

A large part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle is not only about the activities we do with our bodies but what we put in our bodies too. Keeping our bodies nourished between meals can take a little planning. When cravings hit, we might reach for our favorite sweet or salty snacks for a quick fix, which could leave us still looking for the fuel our bodies need to make it through the day.
Finding healthy snack alternatives is a delicate balance between feeling satisfied without the guilt of overindulgence. While it's important to make sure you're getting the right foods for your body, it's also okay to have a little fun with your meals and snacks, because eating shouldn’t leave us feeling intimidated or ashamed. Snacking on your favorite foods should be just as fun as incorporating physical activity into your day,
Discovering what fruits and veggies your body likes, gives you energy, and satisfies you is an act of self-care that keeps you motivated to hit your goals and give your body the love it deserves. To help you get to snacking and eating your colors, we’ve put together a list of fun and flavorful snack combinations that will kick your cravings to the curb.
1.Dates + Peanut Butter + Semi-Sweet Chocolate
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When you combine dates, peanut butter, and semi-sweet chocolate, you get a sweet and savory treat that is both filling and nutritious. Dates provide natural sweetness, along with peanut butter that adds protein and healthy fats, and the semi-sweet chocolate gives it a delicious chocolate flavor. This bite-size snack is best served frozen.
2.Tomatoes + Avocados + Lime
Tomatoes and avocados with lime juice is a snack combo that feels like a fiesta to your taste buds. Tomatoes are high in vitamin C and are a powerful antioxidant, with avocados providing a great source of healthy fats and fiber to keep you fuller for longer. Add a hint of lime to bring the snack together and enjoy with plantain or low-sodium tortilla chips.
3.Cucumbers + Carrots + Hummus
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This crunchy snack is one you won’t be able to put down. Cucumbers and carrots are low in calories, making them a great snack option for those who are watching their calorie intake. Hummus pairs perfectly with these veggies and can act as a delicious dip and savory spread.
4.Boiled Eggs + Everything Bagels Seasoning + Slice of Toast
No need to fear going over your bread intake when you have this tasty combo by your side. When combined, boiled eggs, a sprinkle of Everything Bagel seasoning, and a slice of whole-grain toast make for a well-rounded and balanced meal or snack.
5.Greek Yogurt + Berries + Granola
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Sweet, crunchy, and fruity, what else could you ask for in a snack? This delicious pairing is perfect when you're looking for a quick midday snack or breakfast option that’s versatile and easy to prepare.
6.Fresh Apple Slices + Almond Butter
Looking for a nutrient-rich treat? Apples and almond butter are always going to come through. With apples being a great source of fiber coupled with almond butter‘s packed-in protein and healthy fats, together you’ll have a nutrient-dense snack that will keep your tummy happy and body energized.
7.Green Smoothie + Almond/Cashews/Pistachios
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Take a sip (and bite) of the yummy snack. Green smoothies made with almonds, cashews, or pistachios can be a great way to start your day or provide a healthy energy boost. With this snack combo, you’ll be getting your dose of vitamins and iron in smoothie form along with bites of protein from your assortment of nuts. How can you lose?
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Aley Arion is a writer and digital storyteller from the South, currently living in sunny Los Angeles. Her site, yagirlaley.com, serves as a digital diary to document personal essays, cultural commentary, and her insights into the Black Millennial experience. Follow her at @yagirlaley on all platforms!
Eva Marcille On Starring In 'Jason’s Lyric Live' & Being An Audacious Black Woman
Eva Marcille has taken her talents to the stage. The model-turned-actress is starring in her first play, Jason’s Lyric Live alongside Allen Payne, K. Michelle, Treach, and others.
The play, produced by Je’Caryous Johnson, is an adaptation of the film, which starred Allen Payne as Jason and Jada Pinkett Smith as Lyric. Allen reprised his role as Jason for the play and Eva plays Lyric.
While speaking to xoNecole, Eva shares that she’s a lot like the beloved 1994 character in many ways. “Lyric is so me. She's the odd flower. A flower nonetheless, but definitely not a peony,” she tells us.
“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
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Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
But the mom of three isn’t the only one in the family who enjoys acting. Eva reveals her daughter Marley has also caught the acting bug.
“It is the most adorable thing you can ever see. She’s got a part in her school play. She's in her chorus, and she loves it,” she says. “I don't know if she loves it, because it's like, mommy does it, so maybe I should do it, but there is something about her.”
Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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Tracee Ellis Ross Is Still Living A 'Robust' Life Despite Sometimes Grieving Not Being Partnered
Tracee Ellis Ross sat down with former first lady Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson for their IMO podcast to have a candid discussion about dating, marriage, and family. At 52, the beloved actress is single, but is still open to finding her person. However, she realizes that she has to navigate dating differently, describing herself as a "unicorn."
“I’m a very unique sort of unicorn of a woman, so it's gonna take a unique person,” she explained. "And in the meantime, I've really learned how to live my life and enjoy it and not sit around waiting."
Calling herself a "choiceful woman," she has had to push against culture norms and found that many of her experiences with men around her age were challenging due to the toxic masculinity they had been raised in. Many of their views about relationships conflicts with how she lives her life, so she tends to date younger.
“It's not just that I'm older. I’m also very embodied. I am a full, very whole person who knows myself, who is in charge of my life and who lives a very full, just robust life," she said.
Regardless if they're younger or older, Tracee has made it clear that she isn't settling and won't be in a relationship for the sake of having a partner. Even when loneliness creeps.
“As much as grief does surface for me around not having children and not having a partner, I still wouldn’t want the wrong partner. At all, I’m not interested in that. You have to make my life better, it can’t just be ‘I’m in a relationship just to be in a relationship,” she said.
Fans have watched pieces of Tracee's life played out on social media and TV. Just one look at her Instagram, you see that the black-ish star lives her life to fullest and it's filled with fashion, family, and all-round fabulousness.
"Even though the grief does emerge, and that comes, and I hold that, I think of what I’ve done. I think I woke up every morning trying to do my best. I didn’t wake up one morning and be like I’m gonna mess this day up. So I must be where I’m supposed to be.”
She added, “And sometimes I think of all of the things I’ve done—the courage that I’ve had to have, what I had to learn to how to navigate as a single person with no one to hide behind. It's built a really beautiful experience around me and I have incredible friends."
The Black Mirror actress has spoken about dating before and has always stated that she doesn't allow singleness stop her from living her best life.
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