Recipe: Oven-Baked Kale Chips

They may not be potato chips, but they’re a close second. These crispy and nutrition-packed chips are sure to be gobbled up quickly!

If you're looking for a Vegan for vegetarian snack, this super-simple recipe provides a healthy alternative you can make from scratch at home in just minutes.

Oven-Baked Kale Chips

Ingredients:

One bunch fresh organic kale cut in bite-sized pieces
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 325 F.  Wash the kale thoroughly and rip it up into bite sized pieces, discarding the stems.
• In a large bowl, toss kale in olive oil, salt and pepper. You can get creative with the seasonings, if you’d like, and try things like garlic powder, curry powder, or other options. 
• Spread the leaves on a large baking sheet, being careful not to overlap the pieces. Bake for about 20 minutes or until they’re crispy. 
• Enjoy right away, or cool and store in an air-tight container for later.

Recipe: Simple Healthy Hummus

Happy New Year!

After all the holiday feasts, sometimes it's nice to have a simple New Year's meal without too much fuss. Or maybe you don't really feel like eating much at all - maybe just the perfect snack is all you're looking for. Something like hummus is just right in this case - tasty, filling but not heavy, and full of fresh flavors and healthy fiber. Try this easy home-made version for a snack or light lunch today - just pair it with raw vegetables, pita chips, or whole-grain bread, and take a break from all the holiday excess!

Simple Healthy Hummus
(Makes about 2 cups.)

Ingredients:

hummus-plate (Photo credit: serenejournal)

1 (15 oz size) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp salt
pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 cup water (more or less depending on texture you want)
1 Tbsp olive oil (more or less depending on texture you want)
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

• In your food processor, combine the garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and cayenne. Turn on and pulse until mixture is fairly smooth.
• Start processor running steady and slowly pour in the water, stopping motor to test the texture, then adding more water if you like.
• Again, with motor running, slowly pour in the olive oil, adding more if you like.
• Stop processor, taste and adjust seasonings, pulse and repeat taste testing until you have it the way you like it.
• Add the parsley and pulse a few times.
• Spoon out into a bowl and serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate. (If you refrigerate, let the hummus sit out at room temperature a few minutes before serving - it tastes better when it's not too chilled.)
• Can be served as a dip, spread, or just eaten with a spoon!

Easy & Delicious Midnight Snack Ideas for New Year's Eve

Whether you are relaxing at home tomorrow evening waiting for the ball to drop, or entertaining friends to bring in the New Year, you'll probably want something to munch on, and I’m sure something easy and quick is the first thing on your mind.  You don’t want to be standing over the stove cooking something, nor do you want to polish off a bag of chips and cookies or a full meal and go to bed stuffed at 1:00am.  You want to have a few tasty snacks on hand, and get  to bed after the festivities with a satisfied, happy tummy, but without the guilt of  eating tons of unhealthy food.  Let's take a look at a few quick snacks that are delicious and not too heavy or filling.

Cheese and Crackers

Cheddar cheese from Bravo Farms, Traver, California (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is actually a favorite at any time of day, but because of the ease of putting this snack together, we can put it in the favorite 'late night' category - perfect for New Year's Eve snacking.  Read the labels when you buy to find cheeses that are healthier, but still delicious.  Cream cheese, string cheese, and specialty cheeses like goat cheese can satisfy your snacking needs easily and provide a quick way to serve up a special New Year's Eve snack.  Also stock up on good, multi-grain and whole wheat crackers, and maybe some olives.  A refrigerator full of a variety of cheeses and a cupboard full of boxes of good crackers plus a small plate of olives may be all you need for your late-night snacking this holiday.

Dressed Apple Slices

You can keep apples handy at all times and just bite into them for a healthy, super-quick snack.  Or, you can perk up this humble treat to satisfy your cravings even better.  Enjoy this snack in a variety of ways, including spreading peanut butter on each slice, adding a dash of cinnamon to add a new level of flavor, or eat with yogurt or caramel dip.  A surprisingly delicious and healthy snack that you might not think about right away is apples with cheese.  A slice of apple topped with a sliver of good Cheddar cheese is a delight that will satisfy your cravings on several levels.  The crunchy sweetness of the apple pairs with the satisfying fat and saltiness of the cheese to make this a healthier, filling midnight snack - and your guests will enjoy the change of pace.

Popcorn Perfection

A bowl of popcorn will always satisfy the biggest cravings, and it's a perfect snack while watching New Year's Eve festivities on TV.  It only takes a few minutes in the microwave to produce a perfect bowl of popcorn.  But, be sure to watch out for very sugary or salty popcorn products.  Choose the simplest popcorn you can find (plain is best), then add the ingredients you can grab quickly that are still the healthiest.  A sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese, Cajun seasoning, pumpkin pie spices, cinnamon, or even a touch of brown sugar will result in a healthier version than the pre-flavored variety.  It's quick, easy, and still on the healthier side.

Room for Jell-O

If you prefer sugary treats, midnight snacking can be especially difficult.  There aren't too many things that satisfy a sweet tooth without being a bad choice for a diet.  Instead of digging into that bag of cookies or leftover Halloween candy, try a sweet treat that is not loaded with calories and fat.  A gelatin treat satisfies a sweet tooth without guilt.  Keep a big bowl of Jell-O or Jiggler snacks in the refrigerator and enjoy.  Look for a variety of flavors and recipes to create new gelatin treats, and make them in small cup sizes to share with the guests - especially if there are kids in the mix.

Selection of sweet and hearty pretzels. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pub Pretzels

If you enjoy pretzels and dip at your favorite eatery, it only makes sense to find a way to bring them home for your midnight snack attack. (Get a few different shapes to mix things up a  bit if entertaining.) Surprisingly, pretzels are a low fat snack.  Compare the label on most pretzels with regular potato chips and you'll be amazed how much healthier they are.  But, you want the whole snacking experience to be enjoyable, right down to the dip.  Stay away from the pre-packaged cheese and bean dips which are loaded with sugar.  Instead, create a quick blend of mustard and yogurt for a healthier dipping choice.  Reduced-fat cream cheese with added seasonings is another option to create a pretzel and dip snack experience comparable to any pub, and provide variety for your New Year's Eve festivities.

Delightful Dipped Veggies

Eating a handful of celery sticks is not exactly what we crave for a snack, but again, it's about taking a quick snack and making it delicious without destroying your diet in the process.  Keep a bag of fresh, ready-to-eat vegetables in your refrigerator.  The fun part comes with creating and pairing some exciting, but still healthier, dips.  For some unusual choices, try smashing capers into cream cheese and filling celery sticks, or mix coarse ground mustard into Greek yogurt for a spicy dip for carrots or broccoli.  Put a variety of herbs into a food processor along with Parmesan cheese, yogurt, or cream cheese.  Black beans and salsa blended together makes an incredibly flavorful dip for a variety of veggies.  I like sour cream mixed with yogurt and Cajun seasoning, with a dash of garlic powder or cayenne pepper - it makes a great, simple veggie dip. Experiment until you create a nice selection of dips to keep your New Year's munchies both interesting, and healthy.

Whether you have a sweet tooth or crave salty snacks for your midnight snacking this New Year's Eve, you can be sure to find lots of ways to satisfy your cravings quickly, deliciously, and on the healthier side.  Don't fall into the trap of just setting out pre-made bags of fatty junk foods, saturated in sugar or sodium, when you can create snacks that are so much better for you... and tastier, too!

Healthy Snacks for the Whole Family

Eating healthy is not just for adults, but everyone. Even if one person needs to lose weight in a family, the entire group can benefit from eating a bit better. Here are some ideas for healthy snacks for the family.

Image via WikipediaSnacking is necessary. Many think that snacking is what kills your diet and ruins all of your hard work, but that is not the truth. In fact, many eating plans encourage snacking.

Eating three meals a day is a thing of the past. When you eat several small meals each day, your metabolism is stoked all day and you burn more calories. More calories burned equals more weight lost.

Snacks play an integral part in this equation. By eating a little something mid-morning and mid-afternoon, you keep the hunger at bay. If you can get out ahead of those hunger pains, they you will always feel satisfied and never deprived.

Snacking helps to curb overeating. If you ate breakfast at nine and are waiting until one o’clock for lunch, you will be mighty hungry by the time you get to eat. Having a small snack in between helps you to eat less at lunch because you aren’t as hungry. You can portion sizes better than if you were ravenous.

Healthy Snack Ideas

Here are some healthy snack ideas that you can buy or make at home to satisfy everyone’s needs.

* Veggies and dip – This is a snack that you can chomp on while watching the basketball play-offs or a scary movie. Choose your favorite raw vegetables and use fat free veggie dip or even hummus to add flavor to your snack.

Image via Wikipedia* Fruit – Fruit is a great idea. For one, it helps to curb the sweet tooth with its natural sweetness. Eating whole fruit also provides more fiber for your diet. Fiber keeps you feeling full and satisfied longer than eating a candy bar for a snack. If you want, invest in a food dehydrator and create easy-to-carry dried fruit snacks to eat whenever you need a boost.

* Boiled eggs – They are not just for breakfast. Carry a couple with you on a long trip or car ride. They are packed with protein. Protein at every meal, particularly breakfast, will fight the cravings better than anything.

* Trail Mix – Make this at home and carry it anywhere. Store bought is okay but it can contain extra calories or ingredients that you don’t like. Homemade trail mix only contains what you like, so you know what's in it and can control fat and sugar content. Fix enough for a week at a time and store. Try peanuts, granola, dried fruit, raisins, almonds, dark chocolate pieces and various types of nuts and seeds.

* Granola Bars -- These can be tasty and filling, but they can also be filled with a lot of sugar. While most are better than candy bars, if you do want to grab a granola bar for convenience, instead try one of the newer whole food bars. These will keep you full longer, without all the added sugar and oils. Try the Larabar - a whole food bar containing nothing but dried fruit and nuts - they're delicious, healthy, and easy to eat on the run. 

The simplest snacks are sometimes the best. It doesn’t take much to fill you up and keep you going between meals. Snacking healthy can benefit the whole family.