Nothing motivates me to eat healthy more than the sweet reward of COOKIES!! Yep, you read that right! Cookies! I’ve tried restrictive diets that cut out sweets all together, hoping that it would completely eliminate my desire for them, but that’s just not my jam. I end up feeling depressed and deprived which leads to over-eating, feeling guilty, restricting, feeling deprived, overeating… the cycle goes on and on. NO thank you! I learned the hard way that restrictive dieting does NOT work. You can’t live your life on a diet… I quit ‘dieting’ a long time ago and I couldn’t be happier! I find that eating super healthy nourishing foods 80% of the time allows me the luxury of eating special satisfying treats for the other 20% of my diet.
That means that each day I guiltlessly indulge in a special little treat! From a handful of dark chocolate expresso beans to a small dish of slow-churned creamy vanilla bean ice cream, daily little sweets make me smile and they keep me satisfied with my healthy, balanced diet!
Let’s be real, nothing satisfies quiet like a decadent chocolate chip cookie. Being gluten free, my cookie options are limited at best. Many g.free cookies are chalky, crumbly, bland, hard, or just plain bad. But just because tasty gluten free cookies are hard to find does not mean they’re not out there!
So for today’s ‘Monday’s Motivation’ I want to encourage you to eat healthy all day long KNOWING that you have a special, little treat to look forward to at night! *Added bonus: all of these cookies are healthier than your typical packaged cookies!*
1. Lucy’s Chocolate Chip Cookies. Where to begin?! I LOVE these cookies! They’re the perfect texture (crispy and crunchy) but the vegan dark chocolate chips are still creamy and melt-in-your-mouth delicious! These are perfect dipped into a piping hot cup of fresh of coffee or rich chocolatey hot cocoa! Added bonus: these cookies are gluten free, vegan, and nut free! Perfect for people with allergies. I was thrilled when Lucy’s sent me a couple of these to review! Plus, Lucy’s support the American Cancer Society’s fight against breast cancer. I love ‘give back’ companies!
2. Ginny Minis Chocolate Chip Love. Another amazing gluten free cookie! These are organic, non- gmo, gluten free, and they’re made with real ingredients. They have a fresh, buttery taste! They’re also delicately crispy, crunchy and oh-so delightful! I bought a 6-pack of these individual packs on sale for $2.99 and they were terrific!
3. Immaculate Gluten Free Cookies. I found these ‘ready to bake’ chocolate chip cookies in the refrigerated section of my local Target. (As if I don’t love Target already!) I was pumped to find some take and bake cookies that were certified g.free. These cookies are amazing! As soon as you feel a craving coming on, pop them in the oven and in just minutes you’ll be enjoying these warm and chewy fresh-baked delights. The texture is on-point and you probably won’t even believe they’re gluten free! I love to chop one into mini cookies (so they bake faster) and then I pair them with some creamy vanilla bean ice cream (baby ice cream cookie sandwiches!) They’re the perfect tasty little treat!
4. Quest Cookies. Okay, I seriously cannot get over these! You guys know that I love Questy bars… but did you know that you can turn this ‘grab and go’ protein bar into your own fresh baked cookies?! All you do is microwave a Quest bar for 20 seconds until it’s soft and doughy. Then you shape it into small little cookies and bake in the oven for 2-3 minutes at 350 degrees! No measuring and mixing, sifting and stirring. Just delicious dessert in minutes! YUM!
How about you?! Do you love healthy cookies?!
1 Comment
I’m with you— if I deprive myself, it only makes me want them more! It’s nice to have that treat to look forward to at the end of the day, too. I don’t eat a whole lot of store bought cookies, but I’m always making a batch over the weekend for us to enjoy throughout the week! Plus, that smell of homemade cookies in the oven is priceless!!
April 15, 2016 at 5:12 pm