Healthy activated snacks

Want more energy from your food? Fi Jamieson-Folland explains why soaking your seeds and nuts before eating them delivers more nutrients.

What if it was possible to ‘wake up’ your food before you eat it, so that you ‘unlock’ more of the nutrients inside?

Seeds and nuts (and legumes, like mung beans) are surprisingly full of energy – and when they’re soaked in water for several hours, they transform inside. They start to break down their starch into glucose and fructose, their proteins get spilt into smaller sections, some of the toxins like tannins get released (and removed when rinsed), their enzymes wake up and start to get busy, the vitamin levels rise and their saturated fats break down into more-easily used parts.

The result? They provide a lot more goodies, they’re a lot easier to digest, have less toxins and taste even better.

Examples of nuts and seeds that are delicious when pre-soaked for 3+ hours (and then carefully rinsed) include:

• Brazils, almonds, macadamias, hazelnuts, cashews (only need about 1-2 hours), pumpkin and sunflower seeds.

So how about a handy snack (I call it Snak) that’s easy to make, bulging with flavour, highly nutritious, and will have your friends asking you for the recipe?

Activated Snaks ~ Spicy Cashews

Why? For a truly delicious snack – when you want something tasty that’s also healthy. Especially when you want to be sure of what’s going into your ’fast food’, and most importantly, what’s been left out.

When? For morning and afternoon snacks on the run!

Ingredients
Makes enough for 5 cups of Snaks

5 cups cashew pieces – pre-soaked in filtered water overnight, drained just before use
2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp sweet curry powder
3 tsp mild curry powder
3 tsp ground turmeric powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
½-1 tbsp raw honey (to taste)
½ tsp smoked paprika

What to do

1. Mix everything thoroughly in a big bowl. Spread out thinly on a teflex sheet in your dehydrator. Dehydrate for 16-20 hours, or until crisp. Ideally turn your trays by 90 degrees periodically.
2. Don’t have access to a dehydrator? Spread out your Snaks on an oven-ready pan, and use your oven on the lowest heat you can until your Snaks are crisp. Ideally, keep your oven door open, with the fan on, and check them regularly. They’ll likely be ready in less than half the time it takes to dehydrate them. While they won’t be as ‘live’ using this method, it’s a good place to begin – if you’re without a dehydrator.

Top tips for Superb Snaks

• Change your spices for a sweet Snak variation, with cinnamon and ground cloves instead of the curry powder, paprika and turmeric. You can also see if you prefer using coconut sugar (especially low GI option) to honey.
• Your Snaks are super-versatile and work well made with a base of whichever nut or seed you prefer – from brazil or cashew pieces to walnuts and almonds. Our favourites are with a combo of sunflower seeds and cashew pieces.
• Your Snaks are a low GI snack (low glycaemic-index – so the energy is slow-release) so are great after a work-out.
• Include organic where possible. If that’s not possible, use extra soaking time for your nuts and seeds if you can, and rinse well, twice.
• Remember to chew well – it mixes your digestive juices and helps to begin digestion before your food reaches your stomach.
• If you have any leftovers (if you can resist them) keep well in a sealed BPA-free container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks, or in the freezer for approx 4-5 months or so.

Take away 

If you’d like a WHOLE ebook full of delicious, LIVE recipes, check out Delicious eating…naturally! on Amazon.

It’s worth knowing you’re making a difference with this ebook, as it directly helps women in South Auckland to become financially independent, through the 2Gether Foundation.

Want to be kept in the ‘know’ with tasty recipes, health tips and more? Drop me a line at fi@convertibelle.com with ‘updates’ in the title, and we’ll make sure we keep you in the loop.

Enjoy! 

Fi Jamieson-Folland D.O, is a Lifestyle Consultant, with more than 20 years experience in Europe, Asia and New Zealand as a qualified osteopath, educator, writer and health mentor. She lives in Auckland with her husband Chris, relishing an outdoor lifestyle and time with family and friends.