Mid-morning snack

One of my favourite morning snacks is a mix of dried fruit and nuts. I picked my favourite dried fruits: cranberries, sultana raisins and papaya, and almonds which are packed with nutrition and have lower fat content than some nuts. I mix them in the following amounts:

1 tbsp raisins
1 tbsp cranberries
3 chunks papaya (approx 1/2 oz)
1 tbsp almonds (approx 8 nuts)

Sometimes I substitute extra cranberries or raisins for the papaya. These measurements provide about 200 calories. The dried fruit comes close to a serving size (1/4 cup) and account for about 120-125 calories and the concentrated natural sugars satisfy my sweet tooth. While the almonds account for about 80 calories -- 65% of those from fat -- they also provide calcium, potassium, vitamin E, and a dose of fibre. Some studies also suggest that almonds may help prevent colon cancer.

I pack them in snack-size resealable bags so I can grab one to toss in my lunch bag or in my purse on the way out. Obviously, this is not an "everyday" snack -- and I doubt many diet advocates would recommend this snack -- but it is a nice compromise of tasty versus horribly fattening (e.g. a fruit and nut muffin from the coffee shop which can range from a "low" of 350 calories to a high of over 600 calories!).