Tag Archives: snack

Kale Chips

17 Tuesday Sep 2013

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“Eww…kale!” you may say. Do not be fooled by this dark green, curly, spiky leaf! Kale is delicious. Even the most veggie-hating, meat munching person loves a nice big bag of salty, fatty potato chips; well, kale is the new potato! I make my kale chips by placing one cup of sliced kale leaves in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over the leaves and add some garlic salt on top. Toss the leaves to spread the oil and salt evenly. Place on a baking tray in the oven at 350° for 20 minutes. 

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Sliced, seasoned kale ready to be baked

kale, kale chips, garlic salt, olive oil, healthy snack
Arrange the kale evenly on the baking tray

Seriously, these kale chips will fool you. They crisp very nicely and they taste amazingly fresh. I naturally love the taste of green veggies, but even for the picky eater, baked kale with salt and oil is an incredible treat. At Trader Joe’s, a huge bag of Organic Tuscan Kale runs about $2.28 and will yield 4 servings kale chips. I challenge you to find a bag of potato chips that will nourish you and satisfy your snack craving for only $0.57. It is pre-sliced and very convenient for kale chips. You could also buy a head of kale and slice it yourself. 

Did you know?

Kale is marvelous. Grouped with other green vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, and brussels sprouts, kale is jam packed with vitamins and minerals. High in beta carotene, vitamins C and K, and calcium, kale also contains 2 grams of protein and dietary fiber per 1 cup serving. The anti-cancer properties of kale are simply mind-blowing. Indole-3-carbinol encourages DNA repair in cells and blocks the growth of cancer cells. Steaming kale actually increases the bile acid binding properties that lower cholesterol and decrease the absorption of fat. Baking kale actually alters a chemical in the green that affects the thyroid; people with hyperthyroidism can eat kale chips without a worry that their condition will be affected.

Put down the store bought, greasy, fried potato chips. Make your own delectable, healthy chip alternative with kale! 

Tofu Smoothie?

10 Tuesday Sep 2013

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You read that correctly. This post is about a tofu smoothie! At first, this idea of adding a coagulated, fermented, soy bean curd into a delicious, refreshing, sweet smoothie seems strange. Adding a layer of creamy thickness, the tofu in the smoothie will enhance the texture while also adding protein! 

Ingredients:

  • 6 oz. soft/silken tofu                  ($0.99)
  • 6 oz. coconut milk                     ($0.26)
  • 1 handful of baby spinach         ($0.12)
  • 1 whole organic banana            ($0.11)
  • 5 organic strawberries              ($0.43)
  • 2 tbsp. chia seeds                     ($0.32)

tofu, smoothie, tofu smoothie, soy, organic, snack, vegan, vegetarian, healthy
Colorful and tasty ingredients

Packed with protein and loaded with lots of vitamins, this tofu smoothie is quick and easy to make. Smoothies are a great addition to breakfast, but also taste great after dinner as a dessert. 


Did you know?

Chia seeds are the new thing. It seems every nutritionist or health nut is up in arms about all of the health benefits and amazing facts about this tiny little seed. They are all correct. Chia seeds are amazing. Salvia hispanica is a flowering plant in the mint family and is native to southern Mexico and Guatemala. Our word chia comes from the Nahuatl word for oily: chian. Seeds from this annual herb have been cultivated since the ancient times of Aztec civilization. The colors are muddled; some are black, others white, brown, or gray. The white seeds are more rare, only occurring once in every ten seeds. This has driven the demand for the white seeds up and they cost more than black chia seeds. Nutritionally, the seeds are the same, but our society values ridiculous rarity and aesthetics over common sense. 

chia flowers, chia seeds, chia
Chia flowers
chia seeds, chia, ancient aztec, aztec,
Ancient Aztec cultivating the chia plant

According to the USDA, nutrition facts for these power packed seeds are: one ounce (28 grams) contains 9 grams fat, 5 mg sodium, 11 grams dietary fiber, and 4 grams protein, and a long list of vitamins and minerals. Good for the heart and blood pressure, these seeds contain omega-3 long-chain fatty acids. Right about now, you are probably thinking you have heard of chia seeds before. You are correct. 
REMEMBER THESE?!?

Chia seeds from chia pets are indeed the same seeds that are now marketed as a super food. If only you had eaten those seeds back when you were growing Garfield, or Bart Simpson out of a clay pot with salvia hispanica.


Better Bruschetta

31 Saturday Aug 2013

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It is 2 PM. Your stomach rumbles, head spins, and eyelids droop. Sounds like it is time for a snack! Instead of grabbing a chemical filled energy drink or fully loaded cup of coffee, how about having a nutritious, savory slice of bruschetta. 

Fresh bruschetta with hummus and spinach

Ingredients:

  • 1 slice whole-grain bread             ($0.33)
  • 2 tbsp. roasted garlic hummus   ($0.35)
  • 1 handful of baby spinach            ($0.12)
  • 4 tbsp. bruschetta topping          ($0.50)

Preparation: 

Toast the bread until lightly brown. Spread the hummus on the bread. Top with baby spinach leaves and the bruschetta topping and devour like a wild herbivore. The bruschetta mix I used was store bought, containing tomatoes, onions, garlic and basil.

Ready in less than 5 minutes, this $1.30 snack is karmically and nutritiously better than any dollar menu item at any fast food joint. In the afternoons, caffeine is so very seductive. It tempts not only your neurotransmitters, but also your palate. Delicious coffee is delicious!  One cup of coffee in the morning keeps your mind focused, as well as reducing the risk of heart failure and Alzheimer’s disease. In the afternoon, your body has worked off the caffeine and tells you that you probably need another boost. Fill this with vitamins and nutrients instead. Your body will thank you later. 

Eating a vegan diet, the human body will need sustenance intermittently throughout the day due to the small amount of calories in such large amounts of food. Take a look at this chart from Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. 
The amount of calories it takes to fill up a human stomach with vegetables is about 400. For chicken, it is about 1,200! We can achieve that same, satisfied, full feeling on vegetables, and eat MORE! Eating small meals and snacks throughout the day is the best way to keep the body well nourished and functioning properly. This also keeps the metabolism on its toes and processing well into the later years of life.

Did you know?

The most commonly accepted pronunciation of bruschetta is not what you think. In Italian, the digraph is always pronounced /k/. ex.  [bru’sket:ta] 
Brusketta. Brushetta. Bruschketta. Bruschetta. VIVA L’ITALIA!