You’ve probably heard the word “spiralizer” within the past year. This follows naturally from zoodles taking over the internet with recipes that replace normal flour pasta with zucchini. While zoodles are delicious, the spiralizer actually makes many other creative dishes.
Using a spiralizer is a great way to substitute some of your favorite snacks with healthier alternatives. It may be close to March, but it’s never too late to start those New Year’s resolutions.
Sweet Potato Chips
Photo by Sean Koetting
Sweet potato chips vary across the board. Some people like a little sweetness with a dash of cinnamon, others add chili powder for a nice kick, or stick with classic salt. Making sweet potatoes into chips is a perfect way to sneak in some extra potassium into your diet.
Just changing the blade on a spiralizer allows this tool to cut chips sized for optimal thinness (or thickness) and crispness once baked in an oven.
Apple Chips
Photo by Julianna Lee
Just as with sweet potato chips, the spiralizer is perfect for slicing apples. Bake them off for a healthy, fruitier alternative to potato chips or as a candy to satisfy your sweet tooth. Find one recipe here.
Potato Chips
Photo by Mary Sullivan
Science agrees: sometimes, we can’t help but crave salty potato chips. Instead of going for that bag of Lay’s you’ve eyeing, though, bake your own. Baked chips are just as tasty, but with less fat and grease.
Pear Desserts
Photo by Jamie Medina
When trying to impress your friends or family, make this pear tart and use a spiralizer to make sure the fruit is cut evenly. Or, if you’re looking for a healthier dessert, spiralized pears make the perfect topper for yogurt.
The thickness of pears makes them a good fruit for this tool, and different blades allow for multiple types of cuts. Make sure you are using the right pear with this guide to pears.
Cole Slaw
Photo by Kelly Logan
Cole slaw is a classic BBQ pairing. Even if you can’t make it to one of the best BBQ joints in America, you can still make your own slaw with your spiralizer. This tool evenly cuts slaw veggies like carrots and cabbage. Check out this classic recipe from everyone’s favorite BBQ-er Bobby Flay.
#SpoonTip: Replace the mayonnaise with greek yogurt for a healthier, tangier twist.
Salad
Photo by Lynden Orr
Just as spiralizers cut potatoes, they also perfectly slice cucumbers for salad. If traditional slices aren’t for you, cut them like you do zucchinis and make cucumber noodles (cucoodles?).
Toss them with your other favorite salad mix-ins and dressing for a unique lunch or dinner.
French Fries
Photo by Justin Schuble
French fries are the original temptation. Make evenly cut fries in a snap with a spiralizer. The potato is a substantial starch that holds up well when passed through the machine.
Once cut, fry them, bake them, eat them plain, or try to recreate one of these absurd french fry creations.
Gif courtesy of Giphy.com
See? Buying that spiralizer to follow the zoodle trend wasn’t such a waste after all. Don’t be Kevin from The Office. Eating vegetables shouldn’t be a pain — it should be fun, just like a spiralizer.