Just because you are changing your eating habits for the better doesn’t mean you need to deprive yourself! There are lots of ways to still eat dessert without going overboard or even risk ruining your hard work. Many of these healthy dessert recipes are easy to make. Your loved ones and friends will love the taste, and they might not even know that they’re healthy for them! Most of the ingredients you can find in your local supermarket and don’t require fancy equipment. So what are you waiting for?

Black Bean Brownies

Yes, you read that right, black beans in brownies! Don’t worry, you’re not supposed to taste the beans at all. These brownies are also flour-less which is wonderful for anyone who is gluten intolerant, or want to skip the dreaded white flour often found in cakes. Go ahead; sneak in some fiber while indulging in a rich chocolate dessert. Ingredients include maple syrup, oats, and coconut oil, which are all good for you.

The recipe is really easy too. You combine all (except one) ingredients in a food processor, pour in a baking dish and bake.

Try the recipe found on the cool blog Chocolate Covered Katie

Frozen Banana ‘Ice Cream’

This dessert is also particularly wonderful for those lactose intolerant folks. No dairy, just one ingredient: frozen bananas! People who have tried it say the consistency is similar to that of ice cream to the point where you can’t tell the difference. No one said if it didn’t taste like banana though.

All you need are ripe bananas. Cut them into chunks and freeze them. When an ice cream craving strikes, take them out and add a bit of sweetener (like honey) to taste and puree it in your blender or food processor. You can mix in whatever flavors you like, such as chocolate (using cocoa powder or melted chocolate), peanut butter, or any other kind of fruit.

Chocolate Avocado Mousse

Did you ever think that you could use avocado as a dessert ingredient? If you think about it, it has a nice creamy consistency. If you add enough of other ingredients, you most likely can’t taste it. Go ahead, try to make this and see if anyone notices! It is simple to make because it only consists of three ingredients: cocoa powder, avocado, and stevia.

Like the black bean brownies, all you need to do is blend the ingredients together. Enjoy.

Head over to Stonesoup to see the recipe.

Dried Strawberries

Don’t risk eating chemicals and more sugar than you care to by buying dried fruit from the store. Part of healthy eating is having total control over what goes into your body right?

Seriously, it’s super easy to make your own dried fruit. All you need are fresh strawberries and a working oven. Wash and dry them well, then stick the strawberries in the oven for three hours at 100 degrees (F). You can try to put this over the frozen banana ice cream, or even drizzle a bit of balsamic vinegar for a new way to eat dessert.

They key is getting fresh strawberries. You’d probably want to try making these when strawberries are in season wherever you are.

Coconut Strawberry Ice Cream

Coconut is definitely an ingredient that is gaining popularity. Coconot oil, water and milk have numerous health benefits, including anti-fungal properties and helping you hydrate your body. Don’t worry about the fact that it has saturated fat, it’s just that good for you! This ice cream recipe features only three ingredients: strawberries, coconut milk and honey.

There a different options in which you can freeze the mixture, so head over to Immer Washen to see the recipe.

The last thing you probably want to deal with is worrying about whether or not the restaurant you are at will cater to of your family’s needs. Sure, it is important to make sure that you and your spouse enjoy your meal, but what happens if your children aren’t happy? Do you want to make the effort to pile all your kids up in a car and drive someplace, only to find out that the restaurant isn’t child-friendly?

Planning ahead is crucial to ensure a successful dining experience. Asking yourself these five critical questions helps you become more well-informed when selecting a child-friendly restaurant.

Does the Restaurant Offer Child-Friendly Menu Options?

Lots of restaurants offer a children’s menu. These items are generally similar to dishes found on their regular menu, but with smaller portions. Some offer specials such as a free dessert and drink.

Sometimes the choices are quite limited which isn’t very helpful if your child is a picky eater. In any case, call ahead and ask if there is a children’s menu. Also, ask if you can pick an item from the standard menu but have it in a smaller portion. If so, try to choose ahead of time what each child wants in order to have a stress-free dining experience.

If your child has a food allergy, make sure that the menu can carter to different dietary restrictions. Most restaurants feature their menu on their websites or simply call to ask how the restaurant you plan on dining in can cater to your needs.

Is There Child-Friendly Seating?

How will your children eat if they cannot reach their food? Or worse yet, what if they have to sit on your lap and throw their food all over yours?

Find out ahead of time if there are any high chairs or booster seats for your children. Take the time to see if the chairs and booster seats they use are sturdy and heavy duty. If your children aren’t comfortable, chances are none of you will enjoy your dining experience.

Is the Restaurant Easy to Get in and Out of?

For families with strollers or small children, having too many steps, corners, or hard to find restrooms doesn’t make it very child friendly. Restaurants with ramps are an ideal option if you want to wheel your child into the restaurant. Ideally, you’d also want to be in a restaurant with or an open floor plan that has lots of room so your children don’t injure themselves accidentally or tire themselves out by walking too far to their table.

Is the Staff Friendly and Knowledgeable?

Let’s face it: nothing is worse than having horrible service at a restaurant. Even worse if your child is hungry and cranky. It will only add to your crappy dining experience.

Ask around or look at reviews to see if the restaurant you want to go to has friendly staff. See if they are knowledgeable about menu items if you have dietary restrictions or how long wait times might be. You cannot avoid waiting for your food, but if your server can at least let you know when your food will arrive, you can let your children know in case they get impatient.

Excellent staff also ensures that your food won’t get cold. Some also truly enjoy being around children and may even take the time to entertain them. The less complaints you get from your kids, the better of a time you will have.

Are there Child-Friendly Activities?

The less you have to think about ways to entertain your kids when dining out, the better. Do some research and see what types of activities local restaurants offer, such as coloring books, crayons, or white paper over tablecloths so your child can draw.

Some restaurants go so far as to put on kid-friendly channels on their TVs near the bar area. Other ideas include giving out balloons, a souvenir cup, or even an activity book to take home. The more activities a restaurant offers, the higher chance your child will have an excellent time.

It doesn’t take much effort to ensure that you and your family have a fuss-free experience. Make sure to ask these five questions and you’ll want to dine out again and again.

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Admit it: you think it’s hard cooking for one don’t you? Yeah, it’s easy to grab some take-out, or even prepackaged dinners, but doing this on a regular basis will hurt your budget and your waistline. It doesn’t matter where you live or how limited your budget is, you can cook excellent meals for one without resorting to sandwiches.

Cook Once and Eat Twice

Instead of fretting about whether you are cooking too much food, why not do so on purpose? There are lots of dishes that freeze well, such as soups and stews. You can cook a large batch of a dish and divide the rest into single servings. Most dishes freeze well for up to two months do you don’t have to worry about getting bored with eating the same meal 5 days in a row!

Some easy meal ideas:

• Chili
• Chicken pot pie (in individual serving dishes)
• Baked pasta dishes
• Meatloaf
• Clam chowder
• Fried rice

Don’t forget to write the date and what is in each package you freeze. Keep older meals in the front of the freezer and the new ones towards the back so you don’t end up eating food way past its due date.

Get creative with Leftovers

If you don’t have a freezer, don’t fret. You can still cook in batches and get creative with the leftovers. That way you can have a variety of dishes without needing to spend hours in the kitchen.

To use your leftovers to create other dishes, think about what can keep well for a few days in your fridge. For example, chicken is an excellent ingredient to get creative with. You can toss some chicken over a spinach salad, wrap leftover steak with some salsa and veggies in a tortilla, or even dice it up to make some fried rice. You can even think about using leftovers for different meals, such as using your steak stir fry from last night’s dinner into a delicious frittata for brunch the next morning.

Feel free to experiment as much as you want. After all, you don’t have to please anyone else’s palette. You can combine ingredients and cook meals to suit your heart’s desire.

Shop for Ingredients Wisely

Shopping for ingredients can be just as tricky as deciding what to cook because you wouldn’t want your food to end up being spoiled in the fridge. The best thing to do is to buy items in smaller amounts so you can keep track of what you have at home and have the freshest ingredients possible.

Some tips to consider:

• Keep an eye out on sale items. It is always helpful to have some pre-packaged meals for when you are too busy to cook. Make sure these items can keep for a length of time, or else you’d end up wasting your money.
• Purchase dried goods such as rice, beans and oats from bulk bins. That way, you can buy as much as you want and store it in jars to ensure their freshness for longer. Other ingredients you can purchase from bulk bins include spices, nuts, and seeds.
• Opt for smaller canned and boxed goods when you can. While it might be tempting to purchase a bulk box of cereal because it’s on sale, you will most likely end up throwing most of it away. Most canned foods will need to be used up fairly quickly once opened, so unless you plan on cooking all of it at once, better play it safe than risk having it spoil. Canned and boxed foods that can spoil quickly include fish, broth, and fruit.
• When purchasing fresh foods, buy as often as your schedule allows. You are likely to finish those ingredients before it spoils in your fridge. If possible, try to purchase produce with a longer shelf life, such as peppers, onions and potatoes. Items that tend to spoil fairly quickly include soft cheeses, leafy vegetables, and meat.

Cook For Others

You can turn cooking into a social occasion if you invite friends over for a meal, or attending a potluck. Making enough food to share can be a great excuse to spend time with friends and make new ones. Think about inviting over people in the same situation as you and have them cook a part of the meal, such as the dessert.

Cooking for one doesn’t have to be a chore. In fact it can be a fun and painless experience. Make sure you plan carefully, don’t go overboard when shopping for foods, and eat with others every once in a while. You don’t have to rely on slapping together sandwiches anymore, even if you do enjoy the occasional one.