Snacks are essential for entertaining, but you don’t need to resort to potato chips and fat-laden dips. There are many delicious and nutritious snacks that are just as enjoyable and that pack a powerful, nutritional punch.
You don’t need to reserve these recipes just for entertaining. They can also make great mini meals.
Red Lentil Spread
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
3 cups vegetable broth
2 cups red lentils
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped (yields 1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
In a medium saucepan, add the broth, lentils, onion, garlic, and coriander and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a low simmer and cook for 25 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.
Remove the lentils from the heat, strain, and then chill in the refrigerator.
Once the lentils are cooled, place them in a blender and blend. Then add the sour cream, lime juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper, and blend until well combined, scraping down the sides of the blender, as needed.
Per serving: Calories 170 (From Fat 11); Fat 1g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 2mg; Sodium 429mg; Carbohydrate 29g (Dietary Fiber 7g); Protein 12g.
This spread works great on baked tortilla chips or whole-grain crackers.
Original Hummus
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Yield: 16 servings
Two 19-ounce cans chickpeas, drained but reserving 1/2 cup of the liquid
1/2 cup liquid from the chickpeas
1/4 cup tahini
6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, reserved liquid, tahini, and garlic and process until smooth.
Add the remaining ingredients and continue processing to evenly distribute the flavors.
Per serving: Calories 101 (From Fat 49); Fat 5g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 236mg; Carbohydrate 10g (Dietary Fiber 3g); Protein 4g.
For a super-spicy variation, do the following: Bump up the amount of pepper to 1 tablespoon and add 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 tablespoon chili powder, and 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes to the recipe.
If you don’t want to make the spicy version of this recipe, but you’d like to add additional flavor, consider adding any of the following to the recipe: 2 tablespoons horseradish, 2 tablespoons roasted red peppers, or 2 tablespoons pesto.
Garden Guacamole
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
2 ripe avocados
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1/2 red onion, finely minced
1 clove garlic, passed through a garlic press
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ripe tomato
Cut the avocados in half, remove the seeds, and scoop the avocado into a mixing bowl.
Mash the avocado, leaving it chunky. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the tomato, and mix until just combined. Don’t overmix.
Cover the guacamole so that plastic wrap directly skims its surface. (The goal is to prevent oxidation, which causes guacamole to turn an unpalatable brown color. Leaving an avocado pit in the bowl until serving also helps to reduce browning.) Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Just before serving, remove and discard the seeds and pulp from the tomato, and then chop the flesh, add it to the guacamole, and mix.
Per serving: Calories 104 (From Fat 76); Fat 8g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 162mg; Carbohydrate 8g (Dietary Fiber 5g); Protein 2g.
If you’re simply too tired to gather a bunch of ingredients to make guacamole, just slightly mash an avocado with a bit of salsa and enjoy. If you don’t have salsa, a little salt will do.
Frosty Yogurt Bowls
Preparation time: 2 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
2 cups plain low-fat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup frozen fruit or berries
1/4 cup orange juice
Blend all ingredients in a blender. To incorporate all ingredients, you may have to add additional juice, but add very slowly. If you add too much, you’ll end up with a smoothie and you’ll have to add more frozen fruit or yogurt to get a thicker consistency.
Pour into two bowls and add any desired optional toppings to your liking.
Per serving: Calories 287 (From Fat 43); Fat 5g (Saturated 3g); Cholesterol 17mg; Sodium 77mg; Carbohydrate 40g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 23g.
Before adding more juice, see if frozen fruit has gotten stuck on the blade. Shut the blender off, open the lid, and use a spatula to move the fruit and other contents around. Try to reblend. If blending is still an issue, add a drop more juice and try again.
Here are some ideas for toppings: chopped nuts, sliced fresh fruit, berries, granola, wheat germ, honey, dark chocolate chips, or crushed graham crackers.