Healthy Alternative Snack Idea

Successful dieters and healthy eaters know that the best way to kick an unhealthy food habit is to replace it with a healthy alternative. Since so many of my clients are addicted to sweets, I often write on my blog about sugar addiction, but today I wanted to post a recipe suited for those who are addicted to salty foods such as crisps and sodium-filled crackers and are looking for a healthy alternative to crisps.

Many tabloids are reporting today that Jennifer Aniston broke her extreme diet for her upcoming film with just one indulgence: kale crisps. With my recipe below, however, you won’t be breaking the the rules of any healthy diet or eating plan, and you can eat these to your heart’s content as long as you make them yourself (store-bought varieties can have too much salt). Once you get over the fact that these crisps aren’t the same colour as Walkers, you will scarcely be able to tell the difference. Conventional potato crisps are cooked at such a high temperatures and with so many chemicals they are practically carcinogenic. These are a much better healthy alternative.

• Take 12 large kale leaves (wash, rub, dry, and cut in half lengthwise, taking care to remove the stem and veins)
• 1-2 tablespoons of olive or sesame oil
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Toss kale leaves in a large bowl so they are coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and lemon juice (optional). If you like a bit of spice, you can also add a tea spoon of chili flakes. Garlic flakes or toasted garlic sprinkled on top works well too.
• Arrange leaves in a single layer on 2 large baking trays.
• Bake until crisp, about 25 minutes for flat leaves and up to 30 minutes for wrinkled leaves. Allow to cool.
• You can cut the kale into bite size pieces but they look impressive in halves and are great for dips, a perfect healthy alternative.

You can read the previous blog on Successful weight loss here.