No Guilt Ice Cream – Mango Berry Ice Cream Cups

August 1, 2021 by

With hundreds of varities available, the juicy Mango is a popular fruit enjoyed worldwide by millions daily. Boosting our health with a wealth of antioxidents and phytochemicals, Mangos fortify our bodies against diseases like cancer and leukemia and strengthen our hearts without adding unnessary cholesterol.

Often called the “king of fruits,” the virtues of these pulpy, fruits have been around for a long time. First cultivated in India thousands of years ago, this highly prized fruit was even said to be a favorite of the Master Buddha who found peace and solace by meditating among the orchards and groves.

Some Health Benefits that Mangos Offer –

Immunity Booster. One average sized Mango packs a punch when it comes to vitamin C. Vitmain C is an immunity booster and bolsters our health, helping us avoid colds and flu’s. One average Mango provides nearly two-thirds of our daily vitamin C requirements.

Regulates Cholesteral Levels. Because of their satiating quality and phytochemicals, Mangos help us control cholesterol levels and body fat, keeping heart-related diseases at bay.

Skin-friendly. Enjoyed in moderation, Mangos kick in a wealth of vitamin C and vitamin A, exfoliating and eliminating dead, lifeless pores – crucial for skin repair. According to health practitioner Shilpa Arora ND, “Mangoes are loaded with nutrients that work to heal and repair the skin.” Dense with fiber, they help cleanse the gut, eliminating the toxic stuff.

Helps with Weight Loss. All fruits and veggies that are high fiber help us to feel full which prevents over-eating other fattening snacks and Mangos are no different. The high fiber content in Mangos along with the phytochemicals offer natural fat busters.

Promotes Healthy Eyes. Rich in beta-carotene, Mangos boost the production of Vitamin A, a powerful antioxident that, among other things improves vision while helping to prevent macular-degeneration, an age-related vision loss.

Increases Body Alkalinity. Potassium increases our alkaline levels and Mangos offer our bodies plenty of this mineral. Potassium also helps us to maintain a healthy heart and prevents hypertension that could otherwise lead to cardiovascular issues.

Slows Aging. The collagen in Mangos helps to prevent those dreaded wrinkles that seem to appear out of no where as we age. To increase the anti-aging benefits, the pulp is often slathered directly on the face.

It’s time to put Mangos to the taste-test and choose which the ones favored by your taste buds. Your body will thank you for it!

Mango Berry Ice-Cream Cups

No Guilt Ice Cream - Mango Berry Ice Cream Cups
 
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Puply and delicious, Mangos offer a wealth of health benefits. This sumptuous fruit even take ice-cream to a new level helping us avoid the guilt normall associated with this all-time favorite dessert.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: All
Ingredients
Base
  • ¾ cup cashews
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon desiccated coconut
  • Pinch of salt
  • Blend all ingredients together until well combined and mixture starts to stick together.
  • Press into 2 small individual cake moulds of your choice that have been lined with
  • plastic wrap.
  • Place in fridge.
Filling
  • ½ cup cashews
  • ½ cup any berries, frozen
  • ½ cup mango, chopped frozen
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil, warmed until liquid
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
  • Pinch of salt
Instructions
Base
  1. Blend all ingredients together until well combined and mixture starts to stick together.
  2. Press into 2 small individual cake moulds of your choice that have been lined with plastic wrap. Place in fridge
Filling
  1. Blend all filling ingredients together then fill the shells with the ice cream and garnish with slices of mango. YUM!

 

 

Mangos offer our bodies such a weath of health benefits, isn’t it time to give them the attention they deserve?

For more delicious, nutritious desserts and treats – 

“Blended Bites” 

Inside  you will discover no bake, Paleo friendly, no sugar, gluten free healthy sweet treat and dessert recipes…

For more tools and resources from Carolyn Hansen to assist you in attaining your health and fitness goals please visit:

Carolyn Hansen Fitness

 

Filed Under: Awesome Recipes, Disease Prevention, Family Favorite Desserts, Ice Cream Desserts, Super-foods Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Nutrient Dense Desserts and Treats – Brownies with Avocado Frosting

July 26, 2021 by

Nutrient dense foods. What are they and why do we need them?

Nutrient dense profiling is the scientific way to rank or classify foods according to the nutrients they contain.

Getting enough nutrients into our bodies can be challenging at times, especially as we age. It’s important to get the best ROI and we do that by focusing on nutrient dense food choices.

These types of foods offer the biggest ROI – return on investment, supplying us with a wealth of rich vitmains, minerals and other nutrients that keep our bodies healthy without adding unnecessary calories. In other words, foods with high nutrient value rather than high calories are considered nutrient dense.

Nutrient dense foods are low in sugar, starches, sodium and bad fats, while offering an abundance of nutrients – vitamins and minerals (micronutrients), lean protein, fiber, complex carbohydrates and unsaturated healthy fats. They provide the biggest bang for our buck as opposed to nutrient poor choices that weigh us down with calories but leave our bodies craving nutrients.

When our diets are poor and our food choices fall into the high calorie range rather than the nutrient dense range (as an example – American diets tend to be high calorie but low in micro nutrients), we find ourselve hungry shortly after eating. “Why? When we have not met our bodies need for nutrients (supplying it with lots of dead-calories instead), it keeps sending the signal to eat because it is still hungry for the correct nutrients.

The end result is not a healthy one as these kinds of foods are usually loaded with added sugars, salt, and trans or saturated fats – none of the good stuff along with excessive calories. The only thing we may gain from eating these types of foods is weight and an open door to disease such as diabetes. Issues most are trying to avoid.

Can’t we just take a supplement to fill the nutrient gap in? While supplements have their place in our diets, getting our nutrients the natural way, via the foods we consume, is a much healthier and positive way to ensure our body absorbs them.

Foods that are naturally nutrient-rich include –

Veggies and fruits – low in fat but add important nutrients, color and flavor to our diet.

Fish and lean meats – choose low-fat, lean cuts of meat (high in protein but low in fat)

Dairy – Skim milk, low-fat milk, fat free or low-fat cheeses and plain yogurt (add your own healthy berries without all that sugary syrup kicking in unnecessary calories) are all good sources providing our bodies with calcium and vitamin D to keep our bones strong.

Legumes, nuts, seeds – Nature’s bounty, rich in protein while offering a high density of monounsaturated fats. Healthy fats are different in structure and essential to cell growth. They also offer important protection for our organs. Since these types of choices are also relatively high in calories via their healty fats, be sure and monitor your intake, but include them in your diet.

Whole grains – grains are either refined or whole. Whole grains have not been stripped of the bran and germ that refined grains are. They provide our bodies with much needed fiber and are a good source of energy. You may find refined grains beefed up with added vitamins, but the fiber is not replaced.

The good news is, nutrient dense foods are not limited to meals but can transform the otherwise “guilt-ridden” dessert and treat into something that is actually healthy for us. Creating healthy desserts and treat choices using nutrient dense ingredients is easier than you might think.

Normally caloric dense and nutrient poor, this recipe turns Brownies (a long-time family favorite) into a healthy choice!

BROWNIES with AVOCADO FROSTING

Brownies with Avocado Frosting
 
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Who doesn't love a rich chocolaty brownie? A long-time favorite with all ages, brownies can now be added to the "healthy dessert" list. Adding avocado and using the right healthy ingredients transforms calorie dense brownies into healthy-brownies -those that contribute to our health rather than detracting from it. Sure to become a family favorite!
Author:
Recipe type: Desserts and treats
Cuisine: All
Ingredients
Base
  • 1½ cups walnuts
  • 1 cup dates, soaked at least 30 minutes and drained
  • ⅓ cup cocoa or cacao powder
  • Place walnuts in food processor and process until broken down and crumbly.
  • Add dates and cocoa and process until well combined. Spread into a small dish or pan.
Frosting
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ½ cup coconut oil, warmed until liquid
  • ¼ cup cocoa or cacao powder
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
Instructions
Base
  1. Add dates and cocoa and process until well combined. Spread into a small dish or pan.
Frosting
  1. Place all ingredients into the food processor and blend until smooth. Spread over
  2. the brownie layer. Place in fridge to firm up then cut into bars.

 

Enjoy more delicious raw dessert recipes like this one:

Blended Bites

For more tools and resources from Carolyn Hansen to assist you in attaining your health and fitness goals please visit:

Carolyn Hansen Fitness

Filed Under: Awesome Recipes, Disease Prevention, Family Favorite Desserts, Super-foods Tagged With: , , ,

Savory to Sweet – Spinach Coconut Bars

July 21, 2021 by

It is common knowledge that veggies are savory in flavor while fruits are sweet. However, limiting these healthy additions to one category is doing them a huge disservice.

That sweets can go into savory dishes is no surprise to most people, but many have not yet expolored the vast possibilities that savory veggies bring to sweet desserts and treats.

The reality is, garden fresh veggies make sweet treats and desserts healthy additions to our menu’s.

There are quite a few veggies that easily shift/cross-over. Carrots are likely the most recognized since most of us have enjoyed this as the “star veggie” in Carrot Cake. Another favorite often found around the holidays, is Pumpkin Pie and Sweet Potatoe Pie, both being long-time holiday tradtions in households spanning the globe.

This post is going to focus on another veggie that brings desserts up a level, adding nutritional value to all recipes it graces.

Savory to Sweet –

That veggie is Spinach. Spinach has been a star and used for many generations in savory dishes. But its time to expand the nutritional reach of this super veggie and the best way to do that is to use it to pump nutrition into our desserts and treats.

For those that have never tried to use this dark green healthy veggie in sweet dishes, this is definitely a “sweet surprise.”

With a bit of imagination and the addition of a few other healthy ingredients, spinach becomes the star player gracing sweet dishes as well as savory ones. Adding a boost of healthy nutritients spinach transforms our otherwise not so healthy sweet treats or desserts desserts that are actually good for us! And, the best part of all? The guilt associated with eating sweet desserts and treats is eliminated and replaced with joyful eating!

“Spinach Coconut Bars”

Spinach Coconut Bars
 
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Spinach adds a serious boost of nutrition to all dishes it graces and should not be limited to starring in savory dishes alone. This super veggie brings a boost of nutrition to sweet recipes as well such as Spinach Coconut Bars. These will soon become a family favorite. Super easy to make - delicious and nutritious!
Author:
Recipe type: Desserts and Treats
Cuisine: All
Ingredients
BASE
  • 2 cups desiccated coconut
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • ¼ cup coconut oil, warmed until liquid
  • 1-2 cups spinach leaves
TOPPING
  • ½ cup coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Instructions
BASE
  1. Place all ingredients into food processor and process until mixture is smooth and creamy.
  2. Spoon into a small dish or pan and place in freezer while you make the topping.
TOPPING
  1. In small saucepan, gently melt coconut oil and honey over low heat. Remove from
  2. heat and stir in remaining ingredients. Pour over chilled bottom layer and return
  3. to the freezer for about 15 minutes, or until the chocolate layer is hardened. Cut
  4. into bars

Isn’t it time to begin introducing these too long ignored nutrient-dense super-star ingredients into all your dishes…including your desserts?

For more delicious, nutritious desserts and treats – 

“Blended Bites” 

Inside  you will discover no bake, Paleo friendly, no sugar, gluten free healthy sweet treat and dessert recipes…

For more tools and resources from Carolyn Hansen to assist you in attaining your health and fitness goals please visit:

Carolyn Hansen Fitness

Filed Under: Awesome Recipes, Family Favorite Desserts, Super-foods Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Carrot Cake Ice-Cream – Delicious and Nutritious!

July 19, 2021 by

Dessert – a sweet course such as pastry, fruit or ice-cream enjoyed at the end of a meal or as the last course of a meal.

A recent study from Dataessential that included over 2,000 participants revealed the latest trends in desserts.

Not surprisingly, ice-cream came in as the top of the list/favored dessert with nearly 90% listing it as number 1. Chocolate Chip Cookies came in second at 86%, while other frozen type treats/desserts such as Ice-cream Sandwichs and Cakes as well as Soft Serve Ice-cream all fared high on the scale of “most popular dessert.” Ice-cream products with added sauces/toppings were also a highly rated consumer preference.

It’s a shame then, that so many harmful and processed ingredients continue to be used in nearly all commercially purchased snacks and treats including  ice-cream, scaring off every health and weight-conscious person.

There are quite a list of other unsavory ingredients littering many of today’s most famous grocery store ice creams. Here are just some of them: Mono and diglicerides, disodium phosphate, benzyl acetate, mono stearate, propylene glycol, sodium benzoate, polysorbate 80, potassium sorbate, modified corn starch and soy lecithin. Yuck!

Does this mean we can no longer enjoy this favored family treat/dessert? Is it’s myriad of flavors, textures and toppings doomed because too many ingredients that go into making this favorite dessert (take for instance, white sugar and the list above) are now known to be “unhealthy?”

Healthy ice-cream –

The good news is, all snacks, treats and desserts can be adjusted and made with healthy ingredients and that includes ice-cream.

Healthy Ice-Creams are sugar and dairy free, plant based, Ketogenic and delicious!

If you are ready to put yummy snacks back into your life, without compromising any health and body weight-goals, here’s a delicious ice-cream recipe to get you started – one that anyone can eat, enjoy and feel good about. No guilt here as the ingredients are actually healthy for the body!

All lovers of carrot cake can now expand their horizens to include ice-cream!

Carrot Cake Ice-Cream

Carrot Cake Ice-Cream - Delicious and Nutritious!
 
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If you love Carrot Cake, this one's for you! One of many plant based ice-cream recipes that the whole family will love and Mom can feel good about serving! A delightful dessert that actually nourishes the body!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert/Treat
Cuisine: All
Ingredients
  • 1 banana, chopped frozen
  • 1 can full fat coconut milk or cream
  • 1 large or 2 small carrots, roughly chopped
  • 6-7 dates, soaked 30 minutes and drained
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4 teaspoons ground ginger, optional
  • ¼ cup nuts, chopped
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients except nuts in a food processor or high speed blender and process until smooth.
  2. Stir in chopped nuts.
  3. Pour into 2 freezer safe bowls and place in the freezer for a total of 1-2 hours, removing
  4. every 30 minutes to stir.
  5. When it gets to a soft serve consistency, you are ready to eat!
  6. Garnish with shredded coconut or chopped nuts.
  7. ENJOY!

 

More healthy and delicious raw dessert, ice-cream and treat recipes like this one can be found here:

Blended Bites

For more tools and resources from Carolyn Hansen to assist you in attaining your health and fitness goals please visit:

Carolyn Hansen Fitness

Filed Under: Awesome Recipes, Family Favorite Desserts, Ice Cream Desserts Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Epic Healthy Desserts That Are Actually Good for You – Raw Salted Caramel Slice

July 18, 2021 by

Raw Salted Caramel SliceThe raw and living food trend is growing in popularity around the world. Not just for celebrities any more, raw and living food diets are beneficial in supporting good physical and mental health, heightened energy levels and a slim and attractive body.

What are living foods?

Raw and living foods include all types of unprocessed, uncooked and raw or dried fruit, vegetables nuts, seeds, coconut products, legumes, and grains.  

It is believed that certain enzymes are present in the raw and uncooked foods that help in the digestion process, and that cooking or high heat destroys these enzymes and may also lead to the formation of certain toxic substances in the food.

There are many sweet dish options that we can enjoy uncooked.

No-bake desserts and delicious ice cream (often called raw) are made from unprocessed nuts, fruit, seeds, coconut products and even vegetables. Natural sweeteners like dried fruit, dates, honey or maple syrup are used. No refined or artificial sweeteners here!

While they aren’t pegged to any specific diet, many raw recipes overlap with Paleo, Ketogenic, vegan or gluten-free.  Because these raw desserts do not undergo intense heat, they can be full of healthy nutrients, enzymes and vitamins.

Adding some uncooked (raw) food items into your diet is a fast growing food trend that goes hand in hand with the clean eating movement. It advocates that only whole and unprocessed foods are good for you and provide the most nutrients over foods cooked at high heats and loaded with artificial flavours, colours, man-made oils and fats along with all manner of chemical preservatives.

In addition to being incredibly tasty, raw (no-bake or cook) desserts that include ice cream can also be some of the healthiest and most planet-friendly options.

Reasons why we love raw desserts:

We love raw desserts as they are great for the warmth of spring or summer, and also for energy conservation, you can avoid cranking up the oven to 350 degrees when making a raw dessert.

 

Here’s a recipe your whole family will love…♥

Raw Salted Caramel Slice

Raw Salted Caramel Slice
 
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A Raw Salted Caramel Slice - a no-bake, paleo, vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free recipe that tastes rich and decadent! These slices are made with an almond flour cookie base, date caramel center and a homemade chocolate topping. Yummo! Made with healthy unprocessed nutrient-dense ingredients and require no baking they taste like the real deal. There is something about the combination of sweet and salty that just makes your tastebuds dance.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
BASE
  • 1 cup almond flour or blanched almonds
  • ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • ¼ cup refined coconut oil
  • 6 dates Medijool or dried soaked for 30 minutes
CARAMEL
  • 1¼ cup dates
  • ¼ cup nut butter of choice
  • 2 tbsp almond milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp sea or table salt
CHOCOLATE TOPPING
  • ¼ cup coconut oil
  • ⅓ cup cocoa powder
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
INGREDIENT TIPS:
  • Almond flour: This makes the base of the cookie crust. You could also use oat flour if you have that on hand.
  • Unsweetened shredded coconut: Used in the base of the crust. Adds some richness and sweetness to it.
  • Coconut oil: I recommend refined coconut oil if you don’t want too much coconut flavour in the bars (refined coconut oil has no flavour.)
  • Medjool dates: These have a particularly caramel-like flavour but you can use any dried dates. (just soak for 30 minutes first and discard water before use.)
  • Nut butter: You can use any you like. I love tahini and cashew butter.
  • Almond (or any other plant milk): Just a couple spoons to make the caramel.
  • Vanilla extract: To flavour the date caramel.
  • Sea Salt: Regular salt works too, or Himalayan pink salt.
  • Cocoa Powder: This is mixed with coconut oil to make a homemade raw chocolate topping
  • Maple syrup (or honey): Just a bit, to sweeten the chocolate topping.
Instructions
  1. Line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. Add the almond flour, shredded coconut, coconut oil and dates to a food processor until well combined. The mixture should be a bit sticky when you press it between your fingers.
  3. Spread the mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan and place in the freezer while you prepare the caramel layer.
  4. In a food processor combine the dates, nut butter, almond milk, vanilla extract and salt until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the food processor as needed.
  5. Evenly spread the mixture on top of the almond four base. Place the pan back in the freezer for 30 minutes until the caramel sets.
  6. Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan on low heat. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and maple syrup and mix until combined.
  7. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, then pour the chocolate mixture on top of the pan and spread evenly.
  8. Place the pan in the fridge for at least 2 hours to let the bars set (or in the freezer for 30 minutes if you can’t wait.)
  9. Remove and cut into squares. Store leftovers in the fridge or freezer.
  10. If stored in the freezer can be eaten directly from there. Just take one out 5 minutes before you want to eat it and enjoy. They will stay good in the freezer for 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 Bar Calories: 275 Fat: 18g Sugar: 18g Fiber: 28g Protein: 5g

 

For more delicious raw dessert recipes like this one (300 more to be exact) visit my home page at – 

Blended Bites

For more tools and resources from Carolyn Hansen to assist you in attaining your health and fitness goals please visit:

Carolyn Hansen Fitness

Filed Under: Awesome Recipes, Family Favorite Desserts, Healthy Balanced Eating, Ice Cream Desserts Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Cashew Ginger Crunch

June 26, 2016 by

ginger2Fresh ginger is a spice known botanically as Zingiber officinale.  

This odd “horn shaped” spice offers a distinctive flavor. It is pungent, spicy and aromatic adding special flavor and zest to many fruit and veggie recipes.

Ginger has been prized and used in cultures all over the world for its aromatic, culinary and medicinal properties for at least 2,000 years.

Scientific studies reveal that ginger offers antioxidant effects and other important therapeutic properties.

It has been known for centuries as a very effective solution to symptoms of gastrointestinal distress. In fact, ginger is regarded as an excellent spice for promoting the elimination of intestinal gas as well as offering the ability to relax and sooth the intestinal tract.

Ginger has also proven very effective in preventing symptoms of motion sickness and even beats out Dramamine (an over the counter motion sickness drug) in effectiveness. All symptoms associated with motion sickness including vomiting, cold sweats, nausea and dizziness are effectively reduced with ginger.

This odd looking but zesty spice offers potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols – the component responsible for ginger’s distinctive flavor. Research shows that gingerols may also inhibit the growth of human colorectal cancer cells and has proven effective in reducing pain levels and improving mobility in those that suffer with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Because ginger is extremely safe to use and only requires a small dose, it has even been used to reduce nausea and vomiting in pregnant women and proven effective for those suffering with migraine head-aches.

Depending on the variety chosen, ginger can be white, yellow or red in color and covered with a thin or thick (depending on when it was harvested – mature or young) brownish skin. The active substances in ginger are very concentrated so it does not take much to receive its beneficial effects.

Fresh ginger is far superior in flavor to dried ginger and contains higher levels of gingerols.

Mature ginger (more readily available than its younger counterpart) is readily available year around in the produce section of your favorite grocery store or super-market. It has a tougher skin than young ginger so it must be peeled before use. Once peeled it will last up to 3 weeks refrigerated while unpeeled ginger can last as long as 6 months. Be sure to choose ginger that is firm, smooth and mold free.

Ginger is so versatile that you may also find it in crystallized, candied or pickled form.

Try this healthy quick to make Cashew Ginger Crunch snack…

 

Cashew Ginger Crunch

1 cup cashewsgingerbars

1 cup dried apricots

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

Put all ingredients except for the honey into a food processor and process until roughly chopped but still with some texture. Add honey and process just long enough for it to blend.

Press into a dish or on a plate about ¾ inch thick and refrigerate for about an hour or more.

Cut into squares or any shape and enjoy!

Most veggies and many herbs and spices can be used with great success in desserts and treats and can be key to getting the required daily requirements of nutrients that your body needs.

If you are ready to expand beyond your traditional recipes and upgrade them to a more nutrient dense level you will love my newest creation…“Blended Bites.

Filed Under: Awesome Recipes, Disease Prevention, Super-foods Tagged With: ,

Treat Your Sweet Tooth to Healthy Raw Desserts…

June 11, 2016 by

raw cacao2Shifting your lifestyle from one with destructive, disease inviting habits to one that embraces health and wards off disease doesn’t have to be as painful as some people believe especially when it comes to diet.

Many people are under the misguided belief that their “sweet tooth” will suffer in this transition and because of that they stay locked into their unhealthy eating patterns and health destroying desserts.

But the reality is, you don’t have to give up your sweet desserts and treats. You simply have to change your perception of desserts and treats and modify them to reflect healthier ingredients.

What better way is there to make a lifestyle shift towards healthier eating and better health than with decadent raw desserts that are as healthy as they are delicious?

Truth is, you can serve up delicious raw desserts, snacks and treats that are created from the healthiest foods on earth…those that Mother Nature provides us.

When your desserts are made with real, whole, healthy ingredients that our bodies were designed to eat and process…those that provide anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes what is there to feel “bad” or guilty about?

You can replace your guilt with “joy of knowing” that you while your taste buds are getting a treat, your body is getting the gift of nutrition.

Dried fruits and other natural sweeteners replace harmful white sugar, coconut and its oil replace butter, cream and eggs (avocados are often used to replace fat too) and ground nuts can be used to replace flour. The only things you eliminate are bloating, lethargy and guilt. In return you get energy and a feeling of lightness…and all the joy, goodness and satisfaction you want and expect from dessert.

With a new perception we can appreciate desserts in a whole new way – raw and healthy. Raw desserts are a delight literally. They taste better than their counterparts and offer fresh dynamic “clean” flavors because they are created from real, whole healthy ingredients.

Imagine throwing almonds, avocados, dates and cacao powder in a food processor and creating rich cream chocolate mousse. Or, how about serving up a slice of “cheesecake” that you’ve put together with healthy ingredients like fruits and nuts that could easily rival something in a gourmet bakery.

And, to make your raw desserts even healthier…try adding vegetables to them.

Raw desserts offer more flexibility than their baked or cooked counterparts and eating them helps us to not only achieve ultimate health but it helps us to maintain a healthy weight. The negative impacts of chemicals in our food and our exposure to food allergens like wheat, dairy and gluten are eliminated.

Next time you serve dessert, feel good about what you are serving. Try serving something made with raw healthy ingredients and watch as people’s face light up and they come back for seconds.

Here’s a simple but delicious fudge recipe that’s sure to quench your sweet tooth and bring in rave reviews.

White Chocolate Goji Fudge

Grind up:

1/2 cup goji berries (usually sticky not really a powder)goji fudge

Blend until smooth:

1/2 cup cacao butter

1/2 cup cashews

1/2 cup agave nectar

Blend in ground goji powder and mix in by hand:

1/2 cup cacao nibs, 1/2 cup whole goji berries

zest from 1 orange

Spread in a glass pie plate and chill in the freezer until firm.

Serve and accept compliments with grace…

Isn’t it time you began introducing much ignored nutrient-dense super-star ingredients into all your dishes…including your desserts?

For more delicious, nutritious desserts and treats – “50 Desserts with Hidden Veggies.” Inside  you will discover no bake, Paleo friendly, no sugar, gluten free healthy sweet treat and dessert recipes…

Filed Under: Awesome Recipes, Disease Prevention, Healthy Balanced Eating, Super-foods Tagged With: ,

Enjoy These Ginger Carrot Protein Bites Anywhere

May 22, 2016 by

carrots2

Without a doubt, vegetables boost the nutrient density of any meal or snack they are invited to.

They are perfect in salads and mandatory as side-dishes and are the perfect finger food snack item adding texture, taste, color and flavor wherever or however they appear.

They can be sweet or tangy, soft or crunchy, dressed up or plain, mixed with sauces or shining on their own and nature seems to have provided us with an endless variety to choose from.

But their beauty and benefits don’t stop in the savory department. These colorful, sometimes exotic foods are broad in spectrum and serve us equally well when included in desserts and treats. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Awesome Recipes, Super-foods Tagged With: , ,

Chocolate Zucchini Bars

April 22, 2016 by

chocolatepie

Zucchini, a summer squash (also goes by the name courgette), has its origins in America although countries like Japan, China, Romania, Turkey, Italy, Egypt and Argentina are the largest producers of Zucchini today.

Although there are a few varieties from yellow (golden) to light green and dark green, the dark green is the one most often found and that most people are familiar with. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Awesome Recipes, Disease Prevention, Healthy Balanced Eating Tagged With: ,

Dates are the Perfect Sweet Binder and Base…

March 13, 2016 by

icecream2As consciousness shifts towards healthier living and eating, sugar-free foods continue to be a hot topic and new and healthier recipes are surfacing to meet the demands of these health conscious cooks.

Making the switch to sugar free desserts and treats is easy when you discover the natural sweetness and texture that dried fruits provide and dates take a starring role.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Awesome Recipes, Super-foods
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