Let’s be honest – we have all been guilty of a hangry outburst or a hunger-induced bad decision. When your blood sugar drops you can have difficulty concentrating and even the most mundane tasks become increasingly challenging, sometimes leading to a mid-afternoon meltdown.
In addition to cognitive effects, being hungry can contribute to bad food decisions. It’s much easier to opt for the cheese-covered burger for lunch over a sensible option when your hunger is out of control. To combat the ill effects of a grumbling tummy, we bring you the ‘Snack Series.’ These health-conscious and sustaining snack options will help tide you over between meals and ensure that you are operating at peak performance.
This installment is a spicy, sweet, and salty snack guaranteed to satisfy. We have all heard of the health benefits of eating nuts: they are cardio-protective and high in ‘healthy’ fats and antioxidants. Cashews, in particular, are high in magnesium and lower in overall fat than other nuts – not to mention they are delectably creamy and naturally sweet.
This delicacy is paired with the warm, toasty flavours of curry spice and balanced with salt and sugar. The spice and warmth make this snack an experience, ensuring it meets the essential qualifications of a hearty snack: mouth-watering, crave-worthy and, above all, satisfying.
This recipe uses raw cashews, and it is important to ensure that they are indeed raw as this recipe will include salting and roasting.
This snack takes a maximum of 20 minutes to execute and can combat your 3 p.m. cravings with ease, all week long.
Ingredients
2 cups of raw cashews
1 tablespoon of coconut oil, melted
1-2 teaspoons or cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you like it)
1 ½ teaspoons of curry powder
1 teaspoon of ground fenugreek
1 teaspoon of kosher salt (or other coarse salt)
1 teaspoon of brown sugar
½ teaspoon of Garam Masala
½ teaspoon of cumin
½ teaspoon of turmeric
Method
Preheat oven to 375F
Thoroughly combine the spices, salt, and sugar
Whisk spice blend with the melted coconut oil until combined
Toss the cashews in the spiced oil mixture until all the nuts are evenly coated
Roast nuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 15 minutes, tossing and turning the pan half way through the cooking time
Remove nuts from the oven and let cool completely
Store in an airtight container for up to a week