Sunday Thoughts (live a little)

Today’s the day. A big day of football, togetherness, commercials and snacks.

I know I harp on healthy eating a lot. And I should, because it’s important.

But I also am a realist. I know (and the studies bear this out) that if you don’t indulge from time to time, any “healthy” lifestyle is hard to sustain.

You can bet we’ll be gathered around the TV today, and there WILL be snacks.

And that’s ok. Deviating from your typically healthy eating every so often is living, after all. 

Still, I try to balance it out. And when I can make a healthy substitution that is still satisfying, not just for me but for a crowd, I do.

Case in point… 

I've mentioned before that my one Achilles heel when it comes to overeating is potato chips.

I've never been a big sweets guy or an ice cream lover like a lot of people. (Yes, I do have a weakness for pie or Christmas cookies, I’ll admit.)

But for me, potato chips are my kryptonite.

The combination of the saltiness and the crunchiness are just irresistible somedays.

And even though I rarely buy potato chips these days, I'm still liable to eat an entire bag of them and wind-up with a stomachache if I see them in the house. 

So, to combat this, I've been making my own potato chips.

With nothing but sweet potatoes, coconut oil and a little salt.

And guess what?  They're delicious.

Karen and I will be making a big batch of these today when we have some friends over to watch the game.

Here's how we made 'em...

Simply slice up 2 sweet potatoes into "chip" like slices (nice and thin).  

You can use a knife to do this or a mandolin if you have one.

Then heat up a little coconut oil in a pan.  About 2 tbs. is usually enough.  

The coconut oil here is KEY.  It adds a nice sweetness to the chips that goes well with the salty flavor.

Simply put the sliced sweet potatoes into a baking pan and then drizzle the coconut oil all over the potatoes.  I usually mix this all up by hand to make sure they're totally coated.

Next, add a little salt to the potatoes and any other spices that you'd like.

At this point you're pretty much done...

Just plop the pan in the oven at 375 for about 20 minutes (flip the sweet potatoes over after 10 minutes) and you're good to go.

You'll have nice crispy chips that are not only delicious but also very healthy.

Like I said before, the coconut oil is the key to these chips because it gives them a slightly sweet taste that goes well with the salty flavor of chips.

I'm a BIG fan of coconut oil because it's one of the best healthy fats around.  

It's good for your heart, your brain and can even boost your metabolism.

It's a staple in the Reagan house.

So don't be afraid to use coconut oil when you're cooking. And with this healthy substitute for regular chips, it does leave a little room for whatever else our friends are bringing over. 

Maybe it’ll be pie.