Healthy Snacks

Crunchy Artichoke Hearts    8 canned artichokes 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1/2 lemon juiced 1 pinch red pepper flakes  salt to taste  freshly ground black pepper to taste Preheat oven to 400° F. Remove the outer leaves of the artichoke and peel the stem with a vegetable peeler. Cut the artichokes in quarters and trim about half an inch off the tips with a knife or kitchen shears. Place the artichokes on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, a generous amount of salt and black pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes until they are golden brown and crispy on the edges, tossing a few times throughout. Sprinkle with a bit more salt after removing from oven.

Chili-Lime Roasted Chickpeas   2 15-ounce cans chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed and blotted dry 3 to 4 tsp chili powder 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp lime juice 3/4 tsp sea salt 1 to 2 tsp cumin Pinch of dried herbs of your choice or chopped fresh cilantro 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it with cooking spray. 2. Spread chickpeas out in a single layer over the foil. Once oven is preheated, bake chickpeas for 45-50 minutes, stirring and flipping every 15 minutes or so. 3. Near the end of the chickpeas’ cooking time, combine oil, chili powder, lime juice, sea salt, and cumin in a medium bowl. Start with a low amount of the chili powder and cumin and then add more to taste. Whisk to mix. 4. When chickpeas are done, let them cool for just a minute before pouring them into the oil mixture. Stir to coat all the chickpeas well. Eat immediately, or store in an airtight container (after cooling completely) to eat later.

Crunchy Fire Lentils   1/2 cup canned lentils 1/2 tbsp olive oil 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp red chili pepper flakes 1 tsp chili powder salt, to taste pepper, to taste Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss lentils with all ingredients. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Spread lentils on top in a single layer. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Stir or shake once or twice midway through cooking. Then bake for another 12-15 minutes, until fully crunchy. (Keep an eye on them during the last few minutes so as not to burn.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let cool before serving or storing in an airtight container.

Cauliflower Kettle Corn   1 small/medium head cauliflower, cut into small florets 2 tbsp coconut oil, liquid 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/2 tsp cinnamon Heat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, stir together cauliflower, oil and spices. Transfer to a baking sheet and spread in a single layer. Make sure the cauliflower pieces aren't too crowded on the baking sheet or they will steam instead of roasting. Roast, stir or shake once or twice midway through cooking, until golden brown or tender, about 35 minutes. Serve hot.

Kale Chips   1 bunch organic kale 1 tbsp olive oil, or olive-oil spray sea salt Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Rinse and pat kale leaves dry. Remove leafy part from stem and rip into chip-size pieces. If using olive oil: put all leaves into a bag, drizzle the olive oil into the bag, add seasonings and shake. Arrange on cookie sheet. If using olive-oil spray, simply arrange kale on cookie sheet, lightly spray all the "chips" and season with salt. Bake for 10 minutes. Watch carefully that they do not burn. As soon as the edges turn brown, they are done and ready to enjoy!

Squash Chips   1 squash, sliced very thin 1 tbsp olive oil, or olive-oil spray sea salt Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a rack over a baking sheet. Spray the rack with some olive oil. Arrange the squash slices in a single layer on the rack. Let sit for 10-15 minutes. Blot dry with a paper towel. Coat in olive oil. Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Before serving, bake again for a few minutes at 350 degrees F to make them really crunchy.

Almond Butter Greek Yogurt Dip   1 1/4- cup Greek yogurt 3 tbsp almond butter 2 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp cinnamon Throw everything into a food processor or whisk well in a large bowl. Refrigerate and serve with sliced apples, bananas, celery, carrots, grapes, crackers, graham crackers, pretzels, etc.

Quinoa Almond Butter Balls 1/2 cup almond butter 1 cup puffed quinoa 1 tsp vanilla extract Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix together. The mixture is hard to roll into balls so pop it in the fridge for 20 minutes until it's firm. When ready, line a container with baking paper and using a spoon to measure, roll into little balls.