Snacks | My Foodie Call | Page 3

Category: Snacks
- Chocolate Dipped Pretzels (healthy ones.)
  
  Posted at 8:00 pm by myfoodiecall
  
  Apr 5th
  Want to get your family to eat chia?
  
  Got a snack for you.
  
  Yes, these little guys are whole wheat. Yes, that’s dark chocolate, and yes those are chia seeds stuck on the ends.
  
  Have you ever made chocolate covered pretzels? So super easy. It is usually my go-to snack to bring in to Valentine’s Day parties at school. I use the long rods and I have always been slightly bugged that they do not make them whole wheat, whole grain or something slightly healthier than enriched wheat. What’s up with that?
  
  These guys. “Hey Utz, can I get a whole grain version please?”
  
  You can find whole wheat regular pretzels. It’s just super hard…I know Newman’s makes them.
  
  Or Trader Joes. They have these babies.
  
  …And they are actually whole wheat.
  
  So here is the snack. Whole Grain Pretzels sticks, 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate, and Chia Seeds.
  
  Let’s marry these three things, shall we?
  
  Melted chocolate.
  
  Chia seeds.
  
  Line them up and get to work.
  
  Dip, dip, and let them chill out for a bit on wax paper. That’s it. Told you it was easy.
  
  Healthy Chocolate Dipped Pretzels with Chia
  
  Ingredients
  - 1 bag Whole Grain Pretzels
  - 1-2 bars of the darkest chocolate you can find (get those antioxidants!)
  - Chia Seeds
  Directions
  
  1) Melt your chocolate bar down in a small bowl in the microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring in between (Don’t overdo the microwaving. Don’t want any burnt chocolate. That would be tragic :(. I always leave a tiny bit of chocolate unmelted and by the time I am ready for it, it is good to go)
  
  2) Dip your pretzels into the chocolate, about a third of the way up. (I also use a knife to help me spread it.)
  
  3) Dip the chocolate into the chia seeds.
  
  4) Lay the pretzels on the wax paper and allow to set. (You can speed up the process a bit if you put them on wax paper and then set in the fridge)
  
  I made a ton of these!
  
  Kids loved them, although my oldest complained about chia in her braces. #chiaproblems
  
  Enjoy!
  Posted in Snacks | Tagged chia, dark chocolate
- Green Smoothies for skeptics. Back in first grade.
  
  Posted at 8:00 pm by myfoodiecall
  
  Mar 16th
  It’s that time of year again. If you have known me for a while, you know that my “thing” for the last several years is to force my way into my kid’s’ class and bust out my basic green smoothie recipe for them.
  
  Making spinach drinks for a bunch of first graders? Can’t think of a better way to spend my Friday morning.
  
  Green smoothies have been around for years and really there are 1000 variations, but spinach seems to be the most versatile green to throw in so as not to alter the taste too much. The recipe here that I use seems to be the least “scary” recipe for some of the biggest skeptics, KIDS.
  
  Although there are plenty of closed-minded adults out there too. 🙂
  
  I began using this recipe years ago when I did the Green Smoothie Taste for the My Foodie Call family.Check it out how we decided on this basic recipe.
  
  Gearing up.
  
  I explained about spinach and its nutritional components. Every time that I have come in to class, I have picked a specific nutrient to focus on. For the green smoothie lesson, I focused on spinach and fiber. I told that it was nature’s toothbrush for their intestines. They think I’m weird.
  
  We got to work.
  
  We peeled, measured, and poured.
  
  Although some kids were horrified, one boy had no problem stuffing in extra piles of spinach.
  
  Where the magic happens.
  
  Love when a blender gets 1st grade encouragement. These kids did not disappoint.
  
  Such a vibrant green. Love it.
  
  Empty. The Green Smoothie test yields excellent results.
  
  Lots of cheers and thumbs ups. Can we keep them this age?
  
  Green smoothies are important for pretty obvious reasons. A veggie in your drink? Duh, healthy. But what’s more important is that when put in a blender, the spinach leaves are just flat-out pulverized. This action really helps break down the cell walls of the spinach and makes these micronutrients more available to your body. I guarantee none of us are chewing our spinach near as much as we should.
  
  Get blending.
  
  Super Basic Green Smoothie
  
  (perfect for those that either fear spinach or are convinced that it doesn’t belong in their orange juice)
  - 3 cups organic spinach
  - 12-16 oz orange juice
  - 1 banana
  - 2 cups frozen peaches (or frozen pineapple)
  Blend until smooth. Add a fancy straw. Or at least a bendy one.
  Posted in Snacks | Tagged banana, spinach
- Dark Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter
  
  Posted at 8:00 pm by myfoodiecall
  
  Mar 14th
  I am a nut butter addict.
  
  Have you tried making peanut butter yet? Seriously, it’s super easy. You just need a food processor.
  
  Do you have one?
  
  If you are just starting your health journey, BUY ONE.
  
  Invaluable. Seriously.
  
  If you have a food processor, but it’s up in the cupboards sandwiched between your ice cream maker, gravy boat, and champagne flutes you never use, dust it off and make this basic peanut butter recipe.
  
  After the basic PB recipe, try this 2 ingredient Dark Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter variation.
  
  Organic peanuts meet 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate. A match made in nut butter heaven.
  
  Whir it up. The PB how-to is in the link above. Easy. Then you just add your chocolate chunks and pulse 5 or 6 times to your desired “chunkiness”. 🙂
  
  Make sure you PULSE not process so that some, not all of the chocolate is incorporated.
  
  Using dark chocolate makes it a-okay in my book.
  
  Dark Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter
  - 3 cups organic peanuts
  - 1 bar of Dark Chocolate (I used a bar of 1.65 oz 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate. Remember, the higher percentage, the better!)
  1) Process peanuts until smooth, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
  
  2) Add dark chocolate and pulse 5-10 times (as desired.)
  
  Cute jar right? Love the wide mouth jars.
  Posted in Snacks | Tagged dark chocolate, nuts, peanut butter
- Make friends with…Medjool dates (and Cocoa Cookie Dough Balls)
  
  Posted at 8:00 pm by myfoodiecall
  
  Mar 6th
  
  There is a reason they are called nature’s candy. If you have a sweet tooth, make these your
  new BFF.
  
  What’s up with dates? Are they healthy? Isn’t there too much sugar?
  
  Yes, there is a decent amount of sugar, but don’t fear, it is naturally occuring. Nothing added. Worth noting: The high fiber content will help slow the bodies blood sugar response. Score.
  
  Speaking of naturally occuring sugars, same goes for bananas and carrots. I can’t stand when people are afraid of their high sugar content. Yes, bananas are high in fruit sugar, but let’s just stop it.
  
  Seriously. Let’s just stop.
  
  Bananas, Carrots and DATES are fruits and vegetables, not a can of Coke.
  
  Bakc to my Medjools. In addition to the fiber, they also have B Vitamins, Copper, and Potassium.
  
  Why Medjool Dates VS. other dates?
  
  Medjools, are the largest, sweetest, and softest of all dates. Because of these traits, they make a great addition to many desserts and raw foods’ recipes. I make many raw dessert balls, but the ones pictured below were one of the first dessert balls that I have ever made and still make time and time again.
  
  Here is a good recipe to get you started on your Medjool Date journey.
  
  From Dreena Burton’s Let Them Eat Vegan!
  
  My crew loves these.
  
  Cocoa Cookie Dough Balls
  
  Makes 18 to 20 dough balls
  
  Ingredients:
  1 cup raw almonds (see note for nut-free option)
  1 cup + 4 TBS rolled oats
  1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  2 cup pitted medjool dates
  1/2 cup raisins
  1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  4 TBS dark chocolate chips
  
  In a food processor, process the almonds until fine and crumbly. Then add remaining ingredients (except the optional chocolate chips) and process. Once the mixture starts to become crumbly, process fully for a minute or two. It will appear as if nothing is happening at first, that the mixture is just whirring around in crumbs, but soon it will start to become sticky. When you see it start to become a little sticky, add the chocolate chips and process again. Continue to process until it forms a ball on the blade. Stop the machine and remove the dough.
  
  Take small coops of the dough (1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons in size) and roll in your hand. Repeat until you have rolled all of the dough.
  
  I usually keep some in the fridge and some in the freezer, but they do not last too long in either. :/.
  
  Posted in Desserts, Make friends with..., Snacks | Tagged almonds, dates, oats
- Thoughts on Granola… (and an Almond Chia Granola recipe)
  
  Posted at 8:00 pm by myfoodiecall
  
  Mar 4th
  Granola done light.
  
  Recently I was asked if I had a good granola recipe to use as a yogurt topper. Hmm, this takes some thought. For myself, this can sort of turn into a lengthy conversation because honestly??
  
  I am not the biggest advocate for granola.
  
  I used to make granola all of the time, but now kind of steer clear of it. Why?
  
  Gobs of sugar.
  
  While there are plenty of low-fat options out there, most of these have too much sugar and hardly make the benefits of granola worth it. Why do people feel like granola is healthy? Well, look at the nickname that earthy-type eaters are given: “Granola”.
  
  “Oh, she’s so Granola….”
  
  This nickname implies to a person that lives off the land, wears Birkenstocks and is the picture of health, right?
  
  But in reality, granola is just not that good for you. Too much sugar. The health benes from granola are really in the oats and nuts, so why not just eat those? It is in fact these same oats and nuts that provide the fiber that consumers are searching for.
  
  Fiber= good. Loads of sugar=bad.
  
  Again, not worth it.
  
  It is for this reason that I tend to lean towards straight up “cereal” as a topping for yogurts. For example, good old-fashioned Cheerios, has 3 grams fiber and only 1 gram of sugar for a whole cup (and 100 calories). Yes, Cheerios can be a tad boring,but still, you get a whole cup of it.
  
  If you do want to go the granola route, this is what I sometimes will buy.
  
  Yes it is low in sugar, but here is the deal.
  
  4 grams of sugar, 120 calories for ONLY 1/4 cup.
  
  Translation. BARELY ANY. So it is up to you which you would prefer. 8 oz of Cheerios (1 gram sugar) on top of your yogurt or 2 oz of Bare Naked Granola (4 grams sugar).
  
  For me? I am all about quantity. I’d rather eat more.
  
  This granola question did get me motivated to make granola again. I did sliced almonds, sunflower seeds, and CHIA (of course). And I think it turned out pretty good, if you want to give it a shot too.
  
  Check it out.
  
  Here is my dry ingredients.
  
  And the wet.
  
  Mix the two.
  
  Spread on a prepared baking sheet. Bake. Make your house smell crazy good.
  
  Top it. A low-sugar granola.
  
  Low-Sugar Almond Chia Granola
  - 3 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
  - 1 cups of sliced almonds
  - 1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds (optional: food processor them for less crunch)
  - 2 Tablespoons chia seeds
  - 2 Tablespoons of cinnamon
  - 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
  - 1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla
  - 3/4 cups of no-sugar-added applesauce
  - 2 tablespoons honey
  Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
  2. Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
  3. Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
  4. Add wet ingredients to the dry and blend.
  5. Add a teaspoon or two of coconut oil if it seems a bit too dry.
  6. Spread the granola on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
  7. Bake the granola in the oven for 45 minutes, mixing up the granola blend every ten minutes.
  8. Taking baking sheet out, lower heat to 200.
  9. Drizzle 1 tablespoon honey over the top and stir.
  10. Bake for another 25 minutes, stirring midway.
  11. When you’re done, let the granola cool before storing.
  12. You could add raisins or cranberries to the mixture when cooled, but if you are truly trying to follow a low-sugar diet, you should skip it because it is good stuff that way it is!
  Granola done light.
  Posted in Breakfast, Desserts, Random stuff, Snacks | Tagged almonds, chia, oats, sunflower seeds
← Older posts

Newer posts →
- You missed a call?
- Categories
- Want an email whenever I post?
  
  Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
  
  Email Address: