Eat Dessert First

Skinny Chocolate Muffins

Muffins are my all time favourite snack. They can be made in many different ways with an assortment of flavours. This week I decided to make these skinny treats – Chocolate Muffins. I found this recipe on a blog called Crazy for Crust that includes a variety of desserts and skinny options. What I find so interesting about this recipe is that these muffins are made from All Bran cereal.  

These skinny chocolate muffins are made without any oil or butter but instead non-fat plain Greek yogurt. I love recipes that include substituting fats for Greek yogurt. The subbing of yogurt also helps keep the muffins moist. They are only 102 calories and have 3.5 grams of protein in each. Since they are made from All Bran, these muffins also include 3.7 grams of fiber. Don't they sound pretty healthy?  

Prepped Chocolate Muffins

These muffins are perfect for breakfast due to their nutritional sources. Breakfast is very important (something you hear often) however, including protein in your morning will help you feel fuller all day. So start your day off with eating dessert first! Sweet cheat yourself to a healthy treat for your breakfast meal. These muffins can also be used for a post-workout snack because aren’t very sweet but the protein will help your body replenish.

For other ways to try and incorporate protein in your breakfast with something tasting   sweet, check out my friends blog Live a SMOOTH-ie Lifestyle.

I hope you enjoy these chocolate muffins and let me know you guys think about them!

Recipe  

A Spoonful of Sugar

After watching health fitness guru Brett Caps’ video, “How to handle your Cravings”, I was inspired to blog about the harmful effects of sugar. I will be the first to admit that I have a sugar addiction, but my question is how did this begin? I rarely had candy as a kid and never cared for chocolate… until recently. I realized once I started eating chocolate, I loved it and could probably eat it everyday. Here’s why the more you eat it the more you need it. You become addicted to the cycle of sugar.

Processed sugar has a number of harming effects.   

• Suppresses the immune system
• Contributes to weight gain and obesity
• Increases the risk of fatty liver disease
• Causes headaches, including migraines
• Causes tooth decay
• Raises harmful cholesterol
• Contributes to diabetes

According to Dr. Oz, cravings are driven by your mind and not necessarily by hunger. This means that you do not need to fulfill them. Conversely, if you distract yourself long enough, the cravings will pass. If your body is craving sugar, perhaps it may be a cue for the body needing energy. Fruit is a healthy alternative and leaves your body satisfied.

For some other suggestions, I recommend the previously mentioned Healthy CookieDough Bits, which are made without processed sugar. In addition, I would also suggest my friend’s new recipe for her Quinoa Granola Bars. Recently, I have been snacking on yogurt-covered strawberries that can be easily made with this 3-step recipe.

An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

Apple Nachos

As I am sure I have mentioned before, I have an uncontrollable urge to snack. Something I have on a regular basis is apple slices with peanut butter so I thought why not expand that? With all of that in mind, this week I made apple nachos! Apples are an excellent source of fiber and also contain antioxidants that carry many health benefits.

What I love most about this recipe is combining fresh fruit and ingredients with a little creativity can turn into a simple, yet incredibly delicious healthy snack. The best part of apple nachos is your imagination. You can use any ingredients to create the perfect toppings in order for this to be your favourite snack. Instead of using apples, you could also use pears or bananas. The recipe I made consists of natural sugar, which makes this a perfect sweet cheat that you can have more than once a week!

A tip I used for keeping fruits such as apples and bananas from turning brown in colour once cut is simply tossing them in lemon juice. Brown fruit is not appealing especially to kids so this little secret helps keep your fruit looking fresh.

Fruit nachos are a perfect a late night snack or after school snack for kids. I hope you all try this simple snack and let me know the alterations you have made!

Those of you similar to myself, here are some tips from Brett to help with your cravings. Enjoy!

Here is my recipe.

Don't Stress, It's No-Bake

“Stressed is Desserts spelt backwards”

Being a student, I personally can relate to the phrase stress eating. When studying for exams or completely assignments I find myself constantly craving for something to snack on, especially something sweet. Well, there is some truth behind this phrase and reasoning behind my uncontrolled cravings. Cortisol is a hormone that stimulates fat and carbohydrate metabolism for fast energy and stimulates insulin release and maintenance of blood sugar levels. As a result, this can lead to an increase in appetite. However, everyone deals with stress in different ways and not every body reacts the same. 

No-bake Cookie Dough Bites

Over the years I have come to realize that I had to find alternatives for my sweet tooth cravings because stress increased my desire for treats. This week I made healthy no-bake cookie dough bites. I think these little sweet cheats are perfect to munch on for a study snack. I found this recipe on Lauren Conrad’s blog this summer and I have been waiting for a time to make them. What I love most about this recipe is not only are these healthy but they are also easy to make. These tasty bites are free from dairy and processed sugar, but also they are full of healthy whole grain oats to help control your appetite.

I recommend all of you the next time you feel stressed over something and begin craving something sugary, sweet cheat yourself to these cookie dough bites that will leave you feeling satisfying and stress free.  

Recipe