A Sugar and Gluten Free Dessert Recipe – Ginger Carrot Protein Bites

 

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Enjoy These Ginger Carrot Protein Bites Anywhere

Without a doubt, vegetables boost the nutrient density of any meal or snack they are invited to.

They are perfect in salads and mandatory as side-dishes and are the perfect finger food snack item adding texture, taste, color and flavor wherever or however they appear.

They can be sweet or tangy, soft or crunchy, dressed up or plain, mixed with sauces or shining on their own and nature seems to have provided us with an endless variety to choose from.

But their beauty and benefits don’t stop in the savory department. These colorful, sometimes exotic foods are broad in spectrum and serve us equally well when included in desserts and treats.

Sweet and Savory Friendly

Truth is veggies are the workhorses of the food kingdom transitioning between savory and sweet dishes without an issue.

They are true multitaskers, sometimes appearing in a starring roles and other times in more subtle supportive roles but always making their presence known –  adding flavor, texture and color.

Potatoes, for example were a favorite ingredient at one time for adding moisture to many cakes – particularly good in chocolate cakes. They provided the moisture needed without adding density keeping the cakes light and fluffy.

Carrots have been used in desserts as a sweet substitute for a very long time because of their natural sweetness. They also add both moisture and texture to your dishes and were favored in tough times when other sweeteners were too expensive or difficult to obtain.

The many variations of carrot cake that have been handed down over the years are still family favorites in many households and is not only a great way to get children to enjoy their veggies but to see firsthand the versatility of them.

Zucchini, because of its moisture and relatively subtle flavor is another favored veggie when it comes to making a “carrot like bread.” Zucchini bread is just as moist and delicious as it’s more orange relative.

For the most part, veggies are dense in nutrients and light in calories. There are exceptions of course.

Bottom line is this: There are plenty of ways to keep your taste buds happy and satisfied without adding a ton of unneeded calories to your desserts and treats. All it takes is an open mind and willingness to try new things with old ingredients.

It’s time to add exciting new ingredients to your old worn out dessert recipes and turn that otherwise unhealthy dessert into something that actually contributes to your health.

Here’s a yummy white flour, sugar and gluten free dessert recipe that squeezes in the added nutrition of carrots (along with all the other great ingredients) to bring it to another level. Take these along in your lunch box for a super snack lift throughout your day.

GINGER CARROT PROTEIN BITES  

• 1 cup walnuts
  1 carrot (or one cup) grated
  1 cup dates, soaked at least 30 minutes and drained
  1 cup desiccated coconut
  1 tablespoon fresh ginger (finely chopped or minced)
  ¼ cup coconut oil, warmed until melted
  ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  1 scoop protein powder (optional)
  ¼ – ½ cup hemp hearts (seeds) or more desiccated coconut to roll balls in

Place walnuts in food processor and process until they resemble breadcrumbs.
Add dates and other ingredients and process until mixture is well combined but still a little chunky.

Shape into small 1” balls and roll in hemp hearts or coconut.

Store in fridge.

Want to have another sugar and gluten free dessert recipe? Watch this video – Lemon Dessert No Bake Weight Loss Recipe (Sugar-Free & Gluten-Free) Protein Treats by Nutracelle

Ready to take your traditional type desserts and turn them into “life giving” desserts? Grab my “50 Desserts with Hidden Veggies. “  In it you will discover no bake, Paleo friendly, no sugar, gluten free, healthy sweet treat and dessert recipes…

It’s time to make every bite you take count!

Author Bio:

Carolyn Hansen is the author of The Blended Bites Healthy Snack and Dessert Recipe Collection. This is a one-stop resource for delicious, healthy, guilt-free snacks that you can eat every day. And even better, EVERY ONE of these recipes are RAW healthy snack foods that taste as good as their fattening counterparts.

You can NOW satisfy your snack urge without any negative impact on your weight loss and fitness goals, and without sweating over a hot stove. These easy-to-prepare snacks contain no sugar, no flour or butter and are paleo friendly.

So, if you want to get your hands on recipes for desserts and snacks that you will not need to feel guilty about eating the next time you have a craving for something delicious, be sure to check out Carolyn Hansen’s books at Blended Bites, where she will show you how to take control of your blender and churn out mouth-watering desserts and snacks that will have the kids in your neighborhood lined up around the block for a sample.

How to Create Healthy No Bake Nutrient Rich Veggie Desserts?

 

Click HERE to Get These Super Healthy Sweet Treats & Dessert Recipes

Health Enhancing “Veggie” Desserts

Do you view dessert as your enemy? Have you assigned a “damaging” title to it subconsciously?

If so, it’s time to change your perception of dessert to something that contributes to your health rather than subtracting from it and the only way to do that is by shifting the ingredients that make up your desserts from unhealthy ones to healthy ones.

Create Healthy Nutrient Rich Desserts

Desserts are commonly thought to be “dead nutritiously” and because of that, they have never been viewed as a serious contribution to our health. It doesn’t have to be that way if you change your desserts to include healthy nutrient rich ingredients by tapping into the variety of veggies that nature so generously offers.

Veggies bring vitamins, antioxidants and healthy fiber to all recipes wrapped up in a tasty package.

With healthy veggies thrown into the mix, no longer will you view your desserts as nutritiously dead but you’ll begin viewing them as healthy additions to your daily diet – a fresh new healthy perspective, raising desserts from the level of damaging foods to those that heal.

Veggies are highly versatile. They add natural sweetness to desserts, make a perfect binding agent, provide needed moisture, are a great substitute for eggs and fat and boost nutrition and the best thing of all…they eliminate the guilt normally felt when eating dessert.

Savory desserts are nothing new – home and professional cooks alike have been experimenting with veggie-based desserts for a long time (think Pumpkin Pie and Carrot Cake), however, they are enjoying renewed attention as wise cooks and smart homemakers everywhere demand nutrition out of every bite for both themselves and their families. Desserts are no longer excused but included in the equation.

Truth is, there is no logical reason to be eating “dead calories” even in dessert when dessert is so easily transformed into something that contributes to health by including veggies as either the star or supporting ingredient.  

They are easily disguised in most dishes (so, you can enjoy veggies in your desserts that you might not ordinarily enjoy as a savory dish) but silently work their magic once they get inside your body.

Vegetables That Work in Desserts

Carrots: Carrots have been used as a sweetener for thousands of years. Rich in vitamins A and beta carotene, carrots provide antioxidants and phytochemicals that help reduce cancer and cardiovascular risks, improve immune functions and regulate blood sugar.

Sweet Potato: These colorful gourds can be used in desserts in several ways. They are the perfect “fat” substitute…you can use ¼ cup of mashed sweet potato to replace 1 egg or ½ cup of oil nor butter when baking.

Kale: This ever popular nutrient dense green veggie is not only great in salads, juices, smoothies, sandwiches, soups and chips…but Kale even has a “sweet side” and works well in cakes, brownies, cheesecakes and other sweet treats.

Squash: Squash is another veggie that makes the crossover from savory to sweet dishes easily and done correctly makes a great ingredient for cakes, pie, cookies, waffles, homemade granola’s, muffins, pancakes and the list goes on.

It’s time to pack added flavor, color, nutrition and health benefits into your indulgences and make every calorie count simply by experimenting and including nature’s bounty of veggie choices into your sweet dishes. With such a vast variety available, your imagination is your only limitation.

Its never been about the amount of calories going in but about the amount of nutrients consumed. Make every bite count.

Most veggies and many herbs can be used with great success in desserts and treats and can be key to getting the required daily requirements of nutrients that your body needs.

Want to have some more healthy no bake nutrient rich veggie desserts? Watch this video – HEALTHY VEGAN NO BAKE DESSERTS ‣‣ easy to make!

If you are ready to expand beyond your traditional recipes and upgrade them to a more nutrient dense level you will love my newest creation…“Blended Bites.

Author Bio:

Carolyn Hansen is the author of The Blended Bites Healthy Snack and Dessert Recipe Collection. This is a one-stop resource for delicious, healthy, guilt-free snacks that you can eat every day. And even better, EVERY ONE of these recipes are RAW healthy snack foods that taste as good as their fattening counterparts.

You can NOW satisfy your snack urge without any negative impact on your weight loss and fitness goals, and without sweating over a hot stove. These easy-to-prepare snacks contain no sugar, no flour or butter and are paleo friendly.

So, if you want to get your hands on recipes for desserts and snacks that you will not need to feel guilty about eating the next time you have a craving for something delicious, be sure to check out Carolyn Hansen’s books at Blended Bites, where she will show you how to take control of your blender and churn out mouth-watering desserts and snacks that will have the kids in your neighborhood lined up around the block for a sample.

The Incredibly Versatile Sweet Potato – Super Food Choice for Guilt-Free Snacking

 

Click HERE to Get These Super Healthy Sweet Treats & Dessert Recipes

The incredible sweet potato. This high powered super food deserves a separate post of its own for what it contributes to our health and well-being.

Sweet potatoes are root veggies (meaning they grow below ground) that are treated in similar ways to butternut squash, turnips and parsnips.

There are about 400 different varieties with the skin and flesh appearing from white to cream to yellow, to orange (these are the most common) to pink and deep purple. They are often mistakenly grouped together with yams but they are a different food family altogether.

Sweet potatoes are nutrient dense powerhouses that offer a whole range of essential micro-nutrients as well as a wealth of important fiber. Vitamin C is the most prominent nutrient in sweet potatoes – one large sweet potato contains more than double that of white potatoes.

But, these golden, orange gems (that actually come in a purple color also) offer more than vitamin C. They are an excellent source of complex carbohydrates and rich with thiamine, potassium and manganese and provide a hefty dose of Vitamin A.

Although they contain a good amount of starch, their starch is known to impact blood sugar levels less dramatically than simple carbohydrates would (white bread, white potatoes and pasta).

The intensity of the color of the sweet potato is directly correlated to its beta-carotene content. Some studies are even suggesting that sweet potatoes are actually a better source of bio available beta-carotene than green leafy veggies. All sweet potatoes offer amazing antioxidant properties but the antioxidant activity in purple ones can be as much as 3.2 times higher than that of a blueberry.

Sweet potatoes are multi-talented and play both starring and supporting roles in main courses, side dishes and desserts. Yes, you read that right. Sweet potatoes make the crossover from savory to sweet dishes with flying colors…literally!

Because of their sweet taste, creamy texture, ease in growing and their low cost and long shelf life, sweet potatoes are a stable in countries throughout the world supplying much needed nutrients.

If you presently view the sweet potato as something to be made into a casserole at Thanksgiving buried under a mound of marshmallows, it’s time to shift your perception and begin seeing the real value of this colorful tuber so you can begin using it as often as possible in your sweet as well as savory dishes.

Here’s a dessert and treat recipe that uses sweet potatoes as one of the main ingredients. Sure to become a family favorite!

SWEET POTATO BARS

BASE:

• 1 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1 cup dates, soaked at least 30 minutes and drained
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Place almonds and seeds into a food processor and process until broken down and crumbly. Add dates, coconut and cinnamon and process until well combined. Press mixture into an 8 by 8-inch pan or dish.

TOPPING:

• 2 cups sweet potato, steamed or raw and grated
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, warmed until liquid
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Spoon the filling onto the base and smooth out. Place in fridge to firm up and set. Cut into squares as desired.

What can be considered a super food choice for guilt-free snacking? Watch this video – 12 HEALTHY FOOD SWAPS ‣‣ snacks & sweets

This recipe is only one of 50 exciting new dessert and treat recipes that you will find in my newest addition: “Blended Bites” where I show you how to use a variety of fresh veggies in your sweet dishes to turn them into nutrient powerhouses.

Author Bio:

Carolyn Hansen is the author of The Blended Bites Healthy Snack and Dessert Recipe Collection. This is a one-stop resource for delicious, healthy, guilt-free snacks that you can eat every day. And even better, EVERY ONE of these recipes are RAW healthy snack foods that taste as good as their fattening counterparts.

You can NOW satisfy your snack urge without any negative impact on your weight loss and fitness goals, and without sweating over a hot stove. These easy-to-prepare snacks contain no sugar, no flour or butter and are paleo friendly.

So, if you want to get your hands on recipes for desserts and snacks that you will not need to feel guilty about eating the next time you have a craving for something delicious, be sure to check out Carolyn Hansen’s books at Blended Bites, where she will show you how to take control of your blender and churn out mouth-watering desserts and snacks that will have the kids in your neighborhood lined up around the block for a sample.

Why Carrots are a Great Choice for Preparing Some Healthy Hearty Snacks?

 

Click HERE to Get These Super Healthy Sweet Treats & Dessert Recipes

Crazy for Carrots

One of the most widely used and enjoyed vegetables in the world is the brightly colored carrot.

Scientifically classified as Daucus carota, it is considered a root vegetable.  The carrot top is the most popular and used part of the carrot, however the greens are also beneficial and great if used in salads and other dishes.

Carrots are grown all over the world, exported worldwide and used successfully as fresh veggie snacks, savory side dishes and essential ingredients in many recipes.

This healthy colorful root vegetable (found in colors ranging from white to purple with orange being the most popular) is rich in nutrients, providing a wide range of essential vitamins and minerals. They offer vitamins A (widely known for their antioxidant Beta Carotene content), B3, C, E and Carotene as well as potassium, calcium, iron and zinc. 

They help to reduce cholesterol, prevent heart attacks and keep certain cancers at bay. They are known to improve vision and reduce the signs of premature aging, detox the body, improve digestion and increase heart health. They also help to maintain acidic and alkaline properties in the body.

These tall slim beauties are easy to grow and can be eaten raw or roasted, baked, steamed, boiled and mashed for any savory dish but the real added benefit to carrots is that they are naturally sweet with a slight nutty taste and this sweetness works well in sweet as well as savory dishes giving them a broad range of use.

Like other fresh veggies, they taste best and provide the most nutrition when home grown or organically grown. Choose brightly colored, uniform in shape and size, firm to the touch, relatively young, thin carrots as they will be slightly sweeter in taste than the larger older carrots. Avoid carrots that are soft, withering or have yellowing tips.

Forget about those “baby carrots” you often see at your grocers…there really is nothing baby about them. They are not young, nor are they any sweeter. They have simply been pressed through a machine that skins them and shapes them into those smaller bite size pieces. They may very well be those “larger, older carrots” they are using for this process. You’re better off buying your own fresh organic carrots and cutting them as you use them.

Carrots contain more sugar than any other vegetable (besides sugar beet) and this natural sweetness combined with the nutrient density of carrots has made them hugely popular to use in fresh juice and in smoothies as well as healthy desserts. They offer not only sweetness to every recipe they are invited to but moisture as well.

The moist sweet carrot cake has been around and evolving since the Middle Ages (thought of as a pudding then) and nearly everyone has enjoyed a slice of this sweet cake at one time or another.

After washing and removing their green tops, store your carrots in the coldest part of your refrigerator offering the highest humidity. You can also add a bit of water in the bottom of the bag to keep them crisp and colorful.

Like other veggie superstars that work in both sweet and savory dishes, carrots add flavor, sweetness, moisture, texture and color to every dish.

Most of the mineral content in carrots is actually located near the skin so it’s best not to peel or scrape off the skins. Just scrub clean if necessary and store properly. That’s another advantage of buying organic carrots. You can eat them right out of the bag and never have to worry about peeling.

Do not store carrots near fruits such as apples and pears because they release ethylene gas that causes carrots to turn bitter.

For more ideas on making some healthy hearty snacks, watch this video – 7 Healthy Recipes For Guilt-Free Snacking • Tasty

If you are ready to take your dead desserts and turn them into “life giving” desserts grab my “50 Desserts with Hidden Veggies. ” In it you will discover no bake, Paleo friendly, no sugar, gluten free healthy sweet treat and dessert recipes…

Isn’t it time you began introducing much ignored nutrient-dense veggies into all your dishes…including your desserts? Why not make every bite you take count!

Author Bio:

Carolyn Hansen is the author of The Blended Bites Healthy Snack and Dessert Recipe Collection. This is a one-stop resource for delicious, healthy, guilt-free snacks that you can eat every day. And even better, EVERY ONE of these recipes are RAW healthy snack foods that taste as good as their fattening counterparts.

You can NOW satisfy your snack urge without any negative impact on your weight loss and fitness goals, and without sweating over a hot stove. These easy-to-prepare snacks contain no sugar, no flour or butter and are paleo friendly.

So, if you want to get your hands on recipes for desserts and snacks that you will not need to feel guilty about eating the next time you have a craving for something delicious, be sure to check out Carolyn Hansen’s books at Blended Bites, where she will show you how to take control of your blender and churn out mouth-watering desserts and snacks that will have the kids in your neighborhood lined up around the block for a sample.

Easy Healthy Snack Ideas – 5 Common Raw Food Myths Debunked

 

Click HERE to Get These Super Healthy Sweet Treats & Dessert Recipes

Debunking Those Raw Food Myths

Raw foods have seen an increase in popularity in recent years. Many people are exploring more diet options and adding more raw vegan foods to their diets and some are even going full-on raw.

What exactly does “going raw” mean?

Raw foods are those that have not been processed or heated above 115-118 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius). Proponents of raw food diets believe that many foods cooked at a higher temperature lose their enzymes along with much of their nutritional value and in some cases, can actually harm the body.

Uncooked foods, on the other hand, provide living enzymes that have not been tampered with and proper nutrition. Most raw food enthusiasts eliminate diary but in some cases unprocessed dairy products are included.

Raw foods should not be refined, pasteurized, treated with pesticides or otherwise processed in any way. Instead, the diet allows several alternative preparation methods, such as juicing, blending, dehydrating, soaking and sprouting

A raw food diet may provide health benefits, including weight loss, a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and improved digestion and heart health

A raw food diet is usually strictly vegetarian, although some in the raw food movement allow unpasteurized dairy products, raw meat, raw eggs, and sushi. A basic belief is that you should restrict food that is cooked or heated above 116 to 118° Fahrenheit.

If you are thinking about joining this trend, there are some “raw foods” myths that you need to be aware of that are repeated over and over but are simply not true!

Myth #1 – All or nothing at all

The belief that we must be 100% raw to gain any benefits is far from the truth. The reality is, most modern diets are high in processed and fast foods so any increase in fresh raw foods is beneficial. Replacing soda, fries and burgers with green veggie salads for lunch, provide more energy and will always offer more benefits.

Of course, the more processed foods we replace with healthy fresh veggies and fruits the more benefits we receive. To enjoy all the benefits that a raw diet offers your diet needs to be about 90% raw foods.

One thing to take note is not all vegetables are safe enough to be eaten raw. Some vegetables, when eaten raw, can lead to digestive distress.

Here are some foods that you should avoid eating raw:

• Potatoes
• Asparagus
• Cruciferous vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower.
• Spinach
• Red kidney beans
• Mushrooms
• Eggplant
• French beans

Myth #2 –The belief that raw foods cannot be warmed is not true.

Raw foods can be warmed to approximately 118 degrees without altering the nutritional value. Food dehydrators are often used to warm foods as well as stove tops and ovens, making sure that everything is kept at a safe temperature.

Myth #3 – Only fruits and Veggies are allowed

The reality is, a raw food diet consists of seeds, nuts, nut milks and butters, sprouted grains, fresh juices and seaweeds. There are also some fermented foods such as raw soy sauce, miso and cold pressed raw oils.

Don’t limit yourself on your new raw food diet but explore as many possibilities as you can. Raw foods are readily available. Expand your horizons beyond your local market and find some farmers markets to explore.

Ethnic foods are another avenue for exotic fruits and veggies and don’t forget the power of the Internet. You now have choices from all over the world, although in the long run its best to use most of what is offered locally for reasonable prices and freshness.

Myth #4 – Raw food meals take a long time to prepare.

The success of a tasty meal begins with the tools at hand. With the right tools, preparing raw foods is no harder nor does it take any longer than prepping and serving cooked foods.

A high-powered food processor saves hours of chopping and grating time. A quality dehydrator can prepare tasty natural treats consistently so that you always have a fresh batch on hand and a blender creates yummy soups, smoothies and dressings in no time at all.

Myth #5 – A raw food diet will break the bank.

Not true. Focusing on local produce gives a lot of bang for the buck. Local offers the best prices, flavor and freshness. There will always be raw items that are more expensive than others, just choose wisely and shop around. Use the Internet when possible to save on items such as organic spices. Buy in bulk, watch for sales and skip the fancy platters and pre-cut veggies.

Watch these 3 videos below:

Raw Food Diets: Myths & Realities – Brenda Davis RD FULL TALK

5 Pros and Cons of Raw Diets

Fully Raw Kristina – Raw food myths & mistakes to avoid

If you are ready to expand beyond your traditional recipes and upgrade them to a more nutrient dense level you will love my newest creation…“Blended Bites.

Author Bio:

Carolyn Hansen is the author of The Blended Bites Healthy Snack and Dessert Recipe Collection. This is a one-stop resource for delicious, healthy, guilt-free snacks that you can eat every day. And even better, EVERY ONE of these recipes are RAW healthy snack foods that taste as good as their fattening counterparts.

You can NOW satisfy your snack urge without any negative impact on your weight loss and fitness goals, and without sweating over a hot stove. These easy-to-prepare snacks contain no sugar, no flour or butter and are paleo friendly.

So, if you want to get your hands on recipes for desserts and snacks that you will not need to feel guilty about eating the next time you have a craving for something delicious, be sure to check out Carolyn Hansen’s books at Blended Bites, where she will show you how to take control of your blender and churn out mouth-watering desserts and snacks that will have the kids in your neighborhood lined up around the block for a sample.