This black bean, corn, and avocado salsa is packed with protein and fiber, making it a filling and healthy snack.

Chips and salsa are a great appetizer or snack that will be a hit with most crowds.  Whether it’s game day, game night, outdoor barbecue, or just a Tuesday afternoon.

Vegan, gluten free, and low iodine friendly, this salsa is sure to become a favorite at your house too. It’s also very adaptable to your preferences.

What You’ll Need

• No salt added canned black beans
• Tomatoes
• Red onion
• Bell pepper
• Frozen corn
• Jalapeno, optional
• Limes
• Avocado
• Cilantro
• Kosher salt, optional

How to Make

This salsa is super easy to make.  Just chop up all your fresh veggies, toss with beans and lime juice, and cilantro!

Variations and Storage

You could change up the beans if you prefer or have something else on hand.  The amount of veggies can be altered to your taste as well.

Store covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.  This will not freeze well.

FAQ’s about Black Bean, Corn, and Avocado Salsa

Why put beans in salsa?

By adding beans to salsa, you add protein.  This delicious protein makes this a more balanced snack or even meal!  The protein will help you feel full longer and power your muscles.

How do I keep avocado from turning brown?

Avocado turns brown because it oxidizes when it is exposed to air.  Here are a couple tips:

1. Chop and add the avocado just when you are ready to serve. This decreases the amount of time it is exposed to air.
2. Make sure the lime juice gets on the avocado. You could even toss your chopped avocado in lime juice separately before adding to the salsa. The lime juice creates a barrier to help prevent oxidation.

Are there low iodine diet friendly chips to eat this with?

Many brands of tortilla chips use sea salt.  There are unsalted tortilla chips which are a great choice.  Or you can make your own.

Low Iodine Friendly Tortilla Chips

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• Trader Joe’s Unsalted Tortilla Chips
• Santitias Tortilla Chips
• Tostitos Tortilla Chips
• Juanita’s Tortilla Chips
• Enjoy Life Lentil chips (all but sea salt flavor)

Other Recipes You’ll Love

• Vegan Zucchini Fries
• Healthy Apricot Almond Energy Balls

Want an easy homemade bread recipe?  Look no further.  This dairy free bread uses one bowl and requires no kneading.

Whether you are looking for bread for someone with a dairy, egg, or soy allergy, a vegan diet, or for the low iodine diet (LID), this bread will work for you.

I preferred to make homemade bread when I followed the LID rather than scour bread labels for ingredients or figure out which brands use noniodized salt (LID Life was not available at the time.)

If you are the same way but don’t have any experience making homemade bread or access to a bread machine, this recipe is for you.  

What You Need to Make It

This recipe only requires 5 ingredients.

• Flour – you can use all-purpose, white whole wheat, or a mixture.  I like to do half and half.
• Salt (noniodized for LID) – Bread without salt has NO flavor. Milk is used to add more flavor to bread, so you don’t want to skip this.
• Sugar – to feed the yeast
• Instant yeast – Instant yeast is also sometimes called bread machine yeast.  For more about instant yeast, read in the FAQ below. 

How to Make Dairy Free Bread

This dairy free bread is also incredibly simple.

1. Mix all the ingredients until there are no dry bits of flour.  The dough will be lumpy but stretchy.
2. Let rise…
3. Until double.
4. Lightly shape into desired shape.  You can make this in a loaf pan or a pie pan or a glass bowl.  You choose your shape. (I double the recipe and made 2 loaves for the photo.)

Tips for Success

Use warm enough water.

You need the water warm enough to wake up the yeast and get it bubbling, but not so hot that it kills the yeast.  I have found that most people are so worried about killing the yeast that they do not get the water warm enough.  You want the water between 110 and 120 degrees F.  

Mix the dry ingredients first before adding the water.

You could just dump all the ingredients in the bowl and start stirring.  I prefer to gently stir the dry ingredients together first.  I think this helps distribute the yeast, salt, and sugar more evenly throughout the dough. 

Let it rise enough.

The time I suggest for rising is an estimate.  It will depend on how warm your kitchen is.  If you want the dough to rise quickly, turn your oven on while you make the dough.  Then turn it off and open the oven door to warm up the room.  You can also place the dough near a heat vent or in a sunny spot in your house.  

Shape it gently.

We all have heard of “punching” the dough.  But you don’t want to punch it as hard as you can and get rid of all the air you just spent an hour plus getting in there.   With this dough in particular, we want to gently shape it.  Bread gets its structure from gluten in the flour.  Kneading the dough develops the gluten and helps give that structure.  Since we didn’t knead this dough, that gluten structure isn’t as strong.  It won’t hold up as well to punching.

Cooking time will vary by shape.

Depending on if you make a loaf shape or a round shape, it will bake at different speeds.  I have found the loaf pan breads to bake faster.  Bread should sound hollow when you knock on the bottom if it is done.  You can also take the temperature of the bread like you would meat.  Bread is done at 195-200 degrees F.  

FAQ

What is instant yeast?

Instant yeast is a different strain of yeast and is ground finer so that it will dissolve faster into your dough than active dry yeast.  As a rule, recipes with instant yeast do not call for “proofing” the yeast in warm water with sugar, while those with active dry yeast do.  According to Epicurious, this step is unnecessary.  

However, I have heard of bakers liking to “proof” both kinds of yeast, just to make sure the yeast is not dead before they use it.  Yeast will keep in the freezer for up to 2 years, although I’ve had yeast in my freezer longer than that.  You can even use yeast straight from the fridge or freezer.

What is white whole wheat flour?

There are two common types of wheat grown:  soft white wheat and hard red wheat.  What we think of as “whole wheat flour” is made from hard red wheat flour.  White whole wheat flour is made from soft white wheat.  It has a less strong, bitter taste, and baked goods tend to more closely resemble their all-purpose flour counterparts.  

I like to buy King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour.  I buy quite a few and store them in the freezer until opening.  Whole grain flours can go rancid as they do have some fat in them if they are stored for a long time.

 

How to Store

Once done baking, turn the bread out of the pan and let cool on a cooling rack.  Once it is completely cool, you can wrap in plastic wrap or store in a resealable bag.  Air exposure will make the bread go stale.

Please note that homemade bread becomes stale faster than store bought bread, as it does not have the preservatives and conditioners added to the dough.

Other Recipes You’ll Love

Tahini Toast with Apples and Honey is a great use of your delicious bread.

Whole Wheat Honey Oat Bread is great if you are up for more of a traditional bread recipe that is also dairy free.

These vegan zucchini fries are a healthy vegetable all dressed up in its crispy finger food finest. Crispy while being vegan and keto friendly, they will be a hit with everyone!

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What you’ll need to make vegan zucchini fries

Zucchini fries normally have eggs and cheese to make, but we are making these without those to be vegan and LID friendly.

Ingredients:

• food processor
• wire baking rack
• air fryer

How to make

It only takes a few simple steps to make vegan zucchini fries: 

• Cut zucchini into fry shape.  Don’t go too thin, as it will be harder to get the crumbs to stick. 
• Chop walnuts (and matzo if using) in a food processor.  
• Add nutritional yeast, breadcrumbs (if not using matzo), salt, and pepper.  Pulse until all is the consistency of bread crumbs.  
• Heat the olive oil with the garlic to infuse flavor, then toast crumb mixture in olive oil.
• Dip zucchini into “milk”, then into breadcrumb mixture.  Press down to make sure crumbs stick.
• Bake on wire rack.  The wire rack promotes crispiness all the way around.

Variations of Zucchini Fries

• Air fryer vegan zucchini fries: If you want to use an air fryer, you will fry at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes total.  Spray the fries with cooking spray before putting in the fryer.  After 5 minutes, pull out the basket, shake the fries, and spray with cooking spray again.  Cook for another 5 minutes, or your desired level of doneness.
• Nut free:  You could skip the walnuts in the crumb mixture if you are avoiding tree nuts.
• Zucchini fries without breadcrumbs:  You could use flour flavored with nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in place of the breadcrumb mixture.  The coating will be less of your typical bread coating but is still yummy.  
• Gluten free zucchini fries:  Substitute gluten free crackers for the matzo crackers or breadcrumbs.  Or just flavor almond flour with nutrition yeast, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  
• You could mix up the seasonings for any variation you’d like: Italian seasoning, add some cayenne and cumin for zesty flavors, etc. 

FAQ

Do I need to salt the zucchini first?  

I feel like recipes online are 50/50 on salting the zucchini first.  Salting the zucchini should draw out water from the zucchini, which is a really watery vegetable.  It should make it more crisp and less soggy.  In all my practicing, I did not notice a difference between the batches where I salted the zucchini and did not.  

What is nutritional yeast?

Nutritional yeast is NOT the same yeast you use to bake bread.  Nutritional yeast is flakes of inactive yeast.  While it starts as the same species as baking yeast, it is fermented, has nutrients added, and then is dried to inactivate the yeast.  It is a great source of protein and B vitamins, including B12. It is a great substitute for cheese when avoiding dairy.

Is the low iodine diet vegan?

You do not have to follow a vegan diet while on the low iodine diet. However, vegan recipes are often a good resource as they avoid eggs and dairy. Just be cautious of sea salt and other high iodine foods, such as most commercial plant based milks.

For more on the low iodine diet, check out my Low Iodine Diet Basics.

Tips for Reheating

Like most fried foods, zucchini fries do not make the best leftovers.  You can reheat them in the oven for 5-10 minutes until warm.  Or reheat in the air fryer.  Putting them in the microwave will lead to a soggy mess.

Let me know how you enjoy your crispy vegan zucchini fries!

• food processor
• wire baking rack
• air fryer

How to make

It only takes a few simple steps to make vegan zucchini fries: 

• Cut zucchini into fry shape.  Don’t go too thin, as it will be harder to get the crumbs to stick. 
• Chop walnuts (and matzo if using) in a food processor.  
• Add nutritional yeast, breadcrumbs (if not using matzo), salt, and pepper.  Pulse until all is the consistency of bread crumbs.  
• Heat the olive oil with the garlic to infuse flavor, then toast crumb mixture in olive oil.
• Dip zucchini into “milk”, then into breadcrumb mixture.  Press down to make sure crumbs stick.
• Bake on wire rack.  The wire rack promotes crispiness all the way around.

Variations of Zucchini Fries

• Air fryer vegan zucchini fries: If you want to use an air fryer, you will fry at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes total.  Spray the fries with cooking spray before putting in the fryer.  After 5 minutes, pull out the basket, shake the fries, and spray with cooking spray again.  Cook for another 5 minutes, or your desired level of doneness.
• Nut free:  You could skip the walnuts in the crumb mixture if you are avoiding tree nuts.
• Zucchini fries without breadcrumbs:  You could use flour flavored with nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in place of the breadcrumb mixture.  The coating will be less of your typical bread coating but is still yummy.  
• Gluten free zucchini fries:  Substitute gluten free crackers for the matzo crackers or breadcrumbs.  Or just flavor almond flour with nutrition yeast, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  
• You could mix up the seasonings for any variation you’d like: Italian seasoning, add some cayenne and cumin for zesty flavors, etc. 

FAQ

Do I need to salt the zucchini first?  

I feel like recipes online are 50/50 on salting the zucchini first.  Salting the zucchini should draw out water from the zucchini, which is a really watery vegetable.  It should make it more crisp and less soggy.  In all my practicing, I did not notice a difference between the batches where I salted the zucchini and did not.  

What is nutritional yeast?

Nutritional yeast is NOT the same yeast you use to bake bread.  Nutritional yeast is flakes of inactive yeast.  While it starts as the same species as baking yeast, it is fermented, has nutrients added, and then is dried to inactivate the yeast.  It is a great source of protein and B vitamins, including B12. It is a great substitute for cheese when avoiding dairy.

Is the low iodine diet vegan?

You do not have to follow a vegan diet while on the low iodine diet. However, vegan recipes are often a good resource as they avoid eggs and dairy. Just be cautious of sea salt and other high iodine foods, such as most commercial plant based milks.

For more on the low iodine diet, check out my Low Iodine Diet Basics.

Tips for Reheating

Like most fried foods, zucchini fries do not make the best leftovers.  You can reheat them in the oven for 5-10 minutes until warm.  Or reheat in the air fryer.  Putting them in the microwave will lead to a soggy mess.

Let me know how you enjoy your crispy vegan zucchini fries!

Vegan zucchini muffins are a delicious, healthy snack or breakfast. These muffins are moist while still being low in fat. If you have extra zucchini from your garden or the farmer’s market to use up, these muffins are a crowd pleaser with lots of variations to suit your tastes. Vegan substitutions also make these low iodine if you are following the low iodine diet.

Some links on this site are affiliate links, meaning I may receive a commission at no cost to you if you click on them. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

What You’ll Need

For these vegan zucchini muffins, you will need shredded zucchini, brown sugar, vegetable oil, chia seeds, vanilla, all-purpose and white whole wheat flour, iodine free salt, baking powder and soda, nutmeg, cardamom, and cinnamon. You’ll also need any mix-ins you want to add (see below).

Where do I find that?

• Chia seeds: I have been able to find chia sees at my regular grocery stores and Wal-Mart. It can often be in the gluten free or specialty baking area. A health food store would also be a good place to look.
• White whole wheat flour: I have found this a little bit harder to find since COVID-19 and the resulting food shortages. I like buying it from King Arthur online or have found generic brand at my local Kroger store.
• Ground cardamom: Ground cardamom should be with all the other spices at your local grocery store. If you don’t want to buy it, you could substitute ground allspice or ground cloves.
• HOW MUCH ZUCCHINI? This recipe calls for 1 ½ pounds of shredded zucchini. If you do not own a kitchen scale, this would be 3 small zucchini, 2 medium zucchini. The zucchini I have pictured were from my garden and more on the medium size.

• Make chia “eggs” by mixing chia seeds with water and letting gel.
• Shred zucchini and squeeze out excess water.
• Mix sugar, chia eggs, and wet ingredients.
• Fold in zucchini and dry ingredients. Mix until half combined.
• Add in mix-ins if using. Mix until just combined.
• Bake until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan to cool completely.

Tips for Success

• Start your chia eggs first. The chia and water need to “gel” for 5-30 minutes before using them. This picture shows what they should look like.
• Use a machine to help you shred the zucchini. The shredding blade on a food processor is much faster than using a box grater. You could also use your spiralizer if you have one and then chop up the spirals.
• Really squeeze out the water from the zucchini. Zucchini helps make our muffins moist, but we don’t want them soggy. We put a lot of zucchini in these muffins, so we want to make sure we do a good job squeezing out the excess water. Wrap your shreds in a clean, fluff free kitchen towel. Squeeze over the sink.
• Don’t overmix! To keep your muffins light and fluffy, mix until just combined. There should not be any dry streaks of flour in the batter, but it may still be lumpy. Do not beat or whisk it smooth.

Variations

There are so many ways you can make these zucchini muffins your own. In general, I would recommend ¾ cup to 1 cup total of mix-ins. I have pictured here regular sized muffins with chocolate chips and mini lemon zucchini muffins with blueberries.

Citrus zest can add great flavor as well. I use the zest from a whole lemon or whole orange if I am using it.

Ideas for mix-ins:

• Orange zest and chopped pistachios
• chopped walnuts and chocolate chips
• lemon zest and blueberries
• pumpkin seeds
• raisins
• coconut flakes

You can also make this recipe as one large loaf of zucchini bread or into twice as many mini muffins. Adjustments for baking times are in the recipe below.

FAQ

Why bake with zucchini?

Zucchini is great for lowering the fat in baked goods while adding moisture and fiber. It also is very mild so it generally does not add any flavor.

What makes these “healthy”?

These muffins are low in fat, thanks to the added zucchini. They are packed with vegetables, thanks to 1 ½ pounds of zucchini – which provides vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber. They also have whole grain flour.

Are there other egg substitutes I could use?

For a low iodine diet, you could substitute 4 egg whites for the chia “eggs” in this recipe. It would no longer be vegan.

Ground flax seeds could be substituted for the chia seeds – same amount of ground flax to water as chia seeds to water.

For more on vegan egg substitutes, check out The Kitchn or Minimalist Baker.

What is white whole wheat flour?

This is whole wheat flour made from soft white wheat, rather than hard red wheat. The traditional whole wheat flour you are used to that is very brown is from hard red wheat.

White whole wheat flour is still a whole grain and full of fiber and nutrients. It just comes from a different type of wheat plant.

Why vegan recipes for low iodine diet?

A low iodine diet is not necessarily a vegan diet. But vegan recipes can be a good place to look for low iodine recipes since they will not contain dairy or egg yolk.

However, not all vegan recipes will be low iodine friendly. They may contain soy products, sea salt, and milk alternatives that do not work.

Can I make these gluten free?

These could easily be made gluten free by subbing a gluten free all-purpose flour mix that has gums in it.

Could I use other flours?

If you can not find the white whole wheat flour, you could use regular whole wheat flour or only all-purpose flour. I have not experimented with oat or spelt flours.

Storage and Reheating

These muffins can be stored at room temperature for about 5 days.

I like to freeze muffins to last longer. They generally last about 3 months. I either let the muffins thaw at room temperature or microwave them for 20-30 seconds, wrapped in a paper towel or napkin.

Serving Suggestions

These vegan zucchini muffins make a great breakfast, snack, or add them to lunch or dinner as a side to soup or salad.

 

Like these vegan zucchini muffins? You might also like these:

Eggless Chocolate Pudding

Gingerbread Banana Bread from LID Life

Eggless chocolate pudding is thick, creamy, and delicious. Also dairy and gluten free, this is a great treat for those with food allergies as well as on the low iodine diet.

I will admit that I am a chocolate lover. One of the hardest parts of the low iodine diet was many of my normal chocolate treats were not allowed. Cocoa powder is ok on the low iodine diet, but most forms of “solid” chocolate have dairy products added.

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Types of Chocolate

There are dairy free chocolate chips if you look. Here are a few brands available online. Please note buying online often means buying in bulk. Check your local grocery or health food stores for individual packages. *This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

• Baker’s Choice Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• Enjoy Life Baking Chips
• Barry Callebaut Chocolate Chips
• Gefen Vegan Chocolate Chips
• Nestle Tollhouse Allergen Free Baking Chips

This eggless chocolate pudding has cocoa powder and melted chocolate chips, giving it a double chocolate punch. If you are following the low iodine diet, be sure to use dairy free chocolate chips. If not, use whatever chips you like.

Eggs and Nutrition

Egg yolks thicken traditional puddings. Since egg yolks are high in iodine, this recipe substitutes avocados. They provide a rich creamy texture without the iodine. And the mild taste of avocado is hidden behind the two forms of chocolate.

Previously, I mentioned pudding as a great option to eat after thyroid surgery. It’s soft, creamy texture and chilled state make it a soothing food. Most puddings are generally a good source of protein due to the eggs and milk in them. This pudding is free of both, but it is a good source of calories and monounsaturated fats. So even though you don’t have to follow the low iodine diet immediately after surgery, this eggless chocolate pudding is a great snack to try no matter your dietary restrictions.