Snack Attack: Almond Butter Honey-Spiced Pear

Chris and I love Brazilian culture; one of the ultimate Brazilian eating experiences is the churrascaria, Brazilian barbecue. For a meat loving Texan (Chris, not me), guys walking around with beautifully prepared beef is food heaven. We don't go often, and every time we go I make the best resolution to not overeat, but I always leave way too full. I feel like I will never eat again! However, despite my best intentions, I find myself hungry again even within a few hours. So why is it that I can eat a huge meal and feel hungry again faster than I would like, and then on a better day, eat a light meal and stay full for hours? 

In a way, your stomach is like a balloon with sensors all over it. If you fill the balloon past its capacity, it stretches to make room. When it empties, the remaining balloon is more stretched out and in order to fill it again, you need to put the same amount in it otherwise it isn't full. Your stomach works much the same way except that unlike the balloon, it can shrink back to its original size. However, this can be hard to do because you will feel more hungry. Overeating can lead to more overeating. In this article, Dr. Geliebter and his research team studied a group of obese patients and their stomach size. He put a balloon in their stomachs and then filled it until the participant was uncomfortably full. The amount that filled their stomachs was roughly 4 cups of water. He then divided the groups; one group didn't change their diets and the other group changed to a low calorie diet.  After four weeks, he measured them again. The group that didn't change their diets still required 4 cups of water to fill full but the other group only required about 3 cups. That's a 25% difference!

Keeping your stomach at a stable size helps you to maintain good eating habits. Some "dieters" will skip meals or eat very small meals to save calories in order to have a big meal, but this is only a recipe for staying hungry and ultimately failing. Eating small, consistent meals throughout the day (5-6 meals a day) can help to keep your stomach size stable so that you don't hit hungry and overeat. Having a power snack is crucial; something light, full of protein and fiber can make a big difference in having a healthy diet.

Going back to the point of this blog, is it possible to snack happy and still be healthy? I thought about it all week long and wasn't sure I really had something that was divine until a I read an article on almond butter, one of my favs. I wanted something a little sweet and this one really hit the spot. Try it out and see if you like it too!

Almond Butter Honey-Spiced Pear

1-2 TB of almond butter (any nut butter would probably work but I prefer almond)
1 ripe sweet pear (like a D'anjou or Barlett)
1 tsp of honey
dash of cinnamon

Cut the pear in half lengthwise. Using a melon baller or spoon, scoop out the core. Fill the hole that you created with the almond butter. Put the honey in a microwaveable bowl and add the cinnamon to taste. Warm the honey so that it can be drizzled easily (maybe 10 seconds, don't over do it!). Drizzle on the pear and serve.

Honestly you can do without the honey and you will still enjoy the pear and almond butter, but the honey really takes it to the next level. I went to a class recently on honey and I have so many fun facts to share, so watch for the upcoming post! The honey that I used already had the cinnamon in it; the Cinnamon Whipped Honey is local, raw, and absolutely amazing! Click on this link to find it!

Thank you to everyone who shared this week!