Giving food is a great way to show you are thinking about friends, neighbors, coworkers and family. But, many food gifts are full of sugar, salt and saturated fat. In this post, I’m going to talk about two food items I made this year for friends that had less sugar, less saturated fat, less salt, more whole grains, and more veggies. Continue reading Healthy gifts for food lovers→
The postings on this site are my own (unless otherwise stated) and don't necessarily represent any other organization's positions, strategies or opinions. Thanks!
Don’t you just love the flavor of key limes? They are citrusy fresh, have a tangy bite, and bring out sweetness in a whole new way. Today I am going to give you a dessert recipe. The best part? This sweet treat has no sugar added (and, no fake sugar either). Even though there isn’t any sugar added, the key lime bites are incredibly sweet and delicious. And, the recipe only calls for three ingredients. How simple is that?
This post includes three recipes for no sugar added key lime bites. Each recipe includes just three ingredients, and the only special equipment you need is a food processor and a handheld juicer. I have tested a couple of different ingredients and encourage you to try each variation.
Walnut Key Lime Bites
This has to be my favorite version. The creamy nuttiness from the walnuts pairs perfectly with the tangy bite of the key limes. I love it when key lime pie includes nuts, and the walnuts are reminiscent of that wonderful pie crust.
INGREDIENTS
10 key limes
1.25 cups walnut halves
1 cup pitted dates (no sugar added)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Begin by roasting your walnuts in the oven until they turn a golden color. This will bring out the flavor of the nut.
2. While the walnuts are roasting, zest the key limes and set the zest aside.
3. Then, juice the key limes, and set aside.
4. Once the nuts are golden, add 1/4 cup of them to the food processor. Process the nuts until they are chopped into very small pieces, but not quite sand-like yet. Set this aside in a medium mixing bowl.
5. Now for the easy part. Add your and walnuts, zest, and dates to the food processor. While they are mixing together, pour in your key lime juice until a big globby ball is formed.
6. Use your hands to form tablespoon-sized balls.
7. Roll the balls in your chopped walnuts that you set aside in the mixing bowl.
8. Put on a tray and pop in the freezer until you are ready to serve!
Pistachio Key Lime Bites
The green pistachios add a fun pop of color to they key lime bites. Since pistachios are not as soft as walnuts, you do have to chop them in the food processor for a little longer.
INGREDIENTS
10 key limes
1.25 cups shelled pistachios (unsalted)
1 cup pitted dates (no sugar added)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Begin by roasting your pistachios in the oven for a few minutes. You definitely don’t want these to burn.
2. While the pistachios are roasting, zest the key limes and set the zest aside.
3. Then, juice the key limes, and set aside.
4. Once the nuts have been roasted for a few short minutes, add 1/4 cup of them to the food processor. Process the nuts until they are chopped into very small pieces, almost like sand. Set this aside in a medium mixing bowl.
5. Now for the easy part. Add your and pistachios, zest, and dates to the food processor. While they are mixing together, pour in your key lime juice until a big globby ball is formed.
6. Use your hands to form tablespoon-sized balls.
7. Roll the balls in your chopped pistachios that you set aside in the mixing bowl.
8. Put on a tray and pop in the freezer until you are ready to serve!
Graham Cracker Key Lime Bites
Ok, so this variation does include the sugar from the graham crackers. I include this variation for folks who are dealing with nut allergies. Plus, if you are ok with some sugar, these bites taste JUST like key lime pie served in a graham cracker crust.
INGREDIENTS
10 key limes
6 sheets of graham crackers
1 cup pitted dates (no sugar added)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Zest the key limes and set the zest aside.
3. Then, juice the key limes, and set aside.
4. Add 2 sheets of graham crackers to the food processor. Process until they are crumby. Set this aside in a medium mixing bowl.
5. Now for the easy part. Add 4 sheets of graham crackers, zest, and dates to the food processor. While they are mixing together, pour in your key lime juice until a big globby ball is formed. If the ball is too sticky, add a square of graham crackers until the consistency is solid.
6. Use your hands to form tablespoon-sized balls.
7. Roll the balls in your graham cracker crumbs that you set aside in the mixing bowl.
8. Put on a tray and pop in the freezer until you are ready to serve! Especially with this recipe, popping in the freezer keeps the graham crackers from becoming too soggy.
I love the way my cheeks feel when I take a bite of my key lime bites. Yum!
What do you like about key lime? Let me know in the comments!
The postings on this site are my own (unless otherwise stated) and don't necessarily represent any other organization's positions, strategies or opinions. Thanks!
As Halloween draws near, many of us will be thinking about the sugar that kids and adults will be eating. It’s funny, because added sugar lurks in many foods all of the time. In this post, we’ll talk about sugar and five tips to cut down on it. Continue reading Five tips to cut down on added sugar→
The postings on this site are my own (unless otherwise stated) and don't necessarily represent any other organization's positions, strategies or opinions. Thanks!
If you know me, you know that I make a lot of my meals at home. And here’s a secret: I modify recipes to match my food philosophy. Today, I’m going to talk about how I make my meals healthy, even when I work from a recipe. Here are 10 tips on how to cook healthier:
The postings on this site are my own (unless otherwise stated) and don't necessarily represent any other organization's positions, strategies or opinions. Thanks!
Do you drink sugary drinks? Some argue that sugary drinks play a significant role in today’s obesity epidemic in the US. Why? Because when you drink sugar, you are consuming calories. And, your body doesn’t feel as full when you drink these calories compared to when you eat the same number of calories as food. 1
The postings on this site are my own (unless otherwise stated) and don't necessarily represent any other organization's positions, strategies or opinions. Thanks!
Notes:
Pan A, Hu FB. Effects of carbohydrates on satiety: differences between liquid and solid food. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2011;14:385-90. ↩
The postings on this site are my own (unless otherwise stated) and don't necessarily represent any other organization's positions, strategies or opinions. Thanks!
Let’s face it. Most of us enjoy a sweet treat. Craving sugar is common, and studies have shown that “sugar can have effects similar to a drug of abuse.” 1 There’s a great video post online to explain these effects.
The postings on this site are my own (unless otherwise stated) and don't necessarily represent any other organization's positions, strategies or opinions. Thanks!
Notes:
Rada P1, Avena NM, Hoebel BG. “Daily bingeing on sugar repeatedly releases dopamine in the accumbens shell.” Neuroscience. 2005;134(3):737-44. ↩
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