Healthy Alternative Recipes for 10 of Your Favorite Snacks & Treats!
Does healthy food have to be boring? We think not. Do yummy treats always have to be full of processed ingredients that are terrible for you and provide almost zero nutrition? No way!
That's why we've put together these recipes, which use healthy swaps and alternatives to make 10 of our favorite treats more nutritious.
Don't be afraid to try clever swaps like dried fruit and beans in cookies, peas in guacamole, and tofu in ice cream! These healthier versions are just as delicious as their fat- and calorie-laden counterparts.
1. Chocolate HEALTH Cookies
A chocolate addiction is not so bad, if you can find healthy ways like this to eat it!
Ingredients:
10 Medjool Dates, soaked
Soaking water
15 oz. can Salt-Free Garbanzo Beans (aka chickpeas)
½ cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup organic peanut butter
1 1/2 tsp. alcohol-free vanilla
4 packets Sweetleaf Stevia
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Pit the dates and put them into a bowl. Press the dates down into the bowl and cover them with filtered water until they are JUST covered (it is ok if a tiny bit of the dates peak out through the water). Soak the dates in the water for at least 30 minutes.
Once the dates have soaked, place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse 10-15 times. Scrape down the sides and process the mixture until there aren't too many chunks. Stop and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. Repeat this process until the batter is the consistency you like (I prefer a few small chunks).
Use you medium scooper (mine is 2 Tbs) and scoop the batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, turning the cookie sheet half way through.
Take the cookie sheet out of the oven and smoosh down the cookies with a fork to flatten them.
Return the cookie sheet to the oven and bake for 10 more minutes.
Cool (if you have the patience) and enjoy!
2. Vegan Mocha Fudge - Guilt Free!
This recipe is just magical, with black beans being the unique, healthy ingredient. Keep in mind that the texture of this fudge will not be as smooth and creamy as "real" fudge, but it also does not have all of the sugar, fat, and cholesterol (i.e. GUILT) of said fudge. WIN!
3. The World's Healthiest Vanilla Milkshake
This Vegan, Low Carb, Gluten Free, Grain Free and Sugar Free clocks in at only 120 calories for the entire big huge ginormous thing! Miraculous in more ways than one.
4. Healthy Krispy Kremes
These doughnut are fluffy yet dense, not so much like the traditional Krispy Kremes, but absolutely fantastic in their own right. They just happen to be single serving, gluten free, grain free, low carb, high protein, nearly fat free, only about 110 calories, super easy, and have a vegan option!
5. Low Fat Strawberry Tofu Ice Cream
A healthier version of traditional tofu ice cream, with reduced sugar content, healthy strawberries and a simple trick that gets you thick and creamy low fat ice cream.
6. Nearly Fat Free Vegan Chocolate Pudding
Why not make chocolate pudding with a base of zucchini and Japanese sweet potatoes? You didn't know chocolate pudding could actually be good for you, did you?
7. Knock-off-amole(Guacamole Made with Fresh Green Peas)
Even if you enjoy avocados, this dip is a refreshing adaptation of the original. If you like more heat, use an entire minced Serrano chile.
8. Homemade Healthy Crescent Rolls
Although not exact replicas of the trans fat-laden childhood favorite, these babies are doughy, flavorful, comforting, and just downright yummy. As you know, the yumminess factor is very important!
9. Sour Cream and Onion Kale Chips
This is a flavor-bursting and nutrient-dense treat. Greasy bags of chips will be a distant memory after you eat this!
10. The World's Healthiest Onion Rings
These onion rings taste amazing AND they are gluten free, grain free, low carb, vegan, and less than 130 calories for the entire gigantic plate full. You have to taste it to believe it? Fine. Taste and believe, my friend. Taste and believe!
This post was originally published One Green Planet.
