Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Healthy Holiday Treats

This is the season to indulge in all sorts of goodies. There's plates of cookies to munch on and candies to nibble.They may taste good but they are  lethal. A steady diet of sugar , white flour and refined sugar is not healthy. Instead, treat yourself and your family to healthier sweets. They're not only delicious but good for you. Best of all you can eat as much as you like and not worry about the side effects.

Who doesn't love holiday cookies this time of year? The problem is that they taste so yummy that anybody can over eat. Meringues cookies are light and are made with a minimum of sugar and flour. Egg whites power these, creating a sweet indulgence without the many calories. Another baked treat is a fig and flax thumbprint cookie(this from the Eating Well site)/It is made with the healthier  and less processed brown sugar and always good for you flax seeds.Another good idea is nixing the white flour and subbing in whole wheat  flour for your recipes. You can still make chocolate chips or sugar cookies with it. Another healthy choice is the simple but traditional oatmeal cookie,Use whole oats for more chewiness along with raisins or dried cranberries for added flavor..

Homemade candy is always a fun Christmas or New Year's treat.Fudge heads the list however it's a fat bomb waiting to happen. Try a lighter version made with almond butter, cocoa and honey,This is an easy no cook kind that can be made in minutes. It just takes some mixing and then a quick stay in the fridge to harden. You can also make peanut butter cups using all natural peanut butter and dark chocolate along with coconut flour and stevia, a natural sugar substitute.Truffles, the perfect indulgence for anytime can also be turned from decadent to healthy.Start with coconut milk and coconut powder.From there you can add mashed banana, apple sauce or pumpkin along with cocoa powder and stevia. Put into th e freezer until solid and that's it. You can dust them with extra cocoa powder for more flavor.

It's the holidays. Treat yourself with homemade goodies. They're not only tasty but made with healthy ingredients. You can eat well on all levels thanks to these good for you treats!

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