Category: Snack

Crispy Kale Chips

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This is such a tasty low-calorie, nutrient packed snack!  Kale chips are not a new idea.  The concept of baking kale until crisp has been around for quite some time.  When I first heard about it I thought it sounded super strange, but I didn’t want to knock it until I tried it.  I tried it and I love it!

It’s a great alternative to potato chips (or something like that).  These don’t taste exactly like potato chips, but they satisfy that salty, munchy craving that we all tend to get at times.  And instead of loading up on empty calories from the naughty carby-snacks, these work as a SUPER great substitute!  You might find me making these as a side for lunch (with my sandwiches), in the late afternoon for a snack, or even as a side dish at dinner.  Why not?  They’re a cinch to make and they have such a LOW calorie count.  Yay!  Yay!  Yay!

Crispy Kale Chips
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

1 bunch kale (about 6 oz.)
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.

Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt. Gently toss until all pieces of kale are lightly coated with oil (I do this in a big bowl with a rubber spatula or with my hands).

Bake until the edges start to brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes. My oven takes about 12 minutes and they come out perfectly.  If you over cook these, they will taste bitter so watch them closely towards the end of the baking time.

Serves 4.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1/4 of Recipe)
Calories:  31.7
Protein:  0.8g
Carbs:  2.4g
Fat:  2.5g (0.4g = Sat.)
Fiber:  0.9g
Sugars:  0.5g

Tropical Protein Smoothie

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When it comes to easy, this might be my most favorite protein smoothie/shake combination.  I’m not hard to please, am I?  I just love the combination of this fruit (peaches, mangos, pineapple, strawberries) mixed with vanilla.  I use this as a pre-workout shake or as a snack sometimes.  Truth be known that this seriously motivates me to wake up for an early workout some days.  I’ll be laying in bed trying to decide if I should wake up and workout or sleep longer.  As soon as I think about eating this for my pre-workout meal, my decision is made, and I’m out of bed and throwing on my running shorts!  It’s so yummy I feel like I’m “cheating” every time I eat it.

By the way . . . I usually buy me a big bag of this frozen fruit at Wal-Mart.  They usually carry it and, because I like it so much, I love that it comes in a large bag.  It’s more affordable that way too.  (Here’s a picture of it so you can see what I buy.)

Tropical Protein Smoothie

1/2 cup frozen mixed tropical fruit blend
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (about 22g of Protein)
1/2 cup cold water
ice cubes, optional

Place frozen fruit in a blender or food processor.  Blend until fruit is finely chopped.  Add cold water, protein powder, and ice (*if desired).  Blend until well mixed (doesn’t take long).  Pour unto a tall glass and enjoy!

*Note:  Depending on how “slushy” you like your smoothies, you may want to add ice to the blender when adding the water and protein powder.  The frozen fruit will offer some amount of slush, but you can achieve more by adding additional ice.

Serves 1.

Nutritional Information
Calories:  145
Protein:  22.5g
Carbs:  11.5g
Fat:  1g

Bruschetta

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I love fresh Bruschetta!  I love this recipe because it has balsamic vinegar in it and I’m a huge fan of balsamic vinegar.  I love the powerful punch of flavor it adds and it always pairs well with tomatoes, onion, and basil (in my humble opinion).  This Bruschetta is easy to throw together and can be used as a simple appetizer (I love to pair it with baked pita chips).  I’ve also paired it with part-skim mozzarella cheese which makes it a well-balanced snack.  Enjoy!

Bruschetta
Adapted from Skinny Taste

3 medium vine ripe tomatoes
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tbsp extra virgin oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Combine onion, olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper. Set aside a few minutes.

Chop tomatoes and place in a large bowl. Combine with garlic, basil, onion-balsamic combo and additional salt and pepper to taste. Set aside and let it sit at least 10 minutes or as long as overnight.

Serves 4.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1/4 the Recipe)
Calories:  59.5
Protein:  1.1g
Carbs:  6.6g
Fat:  3.9g (0.5g = Sat.)
Fiber:  1.5g
Sugars:  1g

Mixed Berry & Protein Smoothie

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Nutritional shakes/drinks/smoothies are such a great way to get good nutrition in a fast and convenient way.  Additionally, I find them to be so tasty that I almost feel like I’m eating something I shouldn’t be.  These are great for snacks in between meals, for pre-workout meals, or for recovery after a hard and long workout (with some minor adjustments).  This first smoothie/shake that I’m throwing up on the blog is one of the very most basic ones (we’ll start easy and then throw in some twists later).  You just take frozen fruit, a scoop of protein powder (preferably whey), add a little water, and blend until smooth.  You can really use any kind of frozen fruit that suits your fancy.  I’m preparing to share more combinations with you throughout time.  So, get ready for some protein shakes that will dance all over those taste buds of yours.

Mixed Berry & Protein Smoothie

1 cup frozen mixed berries
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (about 22g of Protein)
1 cup frozen berries
1/2 cup cold water
ice cubes, optional

Place frozen berries in a blender or food processor.  Blend until berries are finely chopped.  Add cold water, protein powder, and ice (*if desired).  Blend until well mixed (doesn’t take long).  Pour unto a tall glass and enjoy!

*Note:  Depending on how “slushy” you like your smoothies, you may want to add ice to the blender when adding the water and protein powder.  The frozen berries will offer some amount of slush, but you can achieve more by adding additional ice.

Serves 1.

Nutritional Information
Calories:  167
Protein:  23.5g
Carbs:  16.3g
Fat:  1.6g

Fit Ranch Dip (and Dressing Too)

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This is a staple around my house!  It is amazing the way this dip/dressing comes together and tastes so much like the REAL thing.  Have you ever blended cottage cheese?  Well, if not, you’re about to do it because I’m not sure how you can resist trying this!  By taking cottage cheese and blending it you end up with a very similar texture as sour cream.  I just add Ranch seasoning to it, and magically I have a ranch dip that is low in fat and high in protein.  This works great on a relish tray with vegetables, I put it on my baked potatoes, I often times add a little milk to it to make it more of the consistency of dressing and then use it as such on my salads (it tastes so good on taco salads), and whatever else you like to use ranch for.  I’m sure it’s easy to see why this is a staple at my house.  Perhaps it can become a staple at yours too!  Feel free to play around with the flavors or seasoning packets.  My favorite at the moment is the Spicy Ranch mix.

Fit Ranch Dip

1 cup 2% milkfat cottage cheese
1 tsp. ranch seasoning (such as Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning mixes)

Put cottage cheese in a food processor or blender.  Process/blend until smooth (texture should resemble that of sour cream).  Add ranch seasoning and process/blend until combined.  Serve.

Serves 8.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 2 Tablespoons)
Calories:  27.3
Protein:  3.9g
Carbohydrates:  1.4g
Fat:  0.5g (0.3g = Sat.)
Fiber:  0g
Sugars:  0.1g