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Don’t buy pre-packaged granola that’s full of preservatives. Make this homemade, protein filled version instead.

Yield: 7-10 servings

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 30min

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar-free syrup
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 3 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup raisins

Directions:

1. Pre-heat your oven it 300 degrees.
2. Combine the peanut butter, old-fashioned oats and syrup in a large mixing bowl. You can use a food processor to mix the ingredients, but hands works best.
3. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
4. Spread the mixture from the mixing bowl onto the pan.
5. Cook the mixture at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the oats start to brown on the bottom.
6. Let the granola cool, then put it in a large storage container.
7. Dump the dried cranberries and raisins into the container. Don’t add the fruit to the granola before cooking it because the heat of the oven can scorch the skin of the fruit, which makes it bitter.
8. Put the lid on the container and shake it so the fruit mixes in with the granola.

Oatmeal can be boring if you make it the same way day after day. But remember it is heart friendly meal.  Here is a recipe to try next time you want something different.

Yield: 2 servings

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 10min

Ingredients:

• 4 tbs. agave syrup
• 2 cups of oats
• 3 cups milk
• 1/2 Grapenuts cereal

Directions:

1. Put the dry ingredients into a pot.
2. While stirring, add the milk and syrup.
3. Cook on medium heat until the oatmeal reaches your desired consistency.

This low calorie ice cream sensation is a tropical mix of citrus, banana, cherry and vanilla. One serving is 1 1/3 cups, but it only has 130 calories. That’s a lot of ice cream parfait for the calories!

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: NA

Ingredients:

• Dreyer’s Most Orange-inal ice cream
• Dreyer’s One Split Wonder ice cream
• Sugar-free cherry syrup
• A bag of frozen cherries (defrosted)

Directions:

1. First, on the bottom of a desert cup, make a thin layer (1/3 cup) of Dreyer’s Most Orange-inal ice cream.
2. Next, cover the layer with a couple squeezes of sugar-free cherry syrup.
3. Add a layer (1/3 cup) of Dreyer’s One Split Wonder ice cream and top with cherry syrup.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 two more times and top the treat with 1/3 cup frozen cherries.
5. Serve right away.

This pita can be made in less than five minutes and has only 177 calories. The Italian herbs are what give this hearty lunch its zing. This will be your main course. You can serve low calorie chips or vegetables and dip as a side dish.

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: NA

Ingredients:

• 4 whole wheat pitas
• 1 lb. deli sliced turkey
• Romaine lettuce

Directions:

1. First, cut the pita in half and put it aside.
2. Dust three slices of thin deli cut turkey breast with 1 teaspoon of Italian herbs.
3. Next, stuff the turkey and a leaf of romaine lettuce into the pita.
4. Drizzle with your choice of dressing.

Pink stuff salad may sound weird, but once you try it you’ll be hooked. It combines creamy, tart and crunchy into an amazing dessert.

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 15 min

Chill Time: 8 hours

• 2 packets sugar-free gelatin
• 1 container of sugar-free whipped cream
• 2 packets of cream cheese
• 2 cans fruit cocktail
• 1 sliced banana
• ½ a bag of coconut
• 1 cup chopped nuts

1. Mix all ingredients into a large bowl.
2. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.

Sweet potatoes are rich in antioxidants and contain manganese, copper, vitamin C, dietary fiber, vitamin potassium, B6, and iron. This muffin also contains cinnamon. Read Health Benefits of Cinnamon to learn more about this healthy spice.

Yield: 10-12 muffins

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 20-25 min

Cook Time: 20-25 min

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• ¾ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp. nutmeg
• ½ ground cloves
• 1 8oz. can of sweet potatoes
• 1 egg
• ½ cup milk
• ¼ cup butter

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Drain the sweet potatoes.
3. Blend the sweet potatoes until smooth with a food processor.
4. Mix together the dry ingredients and then blend in the wet ingredients.
5. Grease the muffin tin if you are not using muffin cups.
6. Fill the muffin tin or muffin cups 2/3 of the way full.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Want to be able to drink margaritas and still watch those calories? Well this is the margarita for you! This margarita has only 109 calories per serving and tastes just like the original. Serve it as your appetizer.

Yield: 2 servings

Prep Time: 15 min

Ingredients:

• 80 proof tequila
• Partida Agave Nectar
• Ice
• Lime juice
• Margarita salt

Directions:

1. First, in a glass or shaker, add 1 1/2 cups of ice cubes and 2 tablespoons of clear, 80 proof tequila.
2. Next, add 2 tablespoons of Partida Agave Nectar.
3. Juice one lime and add the juice.
4. Shake the mixture.
5. Add to the blender. Use the pulse button to grate the ice into fine flakes.
6. Serve with a lime wedge and margarita salt.

Pumpkin is a classic holiday food, but it is also full of vitamins and minerals. In fact, one serving of pumpkin has 763% the recommended daily dosage of Vitamin A and 7 grams of fiber. It also contains calcium, iron and Vitamin C.

Yield: 10-12 muffins

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 20-25 min

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• ¾ tsp. salt
• 1 8oz. can of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 egg
• ½ cup milk
• ¼ cup butter
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix together the dry ingredients and then blend in the wet ingredients.
3. Grease the muffin tin if you are not using muffin cups.
4. Fill the muffin tin or muffin cups 2/3 of the way full.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Ingredients

210g of self raising flour, ¼ tsp of salt,200g of sugar, 115g of unsalted butter, 1 egg, 60g of yoghurt, 180 ml of milk, 15 mils of vanilla extract.

Preparation

Mix the baking flour and the salt together in one bowl. In another bowl, beat the sugar, egg, milk, yoghurt and vanilla until they are evenly combined.

Put the two mixtures in one large bowl and mix them well until there are no lumps remaining. Divide the batter into 12 cupcake liners then bake them for 20 minute and then let them cool before filling.

The cupcakes stay fresh when covered at room temperatures for 2 days or 4 days when refrigerated.

Serves: 5-6

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups of chopped arugula,1 cup of avocado, 1 cup of walnuts, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tsp lemon juice,3/4 tsp of salt, 3/4 tsp of ground pepper,1/2 tsp of dried basil and ¼ cup of nutritional yeast.

Preparation

Cut the spaghetti squash into half, remove the seeds and then bake them in a dish (with a little water) for 30-40 min (at 375 degrees F).

As the spaghetti squash is baking, prepare the other ingredients and then put them in a blender. Add 1 3/4 of water in the blender and then blend them until smooth after which you add salt and pepper.

When the squash is finished baking, leave it for 10 to 15 minutes and with a fork, scrape out the pulp into a bowl. You can leave the squash and the pestro in separate so that you can use any ratio that you like.

Serve while still warm and you can sprinkle some salt and pepper. Dress with raw tomato.