Skinny Monkey Oats Cookies

If you have a couple of ripe bananas sitting on your counter and want something sweet but don't want to wait on a loaf of banana bread to bake then these cookies are for you! Loaded with banana, peanut butter and chocolate and a healthy treat, you won't be sorry you tried them out.

Skinny Monkey Oats Cookies
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Yield: 14 servings
Serving size: 3 cookies.

3 whole bananas
2 cups old fashioned oats
2 Tbsp reduced-fat creamy peanut butter
¼ cup dark chocolate chips
⅓ cup natural apple sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment or lightly spray them with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a medium size bowl, mash bananas with a fork. Stir in remaining ingredients.
3. Let batter stand for 15-20 minutes (this helps soften up the oats and will give the cookie a nice chew).
4. Using a teaspoon to scoop, drop batter onto cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 10 minutes. 

Per Serving 3 cookies:

Calories: 105
Calories from fat: 29g
Fat: 3g
Saturated fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 0
Carbohydrates: 18g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 2g
Sugars: 6g
Sodium: 10mg

Source: skinnymom.com

Toasted Coconut Kettle Corn

I am a huge snacker, some days I realize I haven't really eaten a meal I have just snacked all day! Eating like that can definitely get me in to trouble so I try to keep healthier snacks around for those days when I just want to snack! Popcorn is great and full of fiber, you just have to be careful of what you put on it. While my grandma is completely happy using her air popper to make a batch of popcorn and she will eat it plain, that just doesn't work for me. I have tried it and just can't do it! So luckily there are some healthier and delicious ways to top it. If you love coconut and almonds you will love this recipe! Perfect combination of salty and sweet, I think I will have to make another batch today!

Toasted Coconut Kettle Corn
 Yield: 8-10 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

¼ cup coconut oil
½ cup popcorn kernels
¼ cup granulated sugar
1/2-1 tsp coarse sea salt
1 ½ cups unsweetened toasted coconut chips
1 cup Blue Diamond Toasted Coconut Almonds

In a large pot with a lid, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add in 2 or 3 popcorn kernels, when those pop you know the oil is hot enough. Add in the popcorn kernels and sprinkle the sugar over them.  Cover and stir or shake the pan until the popping slows down. The popcorn should be done popping in about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour the kettle corn into a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and toss. You may want to start with a little less salt and then add more depending on how salty/sweet you like your popcorn. Add the toasted coconut chips and Toasted Coconut Almonds.

This recipe is still great even if you don't have or don't like coconut chips and the toasted coconut almonds. You can also sub regular plain almonds or roasted and salted almonds. If you don't want to spend the time toasting the coconut in a pan or in your oven just throw it on without toasting, it's still tasty. And if you want the popcorn a little sweeter use sweetened coconut. You have lots of options here!

Adapted from twopeasandtheirpod.com

Guilt Free Party Recipe

Sweet and Smoky Pecans
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Makes: 6 servings

1 1/2 cups pecan halves

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pinch cayenne

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients; mix well.
2. Spread the nuts on the baking sheet; roast, tossing halfway through, until browned, 12 to 15 minutes.
3. Let the nuts cool. Serve.

Nutrition facts per serving:
220 calories, 3g protein, 8g carbohydrate, 22g fat (1.9g saturated), 3g fiber

Recipe and photo from: fitnessmagazine.com

Give Yourself An Afternoon Treat

This is great news! It is healthier to hit the vending machine than it is to go hungry. The typical long stretch between lunch and dinner is much too long for blood sugar levels to remain stable without a infusion. Nutritionist Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D.., a fitness advisory board member. Your best bet: "If you tend to get famished at 3 p.m, don't fight it, plan for it," she says. Keep healthy snacks like apples, almonds, string cheese and pears at the office and you won't have to scramble for something to eat.

If you don't bring your own, no biggie, just choose wisely at the machine. "Sunflower seeds and peanuts are super healthy, a chocolate chip granola bar is a smarter chocolate fix than a candy bar, and baked chips or popcorn is better than regular chips for a salty crunch," Blatner says. Pass up fruit snacks in favor of the real things from the corner deli. Absolutely  gotta have chocolate candy? Opt for a plain Hershey's bar or peanut M&M's which are slightly lower in calories and saturated fat and sugar and have slightly more fiber and protein than other bars.

My New Favorite Healthy Snack!

I have an obsession with apples right now.  I have always enjoyed a good apple but right now for some reason, I just can't seem to get enough of them!  The other day I was suddenly starving, and dinner wasn't for another couple of hours. I wanted an apple but knew that just an apple wasn't going to be enough for me that day, so I improvised and came up with a really tasty snack!  I cut my apple into round slices, topped each slice with a little bit of peanut butter and a couple of mini chocolate chips.  It was SO good!  It was a pretty healthy snack, had some protein to make it substantial and that little bit of chocolate curbed my sweet tooth.  So quick and so tasty, give them a try.

1 Apple (Pink Lady's are my fave right now!)
1 T peanut butter
1 T mini chocolate chips


Wash and core the apple and slice into round slices about 1/4" inch thick. If you don't have an apple corer you could also just cut your apple into 8 chunks, it will work just as well.  Spread a light layer of peanut butter on each slice and sprinkle with a couple of chocolate chips.  That's it!

You could also mix things up to whatever you are in the mood for or have in your pantry.  Instead of peanut butter, try almond butter or nutella.  For toppings you could use chopped almonds, pecans, peanuts or walnuts.  Sprinkle on some oats or coconut and maybe even some craisins or raisins.  The possibilities are endless.

Healthy Snacking...Be Prepared

You never know when hunger is going to strike and you don't want to resort to the bags of potato chips you have hiding out in your pantry!  It is really easy to keep your pantry stocked with healthy snack options so when it is in between meal times and you or your children are hungry you have some great options.

1. Nut Butters: Whether it is peanut or almond, nut butters are really filling and healthy when they are eaten in moderation.  I personally love taking a tablespoon and eating it on an apple, celery or banana.  Yum. You could also spread them on a piece of whole grain toast or crackers.

2. Chocolate Hazelnut Spread: It is similar to a nut butter because it is healthy and filling but with the added chocolate it can also help curb a chocolate craving. It is delicious on toast, crackers or fresh fruit.

3. Vanilla Wafers or Gingersnaps: These little treats are a healthier alternative than chocolate chip or sugar cookies. Because they are such little cookies you can eat a couple and feel satisfied and be better off than if you had eaten one regular cookie.

4. Canned Tuna or Chicken: It can be whipped up quickly into a salad to top crackers or make into a small sandwich. They even come in multiple sizes or snack packs now to keep on hand for an even faster option.

5. Nuts: Nuts of any kind are healthy when eaten in moderation. If you are too hungry for just one serving, try pairing them with dried fruit.

6. Dried Fruit: They are a really simple way to get extra nutrients but they can also help satisfy a sweet tooth. They are even more satisfying when they are eaten with a small handful of salted nuts.

7. Natural Popcorn: When it isn't loaded with butter and salt, popcorn makes a great healthy snack. If you don't like to eat it plain try spraying it with a little cooking spray and then sprinkling with a little low-fat Parmesan cheese and pepper.

Sweet Treats Are OK!

You don't have to completely deprive yourself of ever food that may be deemed "unhealthy" as you are trying to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle.  I personally think that telling yourself you can never have sweets just makes you crave it more and then causes you to binge.  I have read studies that say that a little treat after a meal is good because that little bit of sugar signals to your body that you are done eating.  I do this in my life and I think it has made a big difference.  Some days after dinner that little treat is perfect and I feel satisfied.  Some days it just doesn't sound good and so I don't eat treats those days.  But treats don't have to be bad. 
If you are out grocery shopping and those fresh donuts just sound so delicious go ahead and get one.  But just get one, you don't need three or four!
I love chocolate and candy bars used to be my weakness.  I keep a bag of mini candy bars around and when I really need some chocolate I eat just one mini candy bar and that completely satisfies my craving.
I also LOVE ice cream but it can be loaded with fat and sugar.  I like to by the "slow churned" or "double churned" types.  They usually have about half the fat and less calories and I think they taste just as good as their full fat counterparts.  Another trick that I have implemented for my husband and I is that I keep ice cream cones on hand.  Stay away from waffle cones, those are full of fat and calories.  But cake cones have about 50 calories each and sugar cones (look like mini waffle cones) have about 60 calories.  A good scoop of ice cream on a cone is completely satisfying and great portion control!
Another important thing is to plan ahead.  If I know we are going out to dinner for a friend's birthday and I will be eating a burger and fries or pizza, I make sure to eat extra healthy for the other meals that day.  It may not completely balance out every time but every little bit of effort you can make to compensate for a less healthy meal is great. 
Take a look at your life and see in what ways you can implement the little tricks that I use and maybe you can also find some others that work great for you!  

Size Really Does Matter

Do you have a lot on your plate?  Does squeezing in time for the gym just seem impossible?  Paring down your portions is the easiest secret to staying slim.

Before you swear off everything except for baby carrots and celery, read this!  The culprit behind weight gain may not be what you eat but how much you eat.  Since the late seventies, we have added 570 calories a day to our diets, and half of them can be attributed to larger portions, according to research at the University of North Carolina.  "Even though today's serving sizes can be more than triple what the USDA recommends, they've become our new normal, and anything smaller can seem puny by comparison," says Lisa R. Young, Ph.D, R.D., a Fitness advisory board member and the author of The Portion Teller Plan. Fortunately, having strong visual aids can go a long way toward helping you shift your mind-set.  Once you know what right-size portions look like, selecting them will become second nature.  And the best part?  You can downsize your plate--and your weight--without giving up the foods you love.

Smoothies:  Even the smallest size at most smoothie shops is often double the amount you should be sipping.  A large can contain 40 ounces and 1,000 plus calories!  Pass up the juice bar and bring your own recovery drink to the gym.  Try Dannon DanActive or Oikos Organic Drinkable Low fat Yogurt.  Or at home, make your own by blending three quarters of a cup of low fat milk with a half cup of frozen fruit and half a banana.  Makes 8 ounces and has 235 less calories.

Pasta:  This is one dish that always seems to be served in gigantic portions.  Researchers at the Center for Science in the Public Interest found that pasta dinners at some popular chain restaurants contained between three and three and a half cups of noodles, or 840 to 1,040 calories with sauce.  Next time you eat out ask if they offer lunch or half-size portions.  If you don't see a smaller serving on the menu ask to be given just one cup of pasta and have the rest boxed up before its brought to the table.  Special requests are standard nowadays and most waiters are happy to accommodate you.

Potato Chips:  "Snack sizes are often twice as big as they were 30 years ago," says Michael Jacobson, Ph.D., the executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.  "And even though the labels on the bags say they serve two or more, many people polish off the entire contents themselves." One of the most popular snacks, potato chips, may contribute more to long-term weight gain than many other foods or drinks.  A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that every additional serving of chips a person consumes daily, they gain nearly two pounds every four years.  Choose popped as opposed to fried chips to get more food for fewer calories.  IF you prefer the classic version, opt for a one-ounce package or split a bigger bag with a buddy.

Ice Cream: "Eating directly out of the carton means you may well keep going until you hit the cardboard at the bottom," says Brian Wansink, Ph.D., the director of the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University.  IF you're indulging in premium ice cream, that can be the caloric equivalent of a double cheeseburger, plus a whopping 20 grams of saturated fat--nearly your daily maximum.  Dish out a single serving and use a small bowl and spoon.  A study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that doing so could shrink your helping by about 30 percent.  At the ice cream parlor get a cup or a cone with a single scoop rather than a sundae or milkshake, which can contain roughly 1,400 to 1,700 calories.

Healthy Snacking is Good For You

One of our hardest challenges in maintaining a healthy weight is that we feel hungry a lot. This is natural.  Snacks are a terrific way to satisfy hunger and get all the vitamins and nutrients your body needs.

You need to really pay attention to what you eat. Stuffing your face with a large order of fries may give you a temporary boost, but a snack this high in fat and calories will only slow you down in the long run.

To keep energy levels going, and avoid weight gain, steer clear of foods with lots of simple carbohydrates (sugars) like candy bars or soda. Look for foods that contain complex carbohydrates like whole-grain breads and cereals and combine them with protein rich snacks such as peanut butter or low-fat yogurt or
cheese.

How to Judge Whether a Snack is Healthy

Choosing healthy snacks means we have to shop smart. Be very cautious of health claims on food packages.
Watch out for "all natural", or "pure". It does NOT necessarily mean that it's nutritious. "All Natural" juice drinks or sodas are often loaded with sugar, which technically is a natural ingredient, but all that sugar generally means high in calories with very little nutrients.

Granola bar's are a very good example of a snack that most people would consider as healthy.  Although they can be a good source of vitamins and nutrients, many also contain a great deal of fat, including a particularly harmful type of fat called trans fat. On average about 35%  of the calories in a regular granola bar come from fat. There can also be a lot of sugar in granola cereals and bars. Check the Nutrition Facts label on the package so you can be sure.

Be very skeptical of low-fat food claims, too. If the fat has been eliminated or reduced, the amount of sugar in the food may have been increased to keep that food tasting good. Many low-fat foods have nearly as many calories as their full-fat versions.