Snacks

Pumpkin seeds take the spotlight in Autumn, usually as a salty snack that bakes in the oven while the family carves Jack-o-lanterns at Halloween or prepares the filling for pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. It's a snack that deserves more attention, especially when you consider that the amount of zinc packed into a handful of pumpkin seeds qualifies it as one of the coveted "Superfoods," an extra-nutritious treat with health benefits. Pumpkin seeds are often salted, roasted and eaten like peanuts, but they can also be sweet, spicy or plain. The white shell of the pumpkin seed is edible, but hulled pumpkin seeds, also called pepitos, are a popular snack and cooking ingredient in Mexico. Cook up a batch of pumpkin seeds the next time you cut a pumpkin, or purchase gourmet pumpkin seeds online for healthy year-round snacking.

Whether you're planning a backyard barbecue, football tailgate or family celebration, the right party snacks and appetizers can help make the occasion. Fortunately, you've never had more more recipes to choose from when planning your party menu.

Snack mixes are great to have around the house in order to stave off in-between meal hunger attacks, but store bought brands, even the healthiest ones, are often heavy on preservatives, MSG, oils and other flavor enhancers. So why bother with that, when it's easy to make snack mix that's both healthy and tailored to your personal tastes?

The popularity of snack wraps is understandable: they're quick and easy to make, healthy and portable. Even picky eaters will usually eat them (even if you have to omit an ingredient or two), and they're a great way to use up leftovers such as cooked chicken or the last of the salad. While snack wraps are a good option for an after-school DIY snack for the kids, "snack" wraps also have a place at dinner time. Snack wrap recipes can be DIY at the dinner table for a sit down family meal, or can be wrapped up and taken along on those busier evenings when a sit-down dinner isn't in the cards. Here's a selection of five snack wrap recipes that make a meal:

Many of us are searching for great, easy, low carb snacks that fit in with a low carb or diabetic diet. Healthy snacks are an important part of daily meal planning, but what is a good option for low carb snacks on the run? Here are five low carb recipes that fit into any diet.