Happy Halloween

Can you believe it?! It’s already October 31^st, a solid six weeks into fall quarter. Have any big plans to celebrate Halloween tonight?

Whether you are headed out to costume party or decide to hang low and snuggle inside, I have a few suggestions to relish in the fall spirit.   

Parties are a great way to socialize and celebrate the Halloween festivities with friends however can derail your diet in minutes after a trip through the buffet line. A Snickers here, a handful of Reeces there, and BAM… you have consumed more saturated fat in five minutes than you did the entire day.

 

Rather than mindlessly munch, prepare yourself for the party by bringing your own culinary creation. I am headed to a neighborhood party tonight but now I will be tight on time. A quick Google search sparked my memory of a box of pumpkin cake mix I purchased last week. I am a huge fan of the Funfetti Cake Cookies, and thus will be attempting a healthified Pumpkin version tonight, using 2 egg whites mixed with 4 oz. of unsweetened applesauce with a little drizzle of dark chocolate (or 2 miniature crushed candies of your choice) to top them off! Stay tuned for the final product… Nutrition Note: 1 box will yield 30 cookies, each less than 130 calories J

If you prefer to stay in, no worries; I usually do tooJ. With the chilly weather and early sunset, why not plan a delicious pancake breakfast for dinner?  I came across this Sweet Potato Pancake recipe a few months back and absolutely fell in love with it (runeatrepeat.com). After a few modifications, it is now my go to creation when I am craving a sweet for my main meal.

 

Sweet potatoes are not only an excellent source of vitamin A and C, but they also pack a ton of fiber! Top pancakes with peanut butter (I like PB2-85% less calories than regular peanut butter), sliced bananas and a drizzle a.k.a. large dollop of maple syrup!  Don’t forget to pair with a glass of milk to get your dairy in! Pancakes doctored up like these are a great way to meet the 4-5 food groups recommended per meal. 

Recipe:

Ingredients:

-1 small baked, mashed sweet potato (skin off)

-1 egg white
-1 tsp. cinnamon
-1/2 tsp. baking powder
-1/2 cup flour of choice (I used whole wheat)
-1/4 cup sugar sweetener of choice (I used Splenda)
-1/4 cup of milk of choice (I used unsweetened almond milk)

Preparation: Using a hand mixer, beat sweet potato with egg white and milk. Gradually add in dry ingredients (you could use a separate bowl & mix first like the traditional method, however I have not found much difference in mixing all together at one. Plus, it’s one less bowl to wash J)

  

All of these ingredients are available at your neighborhood market! PB2 is coming soon as well J Stay tuned!

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