Marshmallow Toasted Oat Treats

One proven fact is that my son loves marshmallows. I decided to surprise him with a marshmallow treat, but of course I had to make it as healthy as possible (in spite of all the sugar). Similar to Rice Crispy treats, but I used toasted oat cereal (similar to Cheerios) and with only 1 gram of sugar per serving.

In a bowl, I mixed together:

• 5 cups toasted oat cereal
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 cup hemp seeds
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Then, I melted 10.5 oz of marshmallows in 3 tablespoons of butter on the stove.

Mix the dry ingredients just before combining with the marshmallow mixture, because all of the small seeds and oatmeal fall to the bottom. Mix quickly. Press into a pan. Cool. Eat. Voila.

I must admit that I probably ate as many of these or more than my son did. The day I made them, I took him four when I picked him up at school thinking he might share with someone. He ate all four. Quickly. Wouldn't even share one with me :) The great thing is that you have so many choices of things to add: nuts, seeds, dried fruit, etc.

These remind me of the energy bars I mentioned a while back. Look at the two recipes and make your own creation! The energy bars, though full of calories, offer more nutrition, but it's the same idea of making these to suit your own taste preferences.

I didn't take a picture, so I'll just need to make another batch. The 1/2 cup of chocolate chips was just enough to melt nicely and hide any hint of oatmeal or hemp seeds from little prying eyes! Here's a photo I found online that looks similar though with a bit more chocolate...

Action Item: Next time you make a dessert, see what you can add/change/omit to make it a little healthier.

For Further Reading: Try this recipe for energy bars before your next hike, run or bike ride. The October issue of Runners World also includes some great granola bar recipes.

Sweet Potato Muffins

Here's a recipe I pulled from Runner's World in 2011. Tried them for the first time this morning! My reaction is mixed. First of all, I had to change some ingredients based on what I had in the house, and of course I always add a personal touch. Be that good or bad. So as I mentioned, my reaction is mixed, but I will definitely make these again and try to follow the recipe exactly. OK, except maybe for the vegetable oil. The texture of the muffins is great, but there's not tons of taste. Knowing these muffins are packed with nutrients though makes it even more appealing for me. The mild taste makes them very versatile; I could eat them for breakfast (and I did), eat them post-exercise (which I might in a little while) or they'd be great in my son's lunch or easy to eat on a road trip. Filling and good and healthy!

 

"These are the lightest, fluffiest, easiest whole-grain muffins—ever," promises Bittman. Using sweet potato adds moisture and nutrients, such as beta-carotene.

Sweet Potato Muffins
2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour (preferably pastry flour)
3/4 cup sugar (I tried mostly honey and some brown sugar, still didn't equal 3/4 cup)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used applesauce)
1 cup pureed or mashed cooked sweet potato
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup buttermilk (I used coconut milk mixed with a little Greek yogurt)

Our batch was very dry so we added extra applesauce and milk at the end.

• Heat oven to 375° F. Grease 12 muffin cups or add paper liners.
• Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, and salt.
• In a bowl, whisk butter, oil, sweet potato, egg, and buttermilk. Fold wet mixture into the dry; stir until just combined.
• Fill muffin cups three-quarters full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Banana Nut Variation Reduce sugar to 1/2 cup. Replace sweet potato with 1 cup mashed, very ripe banana; add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts to the batter.

Pumpkin Coconut Variation Replace sweet potato with 1 cup canned pumpkin; add 1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut to the batter.

CALORIES PER MUFFIN: 248

CARBS: 37 G

FIBER: 3 G

PROTEIN: 4 G

FAT: 9 G

MARK BITTMAN may not be sure which marathon he's running next (he'll either tackle November's Philadelphia Marathon or December's Palm Beaches Marathon Festival), but he is sure about one thing: his training. "I'm doing a long run, speedwork, and tempo run every week," says Bittman, author of The Food Matters Cookbook. "And I'm following hard weeks with easier ones." For more, go to markbittman.com

 

Sweet snack

I often (and I mean often) eat vanilla yogurt with frozen wild blueberries. So delicious. You might like it for the same reasons that I do - it's filling, visually appealing, tasty and sweet, has a nice texture with the frozen blueberries, and it's good for you! There are, as always, a few things to remember.

Yogurt: Many brands have LOTS of sugar. Eat plain if you can and sweeten it with a natural sweetener such as honey. Or make your own! I started making yogurt after learning how to from a friend in Boston. I use agave nectar (still reading more about this) to sweeten mine and add a little vanilla. This way you have control of the sugar levels. Plain yogurt may be sweet enough for you with the added fruit. Some people also prefer soy yogurt, kefir or other options.

Blueberries: I prefer frozen because of the texture, and wild because they are smaller and tastier. But use your fruit of choice!

For us, this is a good addition to breakfast or a post-workout snack. Yogurt, with live and active cultures, helps maintain balance in your intestines. In other words, eating yogurt on a regular basis may help your intestines stay happy. And who doesn't want that?


Action Item: If you currently eat yogurt, especially yogurt with fruit in it, check the sugar levels. You might be surprised. If the sugar content is low, make sure it's not artificial sweetener (unless of course, you have diabetes or otherwise need some artificial sweetener in your diet).

Further reading:
1) What are Probiotics?
2) Make Homemade Yogurt - (I bought a small appliance that keeps the yogurt "cooking" at the right temperature, but it uses small containers which can be bothersome to empty and clean. I'm definitely going to try this method. My friend, who told me about making my own, kept hers warm overnight on her radiator!)