It's Valentine's Day today! Whether you're celebrating with a significant other or with your friends and family, you probably have some type of dessert in mind for tonight. I mean, it wouldn't be a celebration without a little sweet treat, right?
If you're working on achieving a weight loss goal, you don't have to view Valentine's Day as a loss. In fact, there are some incredible desserts you can whip together in minutes that contain a fraction of the sugar that traditional dessert recipes have.
Why does the sugar matter? Sugar causes the release of the hormone insulin in your body. Once insulin is released, it locks up your fat cells so that you can't use it as an energy source, blocking something called lipolysis or the breakdown of fats. This means your fat burning is shut off and fat storing is turned on.
In order to keep you on track with your weight loss goals, we want to minimize the release of insulin. And insulin works on a sliding scale, which means the more sugar you consume, the more insulin that's released and the stronger the effect it has on blocking your fat burning mechanisms.
This is one of the main principles with the AEN Nutrient Timing in the Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle: focus on foods that reduce the insulin response to help you achieve your goals!
Today, I'm sharing three super simple recipes that you can whip up in minutes and share with your loved ones on Valentines Day... and STILL work toward your weight loss goals!
No you're not reading the recipe wrong. This is a completely grain-free recipe. No flour necessary. And yes, it actually tastes as incredible as it looks.
PB + CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE
(Featured from the Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle)
Makes 14-16 cookies, 1 cookie per serving
Ingredients:
1 cup organic peanut butter
1⁄4 cup maple syrup or raw honey
1 egg or 1 flax/chia egg (1 Tbsp. ground flax or chia seeds + 3 Tbsp. warm water)
1⁄2 tsp. baking soda
1⁄2 tsp. sea salt
1 dark chocolate bar, chopped up into pieces
1. Preheat your oven to 350.
2. Combine all ingredients except for the chocolate chips in a bowl until the batter forms. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
3. Scoop 1 Tbsp. sized cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool for 10-20 minutes before eating.
4. Store in the fridge for up to 7 days.
This spin on the classic berries and cream contains ZERO added sugar. The only sugar comes from the berries, which are naturally some of the lowest sugar fruits!
Berries + Cream
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2-4 cups sliced strawberries, raspberries and blackberries
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (preferably grass-fed)
1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream using a hand held mixer until stiff peaks form. This should take around 3-5 minutes.
2. Add the whipped cream to a bowl and serve with fresh berries.
Looking to keep it a little traditional on Valentines Day? You can keep it classic by adding a unique twist with Chocolate Covered Raspberries! By using dark chocolate paired with a naturally low sugar fruit, you can indulge without experiencing those spikes in insulin.
Chocolate Covered Raspberries
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1-2 cups raspberries
2 oz. 72% dark chocolate, roughly chopped
1 tsp. coconut oil
1. Set up a double boiler by filling a larger pot with water and placing a slightly smaller pot on top. Turn the heat to medium high and add the chocolate and coconut oil to the empty top pot. Lightly stir the chocolate and coconut oil until melted.
*If you are melting your chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave, you can place both the chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave safe dish and heat until melted.*
2. Place your raspberries on a parchment paper lined plate. Carefully, dip each raspberry in the melted chocolate and return to the plate. Once all raspberries are dipped, place the plate in the fridge until the chocolate is set. This should take around 10-30 minutes. Keep in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
Happy Valentines Day, my friends!
Your Nutritionist,
Autumn
Pssst - Looking to achieve your weight loss and wellness goals this year? Eat amazing, drool worthy meals and achieve your wellness DREAMS with the Complete Intermittent Fasting Bundle! Head over HERE to get started!
Autumn Elle Nutrition
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