I’ll be the first to admit: sometimes, it’s tough to be healthy.
Sometimes, you just “can’t find the time” to put together a healthy meal or snack.
Sometimes, reaching for a block of cheese and crackers is easier than laboring over a salad.
I’ve been there, often. However, I have a little trick that I’m sharing with you today that involves Nourish Snacks.
We’ve all been there – you get home late at night after an unexpectedly long day and even if you’ve prepared all of the ingredients on a Sunday for your week-day dinner, you just can’t take the time to whip it up.
You look in the pantry, grab a bag of chips, then pull the hummus out of the fridge and plop down on the couch. Voila… dinner.
I get in those kind of moods more often than I’d like to admit.
But here’s my little trick: healthy snack packs can be easily turned into meals. I’ve poured a bag of almonds and dried raisins on top of a few handfuls of lettuce, along with some lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and olive oil for an “insta-dinner.”
I’ve done this a lot – getting creative with your pantry and fridge for those 10 minute dinners.
One of my go-to “salad toppings in a bag” are Nourish Snacks. Usually, I keep a packet or two of these low-calorie, healthy snacks in my purse for those times when I’m out and ravenous – they keep me from stopping at a Duane Reade or a similar convenience store and bingeing on a bag of chocolate covered pretzels.
But sometimes, I love to empty a packet over a bowl of spiralized veggies, with a dressing for a flavorful, filling meal. Specifically, Nourish Snacks’s “Menage-a-Mix” is perfect for these types of occasions.
This “Menage-a-Mix” is comprised of BBQ flavored chickpeas, roasted corn and edamame, making it an easy, flavorful protein-packed meal topper.
The other day, I was blogging and looked up and it was almost 4pm. I didn’t want to “spoil” my dinner, so I tossed some chopped chard and beet noodles together, drizzled over a homemade avocado-ranch dressing and topped it all with my Menage-a-Mix packet.
This avocado-ranch dressing complements the smoky flavors of the roasted, crispy beans in the snack pack. BBQ and avocado go together like peanut butter and jelly, let me tell you.
To replicate the Nourish Snacks’ Menage-a-Mix, roast together corn, edamame and chickpeas with BBQ spices (like with this recipe.)
This avocado-ranch dressing should be another staple dressing in your arsenal, like with yesterday’s cauliflower sauce. It’s so versatile, so easy to make and so healthfully flavorful!
The crunchy beet noodles soften with the dressing and the chard offers more filling, dietary fiber to this easy spiralized salad.
The point is this: healthy eating doesn’t have to mean only shopping in the produce aisles. Eat smartly and eat creatively!
Note: Although Nourish Snacks sponsored this post, all opinions are my own.
Nutritional Information & Recipe
Raw Beet Noodle and Rainbow Chard Salad with Avocado-Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- For the salad:
- 3 large beets peeled, Blade C, noodles trimmed
- 5-6 cups chopped Rainbow Swiss Chard
- 6 packets of Nourish Snacks Ménage-a-Mix or 1.5 cup mix of chickpeas, edamame and corn
- For the dressing:
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1 cup plain almond milk or full-fat coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1.5 teaspoons freshly minced dill
- 2 teaspoons freshly minced parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- salt to taste about ¼ teaspoon
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients for the dressing into a high speed blender or food processor and pulse until creamy. Taste and adjust to your preferences. Set aside.
- Toss the chard and beet noodles together in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle over with avocado-ranch dressing and let sit for 10 minutes to soften the beet and chard.
- When ready to serve, divide into plates and top each with 1 packet of Nourish Snacks’s Menage-a-Mix. If serving family-style, add the packets to a serving bowl with the beet and chard and toss together to combine.
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