At our home, Summer often means chips and dips. We all know that those chips aren’t good for us. Too much salt, too much refined carbs and not enough nutrition. So how about re-imagining hors d’oeuvre time. We can make appetizers more healthful and a real part of the meal. A simple way to start is crudités. Raw vegetables such as carrot sticks, celery and other simple choices can turn appetizers into half of the meal.
At our house we love homemade guacamole and hummus (usually store bought) is always a hit. And usually salsa and chips show up too. Each of these favorites have strengths and weaknesses. Guacamole is high fat but healthy fat. Hummus is also fairly high fat with oil added either as something like olive oil or sesame oil. Both are generally considered healthy oils. Salsa is low fat and high in Vitamin C but with all those chips it makes us eat there comes too much processed carbs and a lot more salt. So let’s re-imagine hors d’oeuvre time.
Avocado Hummus
1 15oz can of garbanzo beans drained and rinsed (save a little of the brine from the can)
1 Avocado seeded and removed from its skin
2 Tb Olive oil or tahini if you prefer
1 C Hot Salsa of your choice
Process the garbanzo beans in a food processer until well ground and then stream in the oil or tahini while the machine is running to create a coarse paste. Add the avocado and process until not quite smooth. If the mixture is too dry at this point add a couple tablespoons of reserved brine and process a little more. Turn the mixture into a bowl and fold in the Salsa. Serve with crudités.
So what have we accomplished here. We have turned hors d’oeuvres into a mini meal. The spread is still about 50% fat on a calorie basis but if you eat just 4 oz. of carrots and celery the total fat drops to 43%, your carbs are primarily resistant starch and fiber and your protein is 11% which is about perfect for most people. And I am allowing a very generous helping of nearly ½ C of spread which is about 130 calories. The homemade guacamole is 182 calories for just 4 Tb and 62% fat.
For breakfast the day after I made this I had a fried egg in fresh tortilla with just shy of a ½ C of my Avocado Hummus and rounded out the meal with a banana and a cup of coffee. So this is a 414 calorie start to my day but most experts agree that eating a little more in the morning and a little less in the evening is better for you. Looking at my nutrition for the day so far I am 50% carbs with most of that resistant starch, 36% fat with half of that from plant sources and 14% protein. This meal will stick with me until lunch time and it will not spike my blood sugar. For lunch I will eat something with less fat like a green salad and feta for protein and a low calorie dressing like a reduced oil vinaigrette. I hope you enjoy trying this meal and send us feedback.
Ken Corliss, OD
(253) 845-0585