During the school year, it’s all too easy to let your eating habits slip. To help fight this, the Fulcrum has some essential recipes to keep you full and fit all year long.
As students, we all have busy weeks where the idea of healthy eating seems like just another time-consuming drag. No matter when you try to tackle it, preparing healthy food can feel like you’re taking on another final project, on top of the dozens you already have to deal with. The key is to have a variety of super quick, easy, delicious snacks on hand. The more delicious the snack, the happier your mind and body will be for incoming exams and final projects. Follow these recipes, and you might eventually enjoy the process of preparing healthy snacks from scratch.
Veggie chips
Craving crisps? This chip-alternative with a satisfying crunch can easily be adapted to your favourite flavours by keeping a small assortment of spices on hand.
Ingredients:
- 1 zucchini
- 1 sweet potato
- 3–4 tablespoons of olive oil
- Black pepper (to taste)
- Other spices may also be used. Some combinations include:
- Garlic powder and salt
- Smoked paprika and oregano
- Garlic and parmesan
Directions:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350° F.
Step 2: Peel the sweet potato if desired. Wash veggies under running water and pat dry with paper towel.
Step 3: Using a mandoline or a handheld slicer, thinly slice the zucchini and the sweet potato.
Step 4: In a large bowl, toss veggies with olive oil (how much you need will vary depending on the size of the veggies) and black pepper.
Step 5: Spread veggies slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle with black pepper or other spices to taste.
Step 6: Place the tray on the center rack in the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 250° F. Bake about 20–30 minutes until golden. The time will depend on the thickness of the veggie slices.
Step 7: Allow the veggie chips to cool completely before storing any leftovers in an airtight container or ziploc bag.
Investing in a few small spices will last you the entire school year, and easily satisfy your taste buds.
Apple-cinnamon wonton
Baking apples brings out their sweetness, but the warmth of this surprisingly sweet sugarless treat comes from the cinnamon.
Look for wonton wrappers in the grocery store, and you can easily fill them with fruit mixes of choice. These will keep you energized, with much less preservatives and more fresh foods.
Ingredients:
- 10–12 wonton wrappers
- 1 apple (McIntosh works well)
- Cinnamon
- ½ tsp of lemon juice
Directions:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350° F.
Step 2: Dice the apple in small pieces and toss it in an oven-safe dish with cinnamon and lemon. For extra nutrition, don’t bother peeling the apple.
Step 3: Bake the mixture about 10 minutes until the apples are barely soft. Remove from the oven.
Step 4: Working with one wonton wrapper at a time, scoop about one tablespoon of the mixture into the wonton wrapper.
Step 5: Moisten the edges and fold the sides over to form a triangular shape, pressing edges together to seal the wonton.
Step 6: Repeat with remaining apple mixture and wonton wrappers, laying the apple wontons on a parchment paper-lined or lightly greased baking sheet.
Step 7: Bake on the center rack for 15 minutes, or until golden.
