More Snack Ideas

 

I've recently talked with some friends about what they wanted to see on my blog.  Almost everyone has asked for more quick, easy, on-the-go type snacks for themselves and more importantly their kids. I totally understand the need for something you can throw in your purse or diaper bag when you are flying out the door - this seems to be a common scenario at our house too.  Here are a few more ideas in addition to my previous snack post. 

 

My friend Ashley reminded me about Lara bars recently.  I love all their flavors and so do my kids.  They are all natural with fruit and nuts - no flour, sugar, or additives.  There are a few that do add chocolate chips, which has the tiniest amount of sugar, but I still think these are overall an okay choice because it's so minimal. 

 

One of my favorite places to shop has got to be Costco.  I can buy all kinds of great things there and snack items are no exception.  I buy these freeze dried fruit pouches in a huge box with lots of variety, like apples, bananas, strawberries, mangoes, pears, and cinnamon apples.  They have no added sugar and are easy to throw in lunch boxes or in your bag for a snack.  I also like to take some of these and cut them up to add to homemade granola - yum!

 

Another great Costco find are these all natural fruit leathers.  Talk about portable, they come individually wrapped and are so thin they can fit in any bag no matter how full.  Again, they are all fruit with no added refined sugar - can't beat that for kid pleasing and guilt free. 

 

My local Trader Joe's has these little cuties all portioned and prepackaged which makes them perfect for on-the-go.  I love nuts and all their health benefits.  My kids really enjoy these cashews and the almond variety too.  If you don't have a Trader Joe's, no problem - just buy raw nuts and portion them out into individual snack sized bags that are ready to grab anytime.  You could even do this with a nut medley too.  So good!

 

I really haven't wanted my kids to feel deprived and have to say to people "I'm not allowed to have that."  I want them to feel like regular kids, just more well informed, and as they get older I hope they will make the best food choices on their own.  However, not feeling different comes with finding good swaps for classic kids snacks, hence the juice box.  My kids flip for a juice box - really I don't see the incredible appeal, but for a special outing, I let them take a juice box with them.  I like these two brands in particular because they have no added sugar - a must if you are going to even buy juice boxes in the first place.  Another thing I like about them is they are super small and my kids already know that once they are finished, they can have either water or milk after that. 

I hope this helps to add a few more ideas to stock your pantry when you don't have a lot of time and also don't want to opt for something overly processed. 

Clean Chocolate Cake

This happens to be my favorite chocolate cake!  It has a very surprising ingredient and if you didn't know what it was, you would probably never guess.  This is a flourless cake, but has the consistency of a traditional fluffy crumb and is super moist due to ... black beans.  What?  I know, it sounds crazy, but this is a great swap for refined white flour in chocolate cakes and brownies.  You can use a can of unseasoned black beans (drained, rinsed, and pureed) for every cup of flour.  I found a similar recipe at LowCarbFriends and tweaked it to make it processed free for my family.  Trust me when I say you will never know the flour is gone - you won't miss it!

1 (15oz.) can unseasoned black beans
5 eggs
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. unsalted organic butter or coconut oil
1 to 1 1/4 cups sucanat or coconut sugar
6 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. water

Mint Chocolate version: 2 tsp. pure mint extract in place of the vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease a 9 inch round cake pan or an 8X8 inch pan with coconut oil.  Drain, rinse, and puree the black beans in a blender.  Add 3 of the eggs, vanilla, and salt and blend until everything is completely liquefied - no bean lumps.  In a separate bowl, mix the the cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder and set aside.  In a larger bowl, beat the butter/coconut oil with the sucanat/coconut sugar until well incorporated and fluffy.  Add the remaining 2 eggs beating each one at a time.  Add the bean mixture and beat together.  Finally, add the cocoa powder mix and water and beat on high for another minute until smooth.  Scrape batter into the pan and smooth out the top.  Bake for 40-45 minutes.  Cake will be done when it is firm to the touch.  Let the cake cool completely and then cover with plastic wrap.  If you want turn it out, wait 10 minutes after you take it out then flip it out onto a cooling rack.  For the best flavor, make this cake in the morning or let it sit overnight - it won't have even a hint of beans.  You can cut and stack this cake or make these into cupcakes instead.  Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

I purposely showed this without frosting because there are so many options.  I like a clean cream cheese, a clean chocolate, a clean version of a ganache or even an avocado frosting (I'm working on that recipe right now - it's almost perfected and ready to post.)  So frost how you want or eat as is with a scoop of clean ice cream (recipe here.)  I hope you love it as much as me and my family.


For cupcakes, fill these pretty full as they won't rise much.  You'll probably get anywhere between 15 to 18 cupcakes.  Bake for about 20 minutes.  You can also try using a hotter oven temperature and baking them for less time.  In theory, this should help them rise a bit more.

Better Broth

Many recipes call for chicken broth.  I really like to make my own and have it on hand in the freezer.  I pour it into ice cube trays that hold 2 Tbsp. each and then it is really easy to convert it for recipes, for example 2 cubes equals 1/4 cup.  But, if I run out and need chicken broth and don't have time to make my own, I really like this Imagine brand chicken broth.  They have stocks and broths that are regular or low sodium and made with organic ingredients.  It also boast that it's preservative free, has no MSG, not artificial ingredients and is cooked with meat from free range chickens.  Not bad for a packaged item.  This is my choice if I don't have homemade broth to cook with.  Give it a try.

Pumpkin Spinach and Chicken Sausage Pasta

 

I was waiting to get my haircut by my sister at her salon, and I happened upon a recipe in a magazine that incorporated pumpkin and spinach in a pasta dish.  I'm always looking to increase our veggie intake at every meal, so I took the overall idea and made it into a processed free pasta dish that is creamy and delicious.  You could easily make this vegetarian too just by eliminating the sausage.  Let's here it for the power of pumpkin!

 

2 cups (6 oz.) whole wheat pasta (ziti, rigatoni, penne, etc.)

1/2 a can of pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling - should have no sugar!)

1 Tbsp. whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp. garlic powder or 1-2 cloves of fresh garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

3/4 cup water

2/3 cup dry milk

2 fully cooked Italian-seasoned chicken sausage cut into 1/4 inch slices

2-3 cup baby spinach

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (real, not the green can)

 

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and grease a 2 quart baking dish with coconut oil.  Prepare your pasta to just slightly aldente (undercooked) and remember to add some salt to the water right before you add the pasta.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water and after the pasta is drained, return it to the cooking pot. 

 

Combine the pumpkin, flour, garlic powder, salt, and nutmeg in a skillet over medium heat.  In a separate container mix the water and dry milk until it's smooth.  Add 3/4 cup of this mixture and discard the rest (sorry about the waste of those 2 oz.) and slowly stir this into the pumpkin mixture until it has thickened and is smooth.  Combine this with the pasta, pasta water, and sliced sausage.  Spread half of this into your baking dish and top it with the spinach.  Add the remaining half of the pasta.  Place a piece of foil loosely on top and bake for 20 minutes.  Combine the mozzarella and Parmesan in a bowl and after the 20 minutes are up, remove the foil and sprinkle this on top.  Bake for another 5 minutes uncovered or until the cheese is melted.



 

 

This was creamy without any cream and full of veggies and whole grains.  My kids love pasta, so this recipe did double duty as a noodle dish and vegetable delivery system.  Score as a mom!

Lunch Meat

I've been on the search for a better kind of lunch meat.  Now, I have to admit, my very favorite in terms of being processed free is Applegate Farms brand, but they are a little hard to find and kind of pricey.  My second choice is this Hormel Natural Choice.  I can find it in the regular grocery store and it boasts that it has no nitrates or nitrites, no artificial ingredients, no MSG, no preservatives, the meat is raised without added hormones, and it's gluten free.  That is a whole lot better than most brands on the market.  If you can find and afford Applegate Farms then do it.  Otherwise, this is not a bad alternative.  

Vanilla Cinnamon Grapefruit Soda

My sister received a gift card to the restaurant True Foods and invited my mom and I to have lunch with her.  Their food is more healthy/natural with real ingredients made fresh.  While we were there we ordered this house-made grapefruit soda.  It was really refreshing and I couldn't get it out of my head even days later.  So, I decided to try and recreate it on my own.  Soda is not something I really drink anymore since going processed free, but making one at home is not that hard and I can control the sweetener.  What I liked about the one at the restaurant its that it had no added sugar.  How's that for a great soda alternative!  I'm sure that if anyone actually knows how they make it at True Foods they would say I'm doing it wrong, but I still like the result I got.  Here's what you need.

1 grapefruit (the more pink/red the better because they are naturally a little sweeter) I prefer Texas Red

cinnamon

pure vanilla extract

liquid vanilla stevia

sparkling water (this is not straight seltzer or mineral water - the ingredients should just say "carbonated water")

In a small sauce pan, add the juice and pulp from the grapefruit.  If you have a really large, juicy grapefruit then add anywhere from 3/4 tsp. to 1 tsp. of cinnamon.  If it's not that big or doesn't seem like that much juice, add only a 1/2 tsp.  Set this on the stove and bring to a boil.

After a minute it will really bubble and you'll have to stir it constantly for about 5 to 7 minutes.  You are wanting to reduce the liquid by half to concentrate the grapefruit flavor and infuse it with the cinnamon.

You'll know to turn off the heat when it looks like it's only half of what it used to be.  Here's what it looks like after being cooked down.

Now, you will pour the liquid through a strainer to remove the pulp.  I like to strain in into a measuring cup to see how much I've ended up with.  If it's around 1/4 cup, I add 1/2 tsp. of vanilla.  If it's more than that, I will add anywhere between 3/4 to 1 tsp. of vanilla.  The last time I made this I ended up with 1/2 cup of the strained liquid - it was a big, beautiful, juicy grapefruit, so it required more cinnamon and vanilla - about 1 tsp. of each.  Oh, and by the way, don't throw away the pulp - it's delicious.  I like to put the cinnamon grapefruit pulp spooned over some of my clean vanilla ice cream recipe - it is so good!

Once you've added the vanilla to the cinnamon and grapefruit mixture, you are done making your syrup.  Easy, right?  Refrigerate it for a few minutes to cool it down.  Now you are going to make your soda.  This all has to do with your own personal tastes, but here are the general ratios I use for mixing - add more or less of anything you want.  For every cup (8 oz.) of sparkling water, I add 2 to 3 tsp. of the syrup.  You can drink it this way, but I prefer it with anywhere from 2 to 4 drops of vanilla stevia per cup as well.  My husband and kids like a few more drops of stevia than that, so it's all about personal taste.  I like to have the sparkling water already chilled because the ice melts too quickly otherwise and waters it down too much. You can always add more of the syrup if this happens.  I hope you try this and like it - I really do!

Asparagus Basil Soup with Herbed Goat Cheese

I had the TV on in the background the other day while my son was taking his nap and I was cleaning up some of the toys.  Giada was showing how to make this asparagus soup, and it looked so good, I went out that afternoon and picked up all the ingredients.  We had it with our dinner and let me tell you, it was so delicious!  If you like asparagus, you will flip for how great this tastes and how fast it comes together.  I didn't really have to alter it either to make it processed free, so that was a bonus.  Here it is.

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (or use coconut oil, which might be my first choice)

1 leak (white and light green parts only) thinly sliced

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 lbs. fresh asparagus (trim the woody ends off and chop into 1 inch pieces)

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

4 oz. (1/2 cup) goat cheese

2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

Once you have cut your leaks, put them in a bowl of water and swish them around with your fingers.  This will clean them because they tend to be sandy and no one wants to eat that.  In a large pot, heat the butter or oil.  Add the leaks (not the water) and stir until they have softened - it will only take a few minutes.  Add the broth, asparagus and basil with a little salt and pepper.  Bring it to a boil then reduce it to a simmer and cook for another 15 minutes or so - you want the asparagus to be tender.  Use an immersion blender to blend it right in the pot until it's smooth.  I love my immersion blender and would never be without one!  You could also ladle in small batches into a blender and blend it that way too.  Then return it to the pot and keep it on low until you are ready to serve.  Don't forget to give it another taste to see if it needs anymore salt.

I mixed up the goat cheese, basil, and salt and pepper while it was simmering.  Just combine them in a small bowl and when the soup is done, scoop out a small spoonful and place the dollop in the middle each bowl of soup.  Giada used a cookie scoop and pre-scooped these, then put them in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.  Then she just grabbed one and placed it in the middle of the soup.  My thought was, I don't have time for that, so you get to scoop it yourself and add as much or as little as you want - don't complicate things. 

This was amazing, fresh, fast, and super healthy!  My husband raved about it and how fancy it looked.  I loved the added goat cheese and basil mixture, it gave it a great tang.  This will definitely be part of our regular dinner rotation when I can get asparagus on sale!  It made about 4 servings.

Green Machine Smoothie

This is a drink that I use for convenience when I don't have the time or ingredients to make a green smoothie.  What's great is that you can buy it in most grocery stores, although I get mine at Costco because it's bigger and costs less, and it's wonderful because it has no added sugar.  You can't say that for a lot of juices on the market.  Plus, if you read the ingredients, this is all you'll find: apples, bananas, kiwis,  mangoes, pineapple spirulina, chlorella, broccoli, spinach, blue green algae, odorless garlic, barley grass, wheat grass, ginger, and parsley.  I'm sure it's mostly fruit and a real "green" smoothie has mostly greens with some fruit, but it's way better than most alternatives.

You might be wondering how it tastes since it is green.  It tastes great!  When I drink it, I can pick out the pineapple most of all.  My kids don't love the color, so I started giving them this in a cup that has a lid and a hole to insert a straw.  If they can't see it, they absolutely devour it.  In fact, my two year old will ask for more and more refills unless I limit it to just one.  Give it a try.  You might be surprised at how good it is.

Whole Wheat Biscuit Pizzas

My kids are probably like all kids and love pizza.  Now, we do make a processed free pizza crust, but it takes a while because of the rise time.  So, when they want something faster (and me too) the perfect solution is using biscuit dough for the crust.  I can't tell you how fast this is and it's really easy for everyone to work with.  But, don't go out and buy a tube of refrigerator biscuits, make your own.  I promise it's even quicker than going to the store to buy some anyway.

2 1/4 cups whole wheat baking mix (found here)

2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix ingredients and roll out to about a 1/2 inch thickness. I like to roll them out on wax paper that I wet on one side to keep it from sliding on the counter, then sprinkle some whole wheat flour down and some on the top to keep it from sticking to the paper or your rolling pin. Cut out with a round biscuit cutter or upside down water glass. Place each of them on a piece of parchment that has been cut to fit - about 4 pieces on a cookie sheet. 



You can see below that 4 pieces of this parchment paper will fit on the cookie sheet to bake.  Sprinkle a bit more whole wheat flour on top of the biscuit and let your little ones roll them out further to make them pretty thin - don't worry, they puff back up when you bake them. 

Next, let them spread on some pizza sauce (I found mine right in the grocery store and I could pronounce every ingredient and it had no added sugar) and top with their favorite toppings.  I think this is every one's favorite part, including mine.  Some suggestions include: mozzarella, shredded zucchini, diced peppers, olives, mushrooms, pepperoni, parmesan, etc.  My favorite is little dollops of ricotta cheese!

Now you can transfer each pizza to a cookie sheet while still on the parchment and not ruin their masterpiece.  Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. 

My kids loved making their own pizzas and I love that they like to be involved with their food.  I will admit that adults will want at least 2 of these, but one is fine for younger kids.  You should be able to get about 8 biscuits from the recipe anyway, so plan on about 8 mini pizzas.  Happy pizza night!

Cocoa Nibs as Sprinkles

I have a new favorite "sprinkle" topping for chocolate or ice cream desserts - unsweetened cocoa nibs!  I recently had this at a natural foods restaurant and fell in love with them.  They look great and add an amazing crunch for texture. 

I found mine in the health food store in the bulk section.  They have a chocolate undertone with kind of a nut like quality.  Keep in mind that they are not sweet, but they go very well with a sweet dessert.  I'm showing them in these pictures with my clean vanilla ice cream (recipe here) and my chocolate chunk walnut zucchini muffins (recipe here.)  Let me just say, this was awesome!  And I didn't feel guilty about anything on my plate.  Looks really elegant, right?  Try these, I think you'll like them too.

Peanut Butter Protein Cookie Dough Balls

 

I've been trying to find some appealing snack options for my kids that change it up a bit and keep it healthy.  I found this peanut butter ball recipe (here) and knew I could remake it as a processed free recipe that my children would love.  And they do!  You only need to eat 2 or 3 of these for a snack or quick bite and they completely satisfy a sweet tooth craving.  Better yet, they are flourless and no-bake. 

1/2 cup all natural peanut butter (no sugar added)
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup oat bran
1 1/4 cup old fashioned oats (measure first, then grind in a food processor)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Mix together the peanut butter, applesauce, syrup, and vanilla until well blended.  Stir in the oat bran, ground oats and salt.  Finally, stir in the chocolate chips.  It should be a sticky, but firm consistency.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls. This will make between 22 and 24 balls.  Place the tray in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow them to get firm.  Store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

 

These absolutely taste like an oatmeal peanut butter cookie dough with chocolate chips.  You will feel like you're eating naughty cookie dough, but it's not.  If you have kids, they are going to love these and you didn't even have to bake anything! 

 

Sea Salt

 

Here is another quick and easy swap that we have made to be more processed free.  Our family has switched to using sea salt (fine crystals if I can find them) because regular salt is highly refined.  Table salt is made in such a way that the magnesium and other trace minerals are destroyed, as well as the natural iodine.  That has to be added back in as well as other stabilizers and bleaching agents.  Natural sea salt is dried by the sun which helps it to retain the natural iodine and minerals.  It usually has a bit of a stronger flavor than that of table salt, so you can use less of it.  It is also very alkalizing to the body since it hasn't been exposed to the high heat of refinement, so it helps in balancing an acidic body chemistry. 

I want to add that there is some controversy over the benefits, but I find that I still believe that reducing the amount of over processing food is beneficial to one's health and so I don't mind buying this instead of table salt.  There are some really tasty pink and black salts that have an incredible natural flavor that are worth buying.  I'm not too particular to a certain brand, but I like having the fine crystals so that they can dissolve more quickly when using them in recipes.  The course type can also make for a beautiful garnish on food (like homemade chocolates,) so have that on hand as well.

Basil Lemon Green Beans with Toasted Pine Nuts

 

Do you want a veggie on your table that you just can't get enough of?  Then this is the recipe for you.  Whenever I make these green beans, I notice that almost everyone goes back for seconds and I always seem to go back for thirds.  Not only is this processed free, but I start to crave these - they are that good.  In fact, I pretty much don't want green beans any other way.  This recipe is fast, delicious, and healthy!  I originally found this recipe here and only made a couple changes.  Yum!

10 oz. fresh green beans
3 Tbsp. pine nuts
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh basil
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt

Don't worry too much about getting the exact weight on the green beans, I typically have a little more than what the recipe calls for and it always turns out great.  Cook the green beans in rapidly boiling water for 6 minutes.  While they are cooking, combine the oil, lemon juice, basil, garlic, and salt in a small container with a lid and shake to incorporate and set aside.  Place the pine nuts in a small pan over medium-low heat and toast them for about 2 minutes.  Set these aside as well.  Once the green beans are done, drain them into a colander then rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking process and lock in the color.  Put them in a bowl, pour over you basil mixture and pine nuts and toss.  I think you're going to be surprised at how tasty these are. 

All Natural Peanut Butter

Here is probably the easiest swap you can make when going processed free - choose a better peanut butter!  I promise a natural PB will still be satisfying and you won't miss the added chemicals or sugar.  Plus, you can find this in the regular grocery store - no need to go out of your way.  My kids have never mentioned noticing a difference when I give this to them in sandwiches, as a side for dipping apples or celery, or even just as a straight spoonful.  How's that for not feeling deprived?  I am not particular about the brand.  You just have to read the ingredients and there should really only be two - peanuts and salt.  Absolutely no sugar!  Most of these peanut butters you have to stir once you open then store in the refrigerator, but I find that they don't really separate after that.  Try this out for sure because anywhere you can cut sugar is worth your good health.