Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

nutrition

Day 16: Processed vs. Whole Food Sugar

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Welcome to day sixteen of the Sugar Free Challenge!

Today’s Reason to be Sugar-Free: 

Processing techniques have created sugar that has been extracted from these whole, natural foods, and is devoid of essential vitamins, minerals, and fibre. A simple way to understand this concept is to consider a large chocolate bar and a can of soda. Together they contain approximately 100 grams of sugar. If we want to eat the equivalent of 100 grams of sugar from whole apples, we have to eat approximately 6-7 medium apples. Of course, many of us become full in eating just a few apples, but we are more than capable of eating a chocolate bar and drinking a can of soda in one sitting. So by eating foods that have been processed and concentrated, we put a great deal of stress on our organs, which is a significant cause of low energy and illness. ~Dr. Ben Kim

Here is today’s sample menu:

Breakfast: Fried egg (coconut oil) atop a bed of sauteed kale, bell peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes.

Lunch: Plum Socca Tart with Rosemary

Snack: High Protein Cookie Dough Dip

Dinner: Slow Cooker Chicken with Olives and Artichoke

Dessert: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

Exercise Option: For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 50 crunches, 10 squat jumps, 15 pushups, 20 1-legged calf raises (10 each leg).

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

What is your opinion of whole fruit sugars vs. processed sugars?

Remember that you can track what you eat on the printable Challenge Checklist. 

Day 15: Halfway There!

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Welcome to day fifteen of the Sugar Free Challenge!

We are now officially halfway through with the challenge! Wahhoooo! Great job everyone.

Here is today’s sample menu:

Breakfast: High Protein Cookie Crisp Cereal.

Lunch: Heart-Stopping Chicken Salad. Vegan Option: substitute chickpeas for meat.

Snack: an assortment of fresh fruit, veggies, and a bar of unsweetened chocolate (if you don’t like unsweetened chocolate, substitute a small handful of nuts).

Dinner: Hobos. Take a piece of ground beef and roll into a patty. Top with peppers, potatoes, onions, and carrots and wrap in foil. Bake at 375* for one hour. Tastes great drizzled with dijon mustard or Homemade BBQ Sauce. Vegan option: Two Cans and a Potato

Dessert: Slow Cooker Cinnamon Applesauce with Cinnamon

New Workout

The Exercise Challenge changes this week. For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 50 crunches, 10 squat jumps, 15 pushups, 20 1-legged calf raises (10 each leg).

This option is for those who do not exercise regularly and would like to jump start their new year with an easy exercise routine. Each round of exercises take just a few minutes to complete. It would also be wise to add a bit of cardio to your day like walking, jogging, bike riding, or jump roping. Right when you get up in the morning, during lunch breaks, or before bed would be an excellent time to complete this routine.

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

How has the challenge been going for you so far? We are halfway through, so how do you feel?

Remember that you can track what you eat on the printable Challenge Checklist. 

Day 14: Breakfast All Day Long!

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Welcome to day fourteen of the Sugar Free Challenge!

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? Not only does it wake your body up and give you energy for the day, but “breakfast” food, in my opinion, has some of the tastiest recipes. I categorize Breakfast food into  categories: Eggs, Oatmeal, Pancakes/Waffles, and Baked Goods/Pastries. Each “Breakfast” today will feature one of these categories.

Here is your Breakfast Sample Menu for today:

Breakfast #1: Mini Frittatas. Starting your day with protein, like the proteins found in eggs, has been shown to keep you more full throughout the day, and give you more energy.

Breakfast #2: Baked Banana Oatmeal. Oatmeal lowers cholesterol, helps burn fat, reduces risk of diabetes, regulates bowel movements, reduces blood pressure, and reduces risk of heart disease. You can also get your daily dose of oats by making Oat Cakes, Pumpkin Spice Latte granola, Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal, or Chocolate Monkey Tail Oatmeal.

Breakfast #3: Bitter Chocolate Waffles. Pancakes and Waffles are a bit time consuming to make during the weekday mornings, so why not have it for dinner? Also try One Size Fits All Pancakes and Grain-Free Pumpkin Pancakes.

Breakfast #4: For your dessert tonight, have a breakfast-inspired Oatmeal Raisin Bizookie. I have tons of different baked good recipes, so check out my recipe page above for more ideas. Some of my favorite include Smacaroons, Breakfast Bread, Grain-Free Pecan Sticky Buns, and Grain-Free Banana Bread.

Exercise Option: For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 30 crunches, 15 squats, 10 pushups, 20 calf raises.

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Have you ever eaten breakfast for every meal of the day?

What is your favorite breakfast recipe? Please share!

Remember that you can track what you eat on the printable Challenge Checklist. 

Day 11: Oatmeal Raisin Bizookies

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Welcome to day eleven of the Sugar Free Challenge!

Here is today’s sample menu:

 

Breakfast: Oatmeal Raisin Bizookies (Recipe below)

 

Lunch: Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Bacon

 

Snack: PBC Bars

 

Dinner: Plum Socca Tart with Rosemary served with a salad or grilled meat.

 

Dessert: Neapolitan Cheesecake “Surprise!”

Exercise Option: For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 30 crunches, 15 squats, 10 pushups, 20 calf raises.

Now what in the world is a bizookie? It is a highly addictive, buttery (without butter) cross between an oatmeal raisin cookie and a breakfast biscuit. They taste divine with a morning cup of coffee, or a nighttime cup of warm (almond) milk.

Print
Oatmeal Raisin Bizookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 24 bizookies

Calories per serving: 45 per bizookie

Oatmeal Raisin Bizookies

~This cookie/biscuit is gluten-free (use gf oats), dairy-free, vegan, and sugar-free!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cup oat flour (make your own by grinding oats in a blender or food processor until fine like flour)
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup applesauce
  • 3 Tablespoons coconut oil, solid
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup raisins, soaked (save 1/4 cup of the water for later)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350*.
  2. Combine the dry ingredients.
  3. Mix in the applesauce, water, and raisins.
  4. Chop/crumble the solid coconut oil into the mix leaving some small chunks, and stir.
  5. Roll the dough into small 1-inch balls and place on baking sheet.
  6. Bake for 10 minutes or until bottoms are browned and tops are golden.
  7. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
https://www.spoonfulofsugarfree.com/2012/01/11/day-11-oatmeal-raisin-bizookies/

 

I was surprised by how buttery and somewhat sweet these turned out. They crumble slightly like a biscuit, and are not overly sweet. At the same time, however, they easily curb my dessert cravings. Perfect for those days when you feel down in the dumps and need a grandma-inspired cookie/biscuit to cheer you up.

Tastes great with a smear of solidified coconut oil, too!

 

Health Benefits:

  • Oats: Click HERE for a post about the benefits of oats.
  • Cinnamon: Studies have shown that it can help lower LDL cholesterol, help regulate blood sugar levels, has anti-clotting effect on blood, and it can boost cognitive function and memory.
  • Coconut: Coconut is widely misunderstood because of it’s high fat content; however, coconut’s saturated fat is made up of medium-chain fatty acids. These medium-chains are easy to absorb and digest, and are converted quickly into energy. This means that the body has no opportunity to store the medium-chain as fat. Coconut is also a great source of dietary fiber with a whopping 5 grams per oz!

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

Quick! Choose: Biscuits or cookies?

Day 10: A Day of Vegan

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Welcome to day ten of the Sugar Free Challenge!

While I am not a vegan, I know many of my readers who are. Each day I give vegan options for the sample menus, but today will be a complete day of vegan meals. Enjoy!

Here is today’s Vegan sample menu:

Breakfast: Whole Grain Breakfast Bread

Lunch: Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Apples and Pecans 

Snack: Roasted Chili Lime Nuts

Dinner: Dairy-Free Supreme Nachos

Dessert: Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream Sundae

Exercise Option: For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 30 crunches, 15 squats, 10 pushups, 20 calf raises.

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

If you are vegan, would you mind sharing with us why you decided to become vegan?

If you are not vegan, do you still enjoy vegan meals? What are some of your favorites (feel free to provide links)?

Remember that you can track what you eat on the printable Challenge Checklist. 

Day 6: Sweet or Savory

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Welcome to day six of the Sugar Free Challenge!

I received a comment the other day that provoked me to think more about sweet and savory. I believe that eating “savory” foods like salads and stir-fries makes me crave less “sweet” tasting foods. My usual day of eats, however, combines the two. Some sweet some savory.

Here’s today’s “Sweet and Savory” sample menu:

Breakfast: Savory Mini Frittatas in any flavor you choose! Vegan Option: Pumpkin Spice Latte Granola

Lunch: Savory Fresh Salad with Ginger-Miso Dressing

Snack: Sweet Bowl of Slow Cooker Cinnamon Applesauce

Dinner: Savory Garrick Stuffed Steak with side of salad or sauteed vegetables. Vegan Option: Homemade Spring Rolls

Dessert: Sweet Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Frosting

Exercise Option: For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 10 crunches, 5 squats, 5 pushups, 10 calf raises. 

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY:

What are your thoughts on sweet vs. savory meals? What does your normal day of eats entail? What do you crave?

Remember that you can track what you eat on the printable Challenge Checklist.