Healthy Recipes Ingredients Healthy Bean Recipes Healthy Edamame Recipes The Ultimate Gut-Friendly Snack Mix 4.7 (3) 3 Reviews This curried cashew snack mix features toasted edamame—a prebiotic food that sets the stage for a healthy gut. A combination of spices and red curry paste brings flavor and heat to this grab-and-go snack. To keep the spice level on the mild side, you can swap out the red curry paste for yellow. By Marianne Williams Marianne Williams Marianne Williams has been a test kitchen professional for Dotdash Meredith since 2016. Her recipes have been featured in many publications, including Food & Wine, Real Simple, Southern Living, Health, Rachael Ray and other print and digital brands. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on October 10, 2024 Tested by Amanda Stanfield Tested by Amanda Stanfield Amanda Stanfield is a Test Kitchen assistant in the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios. She completed her undergraduate degree in journalism and strategic communications at Hampton University. After graduation, Amanda worked in the nonprofit sector as a marketing associate for a global nonprofit organization. In 2018, she pivoted into the food industry and began training in fine-dining restaurants around Atlanta. Later she gained her culinary degree from Johnson & Wales University and went on to work in a variety of kitchens from boutique restaurants to conference hotels. As a true foodie, Amanda seeks out nutritious and unique flavors to inspire others to eat happily and healthfully. When she's not cooking up delicious recipes, you can find her lap swimming in the pool or watching a good sci-fi movie. Meet the EatingWell Test Kitchen Reviewed by Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RD Emily Lachtrupp is a registered dietitian experienced in nutritional counseling, recipe analysis and meal plans. She's worked with clients who struggle with diabetes, weight loss, digestive issues and more. In her spare time, you can find her enjoying all that Vermont has to offer with her family and her dog, Winston. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Save Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Styling: Christina Brockman Active Time: 20 mins Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Servings: 6 Nutrition Profile: No Added Sugar Sesame-Free Dairy-Free High-Fiber Vegan Vegetarian High-Protein Egg-Free Gluten-Free Gut Healthy Jump to recipe This Gut-Friendly Snack Mix is the perfect balance of spicy and savory. Mild, fiber-filled edamame becomes roasted and crispy, adding to the crunch factor of the plantain chips and cashews—all of which become enrobed in the warm umami flavors of tamari and curry spices. A touch of salt satisfies the desire for a salty snack, while the coconut adds just the right amount of natural sweetness to balance the flavors. Not just delicious, this snack mix also provides essential food for your beneficial gut bacteria. Keep reading for our expert tips, including what dried fruits you could add to this snack mix. Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! Save some time in the kitchen by using pre-roasted edamame (just skip Step 1).Level up the flavor of this homemade snack by adding dried mango or cherries.For some extra creativity and crunch, toss in your favorite flavor of Chex cereal instead of or along with the plantain chips. Nutrition Notes While they look similar to bananas, plantains are starchier and hold up well to being cooked. Plantains are loaded with potassium, making them a great fruit for healthy blood pressure. If you regularly eat plantains, you might have healthier skin and immunity thanks to their vitamin C and A content. And the fiber in plantains will feed your gut’s beneficial bacteria and allow them to thrive. Edamame are young soybeans that have been picked before they’re fully ripened. High in gut-friendly fiber, plant-based protein and healthy fats, these little beans are big in health benefits. If you regularly eat edamame, you might experience lower cholesterol, healthy blood sugar, a healthier microbiome, strong bones and healthy blood pressure. Coconut is a fruit that is low in carbs and high in fat. But the saturated fat in coconut is not as harmful as the saturated fat in highly processed foods. Plus, coconut is packed with gut-loving fiber—a quarter-cup of shredded coconut will give you about 2 grams, per the USDA. You also get some essential vitamins and minerals in coconut, as well as powerful antioxidants. Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Styling: Christina Brockman Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1½ tablespoons refined coconut oil, divided 1 (12-ounce) package shelled frozen edamame, thawed and patted dry 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari 1 tablespoon red curry paste 1 teaspoon grated lime zest 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 teaspoon ground coriander ½ teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric ¼ teaspoon salt 2 cups salted plantain chips ½ cup whole raw cashews, roughly chopped ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes Directions Preheat oven to 400°F. Microwave 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a large heatproof bowl on High until melted, about 1 minute. Add edamame; toss to coat. Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet, reserving the bowl. Bake until crispy and browned, about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Styling: Christina Brockman Meanwhile, microwave the remaining 1½ teaspoons coconut oil in the same large heatproof bowl on High until melted, about 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon each tamari, curry paste and lime juice, 1 teaspoon coriander, ½ teaspoon each cumin and ginger and ¼ teaspoon turmeric; whisk until smooth. Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Styling: Christina Brockman Remove the edamame from the oven; sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt. Add 2 cups plantain chips and chopped cashews to the pan. Drizzle the edamame with the curry paste mixture and stir to coat. Bake for 8 minutes. Sprinkle ½ cup coconut over the edamame. Continue baking until the coconut and plantain chips are crispy and toasted and the curry mixture has thickened over the edamame, about 2 minutes more. Let cool on the pan until room temperature, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon lime zest. Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf, Prop Styling: Christina Brockman Nutrition Information Serving Size: about ⅔ cupCalories 257, Fat 16g, Saturated Fat 7g, Cholesterol 0mg, Carbohydrates 18g, Total sugars 3g, Added sugars 0g, Protein 9g, Fiber 5g, Sodium 289mg, Potassium 205mg Frequently Asked Questions How do I make this recipe less spicy? For a less spicy snack mix, opt for a yellow curry paste, which is known to be the mildest curry. If it’s still too spicy, add a pinch of sugar to counteract the spice. Yellow curry paste is a good alternative to the red curry, which is moderately spicy, and green curry, which is even spicier. How should I store this snack mix? Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. EatingWell.com, October 2024 Rate It Print Additional reporting by Carrie Myers, M.S. Carrie Myers, M.S. Carrie Myers is a portfolio entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience in the health and wellness space. As a freelance writer and editor, Carrie has worked for both consumer and trade print and online publications. She's been quoted in several articles as a health and fitness expert. Carrie is also a certified life and wellness coach and exercise physiologist, and the founder of CarrieMichele Co., a lifestyle company that helps women create lives they love where they can be authentic. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines and Linda Frahm Linda Frahm Linda Frahm has been a copy editor and fact checker working with food and nutrition content for the past 30-plus years for consumer print and online publications, such as Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country magazines, and has edited cookbooks for Dovetail Press and The Taste Curators. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Sources EatingWell is committed to using high-quality, reputable sources—including peer-reviewed studies—to support the facts in our articles. Read about our editorial policies and standards to learn more about how we fact check our content for accuracy. U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central. Nuts, coconut meat, raw.