Recipe: Flour-less Whole Grain Seedy Bread

Tweet

Pin It

There's this general misconception out there, probably thanks to the carb-phobic diet industry, that bread is unhealthy. False! Bread can be unhealthy, just like anything else, but it isn't inherently unhealthy. There are all sorts of healthy bread out there and the best way to make sure that the bread in your sandwich/on your plate/drowning under your peanut butter is healthy is to make it yourself!

If you want to keep the carbs down and the healthy fats and proteins and fiber up, this bread is for you. It's wheat-free and, if you use gluten-free oats, is also gluten-free. It's chock-full of heart-healthy nuts and seeds, plus enough fiber to pep up your digestive system *cough, cough* from the chia seeds and whole psyllium seed husks. If you want to make it sugar-free, you can sub stevia for the maple syrup - but honestly, I don't see the point. It's a very modest amount of maple syrup, adds a little nice something, and a teeny-tiny bit of sugar won't kill you. But it's up to you!

Enough blathering on and on from me, here's the recipe. Happy baking!

Read More...

Superfood of the Day: Tigernuts

Tweet

Pin It

Have you heard of tigernuts?

The latest superfood craze, especially among fans of the paleo diet, is not a nut - it's actually a small root vegetable!

Tigernuts make a great snack, either straight out of the bag or after an overnight soak in water to soften them. My favorite way to eat them is out of the bag, because I like the crunch!

There are many reasons to eat tigernuts. They may look like wooden beads, but they're also rich in a variety of important minerals and in the prebiotic fiber that nourishes the good bacteria in our large intestines!

I recently tried an assortment of tigernut products from Organic Gemini.

Organic Gemini has a nice variety of tigernut products, beyond the two types of raw tigernut granola and raw tigernut snacks that I tried. Their snacks and granola fit into pretty much any healthy diet - they're non-GMO, gluten-free, kosher, vegan, paleo, nut free, organic, and made by real people in Brooklyn. It's always nice to know where your food comes from!

Read More...

A Healthier Chocolate Choice with Plamil!

Tweet

Pin It

It turns out that the UK has more to offer than great tea and awesome accents.

I'm half-German, so I'm bound by loyalty to maintain that German chocolate is The Best (and because it is) but Plamil Chocolates from England offer some stiff competition! Beyond taste (excellent) and mouth feel (creamy-licious), Plamil Chocolates offer options that fit a lot more ways of eating than the candy traditionally does!

Whether you're vegan, dairy-free, nut-free, low-sugar, or even sugar-free, their no sugar added bars are a delicious choice!

Read More...

If Your Stocking Goodies Weren't Up To Snuff...

Tweet

Pin It

We're a few days out from Christmas now and, just like every year, I'm sad that the Christmas season is already over. I have to wait a whole year for it to be Christmas again!



Bummer.

This year it flew by especially quickly, because the true all Christmas all the time feeling only really hit around the 20th of December, when I flew home. And today I'm already flying back to NYC!

But, that said, it was a delightful Christmas all the same!

But what if you didn't love your stocking hauls? No worries, Quest has you covered - just before the holidays, they realized an amazing new flavor.

It's a S'mores Quest Bar! And yes, it is LOADED with chocolate chunks, marshmallow flavor, and graham cracker bits.

Order some online or head to your nearest GNC and pick some up. You'll forget all about the lame goodies you got in your stocking!

Santa should shop Quest, guys. Seriously.

Have you tried the new S'mores Quest Bars?

What did you get in your stocking this year?

Do you have fun New Year's Eve plans?

Read More...

*New* Detour Smart Bar Flavor Review - Chocolate Peanut Butter

Tweet

Pin It

(Wo)man can't live on Christmas cookies and candy canes alone! There's no need to try, it would be an existence filled with stomachaches and lagging energy.

Luckily, there's no need! Though most fruits and vegetables are (sadly) no longer in season, there are still frozen options and (though this is less environmentally friendly) fresh produce that's flown in from warmer parts of the globe.

There are also lots of yummy snack foods to keep on hand to fuel holiday gift shopping, holiday party throwing (and party hopping!), and general seasonal shenanigans.

Can there pretty please be unreasonable amounts of blizzards in NYC and (this one's really unlikely) Greensboro, NC this December? Just pack in all the precipitation of the year in frozen form and in this month and I'll be pleased.

It needs to be tall enough for me to hide behind, build fortresses in, and sneak attack innocent passerby (read: my poor family and friends) with snowballs. That's all!

Anyway, there are many healthy snack options to fuel all that fun. I recently tried a new one!

Remember when I reviewed Detour Smart bars when they first came on the market? They're Detour's gluten-free, all-natural protein bar option and previously were available in three flavors - apple cinnamon, blueberry, and cranberry flax.

There's a new fourth flavor in time to make your holidays a little healthier (and more delicious) - Chocolate Peanut Butter Smart Bars!

Like the other Detour Smart Bars, they're gluten-free and made with whole grain oatmeal.

They're also wonderfully low in sugar, so they won't add to your eventual chocolate and cookies sugar crash! That's what I call balance.

When you hear how low in sugar they are (only 4 grams, the equivalent of one teaspoon, in a whole bar) you might be skeptical. After all, there's more sugar than that a cup of unsweetened plain yogurt!

There's no reason to be skeptical. The bars are sweetened naturally with stevia, which won't affect your blood sugar levels, but is also a natural plant extract and not a cancer-causing chemical or, like aspartame, known to induce migraines (ick). Stevia is pretty solid!

These bars are solid, too. They're definitely better for handling a peanut butter than a chocolate craving, as that's the main flavor in the bar (I would probably rename them Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, as I feel that's more accurate, if I were running things).

There are mini chocolate chips throughout the bar, but the base is definitely peanut butter. It's delicious, satisfying, sweet enough (but not cloyingly so), healthy, packed with 11g of vegetarian protein to sustain your energy levels until your next meal, and drizzled with Greek Yogurt icing for (a) prettiness and (b) a more treat-like experience.

I give them a thumbs up! They're definitely worth having on hand while you rush around this month.

What are your favorite on-the-go snacks during the holidays?

What's your favorite holiday treat?

Do you have a gift shopping strategy?

Read More...

Recipe: Low Sugar, Low Fat Vegan Brownies - With A Hidden Ingredient!

Tweet

Pin It

These superfood brownies will blow your tastebuds away while astounding you with their healthiness.

They're low carb, low sugar, low fat, whole grain, and vegan - plus the fats that they do have are heart healthy and come loaded with fiber and minerals!

Oh yeeeeeah, chia seeds. And dark chocolate. And, um, there's...zucchini.

No, no, NO, don't run away! Don't close your browser! I swear these are every bit as delicious as they are healthy.

Vegan Superfood Brownies

Serves 12

* 2 Tbsp. Nutiva White Chia Seeds

* 6 Tbsp. Water

* 3 Tbsp. NuNaturals NoCarbs Blend Stevia

* 1 Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

* 1/2 Cup Hershey's Baking Cocoa

* 1.5 tsp. Baking Soda

* 0.25 tsp. Salt

* 2 medium zucchini, grated (if you're facing some really veggie-phobic snackers, peel the zucchini as well - it brings down the nutrition value/fiber content a bit, but makes the zucchini invisible and undetectable by taste, too)

* 1.5 Cup Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips

1) Preheat oven to 350F and grease an 8"x8" pan.

2) Mix chia seeds and water in a large bowl. Let sit for five minutes, until thickened.

3) Add vanilla extract, stevia, and apple sauce. Mix well. 

4) In a medium bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together. Mix very well, so completely combined into a uniform powder!

3) Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients gradually, stirring gently. Don't over mix!

4) Gently fold grated zucchini into the batter. 

5) Fold in 1 cup chocolate chips - again, don't over mix! Over mixing will overwork the flour and make your brownies tough.

6) Pour the batter into the prepared pan, creating a smooth surface with the back of your spoon/spatula.

7) Sprinkle remaining half cup of chocolate chips on top, more or less evenly.

8) Bake for 30-35 minutes, until it passes the toothpick test. Since this is a brownie, you'll still have some chocolatey goodness sticking to the toothpick (it won't be all the way clean) but you shouldn't have big globs of gloppy batter on the toothpick.

9) Cool, then slice.



Enjoy!

Store in the fridge, because they have a high moisture content!

That is, assuming there's anything left to store. These are delicious and completely guilt-free (also, so allergen-friendly - no eggs, no dairy, and no added sugar for the diabetics). 

They'll be gone in a blink! Even the picky nine year old said she couldn't tell there was any zucchini - they're yummy! She was super skeptical earlier, when she saw me grating two zucchinis into the batter. Oops!

Have you ever tried zucchini brownies?

Does anyone in your household have dietary limitations?

What's your favorite hidden veggie recipe?

Read More...

Recipe: High Protein Noodle Bake

Tweet

Pin It

Pumpkin is the golden child of the blogosphere. Up there with overnight oats and nut butter, it's really hard to find anyone who doesn't love pumpkin.

And it's understandable!

Even the hipster bloggers (is that a thing?) probably secretly love pumpkin for it's harvest flavors and the fall memories that spiced pumpkin anything calls to mind.

So how about a healthy high protein noodle bake as we approach Thanksgiving?

Yum! It's delicious, easy, made to serve one (perfect for all the single ladies! Or lunch), and delightfully fall-flavored.

Check. It. Out.

Now I'm craving it. I'll have to make this for lunch again sometime soon!

High Protein Noodle Bake

Serves 1

* 1c. canned pumpkin
* 1 bag (8oz) House Foods Tofu Shirataki Fettucini Noodles, rinsed and drained
* 3 Tbsp. Chia Seeds
* 1 tsp. vanilla extract
* 1-2 tsp. cinnamon
* 1 pinch nutmeg
* 1 pinch cloves
* Dash of salt
* 1/2 tsp. baking powder
* Sweetener to taste (I've had success with either 3 Tbsp. brown sugar or 4 packets Nunaturals Stevia, or a mix of the two)

1) Mix the chia seeds into the canned pumpkin, let sit for ten minutes. By then, the pumpkin will be thickened.

2) Stir in spices, sweetener, baking powder, and vanilla extract.

3) Mix with fettucini, spoon into a greased baking dish.

4) Bake for 30-40 minutes at 400F.

Enjoy!! It's high protein, high nutrient, low carb, and diabetic-friendly if prepared with stevia. All in all, a totally guiltless treat! Though food should never have guilt (that's pretty ridiculous - it's just food, not murder).

What's your favorite fall treat?

What's been your staple lunch lately?

What's your favorite Thanksgiving food?

Read More...

Koochikoo - the Cutest Cookies Review

Tweet

Pin It

I would choose sweet over savory any day, but sweet tends to be less healthy than savory.

After all, sugar isn't known for being stomach-friendly in large amounts, nor is it particularly good for your skin, energy levels, or even long-term mood.

Koochikoo Cookies are all the sweet of normal cookies, but without sugar. They're also free of artificial sweeteners and thus actually healthy, as well as free of weird aftertastes (unlike most other sugar-free cookies).



Instead of weird chemicals, they're sweetened with monk fruit and organic agave inulin!

They come in small bags of about four servings each and each serving is multiple cookies, because the cookies are small rounds.

They're nice crunchy cookies and perfectly sweet and rich!

My favorite are definitely the Blissfully Chocolate Brownie Cookies, because they're just soooo chocolatey (they're way more intensely chocolatey than they look). I love chocolate!



Another added nutrition bonus (since the taste alone will more than sell these with kids and really anyone) is that the cookies are made with whole wheat flour!

They're certified vegan, made with organic ingredients, non-GMO, verified kosher, and an excellent source of fiber. YUM.

I'm their new biggest fan, because they're really making healthy delicious. As it should be!

Which flavor sounds best to you?

Do you prefer chewy or crunchy cookies?

Do you like all chocolate cookies or chocolate chip cookies better? All chocolate, but with chocolate chips too (like these), are the best IMO.

Read More...

How to Have A Happy (Diabetic) Halloween

Tweet

Pin It

Halloween marks the beginning of the glorious long 'holiday season' that's really more of a sugar-saturated three month stretch than anything else.

But what if you can't have sugar? Does that mean no treats? One of my little sister's friends is a very active, very healthy ten-year-old - except that she has Type 1 Diabetes. Does that mean she can't indulge in a delicious chocolate bar?



Luckily, it doesn't!

Now more than ever, there are alternatives for those with dietary restrictions (or who simply choose to eat following specific diets - like a low sugar diet). Have a restriction doesn't mean that you can't enjoy everything that everyone else does!



LC Foods Decadent Dark Chocolate Bars are an awesome alternative to your traditional diabetic-unfriendly chocolate candy.

They're even yummier than Hershey's, in my opinion, because they're so creamy and the thick, individually wrapped bars are perfect for getting a nice mouthful of creamy dark chocolate.



Best of all, unlike many sugar-free chocolates there's no weird secondary taste or aftertaste. That's because there are no artificial sweeteners!

Before you run in the opposite direction - no, these are not bitter bars. They're perfectly sweet and delightful! But instead of being sweetened with Splenda or maltitol or another artificial chemical sweetener, they're sweetened naturally with erythritol!



Win!

For those who prefer lighter chocolate (travesty!) there's also a milk chocolate variety.

You can also try making something of your own, if you're more a baked chocolate fan.



I don't mind a great brownie myself.

Have you tried these chocolates?

What's your favorite kind of candy?

What are you going to dress up as for Halloween?

Read More...

Cooking for One: Veggielicious Pasta

Tweet

Pin It

It's really not tough to get enough protein as a vegetarian - but as someone who'd happily eat carbs all day 'err day?

That's more of a struggle.

But you do need protein for tons of reasons, including nice nails (okay, okay - that's maybe not the most important reason). So how do you do it?

Tofu noodles! Oh yeeeeeah.

Here's a quick and easy recipe for those times when you really can't remember the last time you ate a significant source of nitrogen.

Veggielicious Pasta

Serves 1

* 1 Tbsp. olive oil

* 1 8oz bag Tofu Shirataki Spaghetti Noodles

* 1 to 1.5 cups frozen Brussels sprouts

* 1 cup marinara sauce

* Spices, to taste (I used oregano, paprika, pepper, salt, and a tiny bit of curry)

1) Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat.

2) Rinse and drain the noodles, add to the hot oil. Cook for two minutes, stirring frequently.

3) Add the frozen Brussels sprouts. Cook for five more minutes, stirring frequently.

4) Add the marinara sauce and any spices that you're using. Simmer for another five or so minutes.

Enjoy!

How often do you cook when it's only for you?

What's your favorite type of pasta sauce?

What date do you consider the first day of fall?

Read More...

Sugar-free Chocolate Syrup Giveaway - 4 Winners

Tweet

Pin It

Let's cut to the chase - Nunaturals wants to sweeten your Saturday, so they're letting me give away a selection of their natural sweeteners. And the best part?

Four of you win! Each winner gets the complete assortment: a bottle of cherry vanilla stevia, a 50 packet box of NuStevia White Stevia Powder, a bottle of NuStevia No Carbs Blend, and a full-sized bottle of the new natural sugar-free chocolate syrup!



You have until August 20 to enter to win (entries are only accepted through Rafflecopter below) and with four winners, your odds of winning are 400% of what they usually are. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Read More...

NutiLight Review

Tweet

Pin It

Nutella is AMAZING. It's been big in Germany for as long as I can remember (probably all of my life, maybe more) and has really picked up in the US in recent years - I remember how excited my sister and I were when we saw it in Target for the first time!

I think we literally jumped up and down for a bit, shrieking, before dumping it into our shopping cart by the armload.

Nutella does have a significant amount of sugar, however, which is fine for most people but can be problematic for diabetics or those on significantly carbohydrate-restricted diets (commonly recommended by doctors to control some forms on epilepsy).

But guess what? THERE'S A SOLUTION.



Hold on to your seats, people - I discovered NutiLight, a natural, sugar-free and gluten-free alternative to popular chocolate hazelnut spreads out there, on Netrition the other day.

And it gets better - not only is this version sugar-free with only 2 net carbs per serving (perfect for diabetics, like my uncle!) but it also comes in two amazing flavors!



Yup, not just chocolate hazelnut, but also chocolate almond!

And they're both so divine that I eat this straight out of the jar with a spoon. SO GOOD.

They're also packed with fiber, thanks to the addition of chicory fiber (the fiber you find in fiber one granola bars).



The spreads are a bit thicker than Nutella and a little harder to spread, but they're still definitely spreadable and, if consistency is an issue for you, the consistency is just about the same if you microwave the spread for 15 to 30 seconds (depending on the amount that you're warming).



I bet these would taste great in some of those Nutella-based recipes I keep seeing pop up on Pinterest...can anyone guess what this afternoon's activity is going to be?

To NutiLight baking, that is.

Time to get my NutiLight on.

Have you heard of NutiLight?

What's your favorite bread spread?

What's your favorite way to get fiber in?

Read More...

Endulge Your Sweet Tooth!

Tweet

Pin It

[Sic]?

Nope, it's endulge in the title for a reason.

Atkins Endulge treats are low-carb, low-sugar candy bars that provide diabetics, dieters, or just someone who's trying to watch their sugar intake with a way to indulge their sweet tooth! The ingredients list is pretty long and there are some artificial ingredients, however, so it varies from person to person how they feel about using those things versus natural sugar.



There are a whole assortment of sweet treats, with several parallels to popular candy bars. I tried four of their treats - chocolate candies (reminiscent of M&Ms), chocolate peanut candies (reminiscent of peanut M&Ms), chocolate coconut bar (think Mounds), and nutty fudge brownie.

The chocolate coconut bar was sweet and coconutty and Mounds fans would be sure to love it. There wasn't any sort of weird artificial taste, like with some artificially sweetened desserts (definitely not a Jello situation). It's perfectly chewy and the only thing that I would want is a thicker chocolate coating because I prefer a higher chocolate : coconut ratio.



It's pretty much spot-on with the Mound bars in terms of chocolate : coconut ratio, though, so that's probably just me and my chocoholic preferences.



The Chocolate Candies are pretty spot-on for M&Ms, which aren't my favorite candy in general, but are tasty. There's no weird artificial sweetener aftertaste and the chocolate is smooth and creamy. Yum!

Chocolate Peanut Candies

The Chocolate Peanut Candies are great if you're a fan of peanut M&Ms. They're not quite the same, but they do have a good strong peanut flavor and the nice crunch of the peanuts. The chocolate coating itself isn't that amazing, it's more dominated by the candy coating flavor (think: Smarties) but still good!



The Chocolate Brownie wasn't really like a brownie in my opinion. When I think brownie, I think fudgy, rich, stick-to-your-teeth ooey gooeyness. But brownies also don't have these nutritional stats:



That's why these are great to alternate with the real thing. They're still chocolatey and delicious, if not as decadent!



Some of their other treats look pretty great, too - especially the caramel nut chew bar, peanut butter cups, and chocolate caramel mousse bar!

Have you tried any Endulge products?

Do you have any diabetics in your family?

What are your favorite candy bars?

Read More...

Review: Quest NEW Double Chocolate Chunk Bars

Tweet

Pin It

Quest Nutrition, the geniuses behind protein-packed Peanut Butter Cups, high fiber Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, and the amazing White Chocolate Raspberry Bar, has a new bar out this month!

And it's CHOCOLATE.

Double Chocolate Chunk, that is! Still with 20g of protein and free of junk, with low carbs and high protein making them a great 'fit' food, these bars are a great addition to the drool-worthy Quest Nutrition collection.



Seriously, guys, I think Quest Nutrition just might be my very favorite bar type out of all the many, many bars that I've reviewed. I love that there's no sugar crash, there's a crapton of protein and fiber, they don't have as much sugar as a chocolate bar, and (this one is most important) I just love the taste and texture of the bars.



I feel like they really hit the nail on the head with a lot of their flavors and like that there are multiple textures in some of their bars (since I'm not really a plain texture kind of girl). I love that they're amazing microwaved, baked, and at room temperature (I still need to try frozen) and are thus some of the most versatile bars out there.

Anyway, back to this specific bar - it's very similar, in a lot of ways, to Quest's Chocolate Brownie Bar, but I like it better.

They're both really chocolatey, but this one is a bit more chocolatey (though not with noticeable chocolate chunks in the same way as I enjoyed in the White Chocolate Raspberry Bar). Even though I prefer real brownies to real cookies (and am not really a double chocolate chunk cookie fan - more of a kitchen sink or white chocolate macadamia cookie fan) I prefer these bars to the Chocolate Brownie Bars. Both/all are delicious, though!

Have you tried Quest Bars?

If so, what is your favorite flavor?

What do you want them to make next? They made amazing peanut butter cups, do you think they could do the same for the Snickers-type bar? That would be pretty awesome! Or a twix style bar? Yes, please. 

Read More...