We have a new favorite healthy snack in our home thanks to our friends and partners at Prograde Nutrition. That snack is a Prograde Protein Popsicle and it tastes absolutely delicious. Here’s a quickie video of Angie and Noelle demonstrating how easy it is to prepare this healthy snack. Be sure to check out Noelle’s taste test at the end of the video

Here’s the recipe directions:

NOTE: We used blueberries instead of cherries, but I can’t wait to try the original Prograde recipe with the cherries.

First, take a handful of frozen or fresh cherries: approximately 1/2 a cup (or whatever berry or fruit you happen to have on hand)
1-6oz. container of Greek Yogurt (your flavor of choice)
1 scoop of Prograde Vanilla Protein Powder
1 handful of chopped peaches: approximately 1/2 a cup

Reserve a few chunks of the fruit on the side

Blend the yogurt, Prograde Protein Powder, and rest of the fruit till smooth.

Next, drop the reserved fruit into whatever popsicle containers you have (I used the plastic kind you buy at the grocery store for $1)

Pour the yogurt mixture in over the fruit, and freeze till solid.

Nutrient Breakdown:

Calories: 238
Protein: 28 grams
Carbs: 33 grams
Fat: 0 grams

This recipe made 4 popsicles so you will need to divide those calories by four if you are not eating them all yourself in one sitting That means that each popsicle is less than 60 calories per serving and they are TOTALLY satisfying!

Give this recipe a try today! I’m sure that you and your family will enjoy it just as much as our family does.

To achieving your limitless potential,

Scott and Angie Tousignant

PS My partners at Prograde Nutrition have the best tasting protein powder that I’ve ever tried. That’s why we love adding it to so many of our recipes. If you haven’t tried Prograde Protein Powder for yourself, we recommend that you do yourself a favor and treat yourself to some today!

Lack of time and a busy lifestyle is no excuse to place your children’s health at risk. Helping your children adopt healthy habits does require some upfront work, but before you know it, your new healthy family lifestyle will become routine. And it is totally worth it!

I called upon my friend Dr. Daisy Sutherland aka “Dr. Mommy” to share her tips and advice to help families become more active together and consume more nutritious foods.

In the audio below you will hear Dr. Mommy share some awesome healthy snack ideas along with some great advice for parents who may be dealing with picky eaters in the family.

We also discussed our role as parents and the example we set for our children, as well as what is causing the rapid rise in child obesity. Plus we covered the topic of placing your kids in multiple after school activities.

This was a wonderful discussion that I am very excited to share with you. I hope that you enjoy it and share your thoughts and opinions in the comment box below.

Dr. Mommy provides great advice on all of her blogs and I encourage you to check them out. Here’s just a few… Retro Parenting, Dr. Mommy Chronicles, and Dr. Mommy Health Tips

I’d love to hear what you do to help your kids adopt healthy habits. Do you have any fun family games that you play? Are you sneaky with getting veggies into your kids meals? Any great tips and tricks that you have found work well? Share them in the comment box below, I’d love to hear from you.

You ROCK! Enjoy the experience,

Scott Tousignant

My friend and Registered Dietitian Isabel De Los Rios, author of “The Diet Solution Program” has been kind enough to share some of her healthy snack options with us today. Try them for yourself and share them with your family.

Sesame Chicken Fingers

4 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast sliced into 4 strips
¼ teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 tablespoon toasted black and white sesame seeds

In a small bowl, marinate the chicken with the soy sauce, mustard, water, and turmeric up to 1 hour. Coat the chicken with sesame seeds.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken in a nonstick baking pan.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until chicken strips are cooked through.

Healthy French Toast

mmmmm this is a favorite of mine…

2 Organic eggs beaten
½ cup Organic whole milk
¼ tsp cinnamon
4 slices of Ezekiel Cinnamon Raison Bread
Organic Maple Syrup
Stevia (optional)

Combine eggs, milk, and cinnamon. Pour into a flat glass-baking dish. Place bread into egg mixture. Allow bread to soak on both sides for a few minutes. Lightly grease and heat skillet over medium heat. Place bread on skillet and cook until golden brown about 2 minutes per side. For added sweetness, sprinkle Stevia and/or Organic Maple Syrup over top.

Apricot Oat Bars

These are easy to make and perfect for afternoon snacks or mornings on-the-go. Makes about 12 squares

2 ½ cups roughly chopped dried apricots
1 T. apple cider vinegar
½ cup oat flour
¼ cup oat bran
¼ cup quick oats
2 T. almond meal
¼ t. salt
¼ cup brown sugar
2/3 cups yogurt

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line an 8” x 8” square cake pan with parchment.

2. In a small saucepan, place the apricots with just enough water to cover. Add the vinegar. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer, adding more water as the liquid is absorbed until the apricots are tender and moist, about 10 minutes. (You do not need to drain the apricots; most of the liquid will be absorbed.)

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the oat bran, oat flour, quick oats, almond meal and salt. Set aside.

4. Over medium-low heat, add the brown sugar and yogurt to the apricots, mixing well to coat. Stirring constantly, add in the dry ingredients, mixing until forming a sticky dough. Press mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

HUMMUS

This is my all-time favorite fast food. It works well with pita bread, vegetable sticks or just a spoon and is great as a topping for baked potatoes.

6-10 SERVINGS

475g/15oz dried chickpeas, sprouted and cooked
2 large garlic cloves
3-4 tbsp sesame tahini
4-6 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Warm filtered water (if necessary)

Place the chickpeas, garlic and 3 tbsp tahini in the bowl of a food processor and process 2 or 3 times. With the food processor running, add 4 tbsp lemon juice and 2 tbsp olive oil, and continue processing until you have a smooth, soft puree. If the puree is very, very thick, leave the food processor running and add enough warm water to make a puree to the consistency you desire. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more tahini and lemon juice if desired.

Transfer to a serving bowl and flatten the hummus except for a slight mount in the middle. Using your finger, trace indentations away from the middle to the outer edge of the bowl. Pour the remaining olive oil in the middle of the hummus and it will run down the indentations, creating a nice pattern. Serve immediately.

DATE OAT WEDGES

If you can’t find oat flour, simply place oats in a food processor and process them until they make a fairly fine flour.

MAKES ONE 23CM/9IN CAKE (UP to 12 WEDGES)

3 whole eggs
1 tsp unsulphured molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract
90g/3oz oat flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp rolled oats
200g/7oz chopped dates
2 tsp grated orange zest

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Butter and flour a 23cm/9in cake tin.

In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the eggs with the molasses and vanilla extract until they are light and fluffy. Mix in the oat flour, baking powder and 2 tbsp of the oats.

Fold in the dates and orange zest and turn the batter into the prepared tin. Sprinkle the remaining oats on top.

Bake in the middle of the on until the cake springs back when touched, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. Cut into wedges to serve.

CREAMY FRUIT PUDDING

You can stir any fruit you like into this pudding, particularly fresh berries.

4-6 SERVINGS
1 whole banana
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 litre/1 3/4th pints fruit juice (e.g. apple, strawberry, cherry or grape)
6 tbsp (55g/scant 2 oz) rice flour
Plain yogurt, to garnish (optional)

Peel and dice the banana and place it in the bottom of a 1.5 litre/2 ¾ pint soufflé dish or mould. Pour the lemon juice over the banana to keep it from browning.

Bring the fruit juice to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk the rice flour into the juice, return the mixture to the boil and continue cooking until it has thickened substantially, 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat, then pour over the banana in the dish. Let cool to room temperature, and serve with yogurt alongside if desired. This may be eaten warm, or chilled in the refrigerator and eaten cold.

TROPICAL FRUIT SALAD

This is the ideal dessert for children – it is colorful, delicious and s good for them. This recipe is just a blueprint experiment with different fruit, according to the season and your child’s tastes. Toss together the following ingredients:

1 mango, peeled, stoned and cut into tiny dice
Flesh from ½ small cantaloupe melon, cut into tiny dice
1 kiwi, peeled and cut into tiny dice
70g/2 ½ oz raspberries
5 dates, stoned and cut into tiny dice
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

Serve immediately.

CHICKEN NIBBLES

The almonds make these a healthier option then the supermarket variety. Leftovers can be frozen.

4-6 SERVINGS
125ml/4fl oz live yogurt
250-375g/8-12oz chicken (preferably dark meat) without skin
150g/5oz raw almonds
75g/2 ½ oz flour
2-3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Place the yogurt in a medium, shallow bowl. Cut the chicken into thin strips, add them to the yogurt and stir so they are coated.

Place the almonds in a food processor and blend until they are finely ground (but not so long that they turn into a paste). Add the flour and blend until the almonds and the flour are evenly mixed.

Preheat the oven to 230 C/ 450F/ Gas 9. Place 2 tbsp of the oil in a large, heavy roasting tin or skillet and place in the hot oven until the oil is hot but not smoking.

Dredge the chicken pieces in the almond and flour mixture so they are completely coated, then place them in one layer in the tin with the hot oil, making sure not to crowd the tin (you may need to cook the chicken in 2 batches, and you may want to add the additional oil). Cook until the chicken is golden on one side, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook until the chicken is cooked through and golden on the other side, an additional 2 minutes.

Repeat with any remaining chicken.

Transfer the chicken to a plate and serve it when it is cool enough to handle, with additional yogurt as a dipping sauce, if desired.

Enjoy these healthy and tasty treats and be on the lookout for more blog posts where I share more healthy snack options with you.

You ROCK! Enjoy the experience,

Scott Tousignant

PS If your diet is where you struggle the most when it comes to fat loss I highly recommend that you grab a copy of Isabel’s book, “The Diet Solution“. It’s full of incredible and practical nutrition tips as well as a large variety of tasty and healthy recipes.