5 Treats To Enjoy While Staying Healthy

When you are pursuing positive changes to your diet, it can be difficult to find substitutes for some of your favorite guilty pleasures. With these tips, you can still get the flavors you crave with many less calories and more nutrients as well.

Frozen Yogurt

Ice cream is a go-to comfort food for a variety of situations, such as a classic breakup snack, a night in with friends, or enjoying a quick dessert with your family. For a healthier alternative to satisfy your ice cream cravings, try making frozen yogurt instead. The three ingredients required for a basic vanilla frozen yogurt are simple: Sugar, vanilla extract, and plain Greek yogurt. You can add toppings such as chocolate sauce, or even better, naturally sweetened fruits like berries. You will have a wonderful sweet treat that is as delicious as ice cream, but much healthier. Be sure to freeze your frozen yogurt mixture for at least a couple of hours after putting it through an ice cream maker, but overnight produces the best results.

Brownies

Brownies are one of the most delicious desserts and a popular dish at parties and other types of gatherings. For instance, a recipe for healthy brownies includes dark chocolate rather than milk chocolate. Dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants. It also can reduce your risk of cardiovascular conditions. Rather than flour, you can use a mashed up banana or applesauce as a base for your batter. For even more of a nutritional benefit, you can even add a couple scoops of your favorite protein powder or meal replacement shake supplement. Instead of sugar, use honey or a sugar-free sweetener.

French Fries

A popular salty snack, French fries can be oily and addictive. All you need to make a healthier version of French fries are potatoes, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Baking instead of deep frying is a much better option. Potatoes are a great pantry staple, and incredibly fibrous and nutritious, so eating them in a non-calorie-laden way is beneficial. For added flavor, you can sprinkle any variety or combination of seasoning onto the fries, such as paprika, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic or onion powder, and seasoning salt. You can also sub in sweet potatoes if you want a more unique flavor, which are also packed with nutrients as well.

Chips

A crunchy snack that is easy to eat by the handful, chips are one of the most unhealthy and fatty guilty pleasures. However, it is incredibly easy to craft a homemade version with vegetables and little effort on your part. For example, baked carrot chips will allow you to consume one of your daily servings of vegetables, and with the added flavor of cinnamon, cumin, and salt, they will have a unique and distinct flavor. You can also use almost any vegetable and turn it into baked chips. Consider sweet potatoes and zucchini, and you can even mix them together for a variety, while benefiting nutritionally from each type.

Cookies

A bag or box of cookies can be easy to go through in one sitting if you are not careful. However, there are some substitutes in ingredients that can transform a cookie recipe into one that is much more healthy. Using bananas as a base ingredient provides plenty of good carbohydrates. Add in natural crunchy ingredients like nuts, or carob chips and raisins for more sweetness. Making your own homemade cookies is also an easy way to ensure that you stick to dietary requirements, such as vegan or gluten-free. You can eat many more of these cookies and enjoy them, without the high number of calories.

Whether you have experience with eating healthier or you are new to making better choices in regards to your diet, it does not have to be difficult to make or bake foods that you love. With these ideas, you are guaranteed to relish in these edible delights without detriment to your body.

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Written By:

Paisley Hansen is a freelance writer and expert in health, fitness, and growing young. When she isn’t writing she can usually be found reading a good book or hitting the gym. She loves hearing from readers so feel free to contact her through Facebook.

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.