Dessert, Snack - The Balanced Kitchen

While I grew up in a family where good food was highly valued and celebrated, from about age 7 on I had quite a tortured relationship with eating. I was incredibly self-conscious about my appearance (I was pretty overweight) and I worried about people judging me by the foods I was eating. This lasted well into my twenties (or even thirties). For me, the shift occurred when I started cooking more. Through cooking I began to shift the way I thought about food. It became less about control and negotiation (“if I have this last cookie, then tomorrow I won’t have anything ‘bad’ and I’ll be back on track”) and more about feeling satisfied and nourished.

For me, part of feeling fulfilled by the food I eat is to have some sort of sweet treat every day. Many times that treat is something that the old me would have considered unhealthy and would have regretted as soon as I ate it such as ice cream or cookies, but other times it is something along the lines of these amazing popsicles which contain nothing but healthiness. These are a sort of upgraded version of the all-fruit popsicles that I loved as a kid, but with no added sugar. They are sweet and creamy and have a nice kick from the ginger!…

We’re in it folks. That crazy time of year that starts with Halloween and goes all the way through New Year’s Eve. That time when we are bombarded with candies, cookies, cakes, and rich foods of many sorts. That time of year when we are running from one thing to the next. That time of year when we skip lunch since we are so busy, only to find ourselves stuffing our face with a giant cookie at the mall because we are about to fall over with hunger (or maybe that is just me). Yup. It is that time of year.

For many of us this is a time of year when we regret a lot of our food decisions. Sometimes it is because we overeat. Sometimes it is because we stress eat. Sometimes it is because the options aren’t the best and so we settle for less-than-ideal meals. No matter what the reason, this recipe might a little glimmer of hope for you.

These energy balls are so simple to make that a 6-year-old could make them on their own. Really! In fact, these would be a great holiday afternoon activity—have your kid make them and then bring the results to a party as a treat to share. Your kid will be proud, your friends and family will be impressed, and you’ll be bringing something that is surprisingly healthy! They are sweet and chocolatey, and really quite healthy—packed with dark chocolate and protein….

Pineapple-Ginger Popsicles

Chocolate Truffles: A Healthy Treat for the Holidays