Are you short on time but need something healthy to eat? Are you looking for an easy snack that you can grab on the way to work or before heading to the gym?
It’s Round Two of my easy snack. Here are 4 healthy snacks that are ready in less than 5 minutes.
In Round One, I laid out my standards. This is more than just peanut butters and bananas. As a trained chef, my standards are a bit higher than that. Whether I’m cooking in a fancy restaurant or throwing together a quick breast, the goal is to achieve balance. If you can incorporate three essential elements into a dish, you’ll be on the road to delicious:
- Texture – Should include both crunchy and creamy
- Taste – Should include both sweet and savory (aka salty)
- Temperature – Ideally, you get a dish that marries something warm with something cold
Even with these standards, though, you don’t need fancy food. Or food that requires a lot of time and fuss.
Just because you only have 5 minutes to eat, doesn’t mean you need to compromise flavor.
Get snacking!
1) Pineapple Red Chili Edamame Lettuce Cup
- Diced Pineapple
- Shelled Edamame
- 1/2 teaspoon Red chili paste (or a dash of Sriracha)
- 1/2 teaspoon Tamari or tamari
- Bibb or Romaine lettuce leaves
Combine everything except the lettuce in a small bowl. Microwave for 1 minute to warm. Serve inside the cold lettuce leaves.
2) Cold Watermelon with Almonds, Mint, Aged Balsamic
- 1 small personal seedless watermelon
Cutting Watermelon “Steaks” - 2 teaspoons Aged Balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup slivered or sliced almonds
- Handful of fresh mint, torn
Remove the rind of the watermelon and cut into 1-inch thick “steaks. Microwave the balsamic 30 seconds to warm. Drizzle the warm balsamic over the watermelon. Sprinkle on the mint and almonds. Serve with a steak knife and fork.
3) Persian Cucumbers filled with Warmed Baba Ghanouj, sliced Radish, smoked Salt
- 1 package (about 5) small, Persian cucumbers
- 1 container Baba Ghanouj (or 1 cup prepared from a recipe)
- 6 radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
- Dash of Smoked Salt
Halve the cucumbers lengthwise, and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Place the Baba Ghanouj in a small bowl and microwave the Baba Ghanouj 30 seconds to warm. Portion the warm Baba Ghanouj into the cucumbers. Spread the sliced radishes on top. Sprinkle with a dash of Smoked Salt.
4) Toasted Corn Tortilla with Almond Butter, Sliced Peaches, sprinkle of Nutmeg
- 1 Corn Tortilla
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- 1/2 peach, thinly sliced
- Dash of nutmeg
Place the tortilla over a burner on your stove. Quickly toast for about 1 minute, until crispy around the edges. Flip and toast another 30-45 seconds. If you don’t have an open flame on your stove (or if it makes you nervous), warm the tortilla in a sauté pan over high heat.
Remove the tortilla from the flame. Spread on the almond butter. Top with the sliced peaches and a dash of nutmeg.
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