Pickles add a briny tang to popcorn, dip, pasta, and more. There’s no denying the popularity of pickles. While they were once relegated to topper status for burgers and sandwiches, pickles can now be found lending their sour tang to pizza, dips, ice pops, chips, and more. The average […]
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There’s no denying the popularity of pickles. While they were once relegated to topper status for burgers and sandwiches, pickles can now be found lending their sour tang to pizza, dips, ice pops, chips, and more. The average American eats nine pounds of pickles each year, notes CNN.
As snacks go, you can certainly do worse. While any number of foods can be pickled (think beets, green beans, onions), pickles are traditionally made from cucumbers, which makes them a low-calorie way to get some extra veggies in your diet.
Pickles can be prepared simply with vinegar, or lacto-fermented in a saltwater solution to add gut-friendly probiotics. Fermented foods (like this type of pickle) can increase the diversity of the microbes in your gut microbiome and may even decrease inflammatory markers in your body, notes Stanford Medicine.
The preparation method will determine a pickle’s flavor, which can include sweet (also called bread-and-butter pickles), dill, half-sour, full-sour, and spicy varieties. While pickles can be a great low-calorie plant-based treat, they are also high in sodium, so keep an eye on portion size when enjoying them. Here are five delicious recipes for your pickle-loving pleasure.
1
Air-Fryer Pickle Chips
Deep-fried pickles make for a crunchy snack or appetizer. Unfortunately, like most fried foods, they’re also high in unhealthy saturated fats, which are bad for your heart, as noted by the American Heart Association. Cooking your pickles in the air-fryer will save you big time on calories, fat, and saturated fat while still fulfilling your pickle craving!
contains Wheat, Eggs
SERVES
8
CALORIES PER SERVING
67
2
Adobe Stock
Dill Pickle Popcorn
One serving of popcorn provides about a third of the whole grains adults need in a day, according to the USDA. And diets rich in whole grains have been linked to a lower risk of obesity and death from cardiovascular disease. To keep this snack light and healthy, this recipe relies on herbs for flavor instead of saturated fat-filled butter or cheese.
CALORIES PER SERVING
233
3
Brent Hofacker/Adobe Stock
Dill Pickle Dip
Pickles and fresh dill combine to create this delicious dip that takes just a few minutes to put together. Some past research has found dill to help regulate blood sugar, and aid cardiovascular health. This dip uses non-fat Greek yogurt, which adds calcium and gut-friendly probiotic bacteria, but also keeps calories low.
contains Dairy
SERVES
8
4
Adobe Stock
Pickle Brine Air-Fryer Chicken
Don’t just toss that leftover brine when you polish off a jar of pickles — use it to make this simple but mouthwateringly juicy chicken. The salt in pickle brine helps keep the meat moist and adds loads of flavor, too. Air-frying crisps the skin lightly without any added fat.
SERVES
2
CALORIES PER SERVING
421
5
Adobe Stock
Pickle Pasta Salad
Pasta salad takes on a new twist with a pickle juice vinaigrette. It’s a great way to use up pickle juice that would otherwise be tossed. Bell peppers add a crunch, color, and lots of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
contains Wheat
