Recipe: Snacking on fruits and ve(chip)tables

by Amy Giroux

I am prone to frequent snack attacks. The kind that has you staring at the pantry for a solid 10 minutes, trying to decide what on earth your taste buds are craving. Sweet? Salty? Tummy-filling or just a bite? Midday or midnight, this snack habit is usually the adversary of my dinner appetite and my waistline. After almost four years of college, I have finally learned how to channel my snack cravings into a healthy habit with fruit and veggie chips.

Basic recipe

Slice fruits and veggies as thinly as possible. Though you can use a sharp knife to make all your cuts, I highly recommend purchasing a mandolin – it’s totally worth the investment. Our local City Target has them for about $13.

Using a separate bowl for each chip flavor, lightly toss vegetables in olive oil – just enough to cover each piece. For fruits, toss apples and pears in lemon juice – again, using just enough to cover each piece. Do not oversaturate your fruits and veggies. Avoid berries – too much juice and sugar – but mangoes also make excellent candidates.

Add desired seasonings to the bowl in proportions based on your own preferences. See the table below for our ideas.

After coating chips in the bowls with olive oil/lemon juice and seasonings, lay each piece on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (Note: If you use aluminum foil to cover your cookie sheets, make sure to use butter to grease the foil. Otherwise, the sugar will stick and your chips will burn to a crisp.) Ensure that pieces do not touch.

Sprinkle a light layer of seasonings of your choice over the chips.

Bake at the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit noted on the table below. Multiple types can be baked on the same sheet or at the same time, but make sure you watch them carefully. The line between “perfect” and “burnt” is a matter of minutes.

Flip the chips using a fork, spatula or tongs midway through baking. Chips are finished when the edges begin to crisp and curl and the pieces are no longer floppy or moist.

Toss the veggie chips with sea salt just prior to serving if desired.

Chips may be kept in an airtight container or bag for up to one week (if you don’t eat them all before then).

Special thanks to Mara Curry, Emily Chan and Laura Clugston