Snacks

This blog entry is for individuals, like myself, who want some healthy snacks that are low-carb and free of food allergens, including gluten, dairy, nuts, peanuts and eggs. Actually, they are quite yummy even if you don't have those food issues.

I have hypothyroidism, along with food sensitivities. To help manage my weight, I try to eat only two small servings of whole grains and one to two servings of fruit each day. Another words, it's kind of a low-carb diet, but a healthy one because I eat lots of veggies instead of tons of protein. As you can see, my cat, Oreo, prefers the low-carb diet as well. She wasn't supposed to be checking out the sole filets that were defrosting on a plate but you know cats. They beat to their own drum.

Avocado and Ground Seed Gluten-Free Snack

Gluten-free whole-grain tortilla (small or half a 10-inch one) such as quinoa, rice flour or amaranth

Avocado

Lemon juice

2 green onions, thinly sliced

Ground pepper and salt

Veggies for the top (cucumber, baby greens, watercress, lettuce)

Ground seed mixture

How to make ground seeds: Get a jar, fill it half way with ground flax seeds, one-fourth with ground sunflower seeds and the remainder with ground pumpkin seeds. You can grind the seeds in a coffee grinder. Shake the mixture to evenly distribute all three seeds. Now you have a tasty, healthy seed blend that provides lots of omega fatty acids. And so does the avocado. Store the jar of seeds in the refrigerator.

To assemble your snack: Mash up one-fourth of the avocado with the onions, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Mix in about one tablespoon of the ground seeds. Spread on your tortilla of choice and top with your chosen veggies.

Homemade Hummus

Hummus is totally vegetarian and a delicious source of healthy protein, fats and fiber. It's so easy to make, and the extra stores well in the refrigerator. With this recipe, you'll never be tempted to buy hummus in the store again. You can make it for a fraction of the cost, and it's healthier.

One 16-oz. can of garbanzo beans (low sodium preferred), drained and rinsed

1/4-1/3 cup of tahini butter (made from sesame seeds) Note: You'll find it in the peanut butter section.

4 T of olive oil

2-3 T of lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and ground pepper, to taste

Optional: You can jazz it up by adding chopped parsley or spices such as cumin and cayenne pepper

Note: You can make the hummus lower in fat by using less olive oil and more lemon juice. or substituting some white wine vinegar for 1 T of olive oil.

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and puree into a thick paste. Scoop out the hummus into a food storage container. For one snack, use 2 T of hummus. Serve it with rice crackers, rice cakes. Another tasty idea is to make meat roll-ups. Spread some hummus on a slice of meat and roll it up. If using deli meat, select products that are free of gluten and other allergens as well as preservatives.