Autumn brings cozy moments indoors. After being outside in the rain and wind, there’s almost nothing better than curling up on the couch with a good book, a warm drink, and a little snack. If you want to choose a healthy option, here’s some inspiration for what you can make without breaking your good intentions to stay healthy.
Homemade Hot Chocolate with Milk Foam
Hot chocolate can be made from dark chocolate (the darker, the better), which you melt in warm milk. If you prefer a bit of sweetness, you can add some vanilla sugar. In the lighter version, you can top it with milk foam instead of whipped cream. If you’re entertaining kids, a couple of marshmallows on top is always a hit.
Carrot Muffins
Find a good carrot cake recipe and replace the sugar with Stevia. On the Stevia packaging, you can find how much Stevia you need to use instead of sugar. I always add more carrots than the recipe suggests (about 1/3 more) as I find it gives a moister cake. Instead of baking it as a single cake, I divide the batter into small muffin tins. Muffin tins come in various sizes, and I’ve started baking in smaller ones, which hold 24 muffins instead of 12 or 6. If you bake a larger batch, you can freeze them so you’re not tempted to eat them all while they’re still warm.
Small, Thick American Pancakes
When I make American pancakes, I often include oatmeal and Greek yogurt. You can use a familiar recipe and substitute some ingredients for healthier alternatives. In my recipe, I replace about half of the flour with oats. You might think this would make the pancakes denser, but you can’t actually taste the oats in the batter. The advantage of using oats is that the pancakes will be higher in fiber and more filling. The Greek yogurt results in a creamier batter. If the batter becomes too thick, you can thin it with skimmed milk or water.
Oatmeal Balls
I love making these with peanut butter for a more “grown-up” version. Use your favourite recipe as a base. Instead of butter, use peanut butter, and then balance the ingredients to your liking. You can substitute sugar with honey, but be aware that the dough may become softer and stickier, making it harder to roll into balls. You can refrigerate the dough for an hour to firm it up and make it easier to handle. Roll the balls into bite-sized portions and coat them in coconut, cocoa powder, chopped peanuts, or almonds. Store them in the freezer and take them out as needed.
Health Consultant, NUPO
