Deep down, I’m just a big fatty!
If you’re anything like me, then you’re a sucker for a sugary treat. After all, our bodies need sugar to survive. Also, I just don’t feel complete after a meal without a little sweetness to wrap it up. My motto in life is moderation, not starvation. There’s nothing wrong with eating all the foods you love, as long as you do it in moderation. You want that donut? You eat that donut! You have one life… DoNut deny yourself. haha.
That being said, if you’re anything like me, if there’s more than one donut or cupcake in reach, then you’re going to have more than just one. It’s just science. Or maths. Or greed, who can tell? Of course, this is not the best decision you can making for your health, so now I only buy these treats on very special occasions. AND WHEN I DO, I INDULGE GOD DAMN IT. The rest of the time, the majority of sugary foods I ingest have a high nutritional value in order to keep things balanced.
Fruits are high in sugar, but the body LOVES them. You will never get fat on fruit. Just please don’t eat 35 bananas a day because hey, calories are calories in the end. So of course, fruits are the first and most obvious great alternative to that piece of pie, slice of cake or jammy dodger. Organic is best if possible, but If it’s not, don’t worry, you’re still being well nourished. Also remember, when you’re craving a sugary treat, your body is actually wanting the type of sugars that occur naturally in foods like fruit, so try to give your body what it’s actually asking for.
Water. A bit boring all the time no? I tend to dilute any packaged juices with 1/4 juice (or less) and 3/4 water. It’s a great way to stay tastily hydrated without flooding your system with processed sugar and other weird ingredients. Though the best juice is freshly squeezed of course (or blended.) A fruit smoothie is fantastic morning fuel. Maybe even the best. A blender or juicer can change your life. Quote me on that.
Without further ado, here’s some great alternatives to keep your cravings satisfied while your health intensifies:
1–YOU’RE CRAVING: mmmm… something nutty and chocolatey… Like a Snickers bar, or Reese’s peanut butter cups, or Cadbury’s Whole Nut.
HOW ABOUT: Swapping for a way more beneficial:
1 oz of raw almonds with 1 or 2 tsp of hot cocoa powder. The hot cocoa mix adds just enough sweetness to the almonds, which are packed with protein, fibre, and healthy unsaturated fatty acids like omega 3.2–YOU’RE CRAVING: Skittles, or Gummy Bears, or something like that.
HOW ABOUT: Some cold, crunchy grapes? I like the dark purply ones, they are so big and juicy and delicious. Cherry’s also do the trick. That’s if you don’t mind the pip-spitting.3–YOU’RE CRAVING: Cupcakes / birthday cake.
HOW ABOUT: I share an extremely healthy cupcake recipe that will blow your socks off? Courtesy of Lauren, author at www.oatmealwithafork.com.
New-Fashioned Yellow Cupcakes With Chocolate Frosting (Grain-Free)
PREP TIME 15 mins COOK TIME 27 mins TOTAL TIME 42 mins
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 3 eggs
- 3 tbsp applesauce
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ½ teaspoon powdered stevia extract
- 5 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- ¼ cup coconut flour, sifted
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ⅛ tsp turmeric, for color
Frosting:
- 1 avocado
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- ½ tsp vanilla
- pinch sea salt
- 6 drops liquid stevia
- water, as needed to thin (about 1-2 teaspoons)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a food processor, mix the beans, eggs, apple sauce, stevia, vanilla, honey, oil, salt and turmeric until smooth (about 1-2 minutes).
- In a separate bowl, mix the sifted coconut flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Add the dry mix into the processor and mix until well combined.
- Divide the batter among 10-12 paper muffin cups.
- Bake 24-27 minutes until the top feels firm to the touch.
- Cool the cupcakes.
- Process the ingredients for the frosting until smooth.
- Top the cooled cupcakes with the frosting.
4–YOU’RE CRAVING: A Twix bar.
HOW ABOUT: A healthy twix bar! (courtesy of chocolatecoveredkatie.com)
You can make this recipe free of refined cane sugar. That means this is a Twix recipe without anything artificial and without cane sugar. What more could you ask for? I guess that this recipe tastes so much better than the original, which is what I think. Plus, you get benefits of high fiber if you use buckwheat flour, healthy fats from the coconut oil, nut butter, and flax, and dates for fiber and sweetness as well. If you use coconut sugar throughout the recipe, there will be no cane sugar whatsoever. Check your local health food store for arrowroot or tapioca starch, if you are wondering where to find those items.
Healthy Twix
Ingredients (makes 12 bars):
- 1/2 cup white rice flour or buckwheat flour or sorghum flour
- 1/2 cup arrowroot or tapioca
- 2 tbsp evaporated cane juice or regular sugar or coconut sugar
- 3 tbsp sunflower seed butter (or another nut or seed butter)
- 2 tbsp virgin coconut oil
- 1 tbsp freshly ground flax mixed with 2 tbsp water (allow to sit for 5 minutes before using.)
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
Caramel:
- 100g pitted dates (approximately 6 dates)
- 3 tablespoons sunflower seed butter (or another nut butter of choice)
- 1 tsp water
- pinch salt
Chocolate Coating: 3/4 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Begin by preparing shortbread. Add first three ingredients to a medium-sized bowl. Whisk to combine. Then add sunflower seed butter, coconut oil, flax mixture and extract. Mix with a hand mixer or stand mixer until fully combined. The dough should stick together well.
- Shape dough into twelve 3-inch cookies. To do this, scoop out about 1 1/2 tablespoons at a time into your hand and roll into a ball. Slowly shape into a long tube by rolling back and forth between the palm of your hands until it’s about 3-inches long. Set down on prepared cookie sheet and flatten with fingers. You can make the cookie even straighter by using the side of a knife to press up against the edges. Place cookies in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until tops are slightly cracked and sides are golden. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, place caramel ingredients in the bowl of your food processor. Process until smooth. If the mixture will not get smooth, just add a touch more water.
- Once cookies are cooled, top with caramel and place on a second cookie sheet that’s lined with parchment paper. To do so, roll caramel like you did the cookies; into 3-inch tubes, and place over top of cookies. Place in the freezer and allow to set for at least 10 minutes. This will make the cookies easier to dip in the chocolate. Melt chocolate chips by dropping into a metal bowl and place over top of a sauce pan filled with water. Bring water to a boil and stir chips until melted. Remove from heat.
- Remove the cookie sheet from the freezer and; one by one, coat the bars in chocolate. To do this, drop the bar into the chocolate and coat it with your fingers. Remove excess with your fingers and place back on the parchment. Repeat with remaining cookies.
- Place back in the freezer and allow to set for 15 minutes.
5–YOU’RE CRAVING: Ice Cream
HOW ABOUT: Roasted Berry and Honey Yogurt Popsicles (mmmmmm!) Courtesy of Kate from http://cookieandkate.com/
Roasted Berry and Honey Yogurt Popsicles
Ingredients:
- 12 ounces (two small containers) small berries, like blueberries and raspberries
- 2 teaspoons sugar (preferably turbinado sugar), optional
- Dash of sea salt
- 2 tablespoons + ¼ cup honey (to taste)
- 2 cups whole Greek yogurt (I used Fage)
- ½ small lemon, juiced
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, gently toss berries with the sugar, a dash of sea salt and 2 tablespoons honey.
- Pour the berries onto the prepared baking sheet and arrange the berries in a single layer. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring halfway, or long enough for the berry juices to thicken but not burn (watch the edges in particular).
- While the fruit is roasting, blend together the Greek yogurt and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Mix in honey to taste, until it is barely sweet enough for your liking (keep in mind that the berries will be very sweet). Add more lemon juice if you want tart popsicles.
- Let the berries cool for at least ten minutes, then scrape the berries and all of their juices into the bowl of yogurt. Use a big spoon to gently fold the mixture together (for a marbled effect, do not mix thoroughly).
- Use the spoon to transfer the yogurt blend into the popsicle mould and insert popsicle sticks. Freeze for at least four hours. When you’re ready to pop out the popsicles, run warm water around the outsides of the moulds for about ten seconds and gently remove the popsicles. Enjoy immediately!
We hope you enjoy these recipes! Remember calories are not the enemy, it’s how you take them which is important.
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