Summer Snack Ideas
1 – Tea Eggs
In a small pot, boil 8 eggs for 10 minutes. Remove eggs from water with a slotted spoon, place them in a colander and run under cold water until cool enough to handle. With the back of a metal spoon, tap the eggs all over to crack the shells. Place the eggs back into the pot of water and add 2 Tbsp of Black Tea and 2 Tbsp of Wheat-free Tamari. Return the pot to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer for 1 hour. Peel eggs and serve either warm or cold.
2 – Quick Nori Rolls
Cook 1 cup of brown sushi rice in 2 cups of water, then allow rice to cool. Add 6 oz of cooked salmon (or your leftovers from whatever fish you grilled the night before), 1 carrot shredded, and ½ cucumber shredded to the rice and mix together. Cut 1 sheet of nori paper into quarters. Spread a small amount of rice mixture evenly across each square and roll up. Seal the end with a little water.
3 – Wraps
Start with sprouted grain tortillas (located in the freezer section), add your favorite filling:
Veggie Version:
Spread tortilla with a thin layer of cream cheese, add a sprig or two of fresh dill and fresh parsley, a handful of baby spinach(or your favorite greens), shredded carrots, sliced cucumbers, mung bean sprouts, half an avocado and the juice of half a lemon drizzled over the top. And roll it up.
Seafood version:
2 oz grilled seafood – your choice, salmon, halibut, shrimp, etc
½ tomato diced
½ avocado
¼ cucumber, sliced
Small handful of baby greens
Several sprigs of cilantro
Squeeze of lime juice
4 – Almonds with Braggs Aminos
You’ll find these in the bulk section of Whole Foods Market. These can be a great start to making your own trail mix – customize it with you and your family’s favorites. Doing it yourself means you also get to minimize or avoid the sugary elements that often go into trail mixes. Instead of chocolate pieces, choose your favorite dried fruits. Try something new to you – maybe pumpkin seeds or pine nuts. You can add your own flavors as well such as curry powder for a savory version, a little wasabi powder for those like it spicy, or a touch of cinnamon for its natural sweetness. Simply mix all of the nuts, seeds, and dried fruits together, sprinkle with your favorite seasoning, and toss with a very small amount of safflower oil (about 1 tsp per cup of trail mix.) Spread on a cookie sheet and place in a 250 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes.
5 – Beet Salad
4 medium beets, cut into wedges and boiled until tender
Dressing:
¼ c. olive oil
¼ c. apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp wholegrain mustard
¼ c parsley, chopped
1 small red or sweet onion, diced
Mix dressing ingredients together and toss beets in the dressing. Serve over a bed of baby greens or baby spinach.
6 – Veggies and Hummus
Hummus is very simple to prepare, so I highly recommend making it yourself. If you are buying an already prepared version, make sure it is made without vinegar and without sugar.
1 c. chickpeas (garbanzo beans), soaked overnight and cooked in 5 cups of water. Cooking time is approx. 35 minutes.
1 heaping Tbsp of Tahini
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
Small pinch of cayenne
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. If the consistency is too thick, you can add a little water or vegetable broth to get the right creaminess. Once you have the basics down, you can experiment with variations such as adding sundried tomatoes or black olives or cooked spinach.
7 – Cucumber Salad
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and shredded
¼ c cilantro, diced
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
Dressing:
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Black pepper
Toss the cucumber and cilantro with the dressing and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
8 – Vegetables Babaganoush
1 large eggplant
2 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp olive oil
¼ c fresh lemon juice
1 tsp paprika
¼ c fresh parsley, chopped
Poke the skin of the eggplant in several places with a fork then place in a baking dish. Bake in a 350 degree oven for approx. 1 hour; should feel very soft inside. Allow the eggplant to cool. Peel off the skin and mash the inner flesh. Place it is a strainer and allow the excess fluids to drain off or you can place it in cheese cloth and squeeze out the excess fluids. Then put it in a bowl and mix in all the remaining ingredients. Terrific served as a dip for vegetables or with Ryvita crackers or Mary’s Gone Crackers gluten free crackers.
9 – Celery and Apples with Almond Butter
Simple, healthy, and the kids can make it themselves!
10 – Fresh Vegetable Juice
Grab a freshly made green drink at your neighborhood juice bar. My favorite cooling combo: cucumber, celery, parsley, spinach, kale and lemon.
Cool treats for the kids
For many kids, ice cream and popsicles seem to be synonymous with summertime. Here are some healthier versions of their favorite treats.
11 – Watermelon Popsicles
From the juice bar, get a small juice with just cucumber and celery. Place the juice in a blender or food processor with 2 cups of chunked seedless watermelon and blend just until slushy. Scoop into popsicle containers and freeze.
12 – Banana Popsicles
Peel and cut 3 ripe bananas in half. Insert a popsicle stick in each half. Roll each banana in your favorite topping such as shredded coconut or crushed almond. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze.