Healthy Munchies

I'm a muncher. I always have been. As a child, my mom always said I never changed my infant feeding schedule: six small meals every day. Weight Watchers has got me thinking more about really paying attention to meal times and what I'm eating during that meal. Really being present and in tuned to my body, especially at meal times, really works for me. Learning, listening if you will, to my body has stopped me from overeating many times.

But, I still like to munch. So, I've challenged myself to find munchies for inbetween meals that are zero to very low Points value. Edamame is one of those snacks. One cup of whole pods is only 1 Point (1/2 cup shelled beans is 2 Points). You don't eat the pods, but measuring out one cup of them looks like you're getting a huge serving, which I've found to be one of the secrets to feeling full. You sort of trick your mind that you're getting more than you are. This is a snack that involves a bit of work since you have to shell it, which also makes you slow down and not consume too much. (Although, I do remember some mindless edamame eating at a Japanese restaurant, but that's a whole other story!)

You can find edamame with the other frozen vegetables. Just boil for a couple of minutes, drain, and serve. I like them chilled or at room temperature, so just rinsing them with a little cool water gets them ready very quickly.

Happy Munching!