It’s Crunch Time

March 18, 2016
Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS

Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS

Award-winning nutritionist and New York Times bestselling author.

Healthy snacks that will satisfy your cravings.

As spring is getting into swing your mind may already be wondering to the next season – or more specifically, its wardrobe. A spring diet makes a summer body, and we all want to feel healthy and confident in our summer clothes.

It’s certainly a great time of year to “clean up” and for many of us that includes a little (or a lot) of tweaks to get our eating plans back in line after hibernation-induced winter indulgences.

Healthy foods are delicious, but it can still be hard cutting back and cutting out some of your not-so-slimming favorites. I often hear feedback that one of the most difficult snacks to give up are the crunchy ones, like crackers and chips.

I know we’re all visualizing the same aisle of the grocery store right now.

There’s something comforting about the crunch, but I have news for you – there are healthy, just as satisfying snack options! Here are a handful of my favorites to help you kick off a healthy season of snacking and succeeding.

The Healthy Crunch You Crave

Fruits and vegetables are the usual suspects to reach for when you want a healthy snack, but I often hear that crunching on them plain just doesn’t always do the trick to stop daydreaming about those salty snacks.

It’s time to get creative!

For a snack that feels fancy, but is so easy to make, simply slice up an apple and roll the slices in toasted flax. You may enjoy it just like that, but for those wanting a spicy kick, add cinnamon or cayenne to mix.

Another go-to of mine is flaxseed crackers. That’s right, crackers, and you can even make them at home.

You’ll need:

– Olive oil spray
– 1 cup Cold Milled Flax Seeds
– ½ cup vegetable broth
– 4 tsp All-Purpose Seasoning

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 275°F.
2. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients.
3. Add the broth and let sit for 1-2 minutes.
4. Stir the mixture with a fork until the seeds start sticking together, about 5 minutes.
5. Spoon the mixture onto a lined cookie sheet and cover with wax paper.
6. Using a rolling pin, or drinking glass, roll the mixture flat and out towards the edge of the cookie sheet; remove and discard the top wax paper.
7. Bake for 1 to 1½ hours, until crackers lift off the cookie sheet and crack apart easily.

I know you’re going to love them!

Jicama sticks are another flavorful, healthy crunch that require very little preparation. Just peel and slice 1 medium jicama and place in a bowl. Then toss with the juice of two limes and 1 teaspoon of cayenne, paprika, or chili powder.

Next, I have a health-friendly “pickle” recipe that can be eaten plain if you’re a pickle fanatic, or paired with a dinner menu. In a medium bowl, place 8 speared cucumbers and add 1 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 clove of minced garlic, 2 teaspoons of fresh dill, and a dash of turmeric. Next, cover and set in the fridge for six hours.

So delicious!

Finally, let’s “indulge” in chips! Yam chips, that is. Yum!

Here’s the recipe:

– 2 small yams, cut into 1/8-inch slices
– ½ teaspoon dried basil
– ½ teaspoon dried oregano
– ½ teaspoon onion powder

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a self-sealing plastic bag, place yam slices, herbs, and onion powder. Shake to coat.
3. Place the yams on a nonstick baking sheet sprayed with olive oil.
4. Bake for 45 minutes or until yam slices are slightly golden and crispy, making sure to turn at least once during the cooking process.
Note: Please keep a close eye on these, as they can burn.

Make crunch time a springboard for achieving your best body, ever – with plenty of fabulous fiber to take the lid off cravings and fill you up with no regrets!!

Related Articles and Podcasts

Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS, is an award-winning New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty books including The Fat Flush Plan series and her latest book, Radical Metabolism. She’s been rewriting the rules of nutrition for more than 40 years and is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the field of diet, detox and women’s health issues. 

For a FREE daily dose of tips and strategies for maintaining healthy weight, conquering insomnia, and much more…check out my Radical Health Tips.

I’d like to meet and greet you on my Facebook groups, so won’t you check us out at the Radical Metabolism RevolutionFat Flush Nation, or my Inner Circle!

10 Comments

  1. cis

    How healthy is it to cook flaxseed for such a long time?
    I would have thought its oils will be oxidised by the long coking.

    Reply
  2. Team ALG

    Hi Cis: Thanks for your question. Flaxseeds, unlike the oil, do not easily oxidize when baked. Baking at 275 is far below the 350 – 375 range in which the oil can more easily become rancid.

    Reply
  3. Elaine Therese Andrepont

    Great recipe for flax seed crackers. I was just needing this recipe. Have been eating them but wanted little to no added flavorings.

    Reply
  4. Karen

    These sound wonderful and just what is needed now. Please could you give the oven temperatures in UK measurements? I would really appreciate it! Thank you.

    Reply
    • Team ALG

      Karen: 275 F is equivalent to about 130 C.

      Reply
  5. Karen

    Many thanks for the swift response, Team ALG. Just leaving for the market now! Kind regards.

    Reply
  6. Sydney

    Hi Ann,
    Thank you for your articles.
    Would these crackers and the good oils to burn fat that you mentioned in another recent article be ok to take if you have high copper? I’m in the middle of nutrient/diet therapy to address my high copper.
    Also, is it normal for me to have a poorer memory and be anxious and very emotional as I go through treatment?
    Thanks so much in advance for your response.

    Reply
    • Team ALG

      Flax is a source of copper so you could substitute chia seeds which are much lower in copper to make the crackers. It is not uncommon to experience some of the symptoms of copper toxicity, as you are releasing copper during detox, such as poor memory, being anxious and emotional.

      Reply
  7. Anna Renee Ross

    Curious to know whether this recipe would work well in a food dehumidifier and if so, at what length of time would one “cook” these, or the chia seed crackers. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Team ALG

      I’m sure you could make the crackers in a dehydrator. You would need to consult the information with the dehydrator or a recipe book for the time. You could also experiment and see how long it takes for them to dry.

      Reply

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