Move over kale, there’s a new veggie chip in town. I’m all for the deliciousness of a good kale chip, but ever since kale has become the hottest trending health food since the 1980’s influx of Slimfast (barf),  I get quite a few eye rolls when I suggest kale chips as a healthy alternative to their deep fried counterpart: the potato chip. The kind of eye-roll that can only be translated into “Here we go again, another Nutritionist telling me to eat Kale! Ugh…”. So for this recipe, I’ve pushed the kale aside and tagged in my personal favourite veg, the Brussels Sprouts. If your only experience with these bundles of yum have been the mushy, mini cabbages that were forced onto your plate as a kid,  I suggest that you give them another chance.

This recipe came to me for two reasons:

1. This winter, roasted brussels sprouts were hitting my plate almost every week. I loved it when the outer leaves would fall off during roasting and get nice and crispy. They were the perfect combination of salt and crunch that makes us love chips so much. I would gobble them up before my manfriend dished up his dinner, so that I didn’t have to share. Sorry babe. 
2.  Secondly, as a nutritionist, I hate telling people they can’t have something they enjoy. Taking on the role of Madame Buzzkill in people’s lives is not a role that I enjoy playing. I love food too much to make nourishing your body restrictive and rigid. Therefore, I like to support my clients by creating healthy alternatives to the foods they love, but that may not be supporting their health goals. So rather than having to say “no” when people ask me if they can eat (insert favourite junk food here) for dinner, my answer is typically “yes, but (insert healthier version here)”. With chips being one of the most common forms of kryptonite I hear in my office, I knew I needed to come up with an alternative (without the kale induced eye roll).

This recipe is super simple. Start off by preheating the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit and washing the little buggers really well.

Cut off the ends and slice in half. Separate the leaves and pat dry with a dish towel. *Removing excess water will help them get nice and crispy. 

In a large bowl, drizzle the leaves with olive oil and sea salt. *If you have any inner cores left, save them for use later in a slaw or salad). 

Toss until evenly coated and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper in a single layer (avoid overlapping).

Place in preheated oven @ 350 degrees and roast for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking time, until crispy. You want them to be almost burnt but not burnt.

Nutrition isn’t all about restrictions. It’s about getting back to the foods that nourish your body and your taste-buds. Side note: If you’re having a movie night with friends, going to a girl’s night or gathering with buds for some playoff hockey, don’t make these. You won’t want to share.  

In health & good taste, 

Heather XO

Brussels Sprout Chips

2016-04-25 13:05:54

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Ingredients

1. 2 Cups of Brussels Sprouts
2. 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
3. 1/8 tsp Sea Salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees fahrenheit
2. Cut the bottoms off the brussels sprouts.
3. Separate the leaves and place in a large bowl. (Save any inner cores for later use in a salad/coleslaw).
4. Pat the leaves dry with a tea towel. (Removing excess moisture will help get the nice and crispy)
5. Drizzle with olive oil and sea salt and toss until evenly coated.
6. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Avoid overlapping.
7. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes until crispy, flipping halfway through cooking time. (You want them to be almost burnt, but not burnt)
8. Remove from oven, decide if you want to share and enjoy.

By Heather Allen

Heather Allen http://www.heatherallen.ca/