So, it’s mid-afternoon and I just got off my conference call. I ate a very healthy lunch but now I have that craving for ….something. I know the café has freshly baked dessert downstairs or I could just go buy some BBQ chips….what to do…what to do…
I’ll just go ahead and admit it…I love food. When a new restaurant opens up or someone is showing me Pinterest food pictures, my taste buds spring into action and whatever I was focusing on goes out the window. Dessert is one of my FAVORITE things in life. In fact, if you were to offer me 5 extra years of life in exchange for dessert, I’d have to turn you down…
However…as I age gracefully (that’s my story & I’m sticking to it), I find my body is not in sync with my cravings. Just the other night, my daughter and I made these wonderful pecan bars…we had a whole 13 x 9 sheet full for just the two of us. We settled in for a Gilmore Girls and Law & Order SVU marathon (don’t judge) and proceeded to eat as much as we wanted.
But to our surprise (& aghast!), after one generous serving, we tapped out. It was actually embarrassing…We are known as the LB-based Gilmore Girls…we could eat anything and everything in the old days…however, the time has come where we’re thinking we might have to turn in our Lorelai and Rory card.
Still…it’s not a bad thing.
When people find out that I’m a Wellness Coach, they tell me all their “war” stories which frankly, sounds so unappealing and distasteful (pun intended). I think we would all like to eat healthier but realistically, I don’t think one could do it “cold turkey” without torturing themselves. My boyfriend periodically goes through a “no junk food” period and proceeds to eat only clean grains, lean proteins and plenty of veggies. Consequently, he can be a little “crangy” and when there’s food that he loves (either at a party or good restaurant), I can almost guarantee that I will hear moans and groans of someone who ate too many chips, sweets and unhealthy food.
But what if we had a “gateway” option? This week, I want to expose you to two alternative foods I reach for when I’m craving…something! One is sweet (naturally) and the other one is salty. There are less than 5 ingredients in each recipe and will take you no more than 5 minutes to make…ENJOY
Spiced Mixed Nuts INSTEAD of Pecan Bars
Ok, I’ll be honest…this will never replace the real thing but I can’t eat Pecan Bars all the time, otherwise, my clothes won’t fit and I’ll be feeling lousy. What this will do is satisfy my craving for dessert so I can move on with regular life.
Take your favorite mix of nuts…you could use pecans, almonds, walnuts…etc. I usually grab the roasted, no salt mixed nuts from Trader Joes. Turn the heat on to medium high and mix your nuts with about 2 TB of Coconut Oil. Then sprinkle about 2 – 3 TB of Palm Sugar (aka Coconut Sugar)…stirring constantly…DO NOT STEP AWAY FROM THE PAN…it tends to burn really fast! Sprinkle your favorite sweet spice seasonings…we use cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Finally, sprinkle some fresh Himalayan salt….trust me, it bring out the flavor of the nuts. Lay them out on foil and let them cool. Beware of hands and 4 legged rescues that might want to “sample” before it cools.
These are great on their own or sprinkled over Greek Yogurt or Ice Cream too!
BBQ Popcorn INSTEAD of BBQ Chips:
My daughter and I bond over TV…yes, it is a little strange but as mentioned earlier, we are die hard Gilmore Girl fans as well as Olivia Benson followers. I remember finishing off bags of BBQ Chips (Special Victim Unit crimes are stressful!) mindlessly and feeling so bad after…sure, they caught the bad offender but I STILL had a stomachache!
So, we’ve adapted…instead of ripping open another bag…we bring out our trusty Microwave Popcorn maker…and voila! This takes less than 5 minutes to make.
Air pop some organic popcorn. We use the easiest popcorn maker ever! (http://tinyurl.com/zcc9nop)…drizzle some of your favorite olive oil, sprinkle your favorite BBQ rub and a little bit of freshly (no Green canister!) grated parmesan cheese and finally, grind some Himalayan (we use pink) salt for taste. Have more popcorn on hand because it will be finished before the first commercial!
These snacks are actually pretty portable too and easy to take to the office. So instead of reaching for that candy or bag of chips, try these instead…and starting eating a little healthier…one bite at a time…