Most vegetable snacks are raw.
Snacking usually involves a quick bite and lots of carbohydrates as found in chips, breads and crackers. A healthy snack usually involves uncooked fruits and vegetables. Warm vegetable snacks are hard to come by but make for a healthy and hot option for a midday snack.
Spicy Plantain Chips
Spices blend with the sweet flavor of plantains to make this easy baked snack. Toss thinly sliced plantains in a bowl with olive oil, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt and chili powder. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. Flip the chips over on the other side after seven minutes. You can modify the recipe to include more intense spices like chipotle, jalapeno, jerk, cajun, creole or hot chilies depending on taste.
Potato Skins
The baked potato is probably the most classic of baked vegetable dishes and you can turn it into a quick and easy to eat snack by using just the skins. Bake a potato, cut in half and spoon out the potato leaving just the skin. Brush the skins inside and out with oil or butter and bake until crispy and brown. Classic combinations with potato skins include cheese, bacon, onions and sour cream, but the seasoning and garnish possibilities are endless. You can make curry Indian-style potato skins or use Mexican or Italian spices.
Onion Crackers
Crispy baked crackers with vegetables makes a healthy and quick snack. Mix chopped onions, chilies and fresh herbs of your choice in a cracker dough. Roll out the dough and use a cookie cutter to make cracker rounds. Place the rounds on a baking sheet and bake 30 minutes until brown. Any variety of onion will work and each provide a different taste. You can use green onion, shallots, red onion, sweet onion or leeks as well as other finely chopped vegetables.
Zucchini Chips
Zucchini chips provide a healthy alternative to deep fried potatoes. Thinly slice the zucchini into round chips. The thinner the slice the more crisp the chip will turn out. Dip the slices in egg whites and then bread crumbs. You can add Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to the bread crumbs for extra taste. You can also add nutritional yeast or wheat germ for extra nutrition. Place the zucchini chips on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, flipping the chips over at the half way mark. Carrots, squash and eggplant also make good chips using the same recipe.
Tags: baking sheet, baking sheet bake, sheet bake, bake minutes, bread crumbs