Bethenny Frankel talks healthy snacks for heart health

Snack out of it!

SheKnows caught up with Bethenny Frankel to get a few tips (and one great recipe) on healthy snacking for National Heart Health Month.

Bethenny Frankel wants us to “snack out of it” and stay healthy year-round, so what better time to kick off healthier eating habits than during National Heart Health Month? (February is also National Snack Food Month.) That’s why she’s teamed up with California Almonds for a Snack Talkin' campaign to share her secrets to snacking success.

Choices, choices

Snacking is important, but it’s also important to choose your snacks wisely.

“By choosing healthy snacks, you avoid overeating during meal times. Intentionally spoiling your appetite is a good thing as long as you make it with a good investment snack,” explains Frankel. She says your snack choice should be around 200 calories, include protein and not include too much sugar.

The good

California almonds are a natural, wholesome food, and Frankel joined with the Almond Board of California to help promote snacking success from coast-to-coast. Teaming up with them for this campaign makes sense.

“The whole goal of the Snack Talkin' campaign is to convey smart and healthy snacking,” she says. “It is a great relationship, since I’ve always said almonds are a great snack option. They’re a good source of fiber and protein, they are a whole, real food and they are satisfying."

What types of healthy snacks does she like? “Skinnygirl Daily On-the-Go nutrition bars are a healthy snack for women’s purses. Baggies of almonds or soybeans, hummus and wheat pretzels, or dark chocolate with almonds are great snacks, too,” she says.

The bad

Sometimes what we think is a good snacking solution really isn’t.

Frankel explains that “many of those 100-calorie snack packs are just smaller portions of junk food,” and recommends that people choose a snack with ingredients that you can pronounce.

The busy

No one can deny that Frankel is one busy lady. She’s a mother, businesswoman and even has a new talk show in the works. But if she can do it, you can do it. “It takes five minutes to make a healthy snack,” she declares. Along with eating almonds as-is for a snack, Frankel includes them in her cooking, too. “I incorporate almonds into recipes all the time. They are in things like my granola recipe, a green bean side dish, cookies and more,” she notes.

For an amazing snack that includes almonds, try Frankel’s granola recipe.

Bethenny Frankel’s homemade almond-berry granola

Ingredients:

• Vegetable oil
• 4 cups rolled cut oats
• 2 cups slivered almonds
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup maple syrup or agave nectar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, dried cherries or dried blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F and oil two large sheet pans.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, almonds and spices.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the warm water, maple syrup (or agave nectar) and vanilla.
4. Pour the syrup mixture over the nut mixture and stir to combine.
5. Spread the mixture onto the prepared sheet pans and bake about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to prevent burning, until the granola is crumbly and golden.
6. Remove from the oven and immediately stir in the dried fruit.
7. Cool and store refrigerated in an airtight container up to one month.

More heart-healthy Information

Natural ways women can prevent heart disease
5 Surprising heart attack symptoms in women
The Plan: Can healthy foods be bad for you?