Healthy Zucchini Chips

My new healthy snack.

I'm a snack person. There's no way around it, no sugar coating done here. Plain and simple, I just love to snack. And I'm not ashamed to admit it. Problem is, finding the perfect snack can be tough. I've thought long and hard about what makes the perfect snack for me, and I've narrowed it down to my top 10 criteria. To be a perfect snack, it must meet the following:

1. Gluten-free
2. Dairy-free 
3. Vegetarian (preferably vegan)
4. Low in calories
5. Low in fat
6. Savory
7. Satisfying
8. Crunchy
9. Light
10. Colorful (preferably green)

This one meets all the criteria.

The goal with most snacks is to have something quick and healthy, easy to eat on the go and tasty enough that you are happy to sit down and savor the flavors. I've posted a few of my favorite snacks already (like Puffed Rice Cakes with Sliced Apples & Almond Butter or my Vegan Cheezy Kale Chips) and they continue to be my go-tos when I'm in a hurry or want something I know my body will love. Until I discovered these. 

A new favorite.

I recently purchased a dehydrator for this purpose alone. I came across this recipe for Crispy Zucchini Chips and I was in awe. They not only looked delicious, but I was sure they satisfied my snack criteria. I was all set to make them until I realized I didn't have the main ingredient, a dehydrator. 

I'd been toying with the idea for quite some time, but was unsure which one to buy. I knew the Excalibur brand was the nicest, but I'm new to the whole raw food movement and didn't know if it was worth the investment. I did my homework and finally selected one that was in my price range, had great reviews and seemed to be everything I was looking for. The Nesco FD-75PR is great. It's powerful, dries things fairly quickly, and is super easy to assemble and clean. So far no complaints!

Healthy Zucchini Chips

Healthy Zucchini Chips

These quite honestly are the perfect snack. Not only do they satisfy each of my snack criteria, but they are easy to make, require four ingredients, and to top it off, they're dipable. Oh yes, I'd say these babies are perfect alright. They're very low calories and fat, are salty and tasty, with just the right amount of crisp. 

ingredients:

• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Salt & pepper to taste

Slice the zucchini into thin rounds. Add the rounds in a bowl and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Place each round on the dehydrating sheet, flat and separated. You don't want them to overlap or they won't dry properly. 

Turn the dehydrator on to 135 or 140 degrees F and let them dry for 4 - 5 hours, until they're nice and crispy. 

Serve with guacamole, bean dip, hummus, you name it. Or eat them plain, as is. They're delicious no matter what.