Easy & Quick Vegetarian Snacks With Little Ingredients

Spice up popcorn using olive oil and Parmesan cheese.

Healthy vegetarian snacks help fuel the body and provide extra nutrition in between meals, according to Tarla Dalal's book "Healthy Snacks." The important thing is to create a daily food regime that integrates small portions of fruits, vegetables and nuts. Vegetarian bites, such as spicy nuts, cheesy popcorn, and dried pear can be flavorful adaptations to the everyday snack. Furthermore, they can be made using few ingredients, and a little bit of prep work and cooking time.

Dried Pear Crisps

Fruits are a great snack to stave off a sweet tooth and nourish the body. The dried pear crisps highlighted in "Bon Appetit" magazine is a less perishable option for getting the recommended daily allowance. Mix 1 tbsp. of sugar with a 1/4 tsp. each of cinnamon and ground ginger. Thinly slice the pears, lay them out on a flat baking sheet and sprinkle them generously with the sugar mixture. Bake in the oven for about an hour at 275 degrees Fahrenheit, until the pears are dried out. Allow them to cool and they are ready to eat.

Cinnamon-Roasted Chickpeas

Cinnamon-roasted chickpeas, as featured in "Saveur" magazine, is another quick snack that uses cinnamon, but in a more savory way. To make this snack, combine 2 tbsp. of tahini (sesame paste), with 1 tbsp. of cinnamon, 1/8 tsp. of fine sea salt and 1 tbsp. of agave nectar in a bowl. Then add one 19 oz. can of chickpeas to the mixture, making sure to coat them evenly. Pour the chickpeas into a large roasting pan lined with parchment paper. Spread the chickpeas out in an even, single layer. Pop the pan into an oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Cheesy Popcorn

"Food Network" magazine features an interesting and cheesy take on a classic movie goers snack: popcorn. To make this cheesy popcorn, prepare one package of natural non-butter microwavable popcorn. Pour the hot popcorn into a bowl and drizzle it with 1 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil, then sprinkle on 2 tbsp. of finely grated Parmesan cheese. Finish the cheesy kernels by adding a 1/2 tsp. of fine sea salt.

Caribbean Spiced Nuts

In Tara Dalal's book, she suggests nuts as a perfect snack because they are high in protein. "Delicious" magazine features a quick and easy recipe for Caribbean spiced nuts. Start by tossing 12 oz. of mixed nuts with one egg white. In a separate bowl, combine 1/4 c. of sugar with eight crushed cardamom pods, and 1 tsp. each of nutmeg and ground ginger. Sprinkle the dry mixture over the nuts, before laying them out on a flat baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes, and allow them to cool completely before serving.

References

• "Healthy Snacks"; Tarla Dalal; 2005
• "Bon Appetit": Dried Pear Crisps
• "Saveur": Cinnamon-Roasted Chickpeas
• "Food Network": Pepped Up Popcorn
• "Delicious": Caribbean Spiced Nuts Recipe