat, and are packed with fiber and nutrients from the Spinach and flax meal!  These brownies also call for Shaklee Instant Protein to give you 23 amino acids in every bite!  We look for ways to sneak aminos into every dish…even dessert!

**The flour has been substituted with Shaklee Instant Protein

Micaiah’s Brainy Brownies

• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
• 2/3 cup agave
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups fresh spinach
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup flax meal
• 1/3 Shaklee Instant Protein Mix (may work with Shaklee Vanilla Protein as well)
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
• 1/2 chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

The easiest way to make these brownies is to put the melted oil, agave, eggs, vanilla, and spinach in a high powered blender until spinach is completely blended.

Next, add in dry ingredients and blend until smooth.  (If you double this recipe, which we like to do, double all the wet ingredients and spinach, blend in a blender, and then pour into a bowl and add dry ingredients and finish with a hand mixer. Our container will not hold all the wet and dry ingredients when it’s doubled!  We’ve made a few messes trying!)

Pour batter into lightly greased glass dish (8 x8 if single recipe, 9 x 13 if double).

Bake @ 350 for 10 minutes.  We like our brownies gooey, so cook them a bit longer if you prefer.  You know they are done if a toothpick inserted into the middle is clean (but we never like ours all the way clean! The gooey-er the better!).

Add in Chocolate chips and chopped almonds before baking for a even tastier treat!

If you make our brainy brownies, Micaiah would love to know if you like them!! Leave your comments below for her to see.

Eating healthy doesn’t have to taste terrible!  You can still have fun “treats” when you are trying to achieve your goal weight.  The key is just knowing the right ingredients to use and what things to stay away from.

One of our family favorites is icecream.  Isn’t that an American tradition?  Grab a bowl of icecream, curl up on the coach, and watch your favorite TV show in the evening?  I know this is a nightly habit for so many.

Instead of buying sugar filled icecream and going to bed on Carbohydrates (which signal the body you are getting ready to do something requiring energy…but rather you go to bed), swap it out for this protein-filled delicious soft serve alternative.  Your body will thank you as you go to sleep on a healthy fat (coconut milk) and easy to utilize protein (your body needs protein at night to repair and heal from the day, as well as to build more lean muscle).

This treat will help you keep your metabolism high by promoting the growth of lean muscle.

Vanilla Cinch Ice Cream

• 1 Can Coconut Milk (Canned is best because it is thick; find it with the Asian food)
• 1/2 cup almond milk or milk
• 3 scoops Vanilla Cinch Protein
• 1 tsp Vanilla flavor
• 2 Tbsp Agave or Raw honey; or splash of stevia
• 12-15 cubes of ice

Blend in a high powered blender (Vita Mix or BlendTech) for 30-60 seconds or until ices is crushed.  Serve immediately. Add more ice if it is not thick enough, but don’t over blend or it will turn soupy.