Snack Attack!
By Mary Clifford, RD
When the urge for a snack strikes, you need quick satisfaction. These recipes provide almost-instant gratification, and you probably have most of the ingredients already in your refrigerator or cupboard!
Spicy Popcorn
(Makes about six 1-cup servings)
If you're truly brave, sprinkle some crushed hot red pepper over the popcorn before baking. Or, tame the whole dish by leaving out the red-pepper sauce. Try this with hot or mild curry powder instead of chili powder for a touch of India.
6 cups air-popped popcorn
Vegetable cooking spray
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 Tablespoons low-sodium tamari
Few drops hot red-pepper sauce
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place popcorn in a large baking dish. Spray popcorn lightly with nonstick vegetable-cooking spray, turning to coat as much of the popcorn as possible. Sprinkle with chili powder.
Combine tamari and red-pepper sauce. Sprinkle over popcorn, stirring to coat. Bake popcorn about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
| Total calories per serving: 26 | Fat: <1 gram |
| Carbohydrates: 5 grams | Protein: 1 gram |
| Sodium: 212 milligrams | Fiber: 1 gram |
Sweet Cinnamon Popcorn
(Makes about six 1-cup servings)
Serve this treat warm for best flavor, although it's also good at room temperature. Don't overbake the raisins; they burn quickly. For variety, try dried pineapple, apricots, or apples instead of, or in addition to, raisins.
6 cups air-popped popcorn
Vegetable cooking spray
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 Tablespoons thawed apple juice concentrate
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup raisins
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place popcorn in a large baking dish. Spray popcorn lightly with nonstick vegetable-cooking spray, turning to coat as much of the popcorn as possible. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Combine apple juice concentrate and vanilla extract. Sprinkle over popcorn, stirring to coat. Bake popcorn about 10 minutes. Add raisins and bake 5-10 minutes more, until raisins are warm.
| Total calories per serving: 71 | Fat: <1 gram |
| Carbohydrates: 17 grams | Protein: 1 gram |
| Sodium: 3 milligrams | Fiber: 1 gram |
No-Bake Nachos
(Serves 4)
Add a handful of crumbled vegetarian "ground beef," "sour cream," or guacamole to this crowd-pleaser for a heartier snack, or serve as-is. It's very messy, so have plenty of napkins on hand.
1/2 teaspoon chili oil or olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
1-1/4 cups salsa
One 15-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
5 ounces fat-free tortilla chips
1 small jalapeño, seeded and chopped (optional)
1 Tablespoon chopped black olives (optional)
In a 2-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and stir to coat. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent.
Add salsa and kidney beans. Cover and cook about 5 minutes, or until hot through. Meanwhile, place tortilla chips in a rimmed serving dish. Heat in microwave 30 seconds on high, if desired. Pour onion-bean mixture over top of chips. Sprinkle with jalapenos and olives, if desired. Serve immediately.
| Total calories per serving: 250 | Fat: 3 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 48 grams | Protein: 10 grams |
| Sodium: 1130 milligrams | Fiber: 10 grams |
Baked Potato Skins
Always have leftover baked potatoes in the fridge. They come in handy for fast suppers or quick snacks, like this one. Vary the herbs and spices — you can make a few skins with one kind, a few with another, to see which you like best (or to please more than one person). Try garlic powder, salt and pepper, chili powder, curry powder, oregano, or fresh herbs. Serve plain or with homemade or store-bought vegan sour cream, salsa, or ketchup.
Leftover baked potatoes
Vegetable cooking spray
Herbs and spices
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut each baked potato in half lengthwise. Scoop out the center, leaving about a quarter inch of potato flesh. (Use the scooped-out potato to make mashed potatoes or hash browns, or add to soups or stews.) Place potato halves on baking sheet. Spray each potato half lightly with vegetable cooking spray. Sprinkle with seasonings.
Bake potato skins about 20 minutes, or until hot and crispy.
| Total calories per serving: 118 | Fat: <1 gram |
| Carbohydrates: 28 grams | Protein: 3 grams |
| Sodium: 13 milligrams | Fiber: 4 grams |
High in iron
Savory Cereal Mix
(Makes 6 Cups)
Oyster crackers are little round crackers found in the soup aisle.
1 cup oyster crackers
1 cup small, round whole-grain oat cereal
1 cup wheat squares
1 cup rice squares
1 cup corn squares
1 cup unsalted mini pretzels
1/4 cup apple juice
2 Tablespoons vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Heat oven to 250 degrees. Spray a large baking pan with nonstick vegetable cooking spray. Combine crackers, cereal, and pretzels in pan.
In cup or small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour over cereal mixture, stirring to coat. Bake mixture about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve warm or at room temperature.
| Total calories per 1/2-cup serving: 64 | Fat: <1 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 13 grams | Protein: 1 gram |
| Sodium: 144 milligrams | Fiber: <1 gram |
English-Muffin "Pizzas"
(Serves 4)
Easy as pie, and surprisingly good for so little effort. This recipe is very forgiving, and is a great way to use up stale English muffins, or ones that you toasted for breakfast and didn't get around to eating.
4 English muffins, split
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup cooked vegetables, such as chopped broccoli, peas, or zucchini
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon oregano
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place English muffins on baking pan. Spread about 1 tablespoon sauce over each half. Top with vegetables, nutritional yeast, and oregano.
Bake "pizzas" about 20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve immediately.
| Total calories per serving: 164 | Fat: 3 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 29 grams | Protein: 6 grams |
| Sodium: 520 milligrams | Fiber: 3 grams |
Simple "Milkshake"
(Serves 2)
Just like leftover baked potatoes, you always want to have a few banana chunks in your freezer. Then you can make satisfying drinks like this one in just a minute or two. Frozen bananas work best, but refrigerated bananas also work fine. They turn ordinary soy or rice milk into a thick, naturally sweet shake.
2 very ripe bananas, cut into chunks
3 Tablespoons fresh berries (optional)
1 cup plain, vanilla, or chocolate-flavored soy or rice milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In blender or food processor, blend all ingredients. Serve immediately.
| Total calories per serving: 185 | Fat: 4 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 34 grams | Protein: 6 grams |
| Sodium: 90 milligrams | Fiber: 2 grams |
Mary Clifford is a registered dietitian living in Roanoke, VA. She is a regular contributor to Vegetarian Journal.
