Halloween is less than 3 weeks away and now is the perfect time to start planning what kind of treats you want to hand out to trick or treaters. Rather than passing out traditional candy that contains high amounts of sugar and processed ingredients, we recommend choosing a non-candy treat. There are so many options to choose from that are both delicious and nutritious for kids!
Who doesn't love Popcorn?! Nowadays, you can various types of alternative popcorns in the grocery store that contain ingredients like avocado or coconut oil, rather than traditional butter. Popcorn is known for being high in fiber and contains antioxidants that improve digestion + control blood sugar.
If you're looking for a treat that's on the sweeter side, Mmmly has four different flavors of soft cookies that come in cute and bright packaging. The four flavors are Banana Chocolate Chip, Blueberry Shortbread, Dark Chocolate Chip and Sweet Almond. The cookies contain functional ingredients that help to support digestive and immune health. They're also packed with prebiotics and have similar nutrition facts to a health bar.
Trail Mix is a perfect Halloween treat for kids because it contains both sweet and salty ingredients. You can choose to purchase packaged bags at the grocery store or make it yourself at home. If you want to be allergy friendly, you can choose not to include nuts and just stick to dried fruits, chocolate and grains.
]]>Looking for a quick, healthy recipe to make for breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack? Check out this yummy smoothie bowl that Megan (@sayimafoodie) created using Mmmly's Banana Chocolate Chip soft cookies. The cookies are a great source of prebiotic fiber and healthy fats!
Recipe:
1.5 frozen bananas
1 cookie from Mmmly
1 tbsp cacao powder
1 tbsp almond butter
1/2 tbsp maple syrup
Directions:
Blend until smooth. Spoon into a bowl.
Chocolate Shell
Microwave 2 tbsp dark chocolate chips with 1/2 tsp coconut oil, stirring at 30 second intervals.
Drizzle chocolate over smoothie bowl, and watch it magically harden! Enjoy!
1/3 cup almond milk
]]>
Now that school is back in session, healthy after school snacks are important to refuel your kids from a long day. With after school activities and homework responsibilities, finding a quick snack that’s both functional and nutrition is key. It may be easier to grab an unhealthy snack for your kids, like chips or processed foods, but we put together a list of healthy snack ideas that won’t break the bank and can easily be prepared.
Trail mix is a great snack idea because it can either be purchased in a premixed bag, or customized at home by mixing together your favorite dried fruits, nuts and seeds that suit your taste buds. The nuts and seeds in trail mix are high in protein and a good source of healthy fats. Besides being easy to prepare, trail mix is also a great portable snack for car rides or before a sports game.
If you’re looking for a sweet treat to give your kids, check out these soft cookies from Mmmly that are low carb, delicious and packed with nutrients! The cookies are an easy grab + go snack, plus they contain 5-6 grams of prebiotic fiber and only 2g of sugar from apples per serving. They’re also allergy friendly: gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and wheat-free.
Cut an apple into slices and pair it with your kid’s favorite nut butter for a sweet + savory snack. Nut butters, like almond and peanut butter, are packed with nutrients and vitamins. One tablespoon of nut butter typically contains 7-10g of unsaturated fat, which is a beneficial fat that improves heart health and boosts energy.
People are shifting to a low-carb diet these days because of the unique health benefits it has. In fact, low-carb diets are scientifically proven to achieve significant weight loss compared to a fat-free diet.
Many snacks on the grocery shelves, like granola bars, chips, and almost all sweet treats are packed with carbs, making snacking a nightmare! But if you can look past these snacks, you’ll see that there are so many delicious and healthy low-carb snacks you can put together with little effort that taste delicious!
So keep reading, because we put together a list of the best sweet and salty low-carb snacks to keep you healthy and satisfied:
This Berry Smoothie is a super simple, low-carb sweet treat that is very easy to make and sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. You’re going to need:
2 cups of almond milk (or water)
1 ½ cups of frozen mixed berries
1 tbsp of honey (or agave)
½ cup of ice
Blend all those ingredients for a delicious and healthy low-carb dessert! This berry smoothie only has a crazy low 10 g of carbs per serving!
If you haven’t already, you need to try Mmmly’s soft cookies! These delicious, guilt-free dessert cookies are low-carb, low-sugar, and gluten free!
These cookies are an amazing way to curb that sweet craving, and stay healthy doing so. These cookies have only 4 g of net carbs per serving!
Hummus is a great low-carb fiber packed savory snack. You can buy some at your local grocery store, or even make your own at home very easily. Hummus is a filling snack and can be flavored with garlic or red peppers depending on your preference.
Dip some cucumbers in the hummus to get the most out of this amazing low-carb dip!
Try these delicious low-carb zucchini chips as a healthy alternative to normal potato chips. You’ll need:
1 Large Zucchini
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp pepper
2 tbps paprika (optional)
Just cut your zucchini into thin slices, and mix in a bowl with the salt, pepper, and oil. Throw in the paprika now for added spice. After that, all you need to do is put the zucchini on a baking sheet and in a 225 degree oven for 2+ hours. The key is to cook them “low and slow” to draw out the moisture and make them extra crispy.
Sometimes it's better to take advantage of both: sweet and salty!
Perfectly blend sweet and salty with this low-carb snack. Top some fresh pears with almond butter and sea salt for an amazing flavor that is sure to fill you up. And even better, this snack only has a staggering 27 carbs!
Mix together some homemade trail mix to get a protein and fiber packed sweet and salty snack. Here’s our favorite homemade trail mix recipe:
2 cups of mixed salted nuts
¼ cup of dried cranberries
¼ cup dark chocolate chunks
¼ cup dried mango chunks
Mix all these ingredients in a bowl and enjoy this delicious combo of sweet and salty. Don’t worry, this snack is super healthy and low in carbs, so eat as many servings as you’d like!
]]>Almost everything we eat contains some amount of sugar in it - fruits, vegetables, and even carbohydrates like rice and bread. Sugar metabolizes very slowly and therefore is a great supply of energy for our bodies. However dangers arise when we start consuming added sugars, the sugar manufacturers put in all of our processed snacks and foods. Although it might taste amazing, added sugars aren’t quite known for their amazing health benefits. In fact, these added sugars are known to lead to heart problems and diseases.
Eliminating these added sugars found in most processed foods has the potential to radically change your health. Keep reading to discover 4 amazing health benefits you can start taking advantage of when you eliminate sugar:
In our society, consuming excessive amounts of sugar is synonymous with weight gain. So naturally, eliminating these added sugars will lead to weight loss: more specifically fat loss.
Added sugars metabolize slowly, so all the leftover sugar in the body that was not used up throughout the day is converted and stored as fat across our body. When we eliminate added sugar, our bodies cope by burning the stored fat for energy rather than the sugars that we give it.
Swapping out high sugar items like candy and desserts for more healthy sweet treats like Mmmly’s soft cookies can possibly shred unwanted fat from your body and help you maintain low blood sugar levels.
You might be familiar with the term sugar crash, but what does that really mean? When you eat excessive amounts of sugar, your body is able to get a quick burst of energy, but once all that sugar is metabolized or turned into fat, blood sugar levels shoot back down, causing the crashing feeling. This is evident with headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and in some cases even anxiety.
These unusual bursts of sugar-induced energy have the potential to negatively affect normal blood sugar levels and natural energy levels throughout the day.
When you eliminate added sugars from your diet, and focus on more fiber-based foods, your body is able to produce longer lasting energy throughout the day. This energy supply is more constant and lasts longer than sugar, eliminating the crashing symptoms, and keeping you energized throughout the day.
It’s no secret that consuming high amounts of sugary foods can lead to cavities and tooth decay. The digestion of simple sugars produces bacteria that can get stuck in your teeth causing a wide variety of dental problems.
When you eliminate added sugars from your diet, the amount of cavity causing bacteria lurking in your body diminishes. This leads to whiter and healthier teeth in the long run. Cutting sugar protects your precious smile.
Studies show that increased sugar consumption can lead to the development of type 2 diabetes. As your blood sugar levels fluctuate and increase due to excessive sugar consumption, you build up a natural resistance to insulin, and put yourself at a great risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Maintaining your sugar intake and cutting out those extra added sugars is sure to help get your blood sugar levels back to normal!
If you’re like me and want to cut out sugar but don’t see how that is possible: don’t worry, there are many healthier, sweet alternatives to sugar to combat your sweet tooth.
Instead of reaching for some ice cream, grab a bowl of fresh fruit. This sweet treat is loaded with natural sugars that are not only better for you, but are just as sweet as well. If you're looking for a guilt free healthy cookie after dinner, you have to try Mmmly’s soft cookies. These low-sugar and low-carb cookies are packed with fiber and help improve digestive health, while still maintaining that delicious sweet cookie taste. These soft cookies are full of monk fruit antioxidants, an all natural sweetener found in nature, with zero calories and zero sugar!
]]>For most people, the hardest part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the cravings for sweets. And although it might seem impossible to find healthy solutions to those cravings, with the right preparation and shopping you will be able to stay healthy and satisfy that sweet tooth.
Keep reading to find out the 5 best healthy sweet treats you should keep stocked in your pantry to crush your cravings:
Fresh fruit is one of nature’s best sweet treats. They have evolved over millions of years perfecting their sweet taste so animals will eat them and spread their seeds.
Fruit contains natural sugars, which are a combination of sucrose, fructose and glucose. These complex natural sugars in fruit are much different than the added sugars in other desserts, which is why fruit can taste delicious, and also be extremely good for you.
Fresh fruit is full of vitamins and nutrients that help provide us with a balanced diet for good health. These vitamins, such as vitamin C and A, help you strengthen your muscles and bones while satisfying your sweet tooth at the same time! Eating fruit is even scientifically proven to lower heart disease!
I know what you must be thinking…. There’s no way chocolate should be on this list! What if i told you that chocolate can be good for you if you’re careful. You just need to make sure to stay away from milk and white chocolate: those are packed with added sugars.
The reason dark chocolate is an amazing healthy sweet dessert is because it is packed with antioxidants that helps fight against unhealthy compounds in your body. In fact, one study even concluded that dark chocolate has more antioxidants than every single fruit that they tested.
You need to be careful though, dark chocolate still has a lot of calories per serving, so if you’re trying to crush that sweet tooth with this healthy treat, make sure to do it in moderation.
If you need a healthy dessert to make sure your cravings are going to disappear, you have to to try our healthy and delicious soft cookies! Made from tiger nut flour, these soft cookies have 6 grams of prebiotic fiber per serving, which promotes good digestion and gut health. These soft cookies are also filled with fresh fruits, dark chocolate, and nut butters, making them packed full of all the unique health benefits on this list.
On top of all that, these cookies are dairy, wheat and gluten free, so they can accommodate anyone's health concerns! Try these delicious cookies by themselves, or break them up and throw them onto some yogurt to create a magical healthy dessert treat that you’re going to love!
Try all four of our amazing cookie flavors!
Raw, unprocessed honey is a tasty replacement to normal table sugar that's actually good for you. Honey bees change the chemical composition of the nectar they collect to create the sweet taste that we all love. With its higher fructose content, honey is actually a lot sweeter than table sugar, meaning you can use less of it while still getting that sweet flavor you crave.
Much like dark chocolate, honey is packed with plant-based antioxidants from the nectar the bees collect. The antioxidants specifically in honey target and destroy harmful compounds that accelerate the aging process in the skin.
Honey also is used for its medicinal properties, and contains chemicals proven to fight bacterial infections! Drizzle some honey on top of some nonfat greek yogurt, or even some fresh fruit to maximize the potential of this healthy sweet treat.
All-natural nut butters are a protein packed healthy sweet treat that you can feel good about eating. Many popular brands today are filled with added oils and sugars, so make sure to buy the right types of all-natural nut butter, or be adventurous and try to make some yourself at home!
Nut butters are filled with proteins and healthy fats that help repair broken muscle tissue and keep you full of energy. Try some all natural nut butter on a rice cake with honey to create a deliciously simple healthy sweet dessert to end your day.
]]>
You might be surprised to hear that Tiger Nuts, in fact, aren’t actually nuts… Tiger nuts are tubers, like potatoes and yams, just a lot smaller. They are called tiger nuts because of the stripes on the outside of the tuber.
In recent years, as the movement for a healthy diet gains traction, Tiger Nuts have become a popular super food in our culture. Also known as chufa nuts and earth almonds, these tubers have numerous health benefits to take advantage of.
Humans have been eating Tiger Nuts for hundreds of years. In fact, the earliest written records of Tiger Nuts dates back to ancient Egypt, where they used these tubers both for nutritional and infection-fighting medicinal purposes. It’s even speculated that Tiger Nuts were a part of our earliest ancestors' diets almost 2 million years ago.1
Today, Tiger Nut cultivation has spread throughout the world, but a large concentration is located in the Eastern Hemisphere, throughout parts of southern Europe and into Africa.
Tiger Nuts have shown to improve heart health due to their healthy fat content. They contain 64% oleic acid; which contains high amounts of omega-9 fatty acids.
These Omega-9 fatty acids are shown to raise levels of “good” HDL cholesterol and lower levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol.
Although not enough studies have been done, Tiger Nuts may also lower your risk of heart disease and having a heart attack by improving your blood circulation.
It’s no secret fiber helps maintain and lower your blood sugar. Well, Tiger Nuts are packed with fiber. One ounce (28 grams) of Tiger Nuts contains 5 grams of fiber!
Fiber helps combat high blood sugar by slowing down the absorption of sugars in your stomach. This will also reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
In addition to being packed with fiber, Tiger Nuts contain a special type of dietary fiber called prebiotics. Prebiotic fiber feeds the “good” bacteria in your stomach.
Prebiotic fiber is known to improve digestive system health in the long run with its enzymes that assist in the breakdown of food.
Although more research is needed, with specific antibacterial properties, Tiger Nuts may have the potential to boost your immune system and prevent bacterial infections before they make you sick.
And according to one study, Tiger Nuts are even effective in fighting against certain bacterias like E. coli, Staphylococcus, and Salmonella.
Tiger Nuts are packed with essential nutrients and minerals that your body needs to be getting on a daily basis. Tiger Nuts are full of iron, calcium, and magnesium which help with bone development and strength.
They also contain vitamins C, E, and B6. These vitamins are known to boost heart and immune health, and also reduce your risk of heart disease.
Although Tiger Nuts can be prepared in a variety of ways, the most common preparations include turning the Tiger Nut either into flour or milk. From there, you can create a variety of different dishes while still unlocking the health benefits of the Tiger Nut.
Tiger Nut milk has become an extremely popular dairy free alternative to regular cow’s milk. The drink has become a staple in Spain, where they are known for their Tiger Nut Horchata.
Tiger Nut flour on the other hand is a gluten free alternative to regular flour, making it an ideal replacement for cookies, breads, and pastries. Try our delicious soft cookies made from Tiger Nut flour available in four amazing flavors!
1 https://www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/troufs/anthfood/aftigernut.html