Add a little salt or other seasonings while the popcorn is still hot .
• Roasted chickpeas – Toss a drained can of garbanzo beans with your favorite seasonings and roast on a baking sheet at 450 ° for 30-40 minutes .
• Jerky – You can make your own at home by dehydrating marinated meats in the oven or smoker .
• Whole fruit with peels – Bananas and mandarin oranges are classic grab-and-go choices that require no prep work .
Pack a Little Cooler
It ’ s best to keep these foods chilled for safety and enjoyability . A lunchbox-style cooler with a reusable freezer pack should do the trick .
• Cheese and crackers – Pre-slice hard cheeses like sharp cheddar or Gouda to pair with whole grain crackers .
• Grapes – Snip grape stems into small , shareable bunches .
• Melon – Take toothpicks to share melon chunks or leave the rind on slices for easy handling .
• Hummus and veggies – Hummus is easy to make by blending canned garbanzo beans , olive oil , and lemon juice . Use celery sticks , carrots , or sliced peppers for scoops .
• Apple slices and nut butter – Put a little lemon on the sliced apples to ward away the brown oxidation .
• Guac and tortilla chips – Make guacamole at home with fresh avocados , minced red onion , and lime . Pack the dip air-tight for transport to prevent browning . Bake your own chips at home with corn tortillas , oil , and seasonings .
High-Energy Sweet Treats
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that 85 % of our daily food calories should be nutrientdense . That leaves 15 % for fun , including sweets . I recommend choosing recipes that offer nutrition along with the splurge . Use healthier ingredients like whole grains , and higher quality oils like walnut , avocado , or canola when you can . The internet is full of dessert recipes using whole fruit , like ripe bananas and dates , as sweeteners .
• Muffins – You can make these mini-sized for small bites . Use nutrient-packed ingredients like whole wheat flour , rolled oats , applesauce , bananas , blueberries , carrots , pumpkin , or zucchini . Add fun texture with nuts and seeds like walnuts , flax , and chia .
• Energy bites – These no-bake treats are packed with nutrient-dense calories for long play days . My favorite combo is oats , honey , dark chocolate chips , coco flour , flax seed , and nut butter .
• Fruit bars – Bake your own energy bars with ingredients you recognize , like fruits , nuts , seeds , and oats .
• Upgraded cookies – It ’ s a stretch to call any cookie healthy but by choosing recipes with oats , dried fruit , and nuts , you can feel a bit better about them .
All joking aside , there ’ s no better pairing than good food and pickleball . Even if you don ’ t bribe your way into that playgroup you envy , sharing snacks will drive 5.0 smiles all around . •
Spring Berry Bars
Ingredients : 1 lb . fresh berries like strawberries , blueberries , or raspberries , diced into ¼-inch chunks 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons cornstarch 1½ cups rolled oats 1 cup whole wheat flour ½ cup packed brown sugar ½ teaspoon salt ½ cup canola oil
Directions :
Stir together chopped fruit , lemon juice , cornstarch , and sugar in a medium bowl . Mix thoroughly and set aside . In another bowl combine oats , flour , brown sugar , and salt ; add oil and mix to coat dry ingredients . With a spatula , press two-thirds of the oat mixture evenly into an oiled 9 " x 12 " baking pan . Drain any liquid from the berry mixture and sprinkle fruit evenly onto pressed oats . Evenly spread remaining one-third of oat mixture on top ; press gently . Bake at 375 ° for 45 min . Press one more time while warm to compact bars . Let cool , then cut into squares . Enjoy !
Brandi Givens has been a registered dietitian since 2010 . Questions or comments can be posted to her blog at
brandigivensrd . com .
Brandi ’ s Kitchen
MARCH / APRIL 2023 | MAGAZINE 85