With Valentine’s Day coming up this weekend we wanted to share some healthier Valentine’s Day treats that will satisfy your sweet tooth and keep you healthier than typical sweets and candy. Make Saturday your cheat day and with these healthier recipes you can indulge without going completely off track.
This first recipe is simple, easy and can be made with a wide variety of ingredients. All it takes is a heart shaped cookie cutter and you can make Fruit Kebabs with watermelon and strawberry for a festive treat, or any fruit of your choosing for an adorable snack. You can keep the heart shaped theme going with almost any food – potatoes for a festive side and even carrots and cucumber to dress up a salad.
Another incredibly easy and tasty recipe is Raspberries and Chocolate Chips. Just place a dark chocolate chip inside each raspberry for a sweet and simple treat. Get double the antioxidants from the combination of raspberries and dark chocolate, as well as vitamins and minerals from both ingredients.
Raspberries and chocolate come together again for this next recipe: Raspberry Chocolate Truffles. These treats will taste decadent despite their healthy ingredients. In a food processor combine the following: 6 dates, 1/3 cup raspberries and 2 tablespoons of water. After the mixture is well-chopped (about 30 seconds), place it in a small pan and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add 1/3 cup melted coconut oil and 1/2 tsp of vanilla to the mixture. Put the mixture back in the processor and add 3 tbsp of cocoa powder, process until smooth. Refrigerate for about an hour then scoop out 2 tsp sized portions and shape into balls. Place cocoa powder on a plate and roll the balls in the cocoa powder.
This next recipe combines healthy ingredients for a sweet treat: Chocolate Peanut Butter Quinoa Cups. For this recipe, combine 3 tablespoons of cacao powder, 1/3 cup of coconut oil, 1/2 cup of peanut butter (or any other nut butter) and 1/4 cup of honey (or maple syrup or coconut syrup) in a small sauce pan on low heat. Pour this mixture over puffed quinoa in a large bowl and stir until everything is mixed together. Spoon into muffins cups and freeze until hardened (about 10 minutes). You can add a fresh raspberry on top of each one as a festive garnish.
For those vegans out there, this next recipe is made without dairy, and is also gluten free. This recipe for Strawberry Lemon Rice Crispies is a tasty treat that kids will love. Melt 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and 10 oz of marshmallows (you can use the brand Dandies for the vegan option) in a saucepan. Add 2 tablespoons of beat juice for color (optional) and the juice and zest from one lemon into the pan. Remove from heat and add rice puffs and 3/4 cup dehydrated strawberry pieces to the mixture. Press into a 9×9 square pan and let cool.
Valentine’s Day isn’t complete without Chocolate Covered Strawberries. We recommend using dark chocolate chips in our recipe. 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 strawberry in the chocolate then place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. For extra flavor and crunch, finely chop any nuts of your choosing and place in a bowl. After dipping strawberries in chocolate, dip them in the bowl of nuts.
~ Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick
Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness
8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797
469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018
