Doctor's Kitchen Monday: Chex Mix updated

The object of the game at Carriage Park Preventive Health Care is not so much to cut any food group out of the diet, as much as it is to get everything back into balance. And that includes snacking. When snacking, we all tend to lean heavily towards one of two ends of the teeter-totter: fat and salt or fat and sugar.  Personally, I like to stand in the middle and snack from both sides alternatingly until my hands and feet sweel up like balloons, but then that's just me, and I'm an overachiever of sorts.

Dr. Wells asked me to play around with the original Chex Mix recipe to bring it into a better carb balance using the new Special K with Protein cereal and I wanted to bring in a healthier, tastier mix of nuts than just peanuts that my mom used, not that I have anything against the lovely little peanut or its friendly fellow, butter.  With a few simple changes I kept the more complex carbs and upped the protein, and therefore the satiety level, making the snack a little more of a diet friendly haven for the upcoming food orgy season.

Chex/Special K Party Mix

3 Tbsp Smart Balance transfat free margarine

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbsp Soy sauce

2 tsp seasoning salt

3/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp ground cayenne

2 tsp brown sugar Splenda (or regular Splenda)

5 cups Wheat Chex cereal

5 cups Special K with Protein cereal

1 cup bite size pretzels, fat free

1 cup Planters Nut*rition heart healthy nut mix

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

2.  In microwaveable bowl or glass measuring cup, melt butter and seasonings and stir.  Combine cereals and nuts in large roasting pan.  Pour wet ingredients over and toss to coat. 

3.  Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  Cool. Store in plastic ziplock bag.

Makes 12 cups.  1 serving = 1/2 cup

Per serving: Calories 105; Protein 6; Carbs 13; Fat 3.

Compared to regular original Chex mix recipe:  Calories 140; Protein 3; Carbs 17; Fat 6.

Comments

[Jeff]

I'd go with the brown sugar splenda on mine please :)

[sher]

Yum!! I love things like this. I'm a salty crunchy gal. But, my ankles swell up too! :):)

[Glenna]

Jeff--and if you're not watching calories, I say forget Splenda either one and try sorghum. Yum!

Sher--I love stuff like that too. If you can get sugar, fat, and salt, all three in one snack, I'm there, baby!

[mimi]

Looks good — I wondered if there was a healthier Chex Mix option out there. Now if someone could only figure out a way to remove or reduce the sodium. . .

[Glenna]

Mimi--I agree. The salt is a problem but I guess it's hard to make any snack perfect. Well, unless we do fruit like we're supposed to! :-)