CHAPTER 13 Crispy, Crunchy

Everyone craves some CRUNCH now and then. From flavor-packed cracker stacks to MUST-TRY veggie chips, these snacks are AWESOME!

Easy Caprese Crisps

Entire recipe: 97 calories, 3.5g fat, 230mg sodium, 11.5g carbs, 1.5g fiber, 2g sugars, 5g protein

4 Old London Roasted Garlic Melba Snacks

2 slices plum tomato, halved

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1½ tablespoons shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

You’ll Need: microwave-safe plate

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 5 minutes or less

On a microwave-safe plate, top each Melba Snack with half a slice of tomato. Top with basil, and sprinkle with cheese.
Microwave for 30 seconds, or until cheese has just melted.

MAKES 1 SERVING

Deli-Style Turkey Toasts

Entire recipe: 98 calories, 0.5g fat, 250mg sodium, 13.5g carbs, 0g fiber, 0g sugars, 9.5g protein

1 ounce (1 to 2 slices) no-salt-added turkey

3 Old London Classic Melba Toasts

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Prep: 5 minutes

Tear turkey into pieces, and distribute among Toasts. Evenly top with mustard.

MAKES 1 SERVING

Parsnip Tips!

Choose a parsnip that’s more round than narrow. Bigger chips = better. And treat this root veggie like you would a potato: Scrub it clean! Same goes for beets …

Cheese ’n Tomato Toasts

Entire recipe: 100 calories, 1.5g fat, 181mg sodium, 15.5g carbs, 2g fiber, 1.5g sugars, 5g protein

3 Old London Salt Free Whole Grain Melba Toasts

1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss cheese

⅛ teaspoon Italian seasoning

⅛ teaspoon garlic powder

1 large tomato slice, cut into 3 wedges

Prep: 5 minutes

Spread Toasts with cheese, and sprinkle with Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Top each with a piece of tomato.

MAKES 1 SERVING

Zesty Tuna Crunchcake

Entire recipe: 99 calories, 0.5g fat, 95mg sodium, 10.5g carbs, 0.5g fiber, 2g sugars, 12.5g protein

1½ ounces low-sodium tuna packed in water (drained)

2 tablespoons finely chopped bell pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon salsa with 90mg sodium or less per 2-tablespoon serving

Dash chili powder

Dash garlic powder

1 lightly salted rice cake

You’ll Need: medium bowl

Prep: 5 minutes

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except the rice cake. Mix well.
Spoon mixture over the rice cake.

View B4 You Chew: Veggie Chip Tips!

Cutting your veggies with a mandoline slicer is a must. The handy kitchen tool can thinly slice perfectly uniform pieces. And these chips are so good, it’s worth picking one up!

During the last 30 minutes of cook time, check on chips often, and remove those that are done.

To get them as crispy as possible, cool them on a cooling rack!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Zucchini Chips

Entire recipe: 95 calories, 3.5g fat, 191mg sodium, 16g carbs, 4.5g fiber, 11.5g sugars, 5.5g protein

1 pound (about 2 medium) zucchini

Dash salt

You’ll Need: 2 baking sheets, olive oil nonstick spray, mandoline slicer

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 1 hour and 45 minutes

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Spray two baking sheets with olive oil nonstick spray.
Using a mandoline slicer, cut zucchini into ⅛-inch-thick rounds.
Lay zucchini rounds on the sheets, evenly spaced. Cover with a 2-second spray of the olive oil spray, and sprinkle with salt.
Bake for 45 minutes.
Carefully remove baking sheets, and return them to the oven on the opposite racks.
Bake until zucchini rounds are golden brown and dry to the touch, about 1 hour.
Let cool completely.

MAKES 1 SERVING

Parsnip Chips

Entire recipe: 100 calories, 2g fat, 166mg sodium, 20.5g carbs, 5.5g fiber, 5.5g sugars, 1.5g protein

4 ounces parsnip (about ¼ of a large parsnip)

Dash salt

You’ll Need: baking sheet, olive oil nonstick spray, mandoline slicer

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil nonstick spray.
Using a mandoline slicer, cut parsnip into rounds, about ⅛ inch thick.
Lay parsnip rounds on the sheet, evenly spaced. Cover with a 2-second spray of the olive oil spray, and sprinkle with salt.
Bake until parsnip rounds are golden brown, dry, and firm to the touch, about 1½ hours.
Let cool completely.

MAKES 1 SERVING

Beet Chips

Entire recipe: 100 calories, 2g fat, 155mg sodium, 19g carbs, 5.5g fiber, 13.5g sugars, 3g protein

7 ounces (1 to 2) beets

You’ll Need: baking sheet, olive oil nonstick spray, mandoline slicer

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil nonstick spray.
Using a mandoline slicer, cut beets into ⅛-inch-thick rounds.
Lay beet rounds on the sheet, evenly spaced. Cover with a 2-second spray of the olive oil spray.
Bake until beet rounds are shriveled and dry to the touch, about 1½ hours.
Let cool completely.

MAKES 1 SERVING

Faux-Fried Zucchini

Entire recipe: 100 calories, 3g fat, 183mg sodium, 20g carbs, 7.5g fiber, 7g sugars, 7.5g protein

3 tablespoons Fiber One Original cereal, finely crushed

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

Dash black pepper

2 cups zucchini sliced into ½-inch-thick rounds

1 tablespoon egg whites or fat-free liquid egg substitute

2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese

You’ll Need: baking sheet, nonstick spray, wide bowl, medium bowl

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.
In a wide bowl, combine crushed cereal with seasonings. Mix well.
Place zucchini rounds in a medium bowl, top with egg white/substitute, and toss to coat. One at a time, shake zucchini rounds to remove excess egg, thoroughly coat with crumbs, and place on the baking sheet.
Evenly top zucchini rounds with Parm.
Bake until outsides are lightly browned and insides are soft, about 20 minutes.

MAKES 1 SERVING

Bell Pepper Strips with Black Bean Dip

Entire recipe: 97 calories, 0.5g fat, 218mg sodium, 16.5g carbs, 5g fiber, 5g sugars, 7g protein

¼ cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons fat-free plain Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon canned green chiles

Dash onion powder

Dash garlic powder

Dash ground cumin

Dash chili powder

1 cup bell pepper cut into 1-inch-wide slices

You’ll Need: small bowl

Prep: 10 minutes

In a small bowl, combine beans, yogurt, and green chiles. Mash until chunky but well mixed. Stir in seasonings.
Serve with pepper slices for dipping.

MAKES 1 SERVING