A No-Fat Snack for Movie Night!

I\’m a movie junkie, and if you\’re trying to eat right, you know what a horrible trap this can be.

It\’s difficult to think of relaxing on the couch, remote in hand, without pizza and popcorn and chocolate and butter and oil and fat, OH MY!

Figuring out an appropriate snack for movie nights can be a chore, but not impossible. Here are a few suggestions I\’ve enjoyed over the last few months.

I\’ve already filled you in on my new favorite vegan ice cream. I\’m actually going to enjoy this rare delight tonight, along with a movie or several tv episodes…I can\’t decide which. This stuff is amazingly good…so delicious, even. Hee hee.

It\’s hard to imagine movie night without popcorn, though. My problem, however, is that getting GOOD popcorn means I need to pop the corn in olive oil, drizzle it in butter, and then add my favorite seasoning.

You guys see Dr. Esselstyn shaking his head behind me, right? I\’m not seeing things? Mmkay.

Because I can\’t have oil, I\’ve had to go the route of air-popped popcorn. This can be pretty good, but not only is the product a little chewier than the original, it\’s tough to get it seasoned without the butter.

Let me say here again, were this someone like the Happy Herbivore, you would be receiving life-altering information. However, my four faithful readers, you have me…so when you say, \”I could\’ve figured that out myself, genius,\” you\’re only hurting me on the inside. Boo boos of the heart, if you will.

Anyway…the problem with air-popped corn is the lack of adhesion, obviously. So, the remedy is…you know…WET things. Get yourself a small spray bottle and add your favorite liquid. Be sure, however, to set the sprayer to MIST rather than STREAM. Drenched popcorn isn\’t the most appetizing movie food. Spray lightly and sparingly!

Sometimes I\’ll just use water, which works as well as anything. However, if I want a Southwest flavored popcorn, I might use some lime juice and then season with Chili Powder and Cumin. If you\’re looking for something sweet, try some Stevia drops in water and then season with Cinnamon. Feel free to experiment and share your combinations.

Lastly, I\’ve become a fan of the snack sandwich. These can take on various forms, but my favorite has been the banana sandwich…which probably doesn\’t sound as good as it really is.

I get two slices of my favorite sprouted grain bread (usually Ezekiel Bread or Spelt Bread), and toast them lightly. Then I take a banana and slice it length-wise, adding the slices to the bread. Then I sprinkle the banana with cinnamon and then sprinkle with a little Turbinado Sugar or a light drizzle of pure maple syrup. Just enough to add that sweetness.

I know it doesn\’t sound like much, all told, but these snacks have seen me through SEVERAL rough patches…times when I would\’ve gladly raided a donut box or surrendered to a bag of Dorito\’s. It\’s always good to have a few standby snacks in your arsenal for the battles that will surely come.

And if they make it easier to stomach Kristin Stewart\’s performance in [fill in the blank], then isn\’t it worth it? I should think so.