Sure, I do know we should always all watch our sodium consumption, however there comes a time when nothing else will fulfill however an intense jolt of salty crunch. It’s in all probability the rationale entire grocery store aisles are devoted to chips and crisps and pretzels. However as a part of our household’s ongoing quest to eat more healthy, I’ve been on the hunt for crunchy snacks which have some stage of dietary worth, satisfying these periodic salt cravings with out all the additional fats and empty energy.
Enter the common-or-garden bean. Along with popcorn and nuts, we’ve been exploring types of crunchy legumes, which vary from the ever present chickpea to lentils, edamame, even fava beans and cut up peas. Though bean snacks might be an acquired style with out the rapid mouth-watering gratification of junk meals’s best, they provide a stable substitute for the well being aware. Beans can contribute to intestine well being with the added advantages of nice fiber, plant-based protein, important nutritional vitamins, minerals, and a few antioxidants. Most roasted beans are decrease in fats than nuts with a extra satisfying density and chew than popcorn, and all have their very own distinctive profiles and are available all kinds of flavors. To keep away from lots of added elements and further processing, we caught to the straightforward sea salt varieties, which can be found in space markets and on-line.
Right here’s a really useful roundup to think about:
LENTILS — Roasted lentils had been a revelation. Naturally chock filled with vitamins, these little power-packed nuggets had been our favorites, offering a satisfying hit of salt and crunch with only a few small handfuls. Farver Farms Lentil Crunchers pack a stable taste punch however are on the oily facet and comprise MSG. Seapoint Farms Mighty Lil’ Lentils are simply as tasty with solely Pink Himalayan Salt, however they’re increased in fats content material. Each add good crunch to salads, too.
CHICKPEAS — Also called garbanzo beans, chickpeas usually are not solely an extremely versatile bean in a variety of dishes, they’re filling and full of vitamins. They’re additionally simply obtainable as crunchy roasted snacks, produced by many firms in a surprisingly wide selection of flavors, from sea salt to barbecue, falafel, wasabi, and so forth. Of the straightforward salty varieties, we discovered Biena Chickpea Snacks to be essentially the most dependable — tasty, with a pleasant texture, and never as exhausting as a few of the different manufacturers. The Good Bean Crunchy Chickpeas had been even lighter, although not as salty, nearer in style to the plain bean.
EDAMAME — By no means an enormous fan of soybeans, we had been pleasantly shocked how a lot we preferred edamame. Seapoint Farms Dry Roasted Edamame, with solely two elements, are loaded with protein, naturally ldl cholesterol free, comprise all of the amino acids, and are fairly tasty besides.
BROAD BEANS — Also called fava beans, these tasty, barely candy legumes have a typical bean profile nutritionally, plus they’re wealthy within the compound levodopa (L-dopa), which your physique converts to the feel-good neurotransmitter dopamine. (Research are exploring its efficacy with Parkinson’s sufferers.) They’re barely greater than most roasted beans, and so they’re fairly satisfying in texture, receptive to a variety of flavors. Even the plain sea salt model of Bada Bean Bada Increase is sort of properly seasoned, belying its easy elements.
SPLIT PEAS/FAVA BEANS — A number of firms make some uncommon bean mixes and a few offbeat taste blends that may enchantment to extra adventurous eaters. We had been on the lookout for tried and true, and The Good Bean’s Protein Snack Combine is a winner, combining fava beans with barely pungent cut up peas and simply sufficient salt to carry out the flavour of each.
CORN — When you nonetheless end up hankering for the distinctive style of corn chips, and popcorn is simply too mild and bland, you may take into account roasted corn. Whereas not almost as nutritionally energy packed as beans, corn is wealthy in vitamin C and the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. Dense and tremendous crunchy, roasted corn will not be for delicate enamel and might have fairly excessive sodium content material. But when the flavour of corn is what you’re craving, LOVE Corn makes snacks in a wide range of taste mixtures which can be nearly addictively scrumptious, and the corporate companions with the Entire Youngsters Basis to attach kids to dietary actual meals.
Buh bye, Fritos!
Karen Campbell might be reached at karencampbell4@rcn.com.