Greek Nachos

A lighter, healthier Greek twist on traditional nachos – made with whole wheat pita chips, hummus, cucumbers, tomatoes and feta.

I was asked to do a book review for the paperback book Snack Girl To The Rescue: Easy, Delicious Food for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner. This book is a weight loss book as well as a cookbook, and although there are no photos, Lisa gives practical advice on getting healthy along with a bit of humor. The book has 100 recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but I thought I would try one of her snacks, because after all, she's Snack Girl, right?

This was super easy to make would even work as a light vegetarian lunch. Next time I make this, I might even add some Kalamata olives and bell peppers. Enjoy!

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PB & J Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

Made with just just 4 ingredients – bananas, oats, peanut butter and jelly, these cookies are meant to eat warm right out of the oven for a fun spin on my 3-ingredient healthy cookie recipe.

I'm so addicted to making these cookies. Whenever my bananas are over-ripe, I whip up a batch which takes only minutes. These are best when the bananas are super ripe as their natural sweetness is what's used to sweeten the cookies. Keep in mind they aren't crisp like a dessert cookie. Instead these are moist and chewy and best eaten warm, right out of the oven. They are great as an afternoon snack or healthy enough to have for breakfast if you wish. You can easily make half the portion with just 1 banana if you want to make less.

I've made them with walnuts which tasted like banana bread, I've tried them with chocolate chips which so yummy! This time I decided to switch things up and see what happens if I add some chunky peanut butter to the batter and top them with reduced sugar jelly – yum!
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Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie

Oats, ripe bananas and chocolate chips – these healthy, "breakfast" cookies are chewy and delicious, and made with just three ingredients.

I was craving chocolate this morning, and decided to whip up a batch of these yummy cookies for breakfast (I ate 4 cookies, for 4 points). Some of you may recognize them, in the past I made them with walnuts in place of chocolate chips.

I would never eat cookies for breakfast, but these are made with healthy ingredients – oats, bananas, and a handful of chocolate chips (antioxidants, right?) with no added sugar or flour. If you wanted, you could replace the chocolate chips for cocoa nibs, raisins, craisins, whatever! Perfect for breakfast, snack or any time you crave a sweet healthy treat. And these are nut-free, gluten-free and egg free so they are perfect for different diet restrictions.

The riper your banana the better, so make these when your bananas are almost black and freckled with dark spots.

I personally think these are best eaten warm, right out of the oven. They taste almost like mini banana bread muffins, the texture is soft and chewy, not crisp like a dessert cookie. If you're expecting a crispy cookie you would keep in your cookie jar – you WILL be disappointed. But if you have a very ripe banana hanging around your counter, and you are craving chocolate... make these! You will be happy you did.

If you want more of a "traditional" oatmeal cookie recipe, then try my Low Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies instead... but I wouldn't eat them for breakfast.

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Skinny Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

These mini pumpkin spiced muffins are made light with pumpkin puree and egg whites and loaded with chocolate chips in every bite!

I don't know about you, but I'm so ready for Fall... cozy sweaters, boots and jeans, changing leaves, apple picking and of course pumpkin! Even if it's still warm out, these mini pumpkin muffins will get you in the Fall spirit and they are perfect for breakfast with a Skinny Pumpkin Latte or to put into your kid's lunch box for a healthy, homemade snack.

You can make them in a regular sized muffin tin if you prefer, you should get around 14 larger muffins and the nutritional info should remain the same. And if you want more pumpkin recipes, I have TONS, check out my Skinny Pumpkin Recipes in the Index or follow my Skinny Pumpkin Madness Pinterest Board.

Enjoy!!

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Banana Split Bars

The heart-healthy power bars have all the ingredients one might have on a banana split: made with quinoa, rolled oats, dried cherries, nuts and honey plus antioxidants from the cinnamon and chocolate – and they taste good too!

I got a copy of the Power Hungry: The Ultimate Energy Bar Cookbook and couldn't decide which recipe I wanted to make first, they all look so good. Such a fun book, I asked them if they wanted to give some away to my fans and they said YES! So, three lucky winners will have a chance to win this cookbook, with loads of recipes for protein bars, granola bars, endurance bars, and even knock-offs of many store bought bars like Luna bars, Clif bars, and Kind bars to name a few. All the recipes are healthy, easy to make and use all natural ingredients. For a chance to win, visit Skinny Bits and leave a comment there.

These make a great snack, perfect to pack in your lunch bag, or great for powering up a workout or post-workout. While these bars weren't a big hit with my picky 3 year old, I thought these were tasty (I think she'll love the chocolate chip protein cookies). For variations of this, you can make a Maple Blueberry Bar, swapping out the cherries and honey for maple syrup and dried blueberries, or she suggests a Peanut Chocolate Banana Bar omitting the cinnamon and cherries and adding 2/3 cup of dry roasted peanuts in place of the walnuts.

To store, wrap them individually with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months, keeping them airtight. 

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Matcha Green Tea Shots

These healthy energy shots give you a BLAST of antioxidants, the perfect afternoon pick-me-up for a healthy Happy Hour!

I'm in love with Matcha, not just because of the antioxidants, or because it has two amino acids (theophylline and L-theanine) which have both an energizing and calming effect (which explains why Buddhist monks have been drinking Matcha for centuries!)

I really just love the taste of Matcha, more than I enjoy drinking a regular cup of green tea. Because it's a fine powder form of the tea leaf, it quickly dissolves in anything you put it in, hot or cold, so if I want to drink it cold, I just mix it in – no heating required!

This is so easy, and takes just 1 minute to make. I combine sweetened vanilla Almond Breeze almond milk and Matcha powder – then shake, shake, shake! That's it! You could even use unsweetened almond milk and a few drops of stevia.

For a quick afternoon pick me up, rather than reaching for a cup of coffee (which I prefer to drink in the mornings) I go for Matcha instead. It's the perfect pick me up without the jitters.


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Baked Eggplant Sticks

Strips of eggplant, breaded and baked until golden and served with a quick marinara sauce. Serve these as a snack, appetizer or side dish. I'm making these tonight with an eggplant I bought at the farmer's market and figured I would revive the recipe from the archives. Enjoy!

I can vividly remember the day when my picky daughter, who was in middle school at the time, told me she liked eggplant.  

Eggplant? Really? She was eating dinner at a friend's and they were having breaded eggplant for dinner and she loved it. Kids are always more willing to try new food when they are eating over their friends'. I was delighted she liked a new vegetable and I made breaded eggplant for her at least once a month, only I baked them instead of making them fried.

Eggplant is probably not for everyone, but if you like eggplant, or want to try introducing them to your family and don't know how, this is a good place to start. There are many varieties of eggplant, Japanese eggplant is a bit sweeter and milder. If you have a farmer's market near you, you will find a lot of varieties is season right now.



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Peaches and Cream Popsicles

There's nothing like eating a sweet, juicy, ripe peach on a hot summer day – but these peaches and cream popsicles made with yogurt, almond milk and almond extract make a wonderful treat on a hot day like today.

It's in the nineties today, the kind of day where you want to either sit in front of the air conditioner and never leave the house, or swim in the pool all day – we opted for the latter.

I've been thinking about making a peach dessert combined with almond extract – because I love the smell of my peach-almond facial scrub, so I came up with this easy dessert using really ripe sweet peaches, unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze almond milk and almond extract – delish! And by the way, Almond Breeze now comes in single size servings and is hosting a giveaway on Skinny Bits. Click here for a chance to win.

I used raw sugar to sweeten these, but you could sweeten them with stevia or whichever sweetener you prefer. My star shaped ice pop mold, which you can find on Amazon makes 4 oz popsicles, so depending on the size of your popsicle mold, you may get different amounts. 

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Tropical Fruit Salad Recipe

This tropical fruit salad, made with fresh papaya, mango, pineapple, bananas and grated coconut is the best tasting fruit salad... EVER!!

It makes a great big bowl, big enough to feed a crowd so it's perfect to bring to a picnic, potluck or to serve at a backyard BBQ. This is easy enough for anyone to make – if you can use a knife, you can make this salad. The bananas are added just before serving so they don't turn brown.

Fruit salad always makes me think of my Dad, when I was younger he made a great big bowl of fresh fruit salad just about every night. It's the perfect dessert because it's all natural, made with nothing but fruit – it doesn't get cleaner than that!

In my past life I must have lived on a tropical island somewhere; the climate, blue oceans, palm trees, and sweet tropical fruit are my idea of a perfect world. Thank goodness we can get papayas, mangoes, coconut and pineapples here in the states, but there are still so many tropical fruits I'd love to see a lot more tropical fruit imported here one day such as fresh guanabana (sour sop) guava or passion fruit (maybe I need to get on a plane to somewhere tropical really soon).

Fruit salad is naturally low-fat, low-sodium, gluten-free, vegan, paleo friendly, clean-eating dish you can serve for brunch, snack or dessert. Yes, there is sugar in fruit, but it's natural and unprocessed, and loaded with vitamins, antioxidants, phytonutrients and fiber. Unless you have to watch your sugar for health reason, the USDA suggests you eat about 1-1/2 to 2 cups of fruit a day.

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Superfood Triple Berry Chia Pudding

 

I LOVE chia pudding! And what can be easier than throwing a few chia seeds into a mason jar with some fresh fruit and almond milk and giving it a good shake! Side note: please excuse the manicure.

If you've never tried chia pudding, I highly recommend picking up some chia seeds and Blue Diamond Almond Breeze almond milk and give it a try. Chia is a super food; an excellent source of omega fatty acids, has more antioxidants than blueberries and it's full of minerals, calcium, protein, vitamins and fiber. Plus it is low in calories and is incredibly satiating.

Some of you may have tried my Mango Coconut Chia Pudding which is always a favorite of mine, but I wanted to try something with all the berries I bought this week and used fresh blueberries, raspberries and blackberries... delicious!

All I do is combine the chia seeds with milk (my favorite milk to use when making chia pudding is Almond Breeze Unsweetened Almond-Coconut Milk) then add fruit and a little liquid stevia or whatever sweetener you like, then shake it all up, let it sit 15 minutes and give it another good shake and keep it in the refrigerator overnight. Karina, my oldest loves this! Madison, my youngest wanted to help me style the shot, perhaps I have an assistant in training...

Isn't she such a ham : )

This is so healthy you can even eat this for breakfast, which is what I did this morning. Did I mention this fits into so many dietary restrictions; gluten-free, dairy-free, low sodium, low sugar, low calorie, vegetarian, vegan... enjoy!! By the way the lovely spoon is by For Such A Time Designs.


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Guacamole Deviled Eggs

If you're looking for a healthy snack of appetizer for St Patrick's Day, these green deviled eggs are the perfect solution.

My mom adds hard boiled eggs to her guacamole, so I thought why not add guacamole to hard boiled eggs? The results were lovely, and since I was testing them out for the blog, I actually enjoyed them for lunch.

These are a fun, "clean" snack or appetizer, not just as a green food for St Patrick's day, but for anytime of the year. Loaded with a good dose of healthy fats and perfect for any dietary restriction – vegetarian, gluten-free, weight watchers, low-carb, paleo, and more!

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Healthy Cookies

A healthy cookie made with just three ingredients! Mashed ripe bananas, oatmeal and walnuts. OMG, these really ARE healthy!

Cookie's for breakfast, cookies for lunch, cookies, cookies coooookies.

I'm really so excited about these cookies, can't you tell? Thank you, thank you to the person who emailed me this recipe. It was actually a recipe for a two ingredient cookie, but walnuts and bananas really do it for me, think banana bread.. in a cookie.

The cookies are best right out of the oven, they are chewy and soft – just how I like my cookies.

I'm anxiously awaiting my next batch of bananas to get super ripe so I can make them again. This time, I'm going to add almonds and see how they turn out. Next time, maybe raisins? chocolate chips? Cinnamon, pumpkin spice, vanilla... can't wait!

Egg free, dairy free, gluten free (use gf oats), vegetarian, vegan, kid friendly... what else can I say??

Be sure your bananas are super ripe. I've only tested them with quick oats, so I'm not sure how they work with rolled oats. My gut tells me stick with the quick oats.

If you're on Weight Watchers; each cookie is 1 points plus. Quick breakfast to go; 5 cookies and a piece of fruit = 5 point plus! Leave the nuts out, they are still 1 point each. Replace the nuts with mini chocolate chips... still 1 point. Make these today!

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Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

 
Hot and spicy cauliflower bites, battered and baked and smothered with hot sauce. Serve this with skinny blue cheese dressing and celery sticks on the side for a hot and spicy meatless appetizer.

I stumbled on a vegan version of this recipe on Peta and thought they looked good so I made some slight changes and gave it a try. I tested it out on some of the cauliflower-averse people in my home, and they gave it a thumbs up.

One thing to note, if you are watching your sodium, you'll have to look for a lower sodium hot sauce, or use half of the sauce. Frank's is my favorite for buffalo sauce, but it's not low in sodium. If anyone knows of a lower sodium buffalo sauce, kindly share!


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Veggie Shooters (Crudites with Skinny Ranch Dip)

Fresh cut vegetables served in individual shot glasses with your favorite dressing makes for an easy, healthy, elegant appetizer. No double dipping!

Think color and use your favorite vegetables; raw zucchini or celery would also be great. These are also kid friendly, my daughter loves bell peppers, carrots and cucumbers.

Of course, you can buy store bought dressing to save time, but whipping up a batch of your own is easy. You can make the dip and cut the vegetables ahead of time, then assemble when you are ready to serve it. If you are serving vegans or dairy free diets, swap the ranch dip for hummus!

If you're heading to a Holiday party and are worried about over-eating, bring these veggie shooters and skip the chips!


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Guiltless Banana Ice Cream

The ultimate "guilt-free" frozen ice cream treat made with only ONE ingredient, over-ripe bananas! No cream, or sugar added. Finally it's OK have ice cream for breakfast.

You know those bananas sitting on your counter, the ones with all those brown spots that you think are passed their prime. Well those bananas make the BEST dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, fat-free, frozen ice cream treat.  (Cute spoons can be found on Etsy For Such A Time Designs )

On my recent trip to the Dole Banana Summit, I was introduced to my first Yonanas Ice Cream Treat Maker - coolest machine EVER! You basically take your over-ripe bananas, freeze them, then run them through this simple machine. Out comes a healthy frozen, soft-serve banana ice cream. 

So easy, and fun to make with the family. Ever since I got my Yonanas, we've been experimenting with all the possibilities but quite honestly my favorite is some chopped walnuts and berries. I put some colored sprinkles on my toddler's and she loves it.

You can also add other frozen fruit such as berries, pineapple, mango or if you want something a little more decadent you can add some dark chocolate, or peanut butter. Think of the possibilities! 

Now, if you don't own a Yonanas, you can still make this frozen treat in a food processor , simply freeze the bananas and process until smooth and creamy. Thanks to the kind folks over at Dole Bananas, they are giving away ONE Yonanas Ice Cream Treat Maker to a lucky Skinnytaste fans. For a chance to win, head on over to Skinny Bits, the giveaway ends Friday, November 16th.

The ultimate guilt-free snack, breakfast or dessert!
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Skinny Pumpkin Granola

              

Making your own granola is easier than you think, and the beauty of doing it yourself is you can customize it to suit your taste and it's6 so much cheaper than buying it in the store.

Since pumpkin is so popular this time of year, I thought it would be fun to make a pumpkin version using oats, quinoa, maple, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, pecans, pepitas and dried cranberries.

Granola is great to eat alone as a snack, or over yogurt, but my favorite way to eat granola is with some fresh fruit and almond milk; it's one of my favorite quick breakfasts.

I paired this with some fresh chopped apples and pears, if you have some pumpkin butter, you can even stir some in... yum! (FYI, the cute spoon is from For Such A Time Designs)

The trick to keeping a bowl of granola cereal light is the ratio of fruit, milk and granola. First I fill my bowl with fresh fruit, then top it with 1/3 cup of granola and then some unsweetened almond milk. It's a great way to get your serving of fresh fruit and has lots of fiber to keep you feeling full longer. I've included the nutritional info both ways, for your convenience.

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Raspberry Coconut Chia Pudding Pops

Chia pudding, in a popsicle!

Quite frankly, when I thought up this idea I didn't know what to expect. I recently saw a recipe for rice pudding pops which sparked this idea. I LOVE chia pudding and I love coconut milk, so I figured how bad could they be so I basically recreated my mango coconut chia pudding using raspberries in place of the mango.

The results... fabulous!

The texture, the flavor and the little bits of fruit in each bite. They are refreshing and delicious and virtually guilt free! Don't be scared, give them a try! I used Nu-Natural liquid stevia (my favorite stevia) but you can use whatever sweetener you prefer, and sweeten it to your taste.

And by the way, if you are new to chia... chia (yes, same chia as a chia pet) is an ancient grain eaten by the Mayans and Incas. It has a lengthy list of essential fatty acids that support heart health, plus fiber which helps support normal functioning of the digestive tract. It also keeps you full for longer periods of time, so it's great to add to cereal, muffins, etc. If you can't find them in your health food store or Trader Joe's you can buy them on amazon.

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PB + J Yogurt

Peanut butter, grape jam, peanuts, and fresh red grapes on top of a bowl of yogurt... who needs the bread!

This was inspired by last week's trip to the chic new Chobani Soho Cafe. If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen some of my photos of the wonderful yogurt creations I got to sample – some savory, some sweet. If you are ever in the Soho area, you must stop in. The "priciest" yogurt is only $3.75 and they are served in a pretty glass bowl.

I got to sample all of their flavors, one was better than the next. I loved the Fig + Walnut and The Cucumber Mint served with pita chip was absolutely delightful, I plan on making this one next!

But since many of you live far from NYC, I've recreated a skinny version of the Peanut Butter and Jelly so you can make in your own kitchen.

I used reduced sugar grape jelly, but strawberry preserves and different nut butters would be fabulous alternatives. I went with a reduced-fat peanut butter, but PB2 would work great too!

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Easy Trail Mix Recipe + Tips on Making School Lunches Healthy and Fun For Kids

Hey Moms and Dads, if you're a parent like me you're probably busy buying lunchboxes and backpacks to get the kids ready for school. It's hard to believe summer's almost over, I feel like it just started!

My toddler is starting preschool this September, and I have been coming up with creative ways to make lunch healthy, fun and delicious.

This is my first sponsored post, but a topic I can really relate to. With a toddler about to start preschool I couldn't pass this up. When cooking for kids, my focus is always on healthy rather than skinny.

My teen is now in college, so I have plenty of experience packing lunch as I spent a little over 12 years doing it. My teen was as picky as they come, so I had to get creative with her. My strategy is to get the kids involved, make it fun and I bet they'll eat it! Here are a few ideas that worked for me...

Take The Kids Shopping With You

When you involve your kids in the lunch-making process, chances are pretty good they will eat what they find in their lunchbox.

My toddler loves the supermarket and I enjoy bringing her along. She helps me pick out the fruits and vegetables she likes and I make it a positive experience for both of us. Pictured above she is helping me pick out the nuts and dried fruit to use in our trail mix recipe (recipe below).

Get the Kids Involved in the Kitchen

If they make it, they will eat it – let them help!

I'm obsessed with sandwich cutters, aren't they fun? They come in all sorts of fun shapes such as butterflies, hearts, dinosaurs, dolphins and more but you can even use cookie cutters and get the kids to help. 

 

Pack Lots of Healthy Snacks

Snacks are by far my kids' favorite part about lunch, they love variety so I pack lots of stuff. Every child is different so pack the foods your kids enjoy, here are some ideas:

• Fruit and veggies cut-out in fun shapes
• Grape tomatoes with little toothpicks 
• Baby carrots
• Pretzels and hummus
• Cheese and crackers
• Baked tortilla chips and salsa
• Mini homemade muffins
• Homemade granola bars
• Trail mix (recipe below)

And finally a recipe even the kids can make! Instead of packing chips, make some trail mix. It's a great snack for kids or adults which can be modified to suit anyone's taste. Use whatever combination of dried fruit and nuts your kids enjoy and you can even add some granola, yogurt raisins, pretzels, cereal or chocolate to the mix.




Thank you GLAD for bringing us this post. Learn how to make your kids’ summer daze into school days by clicking here to find Mom Made recipes and tips from GLAD.

I would love to hear your tips, how do you make school lunch healthy and fun?

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