The Monday Morsel - TJ's Omega Trek Mix with Cranberries and Carob

Carob - a legume from the Ceratonia siliqua tree

Weekly Monday Report:

Pounds Lost = 0
Total pounds lost =8
# of Diet Cokes Consumed = 2
# of Times Exercised = 1 (maybe 2...does dancing all night at a club count?)

Yesterday's scale was much kinder.  For some reason, I was down 2 pounds yesterday compared to today.  The numbers would make you think I gorged myself on Sunday, but honestly I didn't!  Exercise-wise, not so great either, but I failed to actually schedule it in my calendar.  That seemed to work the week prior, so I'm going to attempt to do that again this week.  Although, with a sprained ankle, some exercise components may have to take a back seat for a bit.

The Eat.Live.Be. topic for this week is a "Healthy Grab-and-Go Snack".  I have so many, but my favorite at the moment is Trader Joe's Omega Trek Mix with Omega Fortified Cranberries.  It is scrumptious.  I realize any trail mix isn't necessarily low in calories, but just a handful is so filling, that it ties me over for a good amount of time.  The way the package comes, it includes almonds, walnuts, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), pecans, pistachios, and cranberries.  It's not all that heavy on the walnuts or pecans, but more so on the pepitas and pistachios.  Perfect for me...well, almost.

When I want to take it up a notch, I add carob chips.  Carob comes from an evergreen shrub and is a member of the pea family.  Carob chips are healthier than chocolate chips in that they have more dietary fiber and more protein.  In addition, they are higher in calcium, lower in fat, and high in potassium.  Carob has a lot of claims to fame, but I tend to wonder how much you need to eat in order to reap theses benefits:

• Improves digestion and lowers cholesterol levels in the blood
• Treats dirarrhea
• Does not contain caffiene, so better than chocolate for people with high blood pressure
• Regular consumption helps in the prevention of lung cancer
• Vitamin E in carob helps in treating cough, flu, and anemia
• Carob pod husks are chewed by singers to clear the voice and throat

If memory serves me correctly, I first encountered carob chips at a young age during a trip to our local frozen yogurt shop.  As for yogurt flavors, although I would try their latest and greatest, I routinely ended up with vanilla yogurt (I know, boring) and topped it with crunchy carob chips.  I've never been a huge chocolate fan.  Carob is like my own private, chocolate-like indulgence since I seem to be alone in my appreciation of carob.  The Omega Trek Mix is wonderful all on it's own, but to also satisfy a sweet tooth every now and then, the addition of carob is a perfect match.

Please join me and the other ELB bloggers on the journey to better health!

Sarah at Cucina Bella
Cate at Sweetnicks
Maris at In Good Taste
Chris at Mele Cotte
Faith at Bon Appetit
Kristen at Dine and Dish
Emily at The Anderson Crew
Joanne at Eats Well With Others
Casey at The Starnes Family
Patsy at Friends, Family and Food
Tri-Fit Mom at Tri-Fit Mom
Claire at Cooking is Medicine
Allison at Sweet Flours
Jen at NJ Epicurean
Jenna at Stop, Drop, and Blog
Rivki at Healthy Eating for Ordinary People
Sarah at Sarah’s Sweet Creations
Denise and Lenny at Chez Us