For many, the holidays are days that nutrition and better diets tend to slack and suffer. While none of us are going to eat absolutely perfect one-hundred percent of the time, it doesn’t mean that we need to entirely give up or give in on a holiday. This too, however, doesn’t mean that we can only eat vegetables the rest of our lives! It is important to know that enjoying something sweet and delicious can be done without ruining health and fitness goals. This is done by using organic, real, and whole food ingredients in place of highly processed, poor ingredients.
Any recipe can be used as a template to create and make healthy versions of your favorite foods and sweets by using simple and whole food ingredients. For example:
- Instead of white flour, use 100% whole wheat, garbanzo bean, or buckwheat flour (buckwheat flour is a gluten-free option)
- Instead of white sugar, use raw honey (not vegan, but otherwise healthy), grade B maple syrup, unrefined coconut sugar, or raw cane juice crystals
- Instead of white salt use Redmond’s Real Salt or Pink Himalayan Salt
- Instead of traditional cow’s milk, use unsweetened almond or coconut milk
- Instead of vegetable or canola oil, use unrefined coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, or if you’re not vegan, grass-fed butter
These are a few examples of how any recipe can be used as a template for a health-promoting version.
If, however, you’d like to take the guesswork out of creating your own healthy versions of your traditional favorites, here is a compilation of some favorite healthy Valentine’s Day treats that won’t leave you feeling guilty!
Valentines Kisses
Ingredients:
- 1 cup almond butter
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
And more . . . Get the full recipe at FoodBabe.com
Chocolate Dipped Fruit
Ingredients:
- 1 oz good-quality dark chocolate, broken into pieces (see Note below)
- 1–2 tablespoons full-fat canned coconut milk
And more . . . Get the full recipe at AnEdibleMosaic.com
Chocolate Covered Pomegranates
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1 cup dark mini chocolate chips
And more . . . Get the full recipe at WholeLifestyleNutrition.com
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie
Ingredients:
- 2 cups ripe organic strawberries, small dice then measure
- 3/4 cup fresh organic young Thai coconut water
- 1/4 cup organic fresh goji berries (I can only get sun-dried, I just soak in water for 45 minutes, drain and then measure)
- 1/2 cup raw organic cacao nibs, grind to a fine powder
And more . . . Get the full recipe at JarOHoney.com
- 1 cup finely-ground almond meal
- A little over 1/8 tsp salt (1/8 plus 1/16 tsp)
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoon pure maple syrup, or stevia to taste
Healthy Coconut Butter Fudge
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup coconut butter (mine was homemade and very firm)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 drops natural red food coloring
And more . . . Get the full recipe at TheSweet-ToothLife.com
Vegan Red Velvet Pancakes with Coconut Cream and Berries
Ingredients:
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup pureed cooked beets*
- 1 and 1/4 cups coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
And more . . . Get the full recipe at FragrantVanillaCake.blogspot.com
Healthy Vegan Red Velvet Brownies with Vegan Cream Cheese Icing
Ingredients:
- 1 cup red kidney beans
- ½ cup cooked beets
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
And more . . . Get the full recipe at MunchinWithMunchkin.com
