I've been looking for new snacks that don't contain sugar (outside of fruit), flour, or are fried. Basically, I'd like to nosh on something that isn't chips or cookies, my weaknesses.
At the bulk foods bins, I came across these dried figs and filbert nuts. I first learned about figs when I was marathon training a few years ago. One of the runners in my training group was vegan, and she liked to nosh on figs because they were chewy and sweet. Figs are also fiber rich and are a good source of potassium, a mineral that helps to control blood pressure.
The Filbert aka Corylus Maxima is a species of the Hazel a fruit flower with nuts. I love hazelnuts as a salad or ice cream topping, and non-dairy milk made from hazelnuts makes for a tasty coffee creamer.
Filberts and hazelnuts are excellent sources of protein, minerals, and healthy mono-unsaturated fats. Dr. Oz recommends nuts as a good snack to help cut down overeating and leveling blood sugar so you don't crash and start over craving sweets.
