Friday 24 January 2014

Party Snacks: So Simple, So Healthy!


The healthy bug is going around; everyone is watching what they eat and drink, well most people anyway. Most of my family at the moment, especially with the New Year resolutions and making new goals (I’m still working on my dad!). So when my family get together, I try to experiment and make healthy foods that everyone can enjoy, including the kids. Here are some of the things I made for our last get together and I think it went well. They were all very quick and simple to make. Everyone enjoyed it, didn’t have any complaints and we all ate happily and healthily. I have included the recipes below; so try them out, give them a try and let me know what you think. 

Mozzarella Sticks

We all love cheese and we all love party snacks. Cheese sticks are usually fried adding to the fat content, which we don’t need. We want to enjoy good healthy food wherever we are. So I made these healthy mozzarella sticks which are baked and so much fun to have.

1.       Cut the mozzarella into sticks, or what every shape you want. Place on a tray on a baking paper, sprinkle some herbs/spices of your choices and freeze for 1 hour.
2.       Take three bowls or deep plates and fill on with plain flour, one with a beaten egg and one with breadcrumbs.
3.       Take the mozzarella stick and roll in each plate in the correct order, making sure it is fully coated. This can get a bit messy.
a.       Flour
b.      Egg (add some fresh herbs to the egg, I added parsley)
c.       Breadcrumb
4.       Once fully coated, place it back on the tray and freeze again for another hour or until you are ready to cook them.
5.       Preheat the oven to 180’C and bake for 8 minutes, turning half way through. Keep an eye on them; you don’t want the cheese to ooze out.
6.       Serve and enjoy warm with a sweet and sour dipping sauce.




Mini Pizzas

Everyone loves pizza; bread, tomato sauce and cheese! I saw this recipe on Facebook and it looked great! It was so easy to make even the kids can help out.

a.       Get a pack of wholemeal tortilla wraps. Using a round cookie cutter, make as many circles as you want. Place the circles in a cupcake or muffin tin.
b.      Add a tablespoon of passata or pasta sauce to the tortilla. Feel free to season the passata before you pace it on the tortilla.
c.       Top the pizza with some grates cheese or mozzarella. Sprinkle some dried mixed herbs.
d.      Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180’C for 10 minutes until the cheese melts.


Nachos

Anybody who knows me well enough knows that I love nachos! It is such a great sharing snack that sometimes it is easy to forget how much you are having especially when you are in good company with friends and family.
However, the fried crisps and oozy cheese is not so great for our health. Instead I made a healthy dip to have with the nacho crisps minus the cheese. This may not be the best alternative you are looking for, and I don’t know if you can actually call these nachos but it is a healthy option. And I did enjoy them without feeling guilty. I will experiment with more alternatives in the future.

To make the dip, mix together some diced; tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and some parsley.


Popcorn

Many people think that popcorn is unhealthy. Well some are, especially if they are shop brought. However, there is a healthy version, it is so simple and cost efficient. Get back to basics and buy your own popcorn seeds and pop them at home yourself in a saucepan. It’s so fun to watch them pop and expand (be safe when doing this). I even have a duck popcorn machine at home, which makes it fun and healthy as you don’t need to add any oil in at all.

It is best to keep it but if you do want to add some flavour to it, you can try fresh cracked black pepper, chilli powder, dried mixed herbs. Just stay away from the salt and sugar, if you really want to add a bit but don’t go crazy with it. And you can enjoy this healthy snack without feeling guilty.

Hope you liked these healthy party snack ideas. Comment below if you like me to find more healthy alternatives or your fave party foods.


Be Happy. Be Healthy.

www.ahnutritionist.co.uk

By Ayshabibi H.
A H Nutritionist
24th Jan 2014

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