It is very easy to forget about your health when faced with fragrant cookies, plenty of chocolate, and other Christmas sweets. Therefore, take a look at a few ideas on how to snack more healthily.
Hot Chocolate and Date Balls
Dates are a type of fruit growing on the date palm. During the pre-Christmas period, you can find them in every supermarket; they contain many minerals and vitamins. They are a quick source of energy, which is especially useful after a long cold walk. Prepare a hot chocolate sweetened with date syrup. Simply heat some milk, add a teaspoon of cocoa powder or a square of high-quality dark chocolate, a pinch of cinnamon, and a little date syrup. Stir with a whisk and you have a great drink to warm you up. As a sweet treat, you can prepare date balls. The base is date paste (or blended dates soaked overnight); from there, it depends on which flavor combination you choose. Coconut – add shredded coconut, ground cashew nuts, and coat in desiccated coconut. Cocoa – add ground flaxseeds and cocoa powder. Pistachio – add ground pistachios and coat in ground freeze-dried strawberries. Rum – add ground almonds, a little rum, and a pinch of cinnamon. As you can see, there are countless combinations. As with everything, it depends here as well on the quantity. Dates are a rich source of sugar.
Homemade Granola
Homemade granola is not full of unnecessarily added sugar and oil. Furthermore, just like with date balls, you can experiment with flavors. The preparation is not time-consuming at all, as some might think. Mix the dry ingredients – flakes of your choice (oat, spelt, wheat), nuts (e.g., hazelnuts, almonds, pecans), seeds, coconut flakes, and cinnamon. Then add honey, maple, or date syrup for sweetness and a little oil (rapeseed, coconut). Spread the mixed blend onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for about half an hour at 160°C. Check and stir occasionally. Granola tastes best with yogurt or milk and a piece of fresh fruit.
Surprise Your Guests and Make Crostini
Do you know what Crostini are? They are Italian toasts that are toasted with a small amount of fat. They are perfect as an appetizer or for entertaining. You can use any bread, even older bread; a baguette or ciabatta works perfectly. Slice the bread into thin slices, brush with olive oil, and season with herbs or garlic. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 180°C until golden brown. Various spreads, dips, avocado, cream cheese, vegetables, or, for example, smoked salmon are suitable for such crispy toasts.
What to Have in Front of the TV in the Evening?
The quickest and also nutritionally packed snack is a piece of raw vegetable. Everyone knows that, and it’s boring? Make a colorful vegetable plate! Cut up various types of vegetables, prepare hummus and a yogurt dip in small bowls (just mix white yogurt with your favorite herbs), and “boring” vegetables become a juicy crunch for the movie. Speaking of crunching, a great alternative to fried potato chips are vegetable crisps, which you can easily prepare at home. You need root vegetables (celery, carrots, parsnips), a drop of olive oil, salt, and spices to taste. Simply slice the vegetables into thin slices, dry them with a paper towel, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with spices, and bake in the oven. If you decide to buy these crisps, pay attention to the fat content, which in some products can be even higher than in potato chips.
Do not be afraid to experiment and definitely try the mentioned ideas. As you can see, snacking in the winter season can be tasty and healthy at the same time. There is no need to eliminate your favorite treats; with both classic and healthier versions, it is always about the quantity.
