Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

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Day 12: Sugar Free Party?

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Welcome to day twelve of the Sugar Free Challenge!

Here is today’s sample menu:

Breakfast: Slice of Grain-Free Banana Bread. Vegan Option: PBC Bars

Lunch: Tropical Chia Pudding Parfait

Snack: Ants on a Log with Pistachio Butter

Dinner: Salad with Dijon Dressing

Dessert: Pumpkin Pie Bars with Creamy Coconut Frosting

Exercise Option: For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 30 crunches, 15 squats, 10 pushups, 20 calf raises.

~

I was thinking about how I could make this challenge more interactive and special, and I thought, “What better way to make this more exciting than having a sugar-free party?” Unfortunately, all the challengers can’t fly down to Florida to have a party with me (I wish!). Sooo…how about a twitter party?

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

What do you think about having a sugar-free twitter party?

I would only host the party if people would come, so would you come? What time/dates would work best?

Day 11: Oatmeal Raisin Bizookies

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Welcome to day eleven of the Sugar Free Challenge!

Here is today’s sample menu:

 

Breakfast: Oatmeal Raisin Bizookies (Recipe below)

 

Lunch: Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Bacon

 

Snack: PBC Bars

 

Dinner: Plum Socca Tart with Rosemary served with a salad or grilled meat.

 

Dessert: Neapolitan Cheesecake “Surprise!”

Exercise Option: For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 30 crunches, 15 squats, 10 pushups, 20 calf raises.

Now what in the world is a bizookie? It is a highly addictive, buttery (without butter) cross between an oatmeal raisin cookie and a breakfast biscuit. They taste divine with a morning cup of coffee, or a nighttime cup of warm (almond) milk.

Print
Oatmeal Raisin Bizookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 24 bizookies

Calories per serving: 45 per bizookie

Oatmeal Raisin Bizookies

~This cookie/biscuit is gluten-free (use gf oats), dairy-free, vegan, and sugar-free!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cup oat flour (make your own by grinding oats in a blender or food processor until fine like flour)
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup applesauce
  • 3 Tablespoons coconut oil, solid
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup raisins, soaked (save 1/4 cup of the water for later)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350*.
  2. Combine the dry ingredients.
  3. Mix in the applesauce, water, and raisins.
  4. Chop/crumble the solid coconut oil into the mix leaving some small chunks, and stir.
  5. Roll the dough into small 1-inch balls and place on baking sheet.
  6. Bake for 10 minutes or until bottoms are browned and tops are golden.
  7. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
https://www.spoonfulofsugarfree.com/2012/01/11/day-11-oatmeal-raisin-bizookies/

 

I was surprised by how buttery and somewhat sweet these turned out. They crumble slightly like a biscuit, and are not overly sweet. At the same time, however, they easily curb my dessert cravings. Perfect for those days when you feel down in the dumps and need a grandma-inspired cookie/biscuit to cheer you up.

Tastes great with a smear of solidified coconut oil, too!

 

Health Benefits:

  • Oats: Click HERE for a post about the benefits of oats.
  • Cinnamon: Studies have shown that it can help lower LDL cholesterol, help regulate blood sugar levels, has anti-clotting effect on blood, and it can boost cognitive function and memory.
  • Coconut: Coconut is widely misunderstood because of it’s high fat content; however, coconut’s saturated fat is made up of medium-chain fatty acids. These medium-chains are easy to absorb and digest, and are converted quickly into energy. This means that the body has no opportunity to store the medium-chain as fat. Coconut is also a great source of dietary fiber with a whopping 5 grams per oz!

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Quick! Choose: Biscuits or cookies?

Day 10: A Day of Vegan

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Welcome to day ten of the Sugar Free Challenge!

While I am not a vegan, I know many of my readers who are. Each day I give vegan options for the sample menus, but today will be a complete day of vegan meals. Enjoy!

Here is today’s Vegan sample menu:

Breakfast: Whole Grain Breakfast Bread

Lunch: Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Apples and Pecans 

Snack: Roasted Chili Lime Nuts

Dinner: Dairy-Free Supreme Nachos

Dessert: Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream Sundae

Exercise Option: For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 30 crunches, 15 squats, 10 pushups, 20 calf raises.

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

If you are vegan, would you mind sharing with us why you decided to become vegan?

If you are not vegan, do you still enjoy vegan meals? What are some of your favorites (feel free to provide links)?

Remember that you can track what you eat on the printable Challenge Checklist. 

Day 9: Comfort Food

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Welcome to day nine of the Sugar Free Challenge!

I hope everyone’s weekend went well! Now it’s back to the weekdays, and you might need a bit of comfort food to get through. Here’s today’s Comfort Sample Menu:

Breakfast: Start the day off with One Size Fits all Pancakes. Fluffy, Gluten-free, buttermilk pancakes made any way you like.

Lunch: Old Fashioned PB&J Oatmeal, or have a Pb&J Panini!

 Snack: Chocolate Chip Cookies (Aka High Protein Cookies)

Dinner: Healthy Chicken Pot Pie

Dessert: Fresh Apple Pie with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Exercise Option: For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 30 crunches, 15 squats, 10 pushups, 20 calf raises.

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

What do you consider comfort food? What is your favorite?

Remember that you can track what you eat on the printable Challenge Checklist.  

Day 8: Exercise Week 2

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Welcome to day eight of the Sugar Free Challenge!

It is the start of the second week of the challenge, so the “Break the Habit” option is over for those who chose to utilize this.

Here is today’s sample menu:

Breakfast: Smackaroons

Lunch: Chicken with veggies and BBQ Sauce

Snack: High Protein Cookie Dough Dip

Dinner: Grandma’s Goulash, Healthified

Dessert: Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting 

New Workout

The Exercise Challenge changes this week. For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 30 crunches, 15 squats, 10 pushups, 20 calf raises.

This option is for those who do not exercise regularly and would like to jump start their new year with an easy exercise routine. Each round of exercises take just a few minutes to complete. It would also be wise to add a bit of cardio to your day like walking, jogging, bike riding, or jump roping. Right when you get up in the morning, during lunch breaks, or before bed would be an excellent time to complete this routine.

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Do you change up your workout routine often, or do you prefer to do the same exercise?

Remember that you can track what you eat on the printable Challenge Checklist. 

Day 7: Sugar Makes Us Fat

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Welcome to day seven of the Sugar Free Challenge!

We are officially done with one week of the challenge. How is everyone feeling about their first week of sugar-free?

Today’s Reason to be Sugar-Free: 

The single largest source of calories for Americans comes from sugar—specifically high fructose corn syrup. Just take a look at the sugar consumption trends of the past 300 years:

-In 1700, the average person consumed about 4 pounds of sugar per year.

-In 1800, the average person consumed about 18 pounds of sugar per year.

-In 1900, individual consumption had risen to 90 pounds of sugar per year.

-In 2009, more than 50 percent of all Americans consume one-half pound of sugar PER DAY—translating to a whopping 180 pounds of sugar per year!

Today, 32 percent of Americans are obese and an additional one-third are overweight. Compare that to 1890, when a survey of white males in their fifties revealed an obesity rate of just 3.4 percent. In 1975, the obesity rate in America had reached 15 percent, and since then it has doubled.   —Dr. Johnson via Dr. Mercola

Here is today’s sample menu:

Breakfast: Saturday Morning Pancakes! Why not have some Gluten-Free Green Pancakes? I promise they taste delicious, and you get the extra bonus of some Vitamin A and K.

Lunch: Spicy Tomato Cure. There are a few sick siblings in my house, and the cold and flu seems to be circulating. If you or a loved one is sick, fill ’em up with this cure. It helps sooth the throat and stomach while killing bacteria and viruses.

Snack: Apple Crisps with Peanut Butter Hummus Dip

Dinner: Quiche with Flourless Crust

Dessert: Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Exercise Option: For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 10 crunches, 5 squats, 5 pushups, 10 calf raises. Today’s the last day of this exercise-tomorrow the reps increase!

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

How has your first week of sugar-free been? Have you stuck to it? Tell me about it!

Remember that you can track what you eat on the printable Challenge Checklist.