This weekend is one of the best holidays of the year – Valentine’s Day. A day devoted to love, family, friends and of course, sweet treats and indulging. One of the dangers of a holiday on the weekend is that it tends to become more than one day of indulging. Even if you cheat on Sunday, make sure you don’t start too soon on Saturday and that you are back on your healthy eating 100% on Monday. Otherwise, you will find yourself snacking on chocolates and candy that you would never normally eat, just because they are in your home and kitchen. As much as we may try to keep junk food out of reach, holidays and family can sometimes present an exception, but don’t use that as an excuse to make unhealthy choices. Kids need candy for school, co-workers and break rooms will be stocked with treats and every bank, doctor’s office and restaurant will have desserts and candy waiting for you to take. But we have to push past the convenience and the excuses, and make the choices we really want to make. Some days are easy, but some days are much harder. Try focusing on something besides food – spending time with the ones you love, making cards and crafts, revisit special places and memories.
Try some of these delicious and healthier recipes this weekend. They are healthier than the typical sweets and candy so that even if Sunday is your cheat day you can indulge with these recipes without going too far off track.
Stuffed Strawberries
Try this healthy recipe with a classic Valentine’s Day ingredient – strawberries! They are so easy to make and are a great snack or breakfast.
Ingredients:
•12 strawberries, tops removed
•About 1-1/2 cups of vanilla non fat Greek yogurt
•Handful of chocolate chips
Directions:
1) Remove the bottoms (about 1/4 the way down) from the strawberries and scoop out the inside.
2) Fill each strawberry with about 1 tablespoon or so of Greek yogurt. Sprinkle the top with 3 chocolate chips.
3) Freeze or chill strawberries until you serve them so they are a little frozen on the outside but still creamy on the inside.
Jello Hearts
This next recipe is so easy and looks adorable. Simply make sugar free jello (strawberry or cherry are great) and let cool is a baking pan so that you can use a cookie cutter to make heart shaped jello bites. That make a great sweet snack and are fun for kids!
Make it Heart Shaped!
It’s so easy to use a cookie cutter or just a knife to make fruits into hearts. Simple and festive.
Chocolate Covered Fruit
It wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day without chocolate covered strawberries. The healthiest ingredients we recommend are dark chocolate, and you can even use crushed nuts as a topping. Make your own chocolate box with any fruit instead of candies. Your loved ones will love the person touch. Melt the chocolate on the stove with a double boiler (two pans that fit together – putting water in the bottom and chocolate in the top pan), or boil water in a sauce pan and place chocolate in a glass bowl into the pan. Dip each piece of fruit in the chocolate then place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Add a topping then let them cool. Arrange them on a plate or box them up as a gift.
Have A Happy Valentine’s Day!
~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick
Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness
8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797
469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018
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