During December, the house fills with sweets. There are cookie exchanges, neighbors showing goodwill through gifts of goodies, and of course the holiday feasts themselves and the days of irresistible leftovers.
But January is the time to clear out the empty calories and get back on track. I find I often need to have some healthy options I can turn to, especially in the mid-afternoon when my energy lags.
Here are three recipes I recently discovered that help with that. The banana split and apple stacks are particularly beautiful, and I find this often helps my mood in the winter too. When I can’t see fresh flowers in the garden, it helps to see pretty food.
Lightened-Up Banana Split
Lightened Up Banana Splits
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 Banana
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt
- 2 to 3 tablespoons granola
- 4 strawberries, halved and sliced
- Optional: honey, maple syrup or agave nectar or semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Cut banana in half and lengthwise. Dollop some Greek yogurt on top of slices.
- Sprinkle with granola and fruit.
- For a sweeter treat, drizzle honey, maple syrup, or agave nectar and/or sprinkle with semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Apple & Peanut Butter Stacks
Apple & Peanut Butter Stacks
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 apple, sliced
- 1/4 cup peanut butter (enough to add to slices)
- Raisins (about 2-3 tablespoons)
- Granola (about 1-2 tablespoons)
Instructions
- Slice an apple cross-wise. Remove core.
- Spread each slice with peanut butter, sprinkle with raisins and granola, and stack.
Peanut Butter Bites
Peanut Butter Bites
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup granola
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Mix all together. Refrigerate for 1 hour, and then form into balls. Keep refrigerated until ready to eat.