How exciting that the World Cup starts today!
There are several sporting events I enjoy watching devoutly, and one of them is the World Cup games.
I think ever since I was young, I loved getting together with friends, setting up a big table while watching soccer games.
Tell me the truth, is there anything more fun than watching a soccer game, drinking a cold beer, and munching on healthy and delicious snacks with good friends?
So, to spare you from opening bags of store-bought, fat- and calorie-laden snacks, I'm including several healthy and vegan recipes for low-fat and low-salt healthy snacks, as well as some nutrition tips so you don't arrive at the final match next month with a few extra pounds.
Let's start with the tips:
- Although this is a snack table, treat it like a meal. For example: instead of dinner, not in addition to dinner.
- Add a large plate of fresh, cut vegetables to the table. It's tasty, colorful, and helps you feel full.
- While beer and salty snacks are wonderful together, try to salt as little as possible.
- The most fun is drinking cold beer, I've already said that, but remember that a 1/3 glass of beer contains between 130 to 180 calories, and a glass of wine contains between 120 to 150 calories. 2 glasses of beer with some tofu and vegetable snacks and you are still within your calorie limit.
- Be careful with large portions of fruits like a deep plate full of grapes or tropical fruits like pineapple or mango, which contain a high amount of calories and sugar. Prefer watermelon or berries, which contain a high amount of water.
- Skip roasted nuts like peanuts or sunflower seeds and place a small plate of natural almonds on the table.
Nutritional values for all recipes by Clinical Dietitian and Fitness Coach Noam Bachar
Want to set up a salad bar instead? You must check out this post
Let's get to the recipes:
Kale Chips
Ingredients:
- Half a kilo of kale leaves
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
What to do:
- Chop the stems of the kale leaves, leaving only the beautiful, soft green parts.
- In a deep bowl, mix the kale leaves well with the olive oil until all the leaves are coated.
- Place the kale leaves on the baking sheet, trying to ensure no leaf covers another.
- Bake at a very low heat, about 150 degrees Celsius, for about 20-25 minutes, until crispy.
Don't worry, the nutritional values of kale are preserved even when heated.
- You can enhance the seasoning if desired by adding:
Caloric values per 100 grams of kale chips:
115 calories, 9 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams protein, 5 grams fat (of which 0.9 grams saturated fat)
Beetroot Chips
What you need:
- 2 medium-sized beetroots
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
What to do:
- Peel the beetroots with a peeler.
- Place them in a small bowl, add 2-3 tablespoons of water, and microwave for 10 minutes.
- Remove and slice the beetroots very, very thinly using a peeler or knife.
- Mix in a bowl with olive oil and salt.
- Spread evenly on a baking sheet (be careful not to overlap the beetroots) and bake at medium heat (180 degrees Celsius) for about 15-20 minutes until the beetroot becomes crispy and slightly browned.
Nutritional values:
Per 100-gram serving
50 calories, 4 grams carbohydrates, 0.8 grams protein, 0 grams fat (of which 0.4 grams saturated fat), 1 gram dietary fiber
Roasted Chickpeas
What you need:
- 2 cups frozen chickpeas (Sanfrost) or canned chickpeas
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 crushed garlic clove
What to do:
- Mix all ingredients in a deep bowl.
- Bake at high heat, about 200 degrees Celsius, for about 10 minutes and serve hot.
Nutritional values:
Per 100 grams (recommended serving 2-3 tablespoons)
170 calories, 8 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams protein, 7 grams fat (of which 1 gram saturated fat), 6 grams dietary fiber.
Baked Tofu Cubes
What you need:
Baked Tofu Cubes
- 300 grams tofu
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Hawaij soup spice
- 1 crushed garlic clove
What to do:
Cut the tofu into cubes
Mix all ingredients in a deep bowl
Bake at medium heat (180 degrees Celsius) for about 15-20 minutes until the cubes are golden brown.
Nutritional values per 100 grams of tofu (2-3 tablespoons)
120 calories, 1.6 grams carbohydrates, 6.5 grams protein, 10 grams fat (of which 1.3 grams saturated fat).
Edamame
What you need:
- 1 kg edamame
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
What to do:
- Transfer the edamame to a deep bowl and microwave for 10 minutes (or according to manufacturer's instructions on the package).
Tips for upgrading: coriander seeds, cumin seeds, a little (!) coarse salt, hot paprika and cumin
Nutritional values per 100 grams of edamame:
122 kcal, 10 grams carbohydrates, 10 grams protein, 5 grams fat (of which 0.6 grams saturated fat), 5 grams dietary fiber
Wasabi Peas
What you need:
- One cup of dried peas
- One teaspoon sesame oil
- One teaspoon wasabi paste
- One teaspoon baking soda
What to do:
- Soak the peas in water, covering them, for at least 5 hours.
- Drain the water and transfer to a large pot.
- Add the teaspoon of baking soda and cover with water.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat.
- Cook for about 15 minutes until the peas soften slightly.
- Drain the water and transfer to a deep bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients.
- If you like it spicy, add another teaspoon of wasabi paste.
- Mix well.
- Spread on a baking sheet and bake at medium heat (150 degrees Celsius) for about 15 minutes.
Nutritional values per 100 grams (3-4 tablespoons)
150 calories, 20 grams carbohydrates, 15 grams protein, 2 grams fat (of which 0.5 grams saturated fat)
Tofu and Sun-dried Tomato Dip
What you need:
- 340 grams silken tofu
- 4- sun-dried tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
What to do:
- Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in a little hot water for about 4-5 minutes until they soften.
- Drain the water and transfer to a food processor.
- Add the remaining ingredients and blend well until a uniform paste is formed.
Nutritional values *for the entire dip*:
700 calories, 63 grams protein, 30 grams carbohydrates, 45 grams fat (7 grams saturated fat),
