The Mediterranean diet is considered to be one of the world’s healthiest. Ingredients like olives, dates, whole grains, and fresh vegetables are flavorful, nutritious, and satisfying. Seniors need a healthy snack in between meals to keep their blood sugar level stable. Here are a few snack ideas that are excellent choices for seniors and their health benefits.
Mediterranean Snacks for Seniors that Pack a Nutritious Punch
Pumpkin & Flax Seeds, Sun-dried Tomato Crackers with Roasted Beets Hummus

I have been very busy over the last few weeks, doing a lot of creative things/jobs and also watching my latest favorite cooking show - The Great British Baking Show. You probably can tell, since I bake quite a lot lately, just cannot help myself, the show is so good. I just want to bake together with the bakers and I do.
Labels: Beets, Biscuits, Chickpeas, crackers, fall, Flax Seeds, Healthy, hummus, Pumpkin seeds, Recipes, Roasted, Snack, Sun-dried Tomato
Baked Sweet Potato Roses with Fresh Thyme

If you’re run out of ideas for sweet potato appetizers/snacks/side dishes, these potato roses are a very pretty and easy to make. It takes only 25 minutes to cook it and just few ingredients.
Russian Monday: "Sushki" - Sweet Tea Bread, Baked Crunchy Round Snacks

I use to love these little tea breads when I was a child and I still love them today. I buy them often in Russian grocery store near us, but always had a desire to bake them myself. Sushki are slightly sweet crunchy round pastries/cookies which are served with tea or eaten as a snack. They look like mini bagels but they are very dry and crispy. They are fun to make, actually our whole family was making them - that is why our sushki look all different-)) It's ok, we had some good time. I like them with poppy seeds, but you can make them plain or top them with sesame seeds as well.
Labels: Baked, Dessert, Easter, Mid-afternoon tea, Poppy seeds, Recipes, Russian cuisine, Russian Monday, Snack, Sushki
Homemade Pita Bread

Pita Bread also known as pocket bread and made with white or whole wheat flour. Pita can be cut into wedges and served with meals or appetizers, especially dips, or is halved crosswise, and the resulting pockets may be filled with various vegetables, salads to make a sandwich. We love to serve it with traditional hummus, fresh herbs and cucumbers. Pitas are pretty amazing just warm from the oven with a drizzle of your favorite oil.
Melangery Stamped Honey-Vanilla Cookies

One of the things my kids could always count on when they come from school, is finding homemade sugar cookies in the big blue cookie jar in my old kitchen hutch.
These cookies are very special, they have my blog signature. What would you write on your cookie?
Food Blog Forum - Part 3: Beyond Farms & Baked Purple Potato Chips

These irresistible baked potato chips are made from the purple potatoes grown in my dear neighbor's garden, 100% homegrown and organic. I have baked them for the after school snack for my kids and as soon as I put chips out on the plate, they were gone. My daughter asked if I can bake more for her lunchbox and that is what I am going to do! You may use different spices, but I found smoked paprika and parsley being a perfect combination.
Labels: Asheville, Baked, Chips, Farms, Food Blog Forum, Glass Creamery, Healthy, Kombucha, Purple Potato, Snack, travel, Vegetables
Roasted Chickpeas with Ginger, Spices & Sesame Seeds - Tasty Snack/Appetizer

These crispy and spicy roasted chickpeas conceal a mouth-watering collection of flavors and make a delicious appetizer. You could make this dish any time of year, and I think they make a wonderful New Years Eve party snack.
Crispy Sautéed Green Beans with Pumpkin Seeds, Hemp Seeds & Lemon

These green beans are crispy on the outside and tender, but still have a bit crunch on the inside. Another idea for Thanksgiving dinner side dish.
Labels: Breadcrumbs, Egg, Green Beans, Hemp seeds, Holiday, Lemon Zest, Olive Oil, Paprika, Pumpkin seeds, Recipes, Side Dish, Snack, Thanksgiving
Roasted Cauliflower Bites with Spices, Garlic & Lemon

Roasted Cauliflower Bites are so simple to make, yet your quests will always be impressed by them. They have a wonderful flavor and can be given quite a "kick" too by including the cayenne. The spicy bites are great snack at any time of the day, so don't just make them for parties.
Baked Goldfish Pumpkin Chips - for my Sweet Children!

What a genius idea for healthy snack - baked goldfish pumpkin chips! We are roasting vegetables every other day and roasted pumpkin is our favorite. Today I have created this amazing and fun recipe for my children's lunch boxes. After a long search for suitable cookie cutter my husband has finally made one from 2 1/2-inch oval cookie cutter, rather than buying it online or at the store. To make your own cookie cutters is simple and leaves space for your imagination and creativity.
Oat Breakfast Cakes with Three Different Seeds, Cashew Nuts & Dried Berries

These nutty, golden oat breakfast cakes are filling, not too sweet and very healthy. I just love them with my coffee in the morning. Experiment with whatever seeds, nuts and dried berries you have on your shelf.
Labels: Breakfast, Cashew, Chia seeds, Coconut oil, Currant, Dessert, Eggs, Flax Seeds, Healthy, Maple, Oats, Pumpkin seeds, Recipes, Snack
Orange Herb Oven-Baked Rutabaga Fries

Oven-baked fries are always good, but potatoes are not in my diet now, so I’m trying to cut back a bit. However, these oven fries made with rutabaga are a surprisingly delicious and healthy alternative. Rutabaga is a root vegetable. It has got less than a third of carbs and half the calories as well as more vitamins and minerals comparing to your regular potatoes. Just look at them - can you find the difference with regular fries?
Labels: Fries, Healthy, Himalayan Pink salt, Olive Oil, Orange zest, Recipes, Smoked Paprika, Snack, Tarragon, Thyme, Vegetables
Whole Wheat Maple Graham Cookies
- 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/3 cup raw sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cardamom
- 3 Tbsp. honey
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 tsp pure maple extract
- 1/2 cup butter, melted (or you can use 1/2 cup coconut oil)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Place all your dry ingredients in the bowl of your mixer and combine. Add all of the wet ingredients and mix with the cookie paddle attachment until everything comes together. If the dough doesn't come together put more water, about 1-2 tablespoons.
Divide the dough in half and roll half out on a floured surface. Roll out the dough in between plastic wrap until about 1/4 inch thick. Use cookie cutters, cut out desired shapes. Transfer the cookies on a parchment-paper-lined cookie sheet, poke them with a fork few times, and bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges just slightly darken. They will harden up more as they cool. Store in an air tight container.
Labels: Breakfast, Butter, Cinnamon, Cocoa powder, Cookies, Dessert, Graham, Healthy, Honey, Maple extract, Raw Sugar, Recipes, Snack, Whole wheat flour
Happy 4th of July! Garlic Popcorn with Cayenne Pepper and Popcorn with ”Buffalo Wings” Red Hot Sauce - Hot Snack for Hot Summer Days

It is always a good idea to pop a bunch of corn when watching a movie with friends, the games or even all alone with your book. Adding some salt and butter is never a bad idea but, let’s get creative for a change.
Garlic Popcorn with Cayenne Pepper
Ingredients:
- I tsp sea salt
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 Tbsp melted butter
Mix all ingredients together in the small bowl. Drizzle the popcorn with a garlic mixture in a large bowl and toss to coat. Serve.
Popcorn with ”Buffalo Wings” Red Hot Sauce
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp melted butter
- 2 Tbsp Frank's RedHot sauce or any other Buffalo Wing Sauce
Toss melted butter and hot sauce with popcorn in a large bowl and serve.
Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Pistachio Cookies with Apricot and Surprise -)

Filled with chocolate chips, apricots and toasted pistachios, these cookies are just right with a glass of cold milk.
I have another version of Chocolate chip cookies, also very unique, with Flax, Chia and Hemp Seeds, for recipe visit here.
And the surprise -)) Recently, I received an amazing song about the Chocolate chip cookies from Notebook Noise.
Notebook Noise just finished his 3rd album Strange Tongue. You can download it free. Thaddeus is from Chicago and wrote the song Cookies for his daughter and his mom. The song features his 9 year old daughter too. It's acoustic and catchy. Enjoy! We sure did-)
Makes: 2 dozen
Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 white chocolate chips
- 1 cup roasted, unsalted toasted shelled natural pistachios, coarsely chopped, plus more about 2 Tbsp for sprinkle the top
- 3/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.
Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating on low speed to incorporate between additions, then add the vanilla extract. Beat on low speed until smooth. Stop to scrape down the bowl.
Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, gradually add to the bowl, beating on low speed until well incorporated.
Stir in the chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, then 1 cup of the pistachios and the dried apricots.
Drop heaping tablespoons of the dough, spacing them 1 1/2 inches apart, onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle some of the remaining pistachios on the top of each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are just set but still soft to the touch. Cool completely before serving or storing. Repeat to use all of the dough.
Labels: After-dinner dessert, Apricot, Baking, Butter, Chocolate, Chocolate chips, Cookies, Dessert, Eggs, Flour, Kids, Pistachio nuts, Recipes, Snack, Spring, Vanilla, White Chocolate
Sun-dried Tomato and Pistachio Flat Bread
Flat bread is something between a crumbly cracker and a crisp biscuit. Once you have mastered the technique, experiment with ingredients to make both sweet and savory snacks. You may use sunflower seeds, walnuts, spinach or onions. This is a very earthy flat bread, healthy and nutritious.
Ingredients:
- 4-5 sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup stone ground, garbanzo bean flour
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 egg and 1 egg white
- 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme
- 1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios
In the small bowl, pour the boiling water about 2 cups over the tomatoes. Let stand until the tomatoes are slightly soft, 3-5 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels and chop the tomatoes finely. If using oil-packed tomatoes then you don't need to do this.
Directions:
Preheat an oven to 350F/Coat a large, baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
Into a large bowl, sift together the whole wheat flour, garbanzo bean flour, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and cayenne pepper. Add the egg and egg white and thyme and stir vigorously to combine. The dough will be very stiff at this point. Add the chopped pistachios and chopped tomatoes and work them into the dough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it a few times. Pat and roll into 10-inch disc about 1/4 inch thick. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 pieces and place them at least i inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes. Turn over and bake until dry and lightly browned, 10 minutes longer. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Labels: Baking, Bread, Brown sugar, Egg, Flat bread, Garbanzo Bean flour, Healthy, Lunch, Pistachio, Recipes, Snack, Sun-dried Tomato, Thyme, Whole wheat flour
Orange Sweet Potato Baked Chips with Thyme

Sweet potatoes and yams: True sweet potatoes are tuberous vegetables with light to deep-red skins and pale yellow to orange flesh. The term yam is also incorrectly applied to sweet potatoes in US, most often when referring to the darker-skinned, orange-fleshed variety. In fact, true yams are a very large tuberous vegetable eaten in Africa and the Caribbean.
Sweet potatoes contain more beta-carotene than carrots plus vitamin C and fiber. In contrast, true yams have no beta-carotene.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium sweet potato (about 8 ounces), scrubbed
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1/4 tsp salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 1 tsp thyme
Directions:
Heat the oven to 325°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
Slice the sweet potato into very thin rounds using a mandoline slicer.
Mix together olive oil and orange zest in a small bowl. Brush two baking sheets with half of oil mixture. Place potato slices on sheets in a single layer and brush tops with remaining oil. Sprinkle with thyme, salt and freshly ground pepper. For one medium sweet potato you will need two-three baking sheets.
Bake one sheet at a time until the edges of the chips curl up, the centers are just golden brown, and the tops are dry to the touch, about 20 minutes. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack and let the chips cool until crisp, about 3 minutes. Using your hands, carefully transfer the chips to a serving dish. Repeat with the second sheet.
Banana-Oatmeal Power Cookies
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup flaked coconut
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 very ripe banana, mashed
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1/2 cup dry cranberries
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 tbs. flax seeds
- 2 tbs. sunflower seeds
Healthy cookie with chia seeds

- 1 cup whole grain spelt flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
- 1.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice (OR: 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ginger)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Chia/flax egg: 1 tbsp ground chia seeds + 3 tbsp water OR 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water, mixed and set aside for 5 mins
- 1/2 cup regular oats
- 1 cup shredded or grated carrots (approx 2 medium)
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
Directions: Preheat oven to 350F. In a small bowl, mix the chia/flax egg and set aside. In a large sized bowl whisk together all of the dry ingredients. Using a food processor or grater, process/grate the carrots. In a medium sized bowl mix together the wet ingredients (carrots, vanilla, oil, maple syrup, and chia/flax egg). Add wet to dry and mix until just incorporated. Stir in the walnuts and raisins. Scoop mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or greased with oil. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake for 25 minutes at 350F.
Nutritional info: (Per cookie, Approx) 265 kcals, 9 grams fat, 1 gram sat. fat, 5 grams fibre, 4.4 grams protein, 61% vitamin A, 10% iron, 59 mg calcium, 180 mg potassium.



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