10 Minutes to a Healthier YOU - Reduce Sugar Intake

If you are anything like me, you have a sweet tooth.  I know many "experts" say to cut out sweets and sugar entirely, but I find I that if I make adjustments to favourite recipes (cutting down the sugar and/or replacing it with fruit), I can still have my cake and eat it too (so to speak!). 

Quick tip 1:  Take a favourite recipe and reduce the sugar by 1/4 to 1/3...even doing it gradually so your sweet quotient lessens. 
Quick tip 2: Use dried fruits or some dark chocolate and reduce the sugar so you still get some sweetness but with added fibre and nutrients.
Quick tip 3:  Use fruits like bananas, strawberries and applesauce to not only add sweetness but to replace some of the moistness that is lost when you cut down the fat and oil you use in recipes (more on that tomorrow!)
Here is a quick sweet treat as an example:

Ginger Oatmeal Cookies

I find this cookie delicious, and I think it would be a very nice "clif bar" type base. Try adding dried apricots, dried plums, or dried nectarines to make a heftier snack. I love these cookies! 

• 1 1/2 jars baby food (with bananas) (I'm not kidding!)
• 1/2 cup molasses (great for iron, but if you don't like it, use honey or brown sugar)
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 c whole wheat flour (or gluten-free all purpose flour)
• 2 c oats
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ginger
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• dried fruit, if you like

Mix and bake at 350 F, 10-15 minutes. The above makes 21 cookies at 50 calories a pop.