This snack is not only quick and easy, it's good for you, too. And it contains about 150 calories — the perfect amount for a light nibble between meals or after dinner. Dig in!

What you'll need

2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into fry shapes
1 teaspoon olive oil
Dash salt and pepper
1 tablespoon ketchup

What you'll do

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss parsnips in oil, salt and pepper. Bake on cookie sheet for about 25 minutes, flipping once. Serve with ketchup.

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Why you'll love this snack

You'll get the feeling that you are eating French fries, but with a lot less fat and fewer calories.

Parsnips are a root vegetable that look like big, white carrots and are rich in immune-boosting vitamin C and also contain folic acid, which can help prevent birth defects. They're also a good source of fiber — 1/2 cup cooked has 3 grams. Once peeled, parsnips are usually eaten cooked (baked, roasted, steamed or microwaved), but can be eaten raw when shredded with a cheese grater and tossed into salads.

Olive oil has more heart-smart monounsaturated fat than almost all other oils. Choose the extra virgin type — it's the least-processed version, has the most olive flavor and contains the highest amount of polyphenols (healthy antioxidant compounds). Use it sparingly, because just like all oils, it has 120 calories per tablespoon. For best taste quality, purchase oil in dark-tinted bottles and store it out of direct light in a cool place.

Ketchup is made primarily from tomatoes, which contain lycopene, an antioxidant compound that may protect us against heart disease, as well as prostate, ovarian and lung cancer. But not all ketchup is created equal: Read the ingredients list and make sure the brand you're purchasing uses sugar rather than high-fructose corn syrup. Heinz Organic and Annie's Naturals are good brands.

Per serving: 154 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated), 28 g carbs, 7 g fiber, 2 g protein, 336 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol

Bonus bite from Dawn:

In addition to the salt and pepper, you can season the fries with a few pinches of paprika and garlic powder for a little zip. Parsnips can be cooked and mashed with potatoes to more than double the fiber of your traditional mash po.

Dawn Jackson Blatner is a registered and licensed dietitian, and a national media spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. Read more about her here.