September 16, 2014

It’s not that you don’t want to eat healthfully, right? Learning about what’s healthy and finding the time to prepare healthy meals and snacks is a real challenge for most of us. Here, then, are some quick-fix snacks that your family will love and that take next-to-no-time to prepare.

by Tina Martini, The Medicine Chef  

On The Plate (above):

1Herbed Goat Cheese Spread on Milton’s Multi-Grain, Gluten Free Crackers
To make the spread you’ll need…

• 2 oz Goat cheese
• 1 1/2 tsps milk of your choice: unsweetened almond, goat, or hemp milk
• 1/3 cup heirloom tomatoes, seeds removed and diced
• Fresh chives, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything until smooth, working the veggies thoroughly into the cheese. Place in a sandwich bag and pipe onto crackers, after snipping off one corner of the bag.

2Chia Seed Yogurt
A quick and easy way to up your omega-3 intake, while getting the benefits of Greek yogurt.

3Nuts and Seeds
The fats present in all nuts have positive effects on our health that are still being discovered and explored by top researchers. There are such a great wealth of nuts and seeds that we can eat a variety very easily and in a surprising number of preparations. Raw nuts and seeds have the greatest nutritional value, but toasted nuts taste the best in most recipes.

Chef’s Hint:  The next time you want to make something with nuts, grab a small, lidded jar, a sheet pan and parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line the sheet pan with parchment and spread half the nuts on it and toast for 8-10 minutes. Pour the remaining raw nuts into the jar and set them aside. When the toasted nuts are done , pour them into the jar with the raw nuts. Close the lid and gently shake the jar, mixing raw and toasted nuts thoroughly. Wait a few minutes to for the toasted flavor to spread throughout. Voila! You have combined the benefits of raw nuts with the flavor of toasted nuts.

4Dried Fruits
Always a great choice, especially now that it is easy to find good quality dried fruit that doesn’t contain sulfites. Dried fruit nutrients are concentrated, due to the removal of water. They usually contain more phytonutrients, by weight, than their fresh counterparts. For free radical absorption, cherries rank highest in ORAC Values (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity), with wild blueberries a close second. You could also experiment with freeze dried fruit to add a crunchy, intense flavor to your snack plate. For a fun presentation, powder the freeze dried fruit and sprinkle it on the plate, then place other snacks on top.

5Phyte Bites
Small, bite size morsels that are perfect for pre or post workout enjoyment. Here are three of my favorite combinations, exclusively for you CheckitwithLeigh readers, because you’re special! They freeze well too, so you can always have some on hand. Play with new combinations of ingredients to create your very own signature Phyte Bite and share it in the comments!

Preparation (all combinations): Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Press a small piece together to be sure it is not too dry. Add more wet ingredients if mixture won’t hold together. Form into a ball, and press plastic wrap down onto the surface of the “dough.” Chill 30 minutes. When “dough” has rested, roll bite sized pieces into balls. Cover and chill until very firm. Store in an airtight container for up to three days, or freeze for up to thirty days.

1. Almond/Coconut Phyte Bite

• 1/3 c Almond Butter
• 1/3 c Quick Cooking Oats
• 1/3 c Coconut Flakes
• 1/3 c Mini Chocolate Chips
• 2 Tbls Chia Seeds
• 1/3 c Honey
• 1 Tbls Coconut Oil

2. Tahini Vegan Bite

• 1/3 c Tahini (Sesame Butter)
• 1/4 c Ground Flaxseed
• 1/4 c Cashews, chopped
• 2 Tbls Dried Cherries, Cranberries, or fruit of your choice
• 1 Tbls Nutritional Yeast
• 2 tsps Hemp Hearts
• 1/4 c Agave
• 2 Tbls Coconut Oil
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt

3. Peanut Butter Bite

• 1/2 c Peanut Butter
• 1/3 c Mini Chocolate Chips
• 1/3 c Quick Cook Oats
• 1/4 c Chopped Almonds
• 1 Tbls Ground Flaxseed
• 1 Tbls Chia Seeds
• 1/4 c Honey
• 1 Tbls Coconut Oil
• 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

If you read my post, Fueling Performance, you know that good fats help keep us hydrated, among their other benefits. The good fats in these Phyto Bites protect against moisture loss and the premature aging that goes along with it. Additionally, research shows that sesame seeds seem to have a healthy effect on our knees, making them more flexible. Science doesn’t yet understand exactly why sesame targets the knees, but the study shows it does! Chia, flax, cinnamon, honey and coconut oil all have health benefits such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. 

photo by Chef Tina Martini

 

Tags: gluten-free, goat cheese, guest blog, nuts, snacks, Tina Martini