A crunchy snack

The hardest part of my new low-carb diet is definitely going to be having small, appropriate meals often throughout the day. I absolutely love the idea of grazing often, but I need to find crunchy, satisfying and portable foods that I can eat throughout the day of work.

Martha has an awesome section on her website where she features snacks that are under 200 calories. I decided on something crunchy, and the first recipe looked like it would completely do the trick!

I mixed together walnuts and almonds - both healthy nuts that are on my approved list of foods. I combined these nuts with flaxseeds, quinoa, and sunflower seeds, which is a perfect combination of complex carbs. I whisked these ingredients together with some egg whites and added in cayenne, cumin and cinnamon. To top it off, I used a mix of splenda and water as a low-sugar alternative to the honey Martha used in her recipe.

Once baked in the oven, the nut mix was a filling, healthy, crunchy snack that I am sure will help me beat the hunger I sometimes experience in the middle of the day. I plan on packing it little ziplocs and bringing it to work with me every day as a nice substitute to a carb-loaded snack.

RECIPE

Mix 3 cups whole nuts with 1/4 cup each flaxseeds, quinoa, and sunflower seeds (bottom left in photo). In a separate bowl, whisk 2 egg whites with 2 tablespoons honey, 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon each cayenne, cumin, and cinnamon. Toss with nut mix.

Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet; bake at 325 degrees until dry, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Scrape from pan while cooling, to avoid sticking. Makes 16 servings (178 calories each).