25 Sep Trick and Treat Yourself
It’s that time of year again, when the days get shorter, our sleeves get longer, and we nestle into evenings of spooky movies as the leaves fall and the rain trickles against our windows. For those of us who love Halloween season, it’s hard to resist the siren call of our favorite childhood treats. All our neighborhood grocery stories promote giant bags of candies and pumpkin spice treats. As we fight the fat foe, we must be resolved to limit our Halloween helpings and find other ways to trick and treat our devilish sweet tooth.
Tricks and Tips for Healthy Treats
One, not even two, pieces of candy are going to derail your fine efforts. What will, however, is an untamed hand than keeps reaching for more. Curb your hunger and set hard limits for yourself. Utilize visual limits by taking a small jar and putting the exact amount of treats you will allow yourself to daily consume. Prepare jars for your whole week in one go.
Calorie Consideration
Maintain awareness of your calorie consumption through the holiday season. If you are new to calorie counting, then you may find yourself surprised at just how many calories your pre-diet favorites contain. Be vigilant in maintaining your daily calorie limit and opt for snacks that provide actual hunger relief rather than those that are “empty” calories. We have created a small list to help curb your hunger and bring a healthy twist to seasonal favorites.
Healthy Treat Options:
Pumpkins– What a wonderful squash. They give you beautiful décor pieces for the holidays, seeds for snacking, and carriages fit for royalty. What can’t you do with a pumpkin? You can turn it into a pie, use it in soups, breads, muffins, scones, chili, butter, and more. Make the most out this iconic fruit with a few of our diet friendly recipes.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
2 cups raw pumpkin seeds
1 ½ tbsp butter
1 ¼ tsp salt
Who doesn’t love a good pumpkin carving? You get to create memories, make a mess, and craft a fun prop to decorate your home. Don’t let the pumpkin seeds go to waste. After separating the seeds from the pumpkin goo, rinse them under cold water and set aside to air dry. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 300 ̊. Take 1½ tablespoons melted butter and mix with your seeds. Distribute mixture on the baking sheet in a single layer. This is where you can add salt and any other spices you would like your seeds. Bake until lightly browned, let cool, and enjoy!
Pumpkin Spice Bread
1 cup almond flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp pumpkin spice seasoning
½ cup pumpkin puree
3 eggs
½ cup sugar replacement (optional)
1 tbsp vanilla
Whether you are looking for a sweet treat or an afternoon snack, you can rest assured this loaf will bring you those cozy autumnal vibes. Start by cracking 3 eggs in to a large bowl and adding the pumpkin puree, vanilla. This is also where you will add your sugar substitute if you prefer a sweet, desert loaf. Sweetners such as Allulose and Swerve work well as a sugar replacement for baking and are very low calorie. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and fine salt thoroughly. Then slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry mix. Once combined, add your pumpkin spice seasoning and stir. Put the mixture in a well-oiled bread pan, add snacking seed to the top (optional, and bake for 45minutes at 350 ̊. After thoroughly baking, remove from oven to cool.
Chocolate Covered Banana
3/4 scoop chocolate protein powder
3/4Tbsp cocoa powder
1 3/4tsp sugar substitute
1Tbsp 3/4tsp water
Popsicle sticks
If you are a chocoholic, look no further than the delicious and guilt free chocolate dipped banana. This treat is low calorie and protein packed. For this treat, you will need to cut a ripe, peeled banana in half and insert a popsicle stick into the cut end. Then place your banana pops on a parchment-lined dish and let sit in your freezer for about an hour. Once your banana’s have frozen, you will create the chocolate coating by mixing chocolate protein powder, cocoa powder, sugar substitute, and water until syrupy. You can pour the chocolate syrup into a cup for easy banana dipping or apply directly with a spoon. Put chocolate covered bananas back in the freezer for 10-15 for a hardened chocolate shell before eating. Keep other banana pops in freezer until ready to eat.
Flavored Popcorn
Checkout Health.com for awesome popcorn treat inspiration at: https://www.health.com/food/10-healthy-flavored-popcorn-recipes
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