I am always on the search for an easy healthy snack that actually tastes good and satisfies my 3pm cravings. On the top of my list is hummus which I love to snack on with Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers, steamed green beans, and sliced cucumber.
I’m really not a huge fan of carrots and hummus, maybe because I’ve had it too many times and lately I’ve been sick of store bought hummus, I just don’t love the taste of them and the oils a lot of brands use. Recently I’ve been making my own hummus and bean dips and this Garlic Lover’s Hummus that I made over the weekend is now top of my list.
I was inspired to make my own when I saw MinimalistBaker create a 5-MINUTE Microwave Hummus. Although after making it a few times, I felt it needed some tweaking. I wanted it to be thicker so I drained the chickpea liquid from the can (but didn’t rinse the chickpeas so that some of the liquid was still reserved) and used less tahini, only 1/3 cup. The original recipe calls for 1/2 cup and uses all the liquid from the can. Since my recipe didn’t call for a lot of the liquid and tahini, I just used 2 large garlic cloves and found it had a great garlic-y taste to my liking.
Garlic Lover’s Hummus
Recipe:
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas (drained but NOT rinsed, reserving a little liquid)
- 2-3 garlic cloves (depending on how garlicky you want it)
- 1/3 cup tahini (I use Trader Joe’s)
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/2-3/4 tsp sea salt (depending on how salty you want it)
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
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Microwave un-rinsed chickpeas and whole garlic cloves in a mixing bowl for 2-3 minutes.
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Add to high speed blender or food processor and process with lemon juice, salt and tahini and olive oil.
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Process until creamy, scraping down sides as needed. I didn’t overly process since I wanted mine a bit chunky. Add more tahini if you want yours a bit smoother. Taste and adjust seasonings as you desire.
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Garnish with a little more olive oil and serve with veggies and crackers (pita is also good). I like to serve mine warm with steamed green beans and Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or more.
Chickpeas in hummus are packed with plant-based fiber and are also a great plant-based protein. Hummus also contains tahini which is essentially sesame butter and is also packed with both fiber and protein, and its loaded with healthy polyunsaturated fat. It’s also one of my favorite things to use in dressings, dips, and sauces.
Veggie Crackers and Salsa
Another favorite new snack of mine are rice crackers with salsa. To be exact Nabisco Veggie Blend GF crackers and Green Mountain Gringo, Medium Salsa. Such a good combo and healthy snack.
Cheese, Olives, Fruit and Crackers
Lately I’ve been putting little snack boxes together made with Manchego Cheese, Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers, sliced apples, and green olives (I buy them at the Wegman’s salad bar, they are buttery and firm (contain pits) and made with just Olive Oil, water, and salt. Olives provide hearth-healthy fats, iron, and are known to help control blood sugar levels. Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers are also great in helping stabilize blood sugar levels as they are made with almond flour and other nut and seed blends. And Trader Joe’s Manchego is currently my favorite cheese, its made from Sheep’s Milk so I can tolerate since a different casein than traditional cow’s milk.
Some other snacks I’m currently loving:
- Trader Joe’s 73% Cacao dark chocolate with TJ’s Raw Almond Butter
- Olive oil potato chips and Veggies with a homemade Paleo Ranch dip
- Homemade Paleo Dark Chocolate Chip Muffins with nut butter
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes dipped in Tahini
- Banana and almond butter
Pro tip when it comes to snacking: try not to snack directly out of a bag/package, it’s good to lay out your food to keep your portions in check.
What are some of your favorite healthy snacks? Let me know below!
Xoxo
Marisa
