Healthier Eating Challenge: 3 snack recipes for tastier, nutritious food

This is the third day of the 5-day vigorous eating challenge. To start over, click here.

Americans are snacking more than ever. Recent questionnaire suggested that 95 percent of us now eat at least one snack a day, and most of us eat two or more.

When a craving occurs, many people reach for ultra-processed snacks, such as sweets or chips. This is partly because, as I mentioned in yesterday’s challenge, these foods are designed to be desirable. (My favorites are chocolate bars with nuts and any cheese-flavored chips that turn your fingers orange.)

But there’s another reason we might want an ultra-processed snack. Sometimes healthier, whole foods like walnuts, fruit sticks or carrots can seem a bit flat and joyless. And that’s bad because minimally processed foods typically contain things that keep you feeling full longer, such as fiber, water and protein, says Ashley Gearhardt, a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan.

But the thing is, that gloomy handful of almonds can be bursting with flavor.

Today we will take a break from ultra-processed snacks and make whole grain snacks just as delicious. We hired experts to mimic the desirable properties of ultra-processed foods, adding the salt, sweetness, fat and spices that can make healthier foods popular.

Well Challenge Day 3: Try sprinkling “flavor dust”.

We create so-called flavor dusts – straightforward spice mixtures using ingredients you may have in your home kitchen.

We asked the chefs to prepare recipes especially for us that could be sprinkled with nuts and popcorn – three savory ones, one spicy-sweet one. We’ve also included some quick and effortless recipes from NYT Cooking below.

Flavored popcorn powders

Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu are the chefs at Jun, an acclaimed restaurant in Houston. They created two popcorn toppings – one with sultry herbs and spices, the other with a cheese blend with a kick. If you don’t have one of the ingredients, Chef Garcia said, the recipes are forgiving and worth trying.

An easy-to-prepare spice mix for a snack

Give: about ⅔ cup

Ingredients
4 tablespoons of sugar
3 tablespoons of ground coriander
1 tablespoon of sea salt
2 tablespoons of turmeric powder
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground fenugreek
½ teaspoon of mustard powder
½ teaspoon Korean chili flakes or any chili flakes you have on hand

Preparation: Mix and store in a jar with a lid. Drop one tablespoon onto freshly popped popcorn.

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Burning warm cheese dust

Give: about ⅔ cup

Ingredients
½ cup of Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of paprika
½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Korean chili flakes or any chili flakes you have on hand
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon melted butter or olive oil spray

Preparation: Combine ingredients except butter or olive oil in a miniature bowl.

Once the popcorn is baked, brush it with melted butter or olive oil spray to assist the spice mixture stick, then sprinkle with as many spices as you like. (You can also add this spice blend to your favorite cooked or steamed vegetables or mix with plain yogurt to make a dip for raw carrots and celery.)

Flavored powders for nuts

Kwame Onwuachi is the executive chef at Tatiana in Modern York, which tops The Times’ list of best restaurants in Modern York. His homemade seasoning recipe, which includes cayenne pepper and paprika, goes well with pecans, but you can sprinkle any of these additions on any nuts you want.

Homemade spice

Give: 1 ½ cups

Ingredients
5 tablespoons kosher salt or to taste
6 ½ tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons of granulated garlic
4 tablespoons of granulated onion
4 tablespoons of Worcestershire powder
2 ½ tablespoons of cayenne pepper
2 ½ tablespoons of Hungarian paprika (or sweet paprika)

Preparation: Combine all ingredients in a huge bowl and mix well. Season to taste. Store in an airtight container.

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Ribwort plantain spice

Give: 1 ½ cups

Ingredients
6 tablespoons of home spice
5 tablespoons of Caribbean curry powder
1 tablespoon of ground cumin
6 tablespoons of powdered sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt or to taste

Preparation: Combine all ingredients in a huge bowl and mix well. Season to taste. Store in an airtight container.

Also check out these effortless sweet snack recipes using whole foods from NYT Cooking: Coconut granola bars, Soft cake with strawberries and sesame seeds, Vegan banana bread, Yogurt Parfaits With Cherries and Pistachios AND Apple compote.