snacks | NancyC

Here’s a yummy dip recipe that’s great for summer snacking as well as game-watching all year round! I love recipes like this that are so easy to make, and because this 5-Layer Mexican Dip has refried black beans, olives, green onions, and chopped tomato in it, it’s a little healthy, right? 🙂 You could make it even healthier by using light sour cream instead of regular sour cream. Or, if you like plain Greek yogurt, you could even substitute that for the sour cream. And if you use low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, you have a lower-calorie dip that’s still really tasty!

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It’s always nice when you can make yummy snacks that are good for you, too! I found this recipe in a review copy I received of Keep Your Brain Young: A Health & Diet Program for Your Brain, Including 150 Recipes. The book gives helpful tips and a simple action plan on how you can help prevent or delay neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. The book explains how the brain works and what causes these diseases, and then provides a 12-Step Healthy Brain Diet Program along with menu plans and recipes to keep your brain healthy. There are a variety of recipes, from snacks to soups, main dishes, and desserts.

One thing I found interesting in the book was that “The brain is the hungriest kind of tissue in the body. Eat an energy-rich, low-glycemic-index diet that fuels the brain steadily without spikes in blood sugar levels. Spiking blood sugar damages neurons moment by moment (p. 124).” So this book helps you think in terms of feeding your brain properly so it can function at its best.

I decided to try the Cinnamon Apple Chips recipe out because it’s always nice to have healthy snack options and apples are so good for you. You have to be careful not to slice your apples too thick or too thin–if they’re too thick they won’t crisp up as nice and if they’re too thin they may get a little burnt when they’re baking. So try to keep your slices as close as you can to 1/8″. Actually, my slices never really did get “crispy,” they were more the texture of dried apples, only a little moister, and I did bake them for 40 minutes, so maybe I should have baked them a little longer. The edges curled up and got a little crispy but the centers of the slices stayed soft–they do dry up a little more as they cool off on a wire rack, but mine never got to a “crispy” stage. But I really liked them. These chips taste like a slice of a baked apple, so if you like that flavor, you’ll like these!

CINNAMON APPLE CHIPS from Keep Your Brain Young

4 large tart-sweet apples (such as Braeburn, Gala, or Pippin), halved and cored

4 teaspoons (20 mL) stevia powder

1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) ground cinnamon

Nonstick cooking spray (preferably olive oil)

Preheat oven to 325˚F (160˚C). Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

Using a very sharp knife or a mandoline, cut apples into 1/8-inch (3 mm) thick slices.

In small bowl, combine stevia and cinnamon.

Arrange apple slices in a single layer on prepared baking sheets. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with stevia mixture.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until edges are browned and slices are dry and crispy. Transfer chips to a wire rack and let cool completely (do this while the chips are still warm, or they will stick; they will crisp more as they cool). Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Health Tip: Recent studies indicate that eating as little as 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) of ground cinnamon per day and boost cognitive function and memory.

Nutrients: Calories 59; Fat 0g; Carbohydrate 16g; Protein 0g; Vitamin C 5 mg; Vitamin D 0 IU;Vitamin E 0 mg; Niacin 0mg; Folate 3 mcg; Vitamin B6 0.1 mg; Vitamin b12 0.0 mcg; Zinc 0.1 mg; Selenium 0 mcg

Courtesy of Keep Your Brain Young: A Health & Diet Program for Your Brain Including 150 Recipes by Dr. Fraser Smith & Ellie Aghdassi, 2014 © www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with publisher permission.