Today’s post is more of a healthy snack than a recipe. On my journey to loose weight I have replaced most of my snacks with healthy alternatives. Vegetables are at the top of my new menu! I eat alot of raw vegetables with low-fat dips, which I will share in a minute.

Raw veggies are packed full of vitamins and minerals. Additionally, they are very low in calories and fat. A perfect combination. You will also find they are high in dietary fiber and low in salt. This will help you feel full faster, thus you should consume less. The low sodium content will keep you from retaining excess water. The high vitamin content will increase your energy level. All of these factors together will work in your favor when it comes to losing weight. Ah, dieters Nirvana!

You can pretty much choose just about any vegetable and then chop it up!

Here are some of my favorites:
Cucumbers, bell peppers, celery, carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, yellow squash,
zucchini & radishes

DIP INGREDIENTS 
1 Package of Ranch, Fiesta Ranch or the like (usually found in the salad dressing aisle)
1 16 oz carton of low-fat sour cream

Mix, following package instructions and enjoy!

One of the highlights of summer is our vegetable garden. We grow tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapenos, habanero peppers, eggplants, squash, zucchini and sometimes corn. Additionally, we grow cilantro, basil and other herbs. One of the wonderful creations that comes from our garden is my family-famous salsa. Below you will find one of my many salsa recipes.

 In the off season, I use low-salt, diced, canned tomatoes (2 cans). Also, minced garlic can be purchased in the jar. If you prefer a much hotter concoction, try dicing up a habanero pepper and add at your own risk! Give my recipe a try and let me know what you think. By the way, this goes very well with my home made tortilla chips. On a side note, salsa contains little or NO fat! Live it up! Enjoy!

JOHN’S GARDEN FRESH SALSA


INGREDIENTS
4 - 5 large tomatoes, diced up
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 dash of ground cumin *optional
1 squeeze of fresh lime juice
salt to taste


DIRECTIONS
1. In a mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, garlic, cilantro and lime juice. Add jalapenos 1 tablespoon at a time. Taste test after each addition to see how hot your creation has become. Salt to taste.

2. Place all ingredients in the food processor, set to “Chop” for a few seconds. Enjoy!

Here is a delicious low fat, low calorie snack. I found a tortilla with 0 fat grams and 90 calories per 2 tortillas! (that’s 8 chips) Add home made salsa and you’re in heaven!

INGREDIENTS
10 No fat corn tortillas
Cooking spray
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease aluminum foil lined baking sheet(s) with cooking spray.
2. Cut tortillas into 4 triangle pieces. Spread out on baking sheets. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Salt to taste. Flip, spray, salt.
3. Bake at 350°F. for 30 minutes or until tortillas are golden brown, flipping once. Enjoy!