3 Ingredient Swiss Chard Chips

The more I find alternatives to processed snacks, the more I enjoy the healthier options over the other stuff. There are so many ways to change it up, I'm only scratching the surface.

My dad asked me raid his garden today since he'll be gone for a week. I ended up with a grocery bag full of all sorts of greens... lettuce, kale, spinach, parsley, basil, and swiss chard. Didn't seem like much until I got home, and spent an hour washing everything.

The swiss chard was the most abundant! I love the red, white, and yellow stalks.  Since I've made, and enjoyed, kale chips in the past, I thought I'd try the same method with this.

Swiss chard is a powerhouse vegetable. Packed with vitamins K, A, and C, plus a good source of magnesium, potassium, iron, and dietary fiber. What's even better? One cup of these leaves equates to merely 35 calories. How's that for a healthy snack?

Now, you may not feel these would be on par with other salty snacks, often laden with chemicals. However, you just might surprise yourself when you can't stop going back for more. Even my 2 and 4 year old son's cleared out the first batch, and that's a clincher for me.

They are so simple to make, you'll realize it's a practical way to satisfy that craving for a salty snack, while contributing to your daily dose of "green".

The great thing about this recipe is that you can be as flexible as you'd like. Try adding some garlic powder, or perhaps cayenne to kick it up a notch.

Swiss Chard Chips
- 10-12 leaves of swiss chard
- olive oil
- sea salt

Preheat oven to 325.

Wash and dry the chard as much as possible. Tear into "chip" size pieces, removing the tougher inner stalk.

In a bowl, add a bit of olive oil at a time, mixing until all the pieces are just lightly coated. Spread the pieces evenly on a baking sheet. Another option (my method), is to spread them all out on the baking sheet and spray them lightly with the misto sprayer.

Sprinkle salt, or whatever seasonings you'd prefer, evenly across the chard leaves.

Bake for 4-5 minutes, flip all the pieces and bake for another 4-5 minutes. Watch very closely as they can burn easily.

Remove from oven and allow too cool briefly before enjoying.