Greetings from my home office (which is also my kitchen table)!  It’s officially been my first day of working from home, and I’m already officially bored.  So, naturally I started doing some meal prep/snack prep for future days ahead of being locked in my house.  I figured I would write a quick post of everything in my fridge right now to help jump-start some ideas for your quarantine sessions as well.  We’ll get through this together, friends!

Healthy Snacks on Deck:

• Pickles!
  • I love a good pickle, and I’m sure you’ve all started noticing that I’m gaining some interest in learning more about pickling/canning and preserving foods.  We made a huge jar of pickles last summer that for some reason we never eat, so I finally busted into the jar and sliced up two cukes for the week.  I love pickles because they are salty, briny, can be sweet or spicy (ours have some heat).  In addition, they are generally very low calorie but pack big flavor.  I always used to eat them during finals weeks in college, so this snack is really bringing me back to the good old days.
• Roasted Carrots
  • Carrot sticks or raw baby carrots are great, but have you ever had a roasted carrot?  Today I sliced up about 5 giant carrots into rounds, tossed them in olive oil and salt, and roasted them at 350F for about an hour and a half while I wrote some reports.  They come out super sweet with all of their carrot flavor super concentrated, which I think is awesome.  Perfect for a snack with some seasoning (cumin, paprika work great) or even some ranch as a fun dipper.  In addition, these can serve as a great add-in to meals or a perfect, easy side.  Another low-calorie option, full of fiber and Vitamin A as well!
• Popcorn
  • I always have popcorn in my house, and to me it is the perfect snack.  I’m currently really into topping it with some nutritional yeast for that added umami factor, but I’ll go through phases where my toppings range from rosemary to Old Bay (I was born and raised in Maryland, your girl loves Old Bay).  Popcorn is another low-cal snack, especially if popped in an air-popper with no oil or butter.  But hey, add some butter and live a little – I won’t tell.
• Pineapple
  • Anyone else ever wander into a Walmart, see that pineapples are 2 for $4, and then feel compelled to buy 2 pineapples for themselves?  No, just me?  Here’s the thing – I don’t buy fresh pineapple that often, but having it in my life for the past week has been awesome.  It takes a little time to break down and chop up, but there is a ton of fruit in each pineapple, so I see it as a pretty economical purchase.  This fruit is also pretty versatile – use it as a base for salsa (delicious), top with Tajin or chili powder/lime for a savory vibe, add to smoothies, add to muffins/cakes.  The possibilities are endless, and pineapple freezes well if you’re over it before your supply ends.
• Mandarins/Citrus
  • The reason why we’re all hunkered down right now is because we’re all trying not to get sick or spread a sickness.  A worthy cause, which can be aided by the presence of fresh citrus fruits.  Although there are mixed findings around whether or not citrus fruits/Vitamin C actually help prevent sickness or help you recover from sickness faster, they are a great source of vitamins and antioxidants, which is enough for me.  My current roster is mandarins for snacking and ruby red grapefruits for juicing (mix the juice of one grapefruit with a teaspoon of sugar and top the glass off with some sparkling water for a fine spritz). 

In addition to all of this, I have plenty of greens, beans, and soup making materials on deck, so I hope to be posting more work-from-home recipes soon.  Maybe I’ll post another update soon with more fun snack ideas as time goes on.  Until then, stay safe and healthy out there, friends!

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