Roasted Cauliflower Hummus

Ingredients:
5 cups cauliflower florets (about 1 large cauliflower)
1 tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
1 fresh lemon, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 cup olive oil or avocado oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons water
sea salt and cracked black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Place the cauliflower florets on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Roast for 20 - 25 minutes until the cauliflower is browned and tender. After the cauliflower is roasted, let it cool.

In a food processor (working in batches if needed) add the roasted cauliflower, tahini, lemon juice, oil, and garlic powder. Adding water throughout blending and blend until smooth. If needed, add additional water (one teaspoon at a time) to help smooth the texture.

Season with sea salt and cracked black pepper.

Serving suggestions: Serve with sliced vegetables, roasted vegetables, or your favorite whole grain tortilla chips.

Nutrition facts (per 2 tablespoons): 55 calories, 5 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 60 milligrams sodium, 2 grams carbs, 1 gram fiber, 1 gram protein

Snacks can help to fuel the body on even the busiest of days! What you eat and do not eat, will make a difference in helping you power through the day. Here are some practical snack ideas to keep on hand.

Trail mix - a quick handful of trail mix can deliver a mix of healthy fats, some protein, and quality carbs. Opt for those that have mostly dried fruit and nuts.

Apple and Peanut Butter

Pair up apple slices with peanut butter or your favorite nut butter like almond butter for a perfect mix of energy.

On the go tip: Bring along single serve peanut butter cups (e.g. JIF Natural) or nut butter packs (e.g. RX Nut Butter or Justin’s Nut Butter) to go with apple slices.

Carrots and Hummus

Crunchy baby carrots and your favorite hummus is a delicious savory snack! There are so many great types of hummus now, mix up which one you choose to keep your taste buds interested.

On the go tip: Opt for single serving cups (e.g. Sabra) of hummus to go with the carrots!

Pistachios

Perhaps the best thing about pistachios is that 49 pistachios is a serving, which is more than compared to other nuts. Plus cracking pistachios takes a bit of time, which helps to make a serving of this snack last a little longer.

On the go tip: Buy single serving packs of pistachios (e.g. Wonderful Pistachios) that are already portioned out for you! Even switch it up with flavored pistachios like salt and pepper or sweet chili.

Popcorn

This whole grain snack is so tasty! Plus a serving of popcorn is adding in whole grains and fiber to your day. And for an added bonus, 3 cups of popcorn is a serving, which is much larger than a portion size of other crunchy snack foods (a serving of chips is only one handful). Opt for air popped popcorn at home or choose light versions of microwave popcorn or bags of popcorn.

Roasted Cauliflower Hummus

Well, cauliflower has another incredible use… it can double as a hummus. For all those that think they don’t like hummus, dislike chickpeas, or eat low carb, this is the hummus for you!