From Sweet Tooth to Savory Tooth + Recipe

During my food discoveries, recipe trials, cooking and baking sessions and the normal meals, I discovered something has changed. Not a big change, just a little modification as compared to a few weeks ago.

I became a savory tooth

I always have been a sweet tooth. I liked sweet things for breakfast (bananas, syrup, honey, jam, cinnamon, ...), always wanted something sweet after lunch- or dinnertime (like a small candy, some chocolate, a date or dried fig or some raisins) and I never drank my tea without some stevia in it.
Snack always had to be a cookie or a piece of fruit and I didn't go to bed after eating some yoghurt sweetenened with maple syrup, some craisins and sweet cereals. I tried to choose for the 'healthy' and natural sugars like stevia, maple syrup, agave, honey, date syrup or fruit. But it still tastes sweet.

I've never liked chips, (salted) nuts or pretzels. You would never see me eating a handful of chips for appetizer before a meal. I just don't like that.

A few weeks ago, I went to the Efteling, a magical park fairy tale park in the Netherlands, full of wondrous tales, delightful dreams and adventures at high speed. It was a nice day, the park is very magical. A saw beautiful things, you really have to see all the impressed children (and adults!) faces. Amazing!

During our visit, I was continiously looking for restaurants, bars or anything else where you an buy good, healthy and delicious snacks. I was babysitting my mellow (almost) 3-year old niece and wanted to feed her with something healthy but still tasty in her terms. All I could see were stalls where you can buy cotton candy, sweets, ice cream, stroopwafels, pancakes, waffles and other sweet stuff.
I was happy that I was (naturally) well prepared with a good picnic loades with healthy whole wheat sandwiches with cheese, ham and veggies.

We didn't buy sweet stuff, but by passing all those shops and smelling all those sweet things, I actually became dizzy. It felt as if I myself had eaten as all those sweets on my own. I was disgusted...
Since that day I discovered I less often choose sweet snacks. I now prefer savory things. Today, I don't necessarily always need something sweet after every meal. No stevia in my black tea, I like the bitter taste now. Snacks have to be savory: some crackers with melted cheese or sliced chicken breast, a hot cup of soup in the afternoon: mmm!

Ok, I'm aware of the fact this can be very temporarily. And I still eat biscuits, candy, sweet cereals. But not as much as before. And I actually like this change.

I'm looking for savore snack recipes and found great ones.

The next recipe I wanted to share with you, because it's so easy, so healthy and so savory! A popular great snack!

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt
• paprika powder
• cayenne pepper 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400*F (200°C).
2. Blot chickpeas with a paper towel to dry them. 
3. In a bowl, toss chickpeas with olive oil, and season to taste with salt, garlic salt, and cayenne pepper, if using. 
4. Spread on a baking sheet, and bake for 40-50 minutes, until browned and crunchy. Watch carefully the last few minutes to avoid burning. 
5. Allow to cool.
6. Snack away.