The is the first of a series of recipes featuring Way Better Snacks' tortilla chips now that I'm part of their ambassador team (read more on that here). My goal is to find unique ways to use them and inspire you to get more creative - there's so many ways to enjoy chips other than in dips and nachos. This is a twist on the traditional SouthWest Salad - it is free of salt, oil, sugar, gluten, soy, and corn and is raw (however, the chips are made from organic, non-GMO corn and contain a bit of oil).

I served it to my family and they really enjoyed it. They're not used to salt and oil-free dressing so if I were to make it for them again I'd add in more garlic (2 cloves instead of 1) and perhaps use a bit more dressing. We all agreed that the crunch and flavor of the Way Better chips were the best part. It was more than enough salad for a filling lunch for each of us.

This salad is incredibly easy to make and is a delicious example of how great veggies can be without oil or dressing.  It's also a great way to feature kale in a dish. Though it is raw and unprocessed, keep in mind that the avocado and seeds add a significant amount of fat, so if you're trying to cut back on that you may want to reduce the amount suggested in this recipe. From an eco standpoint, this meal is wonderful because you can get everything without packaging!

I had the pleasure of making a meal with my fabulous new intern Junghwa of An Apple A Day and together we prepared 2 raw recipes. She picked out the Spanish "Rice" from Unprocessed by Chef AJ and I chose the Marvelous Minestrone from Ani Phyo's new book 15-Day Fat Blast. These are great recipes for summer, whether you're trying to lose weight, get healthier or incorporate more fresh, whole foods into your diet without unecessary additives like salt, oil and sugar. In fact, these are acceptable for the 80/10/10 diet as well.

This is by far one of the most interesting things I've made, but it is quite refreshing and very filling. I didn't want to scare you with the title, but it's actually watermelon rind juice blended with fresh mint, lime and dates. Sounds kinda gross but I'm obsessed with it, and it's a great way to use the whole watermelon. I don't know about you, but I've been OBSESSED with watermelon and since I eat it practically everyday (yup) my compost was overflowing with rind until I stumbled upon this recipe. Plus, it has all sorts of nutrients like vitamin C, lycopene and antioxidants. So, head to the store, buy yourself a watermelon, bliss out while eating the inside, and then top it all off by breaking out your juicer to make this satisfying drink!

I recently made a big batch of almond milk, purchased a papaya because of claims that it aids digestion, and was given some peaches: so I decided to blend them all together and it resulted in a delicious, lightly sweet smoothie. Give it a try!