Family, friends and eating are what the holidays mean to most college students. Whether you’re making plans to go back home for break or not, most of us tend to eat more and gain more weight when we have so much free time. But don’t let that be you this year! We have tasty, guilt-free holiday treats perfect for snacking and sharing with friends and family.
1. Popcorn with Chocolate (Makes 3 cups)
Grab a bowl (3 cups) of whole-wheat popcorn that is still warm from the microwave. Chop up pieces of dark or mint chocolate, toss them into the bowl and enjoy!
2. Pumpkin Spice Cookies (Makes 35 cookies)
You will need 2/3 cup of sugar (or sugar substitute), ¼ cup of substitute butter, ¼ cup of molasses, 1 large egg, 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons of baking soda, ½ teaspoon of salt and 2 ½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice.
Mix the sugar and butter, then add the molasses and egg and mix well. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice then, slowly mix the contents of the bowls together.
Bake on 350 degrees for 12 minutes.
Try with low-fat milk for a sweet and spicy snack!
3. Mint Chocolate Cupcakes (Makes 12 cupcakes)
For the cupcakes, you will need 2 large eggs, ¾ cup of sugar (or sugar substitute), 1 cup of finely grated sweet potatoes, ½ cup of finely ground almonds, ¾ cup of plain flour, 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon of Dutch process cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, and ¾ cup of dark chocolate or mint chips.
For the icing, you will need 2 cups of powdered sugar, 2 ounces of unsalted butter, ½ teaspoon of green food coloring, 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract and 2 tablespoons of cold water.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tray with paper liners. Mix all the products for the cupcakes into a bowl, but put the chocolate chips in last.
Pour batter into muffin pan evenly and bake for 20 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool for 15 minutes.
For the icing, mix all the products except the powdered sugar into a bowl. Slowly add the powdered sugar last. Once it has formed a paste, top off cupcakes with the icing.
4. Iced Cappuccino with optional whipped cream (Makes 4 drinks)
You will need a 1 cup of your favorite coffee, 1 cup of non-fat milk, 3 tablespoons of fat-free plain Greek yogurt, 5 tablespoons of fat-free chocolate syrup, 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract and 1 cup of ice. Place the ingredients in the blender for 10 seconds, or until desired blend.
For the whipped cream: You will need ½ cup of heavy cream and 1 teaspoon of powdered sugar. Mix the products in a bowl until it forms a cream.
Pour the cappuccino in a glass and top with cream. It tastes great with the mint chocolate chip cupcakes!
5. Sweet Potato Chips (Makes 10 servings, 20 chips per serving)
You will need 5 large potatoes (cut thin), 2 teaspoons of ancho-chili powder, 1 teaspoon of garlic salt, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon of cumin powder, ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt, ½ teaspoon of cracked black pepper and ¼ cup of canola oil.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Combine all of the seasonings in a bowl and add sliced potatoes in mixture. On an ungreased baking sheet, bake potatoes for 10-12 minutes or until they are golden brown.
These are great alternative to potato chips!
6. Blended Mango Drink (Makes one drink)
You will need ½ cup of frozen mango (or ½ mango peeled), 3 ice cubes, 2/3 cup of non-fat yogurt (vanilla or plain), a squeeze of limejuice, and ½ teaspoon of honey.
Blend all the ingredients in a blender until it is smooth.
This is a great treat for mornings!
Photo Credits
http://www.katesshortandsweets…
http://noreencooks.com/2012/01…
http://shewearsmanyhats.com/20…
http://www3.samsclub.com/meals…