Summertime snacks!

 

With so much fresh produce available, it’s a fun task to find additional ways to use them.  The benefits of eating more veggies are numerous - here are my favourite 2 reasons:  

 

FIBRE - Fibre from plants is super for digestion, removing toxins, feeding good gut bacteria and has been shown to be a huge benefit to health in general.  Bonus is that they help to naturally lower cholesterol as well as lower blood sugar to help lower risk of diabetes and as well, it can relieve constipation.  Fibre also keeps us fuller longer.  Plants are the primary source of fibre in our diets, and most diets show to be too low in fibre.  Eat more plants and help your body’s processes naturally.

 

PHYTONUTRIENTS - Phyto means plants, so these types of nutrients can only be found in plants.  PubMed lists the benefits of phytonutrients (aka phytochemicals) to often have pharmacological effects and they are also how we get our natural teas, spices, and herbs.  Right from the PubMed abstract it states: A high dietary intake of phytochemicals with vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, and whole grain is associated with a reduced risk for cardiovascular and other diseases.

 

 

In the summer, when there seems to be so many more social activities and events where quick snacks and fun foods are more often the norm, I find chips and dips and such to show up often.  Usually these are the less healthy kind.

 

There are some simple and delicious alternatives to the store bought and fried chip options.

 

Have  you ever tried zucchini chips or apple chips?  I find that when I can create or purchase something that has that similar crunch of chips, I can pretty easily swap those, at least sometimes.  I mean, I do crave chips, and they are pretty addicting, so I insert other similar options whenever I can.

 

Zucchini chips are easy to make and so cheap as well.  I really like baked kale chips too and they are not too difficult to make, but backed zucchini and sweet potato chips are super simple.

 

Slice zucchini chips very thin as they have lots of moisture so the thinner the more crispy they will be.  A mandolin can come in handy here, but I just slice with a knife.  Spread the slices on a silicon sheet or parchment lined pan and place in the oven at 250 for about 1.5 hours, flipping every now and then.  You want to catch them before they brown/burn.  If you have a dehydrator, this is even easier as you set it and forget it.  I do not have one, so I use my oven and watch over them.  

 

Sweet potato chips are a similar process but are less moist so will crisp up a bit sooner.  You can google recipe ideas - just find recipes with 4 or more stars to make sure they turn out best.

 

What about a dip with those or any other crispy goodies?  A roasted beet dip is an incredible quick kick to your snack attack and is incredibly full of great nutrients!

 

Enjoy your week!

Lisa.

 

 

I am not sure if you want to include this recipe link or direct?

 

Here is the recipe that I enjoy - it is from: https://minimalistbaker.com/roasted-beet-hummus/

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

·         1 small roasted beet

·         1 15-oz. can cooked chickpeas (mostly drained // 1 can yields ~1 3/4 cup)

·         1 large lemon (zested)

·         1/2 large lemon (juiced)

·         1 healthy pinch salt and black pepper

·         2 large cloves garlic (minced)

·         2 heaping Tbsp tahini

·         1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1.       See roasting instructions here.

2.       Once your beet is cooled and peeled, quarter it and place it in your food processor. Blend until only small bits remain.

3.       Add remaining ingredients except for olive oil and blend until smooth.

4.       Drizzle in olive oil as the hummus is mixing.

5.       Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt, lemon juice, or olive oil if needed. If it’s too thick, add a bit of water.

6.       Will keep in the fridge for up to a week.