Are you looking for a healthy and sweet snack idea?
Snacking on healthy food is okay as long as it’s done in response to real hunger, but should never turn into senseless eating. Some options of healthy snacks include a green smoothie around mid-morning, maybe some fruit during the afternoon and a handful of nuts or dried fruit in the evening.
Adding a healthful snack during long periods between meals, such as more than five hours might help deal with hunger, and eventually make better choices at the next meal. A nutrient dense smoothie can help replenish the body of lost fluids, minerals and get rid of the starvation sensation after exercise as well.
Snacking can be a great way to keep your cravings and hunger at bay, but should never be done out of habit or boredom.
In conclusion, eating a healthy snack is a good thing. Snacking when you’re just bored or distracted is not.
Another essential rule for snacking is keep the snacks delicious, while maintaining portion size small and the calorie count low.
You do not want to go for those typical snacks loaded with processed carbs, sugars and additives.
In the snack world, yogurt covered goodies are one of my top choices among other snacks. Raisins, almonds, blueberries and yes, cranberries!
Dried cranberries contain a high amount of antioxidants and vitamins that are beneficial for your body. In addition, they are a natural remedy against urinary tract infection (UTI) and including them in your diet can help treat digestion issues, weight management difficulties, diabetes, neurodegenerative disease, and cardiovascular diseases thanks to the polyphenols they contain.
Now as you may know, cranberry sauce is well known as a staple food during the holiday season, but I consider cranberries a superfood that should be enjoyed all year round. They are packed with vitamin C and fiber and only provide 45 calories per cup.
When having a get together or just a cozy movie night with friends and family, I would recommend making these bite-sized yogurt-covered cranberries to munch on.
Keep in mind, that even though the preparation for this recipe is extensive, it is actually very easy to make and will only call for about 15 minutes of your time. Then, you just need to be extra patient in waiting for these yummy treats to dry and be ready to eat.
Notes: If you have any leftover yogurt coating, it should be kept covered and refrigerated. It will set into a gel in the fridge. So, before using it, heat it in the microwave for a couple of seconds until liquid.
It’s a fun, healthy and easy treat the whole family will love!
You will need…
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon agar- agar or plain gelatin
1/4 cup natural Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon honey
Pinch of salt
8 ounces (about 3 cups) dried cranberries
Instructions
Combine the water and vanilla in a small dish and sprinkle the agar-agar or gelatin over top. Whisk with a fork until the gelatin is evenly distributed in the liquid. It will set into a thick paste (about 5 minutes).
In small saucepan whisk together the yogurt, honey, and salt. Cook over low heat, stirring every 5 seconds until the yogurt is liquid and very warm to the touch. Don’t let it start to boil or the yogurt will curdle.
Whisk the gelatin into the warm yogurt mixture until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Pour the yogurt mixture into a small mixing bowl and let cool until you have a thick, pourable, frosting.
In a separate bowl, toss in the cranberries and pour about half of the yogurt coating over the cranberries. Stir until the cranberries are completely coated and you can see no more uncovered cranberry parts.
Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Drop the coated cranberries onto the baking sheet, separating them with your fingers. They will be sticky. Let the cranberries sit, uncovered, until dry to the touch, about 30-45 minutes.
Transfer the cranberries back into a mixing bowl and toss with the remaining yogurt coating. Drop them back onto the lined baking sheet. When the tops are dry, move the cranberries around to make sure the undersides have also dried.
The cranberries will take at least 6 hours or overnight to dry, so make them in advance. Store yogurt-covered cranberries in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for several weeks.
Enjoy these special treats with your family and friends!
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