With the school year beginning, one might neglect habits such as healthy eating and outdoor workouts and activities in order to prioritize academics. To help maintain a balanced lifestyle, here are some quick, low-calorie snack options that are easy to put together so you don’t have to reach for easily accessible saturated fats and packaged junk food.
Flawless Kale Chips
A combination of crisp and crunch makes this unbelievable recipe so tasty. For me, chips are a go-to snack but they don’t fit the bill of fulfilling any nutritional intake. Kale, is rated number one on the Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI). All those naysayers who say kale is overrated or bland can be proved wrong by this simple recipe, which is bound to ignite the taste buds of even the harshest critics.
Ingredients:
Approximately half a bunch of kale leaves
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
2 teaspoons of fine grain sea salt
1 teaspoon of cayenne (optional)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Remove leaves from stems and cut kale into whatever size you want the chips to be. Wash and spin leaves until thoroughly dry.
3. Add kale leaves to a large bowl. Massage oil and spices until the leaves are covered evenly.
4. Spread the kale out onto baking sheet in a single layer.
5. Bake for 10 minutes, flip the leaves, and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. The kale will look shrunken and firmer.
6. Sprinkle salt on the kale once taken out of the oven, and enjoy immediately!
Healthy Banana, Cranberry, and Berry Shake
We all like a good smoothie, and even though there are a few staple establishments that seem to do these refreshing beverages justice, it’s not always easy to know which ingredients to include. This shake is easy to make, the ingredients are clean, and no added sugar is needed.
Ingredients:
Ice cubes
1 cup of cranberry juice (no-sugar added cranberry juice rather than cranberry juice cocktail)
1 whole banana
1 cup of frozen fruit
Preparation:
1. In a blender, add ice cubes and cranberry juice.
2. Slice the banana and add to the blender.
3. Add the frozen berries.
4. Blend.
Greek Yogurt parfait
Loaded with over 15 grams of protein, this breakfast or mid-day snack is healthy and flavourful. Greek yogurt is a healthier alternative to any other yogurt available and the addition of berries and granola add a natural sweetness and crunch that is a must.
Ingredients:
1 serving of non-fat Greek yogurt (flavour optional)
2 tablespoons of pomegranate seeds
2 tablespoons of Granola
Preparation:
1. Place pomegranate seeds in bowl.
2. Spoon yogurt into bowl on top of pomegranate.
3. Sprinkle granola on top of yogurt.
Homemade Quinoa granola: QUInola
Jazz up your boring granola recipe with Quinola! It’s a healthier alternative that’s just as tasty.
Ingredients:
1.5 cups of raw, whole rolled oats (old fashioned oats)
1/2 cup of raw nuts, chopped (pecans or walnuts are best)
2-3 tablespoons of simple syrup, maple syrup, or raw honey
2 tablespoons of coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/4 cup of quinoa
1 large pinch of fine sea salt
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 300ºF.
2. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and spread in thin layer on baking sheet.
3. Bake for 10 minutes and let sit.
This recipe of can be kept for up to two weeks when stored properly in an air-tight container.
