Clean Chips and Guacamole

So it's Superbowl Sunday and what else is on our minds besides football and SNACKS (confession: snacks and beer are my favorite part, no doubt)!?! No brews for me today since I'm working, but snacks? You bet. And here's my favorite clean, easy and quick snack to whip up when I'm craving something salty.

Ingredients: *This makes enough for 2-3 people

• 1 ripe avocado
• 2-3 Tbsp your favorite salsa
• a squeeze of lime or lemon
• 2 whole grain tortillas**
• Salt
• McCormicks Fiesta Citrus seasoning
• oil in mister, or Pam

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the tortillas into triangles (a pizza cutter is perfect for this) and lay them in a single layer on a baking pan. Spray the tortillas with oil and sprinkle with salt and McCormicks seasoning. I like this seasoning because its salt and preservative free so I can control the amount of salt I sprinkle on. You can sub your favorite taco seasoning or even chili powder! Bake the chips until lightly brown and a little crispy (they crisp more as they cool), about 7-8 minutes, but keep an eye on them after 6 minutes. To make the guacamole, just mash the avocado up, add salsa to taste and spritz with lime or lemon juice for a little zing!

**These are my new favorite tortillas! Tumaro's brand "Ancient Grain" flavor. For two tortillas, its only 120 calories and you get 10g of protein! I found these at Wegmans (I'm in Western New York). 

Clean Granola Bars

My son is a granola bar fanatic! And I can't lie, I love the convenience of handing over a bar of prepackaged food that he is guaranteed to eat! But most of the granola bars in grocery stores have preservatives, lots of sugar, processed junk and chemicals that I don't want my kiddo eating. I've attempted making granola bars at home before and I haven't had much luck finding a bar that is low enough in sugar that I'm ok giving them to the little guy, but that doesn't resemble cardboard! I finally found a good one so I thought I'd share it! This recipe was originally from www.allrecipes.com but I've made a few changes to create a healthier bar.

Ingredients:

• 2 C old fashioned oats
• 1/3 C brown sugar
• 1/4 C wheat germ
• 1/4 C ground flax seed
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 C whole wheat flour (or do half wheat, half oat/quinoa/etc...)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 C honey
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 C applesauce
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 C raisins or mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir all ingredients together until well mixed in a bowl. Press batter into a greased 9x13 pan, leaving about 1 1/2" of space at one end (this allows them to stay thick enough to keep from drying out). Bake for 15-18 minutes, until edges are beginning to brown. Don't over cook! The middle might even look uncooked, but it will ensure the bars stay moist! Cut into bars while still a little warm. Makes 14-16 bars. Preschooler approved! :)