3 Sweet Treats For Those Trying To Stick To A Healthy Diet
When you’re trying to eat healthily, it’s a challenge to find snacks that aren’t filled with all kinds of unwanted ingredients. Whether you’re trying to lose weight or simply take better care of your body, it can seem like there aren’t many options other than plain fruits and veggies or a handful of nuts. However, that’s not the case! Put aside a little time over the weekend and make a few tasty snacks to have on-hand. This way, you won’t be tempted to fall off the wagon whenever you get hungry and want a small snack. Not to mention, these recipes are as simple as can be. Here are 4 healthy snacks you can make right now:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bites
What You’ll Need:
- 3 ripe bananas
- 1/3 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
How To:
- Peel and slice the bananas into rounds that are about 1/4-inch thick.
- Line either a platter or a baking sheet with some parchment paper. Place about 1/2 teaspoon of peanut butter on a banana slice and then top it with a second banana slice. It will make a little makeshift sandwich. Do this with all the banana slices until they’re all used. You should end up with roughly 30 bites in total. Place them on two parchment-lined platters or plates. Put them in the freezer to chill for about 1 hour.
- After the hour has passed, melt the chocolate by adding it to a microwave-safe bowl with the coconut oil. Microwave it for 1 minute before stirring it. Microwave the mix for another 30 seconds and mix. Keep doing this until it’s fully melted. In total, it shouldn’t take more than 2 minutes of microwaving.
- Remove one platter from the freezer. Dip each frozen banana bite into the melted chocolate so half of it is coated. Tou can coat the entire thing, but you’ll have to double the chocolate and coconut oil to do so.
- Place the bites back on the platter and put them back in the freezer to harden. Do the same process with the second platter.
- Once all the bites are hardened (after about 15 minutes), you can store them in a freezer-safe container and enjoy! These bites can last 1-2 months in the freezer.
Quinoa Chocolate Drops
What You’ll Need:
- 1/3 cup quinoa, pre-rinsed
- 2/3 cup water
- 16 dates whole, pitted, no sugar added
- 1/2 cup almonds raw, with skin
- 1/3 cup natural crunchy peanut butter or almond butter
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
How To:
- Add the quinoa and water into a small saucepan, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, cooking for around 12-15 minutes – or until all the water has been absorbed. The quinoa should still be warm when adding the rest of the ingredients.
- Add the dates into a food processor and pulse until they form a ball. Take them out and place them in a medium mixing bowl. Add the almonds to the food processor and pulse until finely minced.
- Add the dates, minced almonds, peanut butter, and warm quinoa to the food processor and pulse until all are combined. Add chocolate chips and pulse again until they melt into the mixture.
- Put all the ingredients in the mixing bowl and shape them into 1″ drops or balls. Roll each ball in crushed almonds (optional). Place them all on a dish and refrigerate until set.
- Serve and enjoy!
Banana Pudding
What You’ll Need:
- 10 almonds, whole
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- dash of kosher or sea salt
- 3 tablespoons coconut palm sugar
- 1 egg yolk, slightly beaten
- 0.75 cup milk 1 or 2% is recommended, (or canned lite coconut milk)
- 0.5 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 bananas thinly sliced
How To:
- Preheat the oven to 325F. Roast the almonds for 12 minutes and allow them to cool while preparing the pudding. After they’ve cooled, mince them in a food processor.
- In a saucepan, combine the cornstarch, salt, and sugar. Add the egg yolk to the dry ingredients. Gradually stir in the milk and keep stirring until it’s all well combined. Turn to medium heat and cook while constantly stirring. Keep cooking until it gets a pudding-like consistency.
- Take off the heat, stir in the vanilla. While it’s still warm, alternate pudding with bananas in dessert dishes. Sprinkle the minced almonds on top and serve!
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