Good-for-You Sweet Treats

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While eating healthy and enjoying sweets seldom go hand-in-hand, choosing the right combination of nutritious ingredients can allow for guilt-free indulgences that shirks conventional dieting wisdom. In fact, some eating plans take it a step further by actually encouraging eating big in the evening when you’re naturally hungriest to help achieve your weight loss goals.

For example, “Always Eat After 7 PM,” written by Joel Marion, CISSN, NSCA-CPT, debunks popular diet myths and offers an easy-to-follow diet that accelerates fat-burning and allows you to indulge in your most intense cravings by eating the majority of your calories at night. The outlined plan features a 14-day “acceleration phase” designed for rapid results, a “main phase” when you’ll learn which fat-burning foods to eat to achieve your weight loss goals and a “lifestyle phase” to keep the weight off for good.

Conventional wisdom dictates that it’s best to avoid carbs, eat an early dinner and never eat immediately before bed. However, Marion debunks the myths underlying traditional dieting with a simple, highly effective weight loss program allowing readers to enjoy social dinners without restriction, satisfy nighttime hunger with fat-burning sweet and salty pre-bedtime snacks and indulge cravings with strategically timed cheat meals. 

With straightforward food lists, easy-to-follow meal plans and recipes for each phase, this can be a simpler, more enjoyable way to lose weight without feeling restricted. Taken directly from the book, these recipes for Cherry Garcia Ice Cream and Fruit Tarts can satisfy that sweet tooth before heading to bed.

Learn more about the diet and book at joelmarion.com. (Family Features) 

Fruit Tarts

Recipe courtesy of “Always Eat After 7 PM”

Prep time: 40 minutes 

Cook time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Servings: 20 

Custard:

8 egg yolks

1 cup raw honey

1 tablespoon coconut flour

3 cans (13 2/3 ounces each) full-fat coconut milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

Sugar Cookie Crust:

1/2 cup coconut oil, plus additional for greasing

1/2 cup palm shortening

1 cup coconut palm sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 egg yolks

1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup blanched almond flour

1⁄4 cup coconut flour

2 tablespoons arrowroot starch

Toppings:

2 kiwis, peeled and sliced

1 mango, peeled, pitted and sliced into 1/2-inch strips

1/2 cup raspberries

1/2 cup blackberries

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup red grapes

1 cup strawberries, thinly sliced fresh mint leaves, for garnish

To make custard n saucepan, whisk egg yolks and honey until smooth. Mix in coconut flour.

In medium saucepan over medium heat, combine coconut milk, vanilla extract and lemon zest; bring to boil then remove from heat.

Pour hot milk mixture into egg yolk mixture, stirring while pouring. Over low heat, simmer
5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and let cool, continuing to stir occasionally. Once cooled to room temperature, pour into individual custard cups. Chill in refrigerator 30 minutes, or until serving. 

To make crust eat oven to 350 F. Line bottom of pie pan with parchment paper and grease with coconut oil.

In large mixing bowl using electric mixer on high, beat coconut oil and palm shortening
30 seconds. Add coconut palm sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla until combined. Beat in almond flour, coconut flour and starch. Chill dough in refrigerator 15 minutes.

Press chilled cookie dough into bottom of pie pan and 2 inches up sides. Bake 12 minutes, or until crust is golden and browned on top and edges. Remove from oven and cool
10 minutes. Place cooled crust in refrigerator 30 minutes or overnight before assembling.

To assemble fruit tarts pread custard over chilled crust. Decorate top in cir­cular pattern with kiwis, mango strips, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, grapes and strawberries. 

Before serving, chill at least 30 minutes or freeze 1 hour to help keep toppings in place. 

Remove from freezer and set out at room temperature 20 minutes before slicing. Garnish with mint leaves.

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