Healthy Holiday Munchies

Guaranteed to Take the Sneak Out of Snacking

For many folks, holidays are the hardest time of the year to stick with sensible eating habits since seasonal entertaining revolves around endless offerings of traditional sweet treats, cookies and rich goodies galore. But there’s no need to despair, for one surefire way to take the pressure off is by having an array of healthy homemade snacks on hand for worry-free indulging.

A healthy snack should contain little or no sugar, be low in salt or no salt when called for, be made with whole wheat or other natural flours rather than bleached white flour, and last but not least — should not leave your fingers dripping with grease!

Making your own customized munchies is a great way to cut the undesirable ingredients from snacks while helping to control additives and preservatives often used in the manufacture of common picks like barbecued peanuts, beer nuts, potato and other types of chips and crackers.

Below are some healthy homemade alternatives to store-bought snacks that are guaranteed to take the sneak out of snacking and make your holidays a whole lot more jolly. And good news is, these tasty treats are so easy and economical to make you can enjoy them all year round. They also make wonderful, affordable gifts.

Wasabi Peas

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I was introduced to wasabi peas years ago and no matter how often I snack on them, I never tire of that wonderful burst of flavour when you pop one into your mouth! In my circle of friends we often joke that one never gets bored at a party when sitting next to a bowl of enlivening wasabi peas.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of dried whole peas
• 1/2 Tbsp tahini
• 3 tsp wasabi powder (you can buy this inexpensive item at specialty shops that cater to Oriental cooking, or on Amazon)
• 1 Tbsp ready-made wasabi paste (available at larger grocery stores or specialty shops or on Amazon. It is extremely hot so use more or less according to heat tolerance)
• 2 tsp dry mustard powder
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar

Wasabi Peanuts

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If holidays just aren’t holidays without peanuts, try this recipe to satisfy your nutty cravings.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole raw organic peanuts
• 2 Tbsp coarse salt (don’t fret — it will be discarded!)
• 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 3 tsp wasabi powder
• 1 Tbsp wasabi paste
• 1 egg white

Roasted Chicknuts

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Ingredients:

• 2 cups dried whole chickpeas (or canned chickpeas)
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne

No-Bake Oat Balls

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Ingredients:

• 2 tsp fenugreek
• 4 tsp coriander
• 2 tsp cumin seed
• 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes or dried chilies
• 6 cardamom seeds — pods removed and discarded
• 1/2 inch of cinnamon stick
• 1/4 tsp whole cloves
• 2 tsp mustard powder
• 2 tsp ground ginger

No-Bake Oat Balls

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These tasty balls are sometimes called “oat candy.” They are good for the waistline, easy to make and pretty on the plate. They are fun to roll into balls so if you’ve got some little hands in your baking party, let them do the forming.

Ingredients:

• 2 cardamom seeds — pods removed and discarded
• 1 whole nutmeg
• 2 cups oatmeal
• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1 large organic apple, peeling left on (If using red apple you will have red flecks in your candy. If using green apple, there will be dabs of green — using some of each gives special holiday colour)
• 1/4 cup honey

Savoury Veggie Stars

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Here’s a crispy vegetable cracker that’ll be the star of any party. They are wonderful with cheese, paté or for nibbling all by themselves.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup vegetable flakes
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup wheat germ
• 1/4 tsp of sea salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp mixed herbs of choice (chives, basil, parsley, oregano, savory, thyme, tarragon, dill)
• 1 egg
• 1 cup water

Sesame-Flecked Bran Crackers

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These healthy crackers can stand on their own or be decked out with spread or paté for a great bite. They are also great crumbled in soups or broken and used in place of croutons on salad.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oatmeal (coarsely ground in blender)
• 1/2 cup bran
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 6 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup toasted sesame seeds