Snack Attack: Kale Chips + Avocado Dip
With graduate school coming to a close, and constantly being
on the go, studying, making presentations, or actively working in the clinic, I
need to have good snacks on hand. If I didn’t, I would buy whatever is cheapest
and easiest at the Bastyr Bookstore or cafeteria. Luckily, usually what they
offer tends to be pretty healthy, but still not as easy on the wallet, nor as
fresh as if I made my very own. However, more often than not I can easily get
into a snack rut, making the snacks I bring (trail mix or an apple) just not as
interesting or flavorful as something else that may be offered on campus. So
even if I do think I ahead, I fall into my expensive habits.
Since snacks are vital to help get us from one meal to the
next, offering the needed energy to supply our constant demands, it is very
important that they are balanced. A great tip when preparing your daily snacks
is to think about whether it contains all three macronutrients protein, fat,
and carbohydrates. Protein and fat both help increase feelings of satiety as
well as manage our blood sugar throughout the day. Carbohydrates on the other
hand are the preferred fuel source for the brain, making sure we can think our
way through the day with a clear mind. When we limit carbohydrates, we can
easily feel fatigued, have brain fog, and or feel mentally slow and forgetful.
Secondly, using whole food ingredients in your snack
increases the nutrient profile of your food. For instance what is the
difference between a peeled apple vs a whole apple? Obviously one has the peel
on, and one doesn’t. However, that single change alters the food drastically.
The peel contains most of the fiber found in the apple, specifically called
pectin (1), which is one of the reasons you may have heard “an apple a day keeps
the doctor away”. The fiber keeps your
gut and friendly bacteria healthy and helps support blood sugar (1). However, there is more to the jingle
than just the fiber. The peel and directly beneath the peel, is where most of
the wonderful phytochemicals, otherwise known as bioactives, are found. Apples
for instance are touted for their large amounts of quercetin, a polyphenol
which has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties and slow carbohydrate
digestion (2,3). Depending on the color of the apple, its phytochemical make up will
be different, as each color is a different bioactive. Anthocyanins are
specifically responsible for the traditional red color of apples (2). So each
apple, is unique in its bioactive makeup. However, most importantly it is the
interaction of the fiber and the phytochemicals, that give the apple its
healthy slogan. If you want the benefits of an apple a day, keep the peel on.
Whole food is best!
Now that you have a few key points to keep in mind when
making your snacks, you are set to go! Some easy examples that combine both the
ideas of balancing snacks and using whole foods include the following:
Whole apple
with a nut butter (almond, cashew, sunflower)
Cottage
cheese and berries
Black Bean
chips with guacamole
Nut and
Date balls
Cheese and
whole wheat crackers
Brown rice
cake topped with mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, and basil
Hardboiled
egg and a banana
Three bean
salad
Ants on a
log (celery topped with nut butter and raisins)
Roasted
chickpeas and fruit
Power bread
topped with avocado and sprouts
As these are all great ideas, I have a couple recipes today
that you could try to make at home that may be even more exciting and special!
First off, I LOVE KALE CHIPS. Yet most of the time I do not
want to pay $6.99 for a small bag that I will eat in one sitting. Call me
cheap, but I just can’t afford that, especially not as a graduate student who
is sitting on loans. BUT I CAN MAKE THEM MYSELF. Not to mention they only cost
about $8 or less depending on current sales, for 6-8x the amount you get in a
bag. Besides that, kale chips taste amazing. They are bursting with a ton of
nutrients, much more than what you will find in your ordinary corn chip. In one
serving of my Cheezy Spiced Kale Chips, you will get 6g of plant protein, 6g of
healthy fats, and 10g of complex carbohydrates with 14% of your daily fiber
needs. Now just talking balance…this is great! All the wonderful little stuff,
like vitamins and minerals, not to mention also all those amazing bioactives,
are abundant. These kale chips are rich is calcium, iron, and B vitamins just
to name a few. They are truly food SUPERSTARS. Make them. Eat them. Share them…and repeat.
Another delicious snack that I just can’t get enough of is
this creamy avocado dip. Its super easy to make, takes very little time, and
you can make large batches. This is great for anyone who does not like to spend
much time in the kitchen. It’s a simple pureed dip filled with avocado, yogurt,
cilantro, and some spices. I put this stuff on sandwiches, wraps, and use it as
a salad dressing. But more often, I use it as a dip- whether it’s for my weekly
steamed artichoke, roasted broccoli, or for a snack at school with snap peas, cucumber, bell
pepper, and carrots. It is just super easy, and zesty! Also…just like the kale
chips, it offers many great nutrients to keep you happy and healthy.
And to keep you happy in the kitchen here is a great tune to match the sunny day vibe here in Seattle!
Cheezy Spiced Kale
Chips
Makes 8 servings
This recipe is for raw kale chips, using an Excalibur dehydrator.
However if you do not have a dehydrator there are easy steps to make them in
your oven.
INGREDIENTS
2 bunches of curly green kale (~8 leaves per bunch)
1/3 cup sundried tomatoes (not in oil)
1/3 cup cashew nuts
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1 medium zucchini, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
¼ cup water
DIRECTIONS
Place the sundried tomatoes into a small bowl, and cover
with fresh warm water. Allow to soak 1 hour. Place the cashews and sunflower
seeds together into a separate small bowl and cover with fresh warm water and
allow to soak 1 hour.
Meanwhile wash, devein, and tear the kale leaves into
chip-sized pieces. Shake free of excess water in a clean kitchen towel, and add
into an extra large bowl.
After the nuts and seeds have softened, strain of excess
water, and add to a large food processor. Add the tomatoes and their soak water
to the nuts. Continue to add the zucchini, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional
yeast, paprika, cayenne, sea salt, and fresh ground pepper. Process until
smooth. You may need to add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to get a
thick paste. The trick is not to have it too runny but also not too dry.
Pour the mixture over the kale leaves. Thoroughly mix the
mixture into the leaves, gently massaging it into each crevice. Evenly spread
out the leaves onto dehydrator trays, and dehydrates for 9 hours at 115
degrees. Store in an airtight container or bag to maintain optimal freshness
and crisp texture.
Note: If you do not
have a dehydrator you can also bake the kale chips in the oven at the lowest
temperature setting. Line trays with parchment paper and bake until crisp (2-4
hours) checking periodically and flipping them over. Each oven varies, so after
the first time you will know exactly how long it takes for you to make kale chips
in your oven.
Creamy Avocado Dip
Makes 8, ¼ cup
servings
You can easily cut this recipe in half…I just love to have a
lot around, otherwise I have to make a new batch every other day. Also if you
don’t like cilantro you can swap it out with any other herb you have on hand,
parsley and basil both work great! Also, the spices can be optional...simple is also super tasty!
INGREDIENTS
1 large avocado
1 cup whole milk plain yogurt
2 garlic clove
2 handfuls cilantro (destemmed)
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons organic seasoned rice vinegar
1-2 teaspoons honey
¼ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
Fresh ground pepper and sea salt to taste
DIRECTIONS
Add all the ingredients into a large food processor and
blend until smooth. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
3. AICR. Apples. http://www.aicr.org/foods-that-fight-cancer/apples.html#intro. Accessed June 6, 2014.
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