Ahhh... the holidays. Between shopping, wrapping, cooking, planning, organising, cleaning, shovelling, discovering that you've got a big hole in the toe of your boot only after you step into a puddle of slush... sometimes it begins to feels like there aren't enough hours in a day. Many people also tend to pack on the pounds at this time of year, going from one gathering to the next, stuffing their faces with greasy fried appetizers and pounding back the cocktails. If you're nodding your head at these statements, beware: the combination of stress and bad eating is sure to leave you feeling bloated, nauseated, and all-around sluggish.
Stop! Breathe. Relax. Enter simplicity. Allow me to make
your entertaining a little easier and a little healthier this year,
with a few ideas for homemade, nutritious hors d'oeuvres that'll wow your
guests, and please everyone - from the foodies to the health-conscious.
Instructions: Start with a box of Kavli Crispy Thin,
FinnCrisp Rye Crisps (or any other crispbread that you like), top with spread
of choice, and finish with a sprinkle of spice & a chopped herb.
Pictured above: Dill, greek yogourt & cumin crisps. Super easy, super
healthy, super fast.
Why crispbread?
Ordinary store-bought crackers are often loaded with fats,
oils and contain sodium levels that are off the charts. Don't even be fooled by
the 'multi-grain' variety! Multi-grain often only means that they've taken your
ordinary white-flour cracker and thrown in a few flax and sesame seeds - these
additions do nothing to lower the high fat, salt or carb content, and the
majority of the calories are coming from refined white flour. Now, I won't deny
how delicious a Ritz cracker is, but that's the danger: at nearly 1g of fat
EACH, a handful of these crackers contains the same amount of fat as an entire
chocolate bar, and will fill you with over 200 calories - yet they will not
leave you feeling full in the least.
And then there's crispbread: these thin topable delights
generally have just a few simple ingredients and contain nothing
artificial. They're often made from rye flour, which is much easier to digest
than wheat and significantly more nutritious. 6 Kavli crispy thins offer up 4g
of dietry fibre (to keep you feeling fuller longer), contain zero grams of fat,
and have only 100 calories all together. Top them with a spoonful of non-fat
greek yogourt (loaded with protein), a sprinkle of cumin and some chopped fresh
dill, and you've got yourself a pretty, easy, and nutritious hors d'oeuvre.
These also make an excellent light lunch or dinner, or a healthy midnight snack.
Other topping ideas
- Start by spreading one tbsp of greek yogourt on your crackers, and top with any of the following combinations of veggies, fruit & herbs...
- shredded beets & sea salt
- black beans & cilantro
- corn kernels, chopped tomato & cilantro
- sliced olives & oregano
- cucumber slices & dill
- apple slices, cinnamon & nutmeg
- lemon zest & honey
- shredded carrot, ginger & cinnamon
- slivered almonds & agave nectar
