Football season is officially here. Woohoo! Go sports! Ok, so we mainly only watch to root for a team if we're from the city, went to the college, or they have a hot quarterback. Oh, and of course for the social aspect... aka eating, drinking, and feeling like we're a part of something. Regardless of your reasons for watching, one thing is true: there's always good food around, and it ain't healthy. In college, we used to eat a salad before a tailgate and bring a protein bar with us, since we weren't really into eating a crappy hot dog on a white bun. The same concept goes for us now when going to watch parties at a friend's home. Maybe we'll pick at the chips and dip or the nachos, cause they're there, and they look kinda' good. And hey, if you really want that hot dog or those nachos, go for it! It's good to treat yo'self on occasion. We're not perfect either-- the 80/20 rule is key in business and it's key to living a healthy life, too. Here's the good news, though. There are tons of healthy hacks for game day food, and we're going to share them with you. We've already got our Sweet Potato Nachos on deck. Now, we're going to share our version of Frito's bean dip; sans the maltodextrin, corn oil and added sugar and "flavors." Maybe next will be 7 layer dip, spinach and artichoke dip, or loaded baked potatoes? What do ya'll wanna see?
Ok, so for the Bare Nutrition Bean Dip, you only need a few ingredients and a blender or food processor. To get yours to taste closest to the original, use all pinto beans and no water. We did half pinto beans and half black beans simply because they each offer slightly different nutritional profiles. Black beans have a bit more protein and less carbs. Pinto beans are a little starchier, however they contain significantly more vitamin B6 than black beans and a little more folate. Other than that, they stack up quite similarly. If you prefer a runnier texture for bean dip, like we do, you'll want to add a few tablespoons of water. However you like it, this recipe may take a whole 5 minutes to make. You know we're all about that quick and simple life. Here's what ya need:
Ingredients:
2 cartons organic pinto beans OR 1 pinto beans and 1 black beans (look for no salt added, BPA free can if you can't find a carton)
1/4- 1/2 fresh jalapeno (depending on how spicy you want it)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 tsp chili paste (depending on how spicy you want it)
1 garlic clove
Onion powder
salt + pepper to taste
1-4 Tbsp water (optional and depends on desired consistency)
Instructions
1. Rinse and drain the beans and put into blender or food processor
2. Roughly chop the onion and jalapeno and put into blender or food processor
3. Add in the oil, chili paste, and spices
4. Blend until smooth. If you prefer it to be less thick, add 1 Tbsp water at a time until desired consistency. (We added 4 Tbsp water to ours, because we prefer more runny, but for a texture like the original, you won't need any water)
5. Serve with chips (we like Siete, Way Better, or Late July) and enjoy the game!
