Chocolate PB Bars and Superbowl Snacks

February 5, 2016February 5, 2016 / ktbuchs87

Chocolate PB Bars and Superbowl Snacks | Life Healthfully Lived While I don’t take a HUGE interest in football, kind of hard when your team is the Bears…. but I do enjoy watching games and I really like watching the big game. Ok, ok, I’m mostly watching for the commercials and the halftime performance, BUT I still like to watch.

I’m also in it for the food. Come on, does that one shock you? Chips and dip, pizza, wings, snacks of all shapes and size, the Superbowl isn’t just super because of the football players. The Superbowl comes right at a time when you have been working hard to make eating healthy a habit. It feels like it’s there to test your willpower and you’re a horrible human being if you slip up and eat a chicken wing…. or fifty. Chocolate PB Bars and Superbowl Snacks | Life Healthfully Lived

You should never feel guilty for eating food, even if it isn’t the healthiest. You made a choice and that’s fine. Eat the food and move on. To help yourself feel a little better of eating a super bowl during the Superbowl (see what I did there?), try making real food snacks and appetizers for your party. Instead of buying your chips and dip, make your own. Create a build your own pizza bar and provide plenty of fresh vegetables for toppings. Or do a taco bar! Mmmmmm tacos….. There are plenty of ways that you can make your party food taste indulgent and healthy.

Which is why I made this treat for you guys! I love my salted caramel chocolate swirl bars from Christmas and I wanted to see if I could make something with my favorite combo: chocolate and peanut butter. I mean really, is there anything better than chocolate and peanut butter? No. The answer is no. Chocolate PB Bars and Superbowl Snacks | Life Healthfully Lived

These are gluten, dairy, and egg free so they can cover a variety of diets, allergies, and intolerances. If you can’t or don’t do peanut butter just sub in your favorite nut or seed butter, crunchy almond butter works really well! You can also make these a few days in advance and that is one less thing you have to prepare.

So make these and be the hit of the party and enjoy the comm… I mean the game!

Chocolate PB Bars

Chocolate Cookie Crust

1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 1/2 tbsp coconut sugar
6 tbsp solid coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350. If your coconut oil isn’t solid, measure it out and then stick it in the freezer for a few minutes. Meanwhile, combine the rest of the ingredients in a blender and pulse until fully combined.
Add in the coconut oil and pulse until the mixture is all crumbly. Lightly oil an 8 x 8 pan with some coconut oil and line with parchment paper with a little hanging over the sides. Press the cookie crust into the bottom of the pan and bake for 10 minutes. It will look like it isn’t set, but don’t freak out. It will all be ok!
Once it’s done let it cool for a few minutes and then place it in the freezer to harden while you get the filling together.

Peanut Butter Filling

1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax seed and 3 tbsp water mixed together)
1 tsp baking soda combined with 1 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp chunky peanut butter or almond butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp coconut sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut shreds
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips/chunks

In a medium bowl, mix flax egg, baking soda mixture, peanut butter, vanilla, and coconut sugar together. Make sure it is really well combined.
Stir in the coconut shreds and spread the filling on the cookie crust. Bake for about 8 minutes.
Pull it out and sprinkle the chocolate chips on top and then bake for another 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove from oven and let it cool completely before you cut them into bars. The bars may seem a little gooey, but they will firm up as they cool. Keep them stored in the fridge or the freezer until you’re ready to eat them.

DIY Wednesday: Better For You Banana Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

January 13, 2016January 12, 2016 / ktbuchs87

DIY Wednesday: Better For You Banana Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins I was watching Friends the other day, a normal happening in my house and the two random episodes that I watched mentioned mini muffins. This then made me think of the little packages of Hostess mini muffins that were all the rage in middle school. You were someone if you had mini muffins.

Yeah, it was weird.

I usually did not have mini muffins because they were expensive and my mom wasn’t going to waste money on junk food. Because let’s face it, muffins, even in mini form, are generally not a health food. Especially when they’re made by Hostess. DIY Wednesday: Better For You Banana Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

But boy are they delicious. And something about them being mini made them even better. Little food is always better. That’s just science. I decided to attempt to make a better for you mini muffin that would still taste good but wouldn’t be full of all this stuff. That’s what’s in those little bites of happiness. Yum….

My favorite muffin was always banana walnut but I decided to switch the walnuts for chocolate because duh, chocolate. My version uses dark chocolate, but you can use whatever you have on hand. I also decided to add just a few chips to the top rather than mix them throughout because I thought they would be just a little too big for mini muffins. But you do you. And you should do these mini-muffins.

Banana Chocolate Mini Muffins- gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and egg-free. I promise there is something in there!

1 1/2 cup almond meal
3 tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flaxseed and 5 tbsp water mixed together)
1 large banana, very ripe
4 tbsp almond milk
3 tbsp maple syrup or honey
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
handful of dark chocolate chips, optional

Preheat your oven to 350 and mix together your flax egg and set aside. Line a mini muffin tin with muffin cups or grease with a little coconut oil.
Put all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl and whisk together so there are no clumps.
In another bowl, mash the banana so it is fairly smooth. Add in the rest of the wet ingredients, including the flax eggs, and whisk with a fork to combine and smooth.
Pour the wet into the dry and use a spatula to combine everything. Drop about a tablespoon of dough into each well. These won’t rise a ton, so you don’t have to worry about them spilling over. If you’re using chocolate chips, press about 3 or 4 into the top of each muffin.
Bake the muffins for about 10 minutes and pull them out to check. If they are brown around the edges and fairly firm in the middle you’re good. If not, bake for another 2 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for a few minutes and then place on a cooling rack to cool completely.

These will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week or you can make a bunch and put them in the freezer to pull out whenever you need a mini muffin!

What were some of your favorite middle school snacks?

Healthy Holiday Travel Tips

December 21, 2015December 22, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Holiday Travel Tips | Life Healthfully Lived It’s almost here! Christmas is almost here! I am super excited to celebrate Christmas with my family and take some time to just relax and enjoy the season. While this is the most wonderful time of year, it can quickly become the most stressful time of year. Baking, buying and wrapping presents, going to concerts/programs/pageants, watching all the Christmas movies, planning the big dinner…. It can all add up to a pretty hectic month.

On top of all that, you’re probably going to be doing some kind of traveling this week. Whether it’s a few minutes, hours, or a day away, traveling can take a toll. Plus, being out of your normal routine and in a new place can sometimes put your whole body out of whack.

Traveling and Christmas doesn’t mean you have to throw all of your regular healthy habits out the window. In fact, this is the best time to keep up with your normal routine so that you can enjoy your holiday without feeling crummy.

Here are a few things that you can do to make sure you have the happiest, and healthiest, Christmas season!

Plan Your Food

Traveling is not the time to just wing it when it comes to your food. You wouldn’t show up to the airport without a ticket and hope there was a plane with an open seat just happening to go to your destination. Don’t leave your eating up to chance either! Holiday Travel Tips | Life Healthfully Lived

Plan out a few healthy snacks to bring along with you. Things like fruit, nuts, seeds, hard boiled eggs, and cut up vegetables all make really good portable snacks. You never know if you’re going to be stranded somewhere where the best option for food is the local gas station. If you need a few ideas for some good snacks, check out these homemade ones on my recipe page!

Hydrate Like Crazy

This is really a reminder for me because I am horrible at drinking enough water regularly. I just get so busy doing things and then by the time dinner rolls around, I realize that I have had one glass of water all day. Hydration is important no matter what, but traveling really makes it a priority. Get a reusable water bottle before you leave home and make sure that you are always refilling it. You can set reminders on your phone or download an app to let you know that it’s time to have some more water. Holiday Travel Tips | Life Healthfully Lived

Also, remember that things like fruit, vegetables, and hot tea all count towards your water intake. Just don’t let them totally replace glasses of water throughout the day.

Keep Moving

Yes, the place you’re traveling to this Christmas might not have a gym or your favorite Crossfit class, but that doesn’t mean you should totally give up on exercise. I’m not saying that you have to run a marathon every day of your break, but putting some activity in your day will keep your body, and you, at your best. Holiday Travel Tips | Life Healthfully Lived

Take a walk with a family member. Go sledding with the kids in your family. Cross country ski with friends who are also home on break. Heck, go build a snowman or have a snowball fight. All of these will keep your body in motion and help you feel your best

Be Ready For An Emergency

Of course, you don’t want to have to worry about an emergency while you’re celebrating Christmas, but sometimes things happen. Whether you suddenly spike a fever, have an allergic reaction, or injure yourself in that snowball fight I told you to have (you can totally blame me for that one), things happen. If you are away from home and your doctor, it can be difficult to find the best care. Holiday Travel Tips | Life Healthfully Lived

That’s where Amino comes in. They make finding a doctor in your area super easy and convenient. All you have to do is answer a few questions about your condition or what you are looking for, enter your insurance information and they will match you with the right doctors for your needs. This can be really helpful if you don’t know the area and need medical attention. It’s also good for when you get back home and want to find the perfect doctor in your area. Even better? It’s totally free.

Enjoy It All

Above everything else, enjoy your Christmas. It only comes once a year and most of us are so stressed about getting everything done that we don’t even take the time to slow down and enjoy the holiday. The best thing for your health this time of year is to really enjoy this time of year. Laugh with your family and friends, spend time with your loved ones, celebrate the love that was sent down to us this season, and don’t worry about the last present that needs to be wrapped or the batch of cookies you accidently burned. If you follow just one tip on this list, let it be this one! It will do you the most good. Holiday Travel Tips | Life Healthfully Lived

I hope this helps you out as you get ready for your holiday traveling and make sure to check back here on Wednesday because I’m going to have a few last minute recipes for you to whip up!

Happy Monday before Christmas friends!

DIY Wednesday: Coconut Chips

November 11, 2015November 11, 2015 / ktbuchs87

I’m not a huge snacker, but every now and then the snacking bug will bite and I can’t seem to stop grazing. Luckily I try to only keep healthy snacks around the house so I’m not binging on cookies and chips, but store bought healthy snacks can be full of unnecessary ingredients.

While some people might crave sweet snacks or salty snacks, I usually crave a combo. I love the mix of sweet and salty. Kettle corn is a weakness and Garrett’s Chicago Mix (it will never be anything else to me)? Forget about it.

I have seen coconut chips in the stores and online for awhile now and they always sound really good. A nice mix of sweet and salty, healthy fats from the coconut, and the satisfying crunch of the baked chips. A snacker’s dream. Not so dream like? The cost. A tiny bag of coconut chips at the store can cost almost $15. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

Good for you and me that it’s really easy to make your own at home! A few things, don’t worry if you don’t like the flavor of coconut these do not have a very coconutty taste. You will also want to make sure that you get the coconut flakes and not shreds otherwise you’ll end up with a pile of shriveled and burnt coconut shreds.

These come together fast and don’t require many ingredients, so if you feel a snack attack coming on you’re only a few minutes away from these sweet and savory coconut chips!

Coconut Chips

2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes, not shreds
2 tbsp coconut aminos, you can also use liquid aminos, soy sauce, or tamari
1 tbsp maple syrup, honey could also work
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp smoked paprika

Preheat the oven to 350
Dump the coconut shreds into a large bowl. Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir to coat everything.
Place some parchment paper or Silpat onto a large baking sheet and spread the chips in an even layer.
Bake for 5 minutes and stir the chips. Bake for another 2 minutes, watching carefully so the chips don’t burn.
Remove from oven and let cool…. or dig right in if you can’t wait!

Make sure to keep an eye on the coconut chips in the last few minutes because these can go from golden and delicious to charred very quickly. Store them in an airtight container for up to a week…. if they last that long!

DIY Wednesday: Plantain Chips

October 28, 2015October 28, 2015 / ktbuchs87

Snack foods are one of the biggest things that people buy in the store rather than make themselves. It is just so easy to buy those prepackaged and prepared foods to grab and go rather than create a snack for yourself.

I’m not going to completely knock bought snacks, there are a few healthy options out there. But for the most part, they are full of sugar and other ingredients that have no need to be in food or your body.

That leaves us with making our own snacks and often people default to cut up fruit and vegetables, especially if they are trying to be healthier with their choices. While fruit and vegetables are a great snack option, they can get a little boring after awhile. Boredom with food can lead to unnecessary snacking or choosing something not quite as healthy.

So what do you do? You leave it to me! Well, don’t leave it to me to actually make your snacks because there is no way I could get snacks to you personally every day even if I wanted to. No, leave it to me to come up with some tasty snacks that you can make on your own and will fuel you through your day.

Plantains chips are kind of a trendy food/snack right now. Plantains have been around for a very long time and are usually grown in warmer climates like South America. They are part of the banana family and actually look like bananas, but they are much starchier. Which makes them amazing for baking and making things like chips.

These plantain chips are really easy to make and you can make a big batch to snack on throughout the week. You also probably have all the ingredients other than the plantain in your kitchen right now. Just one big note: Make sure you get a greener plantain rather than a yellow or yellow/brown plantain. The yellow variety is sweeter and while tasty, it won’t make the nice crispy savory chip that the green variety will.

Plantain Chips

1 to 2 large green plantains, peeled
half a lime
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt, divided
olive oil

Slice the plantains very thinly. The thinner the slice, the crispier the chip!
Place the plantain slices in a large bowl and squeeze the lime juice over them. Sprinkle with the chili powder and 1/2 tsp of salt and then toss to coat them
Place a paper towel onto a large plate and set aside. Heat a little olive oil in a medium cast-iron or non-stick skillet and once the oil is hot layer the plantain chips in an even layer with plenty of room. You may have to work in batches.
Cook the chips until the bottom is golden brown and then flip over. Watch carefully so you don’t burn the chips. Once they are cooked move them to the plate. Take another paper towel and blot the top of the chips and while they are still hot sprinkle with the rest of the salt.

Simple and crispy chips that are a fun twist on regular chips but will still satisfy your snack craving! You can keep these in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days, if they last that long!

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