This is a sponsored guest post.
In this modern age, it’s hard to find the time to snack healthy. With longer work days and a schedule that’s always moving forward, many of us tend to choose snacks out of convenience. These conveniences, although easy, are not always the healthiest. Filled with preservatives and artificial additives, store-bought snacks can leave you hungry (and hurting) for change.
What if there was another way? Many of us have the capability to create healthy, delicious, and quick snacks. These can be made through the work of the food processor. Through the usage of fresh ingredients and a food processor, you can skip the unnecessary preservatives and get right to the good stuff!
- Create a Preservative Free Nut Butter
What’s more addicting than peanut butter? This creamy spread is remarkable in its ability to taste both savory and sweet. Some of us can eat nut butter by the jarful. This not only is expensive; it’s pretty unhealthy. Many store-bought nut butters are filled with preservatives, added sugars, and mountains of salt.
Healthy nut butters are deceptively simple to make. All you need are two cups of roasted nuts, one to two tablespoons of a neutral oil, and salt to taste.
Place your roasted nuts into your processor and blend through. Make sure to scrape down the sides as needed. Within minutes, those nuts will transform into a pureed nut butter. Now add one to two tablespoons of oil and a pinch of salt. Blend once more until everything has emulsified.
Once your nut butter looks creamy and decadent, you can add the finishing touches. Add some honey or agave for a natural sweetness. If you like your nut butter crunchy, you can incorporate some of the whole roasted nuts into your butter.
- Use Frozen Fruit to Make a Guilt-Free Ice Cream
In the history of dessert, ice cream is pretty high on the list. This comforting treat is great for any occasion. It used to be that ice cream was achieved after a lengthy churning process. Now, with the use of a food processor, you can cut that time exponentially and make a healthier alternative!
To use this recipe, you’ll need to make sure your food processor has a strong motor. You’ll need it to turn hard frozen fruit into soft ice cream! If you’re unsure about the capabilities of your machine, you can check through this fairly comprehensive guide to food processors.
To make healthy “ice cream”, you’ll need two cups of a frozen fruit of your choice, and two tablespoons of a sweetener of your choice. Any combo works, but if you’re starting out, you might want to begin with bananas, strawberries, and honey.
Throw all the ingredients into the processor and blend. Scrape down the sides as needed and remove after three to five minutes. Once it has reached a creamy texture, place your ice cream into the freezer to cool and harden. Before you know it, you’ll have a delicious, guilt-free ice cream to treat yourself to.
- Use Your Processor to Make a Quick Hummus
Hummus, as a snack, has stood the test of time. Be it pita, fresh vegetables, or chips, this savory dip can pair with pretty much anything. A jar of freshly made hummus can be pretty expensive. Luckily, the ingredients for hummus are relatively cheap, and the process for making hummus is easy!
For hummus, all you need is a can of chickpeas, a dash of lemon juice, and ¼ cup tahini. Tahini is a sesame-based nut butter. This can be purchased at your local grocery store or made in your food processor! If you want to make your own tahini, please refer to the nut butter section.
To make hummus, you’ll need to open and drain your can of chickpeas. While your chickpeas are draining, add the tahini and lemon juice into the processor. Blend to aerate these ingredients. Once your chickpeas are drained, feel free to add them to your tahini mixture. Now you can let your processor do the work. Pro tip: Add water or a neutral oil if you want your hummus to spread more!
