5 Must-Try Treats to Make With a Food Dehydrator – One Green Planet

There is no doubt about it – including lots of raw fruits and vegetables in your diet is an essential component of every healthy diet. They’re extraordinary nutrient density makes it easier for your body to fight off inflammation as well as infections, they are the right choice for weight loss and maintenance, and they keep the body hydrating for optimal performance throughout the day.

While whole cooked foods are a healthy addition to any diet, cooking tends to destroy some of the nutrients in the food, which is something you don’t have to worry about when it comes to enjoying raw meals. But this doesn’t mean that you have to fill your plate with nothing but raw carrots and green salads at each meal. Incorporate some healthy grains and a few dehydrated treats into your day, too!

Dehydrated foods offer all the benefits of keeping your food raw, while giving you the satisfaction and comfort of a cooked meal. This is because dehydrated foods don’t typically get heated above 116 degrees F, which is said to be the point where nutrients start to be affected.

Here are five fantastic dehydrated treats that are worth incorporating into your overall diet:

1. Raw Vegan “Granola Bar” Crackers

Full of apples, walnuts, and flaxseeds, there is no shortage of flavor or fiber in these fun Granola Bar crackers. The cinnamon included in this recipe helps to maintain healthy blood glucose levels and may even inhibit the growth of tumor cells. And you’ll love the punch of chocolate you get with each bite. After throwing all your ingredients together, they’re ready for the dehydrator.

2. Healthy Bread 

Buckwheat is a hearty and satisfying grain that makes awesome raw vegan breads, wraps, and crackers. It also happens to help reduce inflammation within the body. Combined with garlic and caraway seeds, this unique Raw Black Bread is the perfect addition to an evening meal of soup or a fresh green salad. There’s some mixing involved before the bread makes it into the dehydrator, but the process is well worth it. 

3. Kale Chips

 

Kale is packed with a powerhouse of nutrition, such as calcium, iron, and the vitamins A, C, and K. It’s also known to provide a punch of antioxidants that help to fight off disease. Turning kale into habanero kale chips like this one above will make you feel like you’re eating junk food, but without all the guilt. The habanero spice may increase your metabolism a bit, too! Kale chips take just minutes to prepare, and then it’s just a matter of setting your dehydrator and waiting. Here are some great kale chip recipes: Crunchy Spicy Kale Chips [Vegan, Raw, Gluten-Free], Lemony Kale Chips [Vegan], Everything Bagel Kale Chips [Vegan, Gluten-Free], Smoky BBQ Kale Chips [Vegan, Gluten-Free], Cheezy Spiced Kale Chips [Vegan, Gluten-Free]  and Autumn-Style Kale Chips [Vegan].

4. Vegan Jerky

There is no one specific way to make satisfying vegan jerky – you can use tofu or tempeh as the base and flavor it in a variety of different ways to suit your personal preferences. Barbecue sauce, spicy mustard dressing, and vegan Worcestershire sauce are all excellent options. Add in a little bit of salt and pepper, set your dehydrator for an overnight run, and you’re good to go. You’ll want to marinate your jerky for a few hours before dehydrating it if possible. Here are some great vegan jerky recipes like these homemade Beef Jerky Options, Eggplant Jerky, Smoky Jambalaya With Mushroom Jerky [Vegan, Gluten-Free], and here are 9 Smoky, Meat-Free Jerkys You Can Buy Online Right Now!

5. Dehydrated Fruit Snacks

 

One of the healthiest ways to use your new dehydrator is to dry some fruit pieces in it to make your own fruit snacks. You can simply cut your fruit up into even slices or pieces, then put them in the dehydrator until they’re completely dry and store them in a reusable container afterward. But why not get a little fancy and give your taste buds a flavor party to enjoy? Consider sprinkling coconut sugar on the fruit before it goes in the dehydrator, or rolling it around in some cinnamon. The options are limitless! Like these Upcycled Dehydrated Almond Bread [Vegan, Paleo, Gluten-Free], or check out these Cooking Tips for Dehydrated Vegetables, and How to Make Dehydrated Veggie Treats for Your Dog!

Remember – the key is to maintain a balanced diet of whole fresh raw fruits and veggies, healthy cooked grains and starchy veggies, and a few dehydrated treats too. This tactic is sure to keep cravings and unwanted weight away!

Learn How to Cook Plant-Based Meals at Home

Reducing your meat intake and eating more plant-based foods is known to help with chronic inflammation, heart health, mental well-being, fitness goals, nutritional needs, allergies, gut health, and more! Dairy consumption also has been linked to many health problems, including acne, hormonal imbalance, cancer, prostate cancer, and has many side effects.

For those of you interested in eating more plant-based, we highly recommend grabbing our favorite plant-based cookbooks and downloading the Food Monster App — with over 20,000 delicious recipes, it is the largest plant-based recipe resource to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals, and get healthy! And, while you are at it, we encourage you to also learn about the environmental and health benefits of a plant-based diet.

Here are some great resources to get you started:

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