ST. LOUIS — This morning Mary Caltrider chatted with New York Times Bestselling food author, Alex Caspero, about holiday treats with a healthy twist. Caspero is a registered dietician nutritionist and a plant-based chef - she shared a few easy grab and go snacks for you to make during this busy time of year. As noted by Caspero, sweet and spicy nuts are a great food for snacking and make fantastic gifts – a nice alternative to cookie boxes. Nuts are a useful source of fiber, protein, and fat, and they are also great to add into salads. Nuts curb your hunger. Veggie trays are not new or novel – but the truth is most people do not eat enough vegetables. According to Caspero there are so many ways to make slightly better choices during this holiday season. You can learn more by following Caspero on Instagram - @delishknowledge.com or her website www.delishknowledge.com for lots of fun, healthy recipe ideas.
Below is the sweet and spicy nut recipe Caspero shared on-air today.
Recipe for the nuts:
3 cups raw mixed nuts (I used a mixture of pecans, cashews and walnuts)
2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne (can use more for added heat)
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Toss nuts with sugar, cumin, cayenne and salt.
Melt coconut oil in a small saucepan and add the rosemary, cook for 1 minute then remove from heat and stir in the maple syrup.
Add to the nut mixture and toss to combine. Place in a single layer on a prepared baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, toss and place back in the oven for 2 more minutes until golden and toasted.
Remove from oven and let cool, then transfer to a container and enjoy!