Remember those greasy, cheeeeesy goodness-filled crackers you so heartily munched on in your younger days? Well so do I. In fact, I was somewhat of a junk-food addict in my crazy adolescent years…. I could binge on Pringles, Cheez-its, Doritos (with ketchup and pickles)…you name it!

However – even just being a young kid new to the world, I was suffering a TON of health problems! A standard diet with mainly 90% meat, dairy, and refined ‘junk foods’ caused my lymphatic system to become clogged up and an acidic body to start tearing itself down. I was sick at least 2 -3x a year, always had upset stomachs, got acne around age 11, and had my tonsils removed when I was just 4 years old!! Unfortunately, this is seen as ‘normal’ today – but I can’t help but stress it is anything BUT.
If we have a clean, healthy, and vibrant system – it is HARD to get sick, you have plenty of energy, you radiate clarity from the soul, and your bodily functions run smoothly because you can eliminate waste efficiently and use what you consume… (which should be real, wholesome, plant-based foods)
And can you guess which unhealthy snack was one of my favorites?? That’s right – CHEEZ-ITS. Besides being high in fat and artery-clogging ingredients, they are highly acidic, hard to handle by the body, and are devoid of nutrients and any beneficial minerals…. They’re just not even worthy to be called ‘food’. But because of what I’ve been through and what I now know – there’s nothing I love more today than finding much healthier alternatives to a lot of these junk-food products that many are still addicted to…and sharing them!
And because I asked on Facebook if you wanted the recipe (I make tons of yummy treats for work) after sharing my picture of these wonderful goodies, I am sharing a fantastic recipe that many say taste MUCH BETTER than their original counterparts. Ladies and gentlemen, here you go!
“Better-than-Cheddar Cheez-its!” All Raw, Vegan, High-vibrational, and Delicious!

….You can’t have just one! (Shoot – that’s Doritos….)
Prep Time: 20 Minutes (+ Dehydrating Time)
Servings: 2 – 2 ½ Sheet trays

Ingredients:

1 Cup Raw Cashews (soaked overnight or 8 hours)
1 Large Bell Pepper
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
½ Cup Nutritional Yeast
½ tsp Red Chili Flakes
1 tsp Sea Salt
2 Cups Zucchini
1 Cup Almond meal (ground & set aside)
2 Tbsp Flax (ground & Set aside)
½ tsp Chipotle powder
 

Directions:

1) In a blender or coffee grinder, grind almonds and flax into a smooth meal. Set aside.
2) In a high-speed blender, combine remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
3) You can either add your ground nut/seed mixture if you have a high-powered blender, or combine all ingredients in a bowl and thoroughly mix. You want it to thicken up into a spreadable consistency.
4) Using parchment paper or Teflex sheets, smooth the cracker mixture onto dehydrator trays using a spatula. Once you have it spread evenly, score it by using the backend of a knife or utensil and making indentations of how you’d like the crackers to look!

5) Sprinkle some hemp-seeds on top (*optional) and dehydrate for 8-12 hours. After 6 hours you can flip the crackers and remove the Teflex sheets or the parchment paper to speed up the drying process.

Enjoy!

(And feel great knowing you are indulging in a MUCH healthier version of ‘Cheez-its’ that taste way better than the original!)

 
I’d love feedback on these goodies – people are going INSANE for them at work (I’m a vegan chef (raw emphasis) at the Pomegranate Café) wanting to buy Costco-sized orders, so hopefully you like them just as well!
 

Please also answer this question so I can find inspiration for more ‘raw’ junk-food health alternatives: What childhood sweet treat or savory snack would you like to see re-invented?

 
Thanks! Subscribe, Like on FB, and Share with your friends if you liked this recipe!
 
XOXO Mandy