It's been a while since I've done a Thursday's Tip post. I figured out that I don't have that many tips to share; I'm the one needing tips, so if you have any, for anything, do send them my way, okay?Here's today's tip... eat healthy and light when it comes to snacks and lunch. Put down the can of Pringles, the Keebler Double-Layer Chocolate Chip Cookies, the toffee-flavored nuts, the tortilla chips with salsa... well, you get
the idea(i'm sure you all have these items in your kitchen, as i do, right?), and get out the low fat cottage cheese, yogurt(i don't do the lite yogurt, it contains aspartame, which isn't good for you), fresh blueberries, and sunflower seeds(no shell), and get to mixin'. I put cottage cheese into a small bowl, followed by the blueberry yogurt, I then sprinkle sunflower seeds on top, along with some fresh blueberries. You can add a few no salt almonds(not pictured here) too, if you like; I do on occasion. Yum! I love the flavor combo and the texture. It's a healthy snack, or a yummy lunch since it's so filling, and you feel good about yourself after devouring it. Here is a new twist on bread spread. Toss out the Mayo, well, don't toss it, the man of the house may become slightly upset, trust me, but do put it way, way, WAY, back in the fridge, out of sight, and grab the low fat cottage cheese. Spread this on the bread instead of the Mayo. Turn on the broiler with the rack on the second level down, not the one closest to the 
upper cooking element, put two slices of bread, one with cottage cheese spread on it, the other bare, and broil for a minute or two, just until slightly brown, take out of oven, put on some fresh deli meat(i prefer chicken slices), and fresh deli Havarti cheese(or the cheese of your choice), that have been warmed in the microwave for about 20 seconds or so, and make into a sandwich, cut in half; it's so much nicer when cut in half, triangles, fourths, etc., add more cottage cheese and a pickle to your plate, and you have a light, healthy lunch. A hard boiled egg would be a nice addition to this light lunch. Another healthy and simple snack is multigrain crackers(that has flax) with hummus on top, in whatever flavor you desire(items are in the first pic above). I prefer regular and roasted red pepper hummus; the latter reminds me of bean dip, but I eat it without all the guilt that goes along with eating bean dip, and without all the 'gas'... ahem... moving on... Just spread some hummus onto a cracker, and voila... you have a quickie snack that happens to be healthy.I would have taken some pics of Caitie with the cottage cheese, but she's not fond of it... yet; I'm workin' on her. I think it's the texture she doesn't like; that's the main reason she doesn't like a lot of other food... but that's another post.
Happy, Healthy Eating! :)
