Are you tired of restrictive diets that you can’t stick with? Wondering if you should try intermittent fasting for weight loss and better health? Read on to weigh the pros and cons.
Fasting is going without food. While that may sound drastic, consider that you fast every day while you’re asleep and between meals!
Intermittent fasting (IF) limits when you eat, not what you eat. IF is not a diet. It’s an eating pattern without the calorie-counting.
There are several types of IF, including:
• Fasting every other day of the week.
• The 5:2 plan: Eat as usual on five days of the week. Limit calories to 25% of your needs (for example, 500 calories on a 2000-calorie a day eating plan) on two non-consecutive days, such as Monday and Thursday.
• Time-Restricted Eating (TRE) limits food intake for at least 12 hours, and for as long as 20 hours, every day. For example, you can choose to eat all your food from 10 AM to 6 PM, or during any other time frame that works for you.
Researchs suggests intermittent fasting for weight loss and better health is promising. TRE is the least restrictive and most adaptable form of IF, and it makes the most sense for people with a busy lifestyle. However, no type of IF is suitable for children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, people with eating disorders, and some people with diabetes.
Feeling satisfied is key to maintaining a healthy eating plan.
Should You Try Intermittent Fasting for Weight Loss?
While I’m a fan of TRE, evidence suggests that this, or any, form of IF is no better than eating fewer calories in the long term. A recent study showed that following the 5:2 eating pattern for six months helped people lose more weight than those who simply cut 500 calories from their typical eating plan. However, by 12 months, those on the reduced-calorie plan had maintained their weight loss, while the other group had not.
It’s important to choose a type of IF that works for you and that’s sustainable in the long run. TRE can jump-start your intentions to eat better, and may reduce feelings of dietary deprivation.
In one study, overweight people who reduced their eating window from about 15 hours a day to 10 to 11 hours daily for 16 weeks lost weight, and reported higher energy levels and better sleep. Even though they weren’t asked to restrict calories, participants ate less without feeling deprived.
Get the real story about the health effects of eating dinner late at night
Pro tip: Spend most of your fasting time asleep.
In another study, a group of overweight people who ate only from 10 AM to 6 PM consumed an average of 350 fewer calories and lost about 3% of their body weight. They also lowered their blood pressure. Study subjects were not asked to limit calorie intake.
TRE and other forms of IF may help with modest calorie restriction, but fasting is not a magic bullet for weight control. Whether or not time-restricted eating actually decreases the amount of food consumed varies from person to person.
IF improves the body’s response to insulin. Insulin is the hormone produced in the pancreas that is necessary for cells to absorb glucose, which is used for energy. Insulin levels are lower when fasting, an ideal situation to prevent insulin resistance.
In insulin resistance, blood glucose levels are elevated. High insulin levels trigger the pancreas to produce more insulin to try to get glucose into cells. As time goes on, the pancreas’ ability to churn out insulin declines, leading to prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes and contributing to the risk for heart disease and cancer.
Pay attention to portions and the quality of foods you choose with intermittent fasting.
Even without weight loss, limiting food intake to eight hours and fasting from 3 PM on every day for five weeks decreased insulin levels, reduced insulin resistance, and improved blood pressure in overweight men with prediabetes.
Women may notice that it’s not as easy to control their weight after age 40. As we age, we lose muscle tissue that burns more calories than fat. In addition, we may become less active, which also burns fewer calories. At some point after age 40, most women begin the transition to menopause called perimenopause. Perimenopause is the time leading up to menopause, which typically occurs after age 50 in most women.
During perimenopause, estrogen fluctuates as it begins to decline for good. Weight gain is one of the side effects of a loss of estrogen and aging in general (men tend to gain weight, too!). Most women accumulate belly fat during the menopause transition, and after menopause occurs, and it’s often a source of consternation.
Weight control, including IF, is a topic covered in great depth in The Menopause Diet Plan, A Natural Guide to Managing Hormones, Health, and Happiness, that I have co-authored with Hillary Wright, M.Ed, RDN. Depending on the type, intermittent fasting may be a good strategy for healthy eating for women after age 40 and age 50. We favor TRE for women because we think it’s the best way to meet their needs and maintain a busy schedule that may also include eating dinner with family every night, juggling household duties, and holding down demanding jobs.
How to Try Time Restricted Eating
• Be consistent. Choose an eating/fasting pattern that works for you and stick to it every day, including on weekends. Start by limiting food intake to 12 hours daily, and try to stop eating by 6 or 7 PM. If you want, gradually decrease your eating window to eight hours with 16 hours of fasting daily.
• Eat a balanced diet. Plan your food intake to include adequate amounts of nutritious foods, and limit added sugar. Eat three satisfying meals daily to avoid excessive snacking, also known as “grazing”. Grazing is linked to a higher body mass index in women and a poorer quality diet in women and men.
• Remember that moderation counts. IF doesn’t involve calorie-counting, but if you use your eating window as a free-for-all, you’re missing the point. You can eat whatever you want, but maybe not as much as you want.
• Focus on calorie-free fluids. Water, black coffee and tea, and other calorie-free beverages are OK at any time.
All foods fit on any intermittent fasting program, but moderation counts, too.
With so much food to prepare and so many presents to buy, the holiday season keeps everyone busy! I am always looking for ways to save time and money. While I shop at ALDI all year long for high-quality food at a lower cost, it’s even better during the holiday season because ALDI simplifies shopping and makes it affordable. By stopping at ALDI first, I cross a lot off my holiday to-do list all at once, and for less money.
Get more done at ALDI, and have more time for yourself this holiday season!
You may know ALDI for its high-quality food at low prices, but are you aware that ALDI also carries presents for everyone, including hostess and Secret Santa gifts, toys for the kids, goodies for the dog, and holiday decorations for the house?
ALDI Finds: Affordable, Premium Food and Gifts
Every week, ALDI introduces new ALDI Finds, a selection of premium food and household items that are only in stores for a limited time, all at unbeatable prices. Here are some of the items hitting the stores on December 12:
There’s something for everyone, including your favorite pet, at ALDI!
Cookie kits and bakeware sets are affordable gifts for the chef in your life.
Simple and Elegant Holiday Foods
When friends and family visit, I love to put out a charcuterie board, but I do not like to pay a lot of money for it. It takes just a few minutes to assemble high-quality ingredients from ALDI such as these (below) on a festive platter, and I get to “wow” my guests without paying a premium price!
You’ll pay less for premium products, include gluten-free foods, at ALDI.
I always try to include fruits and vegetables in every holiday dish, so I’m thankful ALDI recently announced a 40% increase in fresh foods, including organic produce and convenient ready-to-eat products like sliced fruit.
This party platter took minutes to assemble with high-quality, affordable ALDI foods!
ALDI also carries high-quality gluten-free foods, dairy, and fresh meat and fish. In fact, the ALDI liveGfree gluten-free line and the NeverAny! line of fresh meat products (which have no antibiotics, added hormones or animal by-products) recently earned the Good Housekeeping Seal, which is considered the gold standard for guiding shoppers to high-quality food.
Candy is my splurge! I prefer the delicious chocolate from ALDI.
Give more, and make more of the holidays at ALDI. You’ll save so much money, you can splurge on yourself!
Visit aldi.us to take advantage of better-for-you recipes so you can make fresh food at home. For more fun information and tips, “Like” ALDI USA on Facebook and follow @ALDIUSA on Instagram and @ALDIUSA Twitter. And, if you’re like me and want to share your own recipes, photos, tips and tricks, tag ALDI using the hashtag #ALDILove.
Just because you’re stuck at home right now doesn’t mean you want to cook, or even know how! Or, maybe you prefer to prepare simple meals on most days, even though you like to spend time in the kitchen. No worries. Here are 19 healthy, simple meals to make when you don’t want to cook, and most use pantry staples. Double, or quadruple the “recipes” as needed!
Meals don’t need to be fancy to be delicious and good for you, too!
Easy No-Recipe Breakfasts When You Don’t Want to Cook
In addition to being delicious breakfast choices, these meals make good snacks. However, you can eat them for a lunch and dinner, too!
• Top a 2-ounce whole-wheat bagel with 2 tablespoons peanut butter, almond butter, or sunflower seed butter. Serve with 8 ounces 1% low-fat milk or unsweetened fortified soy milk, and fruit.
Five minutes is all it takes to make a batch of No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Cookies that pair perfectly with a carton of Greek yogurt and fruit.
• Spread 2 slices whole grain bread with 2 tablespoons sunflower seed butter, and top with 1 small banana, sliced, or another fruit. For instance, 2 tablespoons raisins, which contain no added sugar.
• Scramble 2 eggs and divide equally between a small whole-wheat pita pocket that’s been cut in half. Add salsa, a handful of spinach, and 1⁄4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheese, if desired. Pair with 8 ounces milk or fortified soy milk.
• Scramble 2 eggs with 1⁄4 cup diced mushrooms or other vegetables, and 1⁄4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese. Serve with 2 slices whole-wheat toast, and fruit.
• Pair a hard-cooked egg with 8 ounces low-fat yogurt in addition to 1 slice whole-grain toast, and fruit.
• Halve a cantaloupe or honeydew melon, remove the seeds, and fill with 1 cup cottage cheese or low-fat yogurt. Serve with a whole wheat roll.
My go-to fish meal: breaded haddock topped with a can of undrained chopped canned tomatoes and dried parsley with vegetables and whole grain bread. Cook at 400˚F for 15 minutes or until done.
Lunch and Dinner Meals to Make When You Don’t Want to Cook
These meals require a minimum of cooking, and very little clean up!
• Microwave a medium potato. Scoop out the insides and mix with 1 cup cottage cheese. Return the filling to the potato skins and warm in the microwave. Add a green salad.
• Top 1 whole-wheat pita round or small whole wheat Naan bread with tomato sauce and sliced part-skim mozzarella or cheddar cheese. Broil until cheese melts. Serve with 8 ounces 100% orange juice or enjoy with an orange or 2 clementines.
• Make a quick quesadilla using two whole-wheat 7-inch sandwich wraps, 2 ounces chopped leftover chicken, and 1 ounce Monterey Jack cheese. Grill in a skillet. Enjoy with fruit.
• In a bowl, layer 1 cup cooked whole-grains, for instance, whole-wheat couscous, 1 cup cooked vegetables, and 4 ounces cooked leftover salmon, or canned or pouched salmon.
• Mix 4 ounces canned or pouched, drained tuna with mayonnaise and pair with 10 whole-grain crackers, and sliced red bell pepper.
Canned lentil soup is a great start to a simple, balanced meal.
• Mix 1 cup canned reduced-sodium lentil soup and 1 cup cooked pasta or other leftover cooked grain such as farro, brown rice, freekeh, or quinoa, and chicken or beef, if desired. Serve with 8 ounces milk or fortified soy beverage in addition to fruit.
• Combine 1 cup canned white beans, drained, with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 4 ounces peeled and raw shrimp in a skillet. Cook until shrimp are pink. Serve with fruit or vegetables.
• Saute 8 ounces 100% ground skinless turkey breast meat or 95% lean ground beef with chopped onions and 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin. Spoon cooked meat equally onto 2 whole-wheat tortillas in addition to chopped tomato, lettuce, and plain yogurt. (This dish serves two.) Serve with Greek yogurt and salsa and fruit or vegetables.
Use whatever meat, beans, or vegetables you have on hand to make quick quesadillas.
• Coat 4 ounces thinly sliced chicken breasts or tenders with flour. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken for about two minutes on each side. Place chicken on a whole-wheat sandwich bun and garnish with tomato and lettuce, and avocado, if desired. Serve with 8 ounces milk and a piece of fruit or baby carrots and cherry tomatoes.
• Fast fried rice: Heat 2 teaspoons canola oil in a medium skillet. Add 1 cup cold cooked white or brown rice, 1⁄4 cup chopped onion, 1⁄4 cup cooked peas or diced carrots or both, and 2 beaten eggs. Toss the entire mixture until the egg is cooked. Season with a dash of low-sodium soy sauce. Serve with fresh fruit.
For a simple, balanced meat, add protein-rich foods, such as cooked chicken, canned tuna or salmon, or beans.
• Place 4 ounces cooked shrimp, canned or pouch tuna, cooked or pouch salmon, cottage cheese, or tofu, on top of 2 cups chopped leafy greens and 1⁄2 cup grape tomatoes. Top with a mixture of 2 teaspoons olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Serve with whole-grain bread or roll.
What are your go-to simple healthy meals these days?
Every year, I host two Thanksgiving dinners, one on the actual day and the other on the Sunday before. I’ve been doing this for a while, but this year, I finally got smart and made nearly all of the sides in advance. I was so inspired by the idea of make-ahead holiday side dishes that I asked my dietitian friends for their favorite recipes. Enjoy!
This fresh Cranberry Relish from Julie Harrington is a refreshing departure from store-bought canned and it can easily be made ahead of time.
I stink at gravy, so I’m grateful for Michelle Dudash’s Best Turkey Gravy, which you make in two steps, one of them a few days ahead of time.
Roasted Vegetable Stock from Chef Catherine Brown can be made up to five days in advance and refrigerated or frozen for up to six months. Homemade stock is about 1,000 times more flavorful than store-bought, so if you get a chance, make this.
Almond Flour Apple Muffins with Pumpkin are moist and delicious.
Farmers grow our food and they are the reason why we are here. Visiting any type of farm is an eye-opening experience that I highly recommend because it’s important to see firsthand all the work it takes to produce the food that feeds us. My trip to an almond orchard, courtesy of the Almond Board of California, inspired this recipe for Almond Flour Apple Muffins with Pumpkin.
Almonds make a delicious, nutritious snack and you can turn them into almond flour in minutes.
All About Almonds: Fun Facts
It was interesting to learn about how almonds are grown and to actually see how they are harvested. Here is some of what I learned about almonds:
• California grows 80% of the world’s almonds
• 90% of California almond farms are family farms
• One ounce of almonds supplies about half of your daily requirement for vitamin E, which protects cells against everyday damage.
You can use any type of almond to make almond flour for this muffin recipe.
What is Almond Flour?
Almond flour is made from peeled almonds. It’s different from almond meal, which is usually made from unpeeled almonds. (Note: While almond meal is gluten-free, the recipe for Almond Flour Apple Muffins is not because it also uses whole wheat flour.)
You can interchange almond flour and almond meal in this muffin recipe, and in other quick breads, and baked goods such as cookies and pancakes. Almond flour is lighter so you may want to use it in a cake recipe instead of almond meal.
Here’s how to make your own almond flour. For this recipe, I grind up whatever almonds I have on hand.
Replacing Wheat Flour with Almond Flour
I use ground almonds for most of the flour in this recipe, and swap in whole wheat flour for the all-purpose kind.
Almond flour is lower in carbohydrates and higher in fat than all-purpose flour, which helps make these muffins moist and tender. In baking quick breads, such as muffins and pancakes you can replace wheat flour, such as all-purpose flour, with an equal amount of almond flour. However, baked products will be flatter when you don’t use any wheat flour and more dense because of the lack of gluten, which helps them rise.
I did not use all almond flour because I prefer a lighter muffin. I opted for some whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose because whole wheat flour adds more fiber and other vital nutrients.
Shredded apples, and pumpkin puree, provide moisture, flavor, and nutrients.
Good Apples for Baking
Apples supply fiber, fluid, and other nutrients. You can many different types of apples in this recipe and other baked goods, but I would avoid Macintosh because they are too watery to begin with and often get mushy when cooked.
I prefer Cortland or Granny Smith for baking because they hold up better. But, it’s really your choice!
Healthier Almond Flour Apple Muffins with Pumpkin
Muffins from the supermarket and coffee shops can have between 300 and 500 calories (and so can the homemade variety) and are often mostly refined grains and added sugar.
These tasty muffins are a healthier choice because they provide more nutrients, such as fiber, and less sugar and added fat.
Snacking can be good for you if you make the right choices.
Adults consume 400 to 900 daily calories as snacks daily, and half of all children take in about 600 calories between meals, which is enough to qualify as a meal! Use these tips for better snacks and upgrade mini meals for more energy, better focus, and good nutrition.
It’s OK to snack. The problem is that snacks are often rich in calories, fat, and sodium, and low in nutrients.
What is a healthy snack?
It’s natural to get hungry between breakfast, lunch, and dinner, especially for young children and teens. Kids need to energy grow, and adults who skimp on meals, or skip them, need snacks, too.
Think of snacks as balanced mini-meals, not meal-wreckers. For example, when you combine cheese, whole grain crackers, and fruit, it’s OK to eat lightly at your next meal.
There’s no limit on snacks, but they should be balanced. And, you should account for snack calories as part of daily calorie needs so that you don’t eat too much. It’s easy to confuse snacks and treats.
Popcorn is a whole grain and makes a healthy snack.
When kids snack at home, have them eat at the table. Eating at a table encourages mindfulness about food.
Make protein a part of better snacks for kids and adults
Cookies, chips, and candy temporarily curb hunger, but they aren’t particularly filling in the long run, in part because they lack protein.
Protein promotes eating satisfaction, and may contribute to easier weight control.
Protein-rich foods, such as low-fat dairy, lean meat, poultry, and seafood, also provide vitamins and minerals, including choline, iodine, and vitamin B12 for brain health. And, soy, beans, nuts, and seeds supply fiber, which we need every day.
Peanut butter and whole wheat bread is a nutrient-rich, filling snack idea.
Carbohydrates are part of healthy snacks for kids and adults
Carbohydrates are found in foods such as milk, fruit, vegetables, beans, bread, cereals, pasta, rice, and other grains, and in cookies, cakes, and other sweet foods and beverages.
Nutritious, satisfying snacks combine protein and carbohydrates, preferably the complex kind.
Foods rich in complex carbohydrates include whole grains, beans, fruit, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Popcorn is a whole grain.
Fresh raw vegetables are full of fluid and help you feel fuller for longer.
Complex carbohydrates, including starch and fiber, take longer to digest. In addition, complex carbohydrates are generally found in foods with vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are plant compounds that support health.
Tips for better snacks to make at home
Double Berry Smoothie: 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup fresh or frozen wild blueberries, 1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries or strawberries, 2 tablespoons milk, sweetener of your choice. Combine in food processor or blender and drink immediately.
Double Berry Smoothie
Small bowl of whole grain cereal and milk or fortified soy beverage. (Most plant milks don’t supply as much protein as dairy or soy.)
1 serving plain one-minute oats prepared in the microwave with 8 ounces milk and topped with 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
Choline is linked to a lower risk for neural tube defects. The neural tube develops into a baby’s brain, spine, and spinal cord.
Choline also plays a role in the development of the hippocampus, the brain’s “memory center.” As a result, choline may help preserve and improve memory. The hippocampus is one of the only areas in the brain that produces cells into late adulthood.
Some studies show a link between better memory in people with higher choline intakes. And, people with Alzheimer’s disease have lower levels of a compound that allows the brain to use choline.
How to include enough choline
More than 90% of U.S. adults don’t consume enough choline, including pregnant and breastfeeding women.
Here’s how much choline you need every day:
Adults, ages 19-50 (not pregnant):
Female: 425 milligrams; Males: 550 milligrams
Pregnant: 450 milligrams
Breastfeeding: 550 milligrams
Choline is found in a variety of foods. However, animal foods, such as eggs, meat, and seafood, have the most choline. For example, one large egg or 3/4 cup roasted soybeans supply about 30% of your daily choline intake.
You may not get enough choline if you limit or avoid animal foods. As a result, you may need a choline supplement.
The amount of choline in foods can be found in the Nutrient Facts panel. The panel is on food and supplement labels. The Daily Value for choline is 550 milligrams.
Most multivitamins and prenatal pills do not contain much choline. You may need an additional choline pill, especially if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. However, limit choline intake to 3,500 milligrams daily.
The thyroid gland contains nearly all the iodine in the body. It stores iodine to make hormones for brain development and growth, and to produce energy.
How iodine builds and maintains the brain
During pregnancy, the body needs thyroid hormones to make myelin. Myelin helps nerve and brains cells to communicate.
Iodine helps baby’s brain develop properly. Severe iodine deficiency in mom’s diet can lead to mental retardation and Attention Deficit Disorder.
Dairy milk has iodine. However, many people avoid dairy foods. As a result, they may be missing out on iodine.
Seafood and sea vegetables supply iodine. Experts suggest eating at least eight ounces of seafood weekly. Pregnant and breastfeeding women should eat eight to 12 ounces of seafood weekly.
Salt with added iodine, called iodized salt, is a reliable iodine source. However, the same isn’t true of salty packaged foods.
Most of our salt intake comes from processed foods, but food companies almost always use plain salt.
Experts suggests pregnant and breastfeeding women take 150 micrograms of potassium iodine as a supplement daily. That advice also applies to women who may become pregnant.
The body absorbs potassium iodide well. Taking more iodine is not better for you.
How vitamin B12 helps the brain
During pregnancy, the brain needs vitamin B12 for proper development and growth. The brain also needs vitamin B12 throughout life.
Vitamin B12 is part of the myelin sheath surrounding nerve cells. The myelin sheath allows cells to “talk” with each other.
Vitamin B12 helps produce neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters help nerve cells communicate.
Foods with vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is found naturally in animal products, including seafood, meat, poultry, eggs, and milk. It is not present naturally in plant foods. However, fortified foods, such as breakfast cereals and other grains and nutritional yeast, have vitamin B12.
It’s possible to be low in vitamin B12 if you avoid animal products. You can get enough vitamin B12 with fortified foods and dietary supplements.
Exclusively breastfed infants of women who eat no animal products may develop vitamin B12 deficiency within months of birth. Untreated vitamin B12 deficiency can result in severe nerve damage.
How much vitamin B12 you need
Vitamin B12 deficiency is more common than you think.
Up to 15% of the general population doesn’t get enough vitamin B12. Poor memory, confusion, depression, and dementia are symptoms of too little vitamin B12 in the diet.
You need 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B12 daily after age 14.
During pregnancy, the daily suggested intake is 2.6 micrograms, and it’s 2.8 micrograms daily during breastfeeding.
Why you may need more vitamin B12
People with celiac disease and Crohn’s disease and those who have had weight loss surgery may absorb less vitamin B12.
Common medications affect how your body processes vitamin B12, too.
Ask you doctor about the medication you take. You may need extra vitamin B12.
Age also affects vitamin B12. The body absorbs less natural vitamin B12 after age 50. As a result, experts say people over age 50 should get most of their vitamin B12 in the synthetic form.
Synthetic vitamin B12 is added to foods such as breakfast cereal and other grains and dietary supplements. Added vitamin B12 does not require stomach acid for digestion. As a result, the body can use it easily.
In conclusion: How to have a better brain
Eating right helps the body and brain develop properly and supports it throughout life. Include foods rich in choline, iodine, and vitamin B12 in a balanced diet. If you don’t, consider taking a daily multivitamin and a choline supplement to meet your needs.
Peach Melba Smoothie is a riff on the classic dessert.
Smoothies can be sugary, low-nutrient drinks, or healthy enough to serve as a meal or hearty snack. They can be bone-building beverages, particularly kid-friendly, or both! Smoothies supply fluid, and they can be healthier than soda and other sugary soft drinks. Smoothies run the gamut, so how do you make the best beverage?
I asked my nutritionist friends for their favorite drink recipes and they sent me these mouthwatering recipes! No two of these smoothies are the same. Explore all the links below, no matter what your goal.
Hydrating Smoothie Recipes
Every smoothie supplies fluid, but some have more than others. These picks are super refreshing, especially on hot days.
Carrot, Mandarin, and Cayenne Smoothie looks like sunshine in a glass!
Kids crave smoothies, and they love to make up their own flavor combinations. Start with these recipes, and let children and teens create their own sippers.
Think of snacks as nutritious mini-meals, not meal wreckers. These recipes supply fruit, vegetables, and protein, so you won’t have to worry if you, or your child, eats less at the next meal.
Arugula meets apple in this smoothie and it’s spectacular!
There’s nothing wrong with cookies as part of a balanced eating plan, but you should get more than calories, added sugar, and unhealthy fats when you eat them. With 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber, No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, which have no added sugar, are vegan, and happen to be gluten-free, are a better way to satisfy your sweet tooth!
Why You Should Make No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
My idea of a delicious cookie recipe is combination of oats, peanut butter, raisins, and pure vanilla extract. Raisins make these cookies naturally sweet, and they need no added sugar. In addition, these cookies vegan and gluten-free when you use gluten-free oats.
No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are also 100% whole grain and help to satisfy the suggestion from nutrition experts to eat at least three servings of whole grains daily.
I love the ease of making these cookies. They are ready to eat in about 5 minutes, and one batch is often enough to last the week. That’s important for busy people who can’t spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing healthy foods, but want to improve their eating habits.
Oatmeal is a whole grain that adds fiber and other nutrients.
Peanut butter is packed with healthy fat and helps hold these no-bake cookies together.
Raisins are sweet, but they contain no added sugar!
Healthy Breakfast Cookies for Kids
We usually think of cookies as snacks or dessert, but they work for the morning meal, too! You eat breakfast for dinner, so why not cookies for breakfast?
Cookies for breakfast are a big hit with kids, and they will love having them as snacks or desserts, too!
If you don’t like cereal, eggs, or other traditional “morning foods” for breakfast, or you don’t have time to eat before leaving the house, these cookies are for you. One No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Cookie paired with milk, fortified unsweetened soy beverage, or a carton of yogurt and a piece of fruit makes a balanced morning meal.
No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are OK to eat any time of day!
No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (no added sugar, gluten-free, vegan)
These cookies are ready in minutes, require no cooking, and are delicious for breakfast or snacks!
Prep Time5mins
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cookies, glutenfree, no added sugar, peanutbutter, raisins
Servings: 10
Calories: 292kcal
Ingredients
2cupsCalifornia raisins
1cuppeanut butter, no sugar added
2teaspoonspure vanilla extract
2cupsuncooked oats, toasted*
Instructions
Place raisins, peanut butter, and vanilla extract in food processor. Blend on HIGH until well combined, about 45 seconds. The mixture will resemble a paste.
Place the raisin mixture in a medium bowl. Add oatmeal and combine well, using your hands, if necessary. Form into 10 cookies or balls.
Store in airtight container.
How to Toast Oats
To toast oats, preheat oven to 350˚F. Spread the oats evenly on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before using. You can save time by skipping this step.
Hi, I'm a registered dietitian, writer, recipe developer, and mother of three who specializes in food and nutrition communications and believes in progress, not perfection. If you're interested in easier ways to live a healthier life, you're in the right place. Welcome!
Hi, I'm a registered dietitian, writer, recipe developer, and mother of three who specializes in food and nutrition communications and believes in progress, not perfection. If you're interested in easier ways to live a healthier life, you're in the right place. Welcome!