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A Reader Recipe: Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Fit Community — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 01:27:50 PST

If you've got a cookie craving, you're in luck: FitSugar readers Pure2raw recently shared this gluten-free chocolate chip cookie cake with us in our Healthy Recipe group.

Everyone loves cookie cake, right? We have a chocolate chip cookie cake that is not only gluten-free but egg- and dairy-free, too. It is full of flavor with a great soft, cakelike texture. Plus the three-ingredient coconut frosting is too good not to try.

Get the recipe after the break!

A Reader Recipe: Grain- and Sugar-Free Cocoa Cakes

Fit Community — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:13:50 PST

Whether you're following the Paleo diet or just looking for a treat that is grain- and sugar-free, you'll love this cocoa cake recipe from reader pure2raw. They posted it in the Healthy Recipes community group.

Looking for the easiest cake ever to make? Check out our grain- and sugar-free cocoa cherry cakes! It only requires a few ingredients, too. It will become your new favorite cake recipe! Enjoy!

Check out pure2raw's blog pure2raw for the full recipe and don't forget to share your own recipe ideas in our Healthy Recipe group in the Fit Community!

From the Fit Community: A Cheesy Vegan Quinoa Casserole

Fit Community — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:04:21 PST

FitSugar readers pure2raw share a "cheesy" quinoa casserole recipe that's actually vegan as well as gluten, soy, and dairy-free. They posted the recipe in our Healthy Recipe group.

Prep time: 15-20 minutes
Bake time: 30 minutes, oven preheated to 325°
Serves: varies, but bakes in a 3-quart (9×13) glass baking dish

Ingredients (Part One)

2 cups quinoa
4 cups water
2 cups chopped raw yellow squash
2 cups steamed cauliflower
2 handfuls arugula (or spinach)

Directions for quinoa

To cook quinoa, bring 4 cups water to a boil.
Then add in 2 cups dry quinoa and bring back to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or till water is gone.

Read on for the rest of the recipe (including ingredients for the "cheesy" sauce).

Revamped Girl Scout Cookies: Vegan Thin Mints

Anna Monette Roberts — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:53:33 PST

Erin McKenna’s vegan Thin Mints from Babycakes Covers the Classics ($16) are jaw-dropping crowd pleasers. The mint chocolate coating snaps with each bite to reveal a thin, flaky chocolate cookie. This version is definitely reminiscent of its original inspiration. Try the recipe at home and startle your friends and neighbors with how authentic this version tastes!

Click here to check out the recipe.

A Reader Recipe: Baked Gluten-Free Vegan Doughnuts

Fit Community — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 04:12:00 PST

Doughnuts do not have to be an off-limits food. Get your fill with this healthier recipe from FitSugar reader pure2raw. She posted her gluten-free, vegan doughnut recipe in the Healthy Recipe community group.

Looking for a healthy breakfast? Make these easy homemade doughnuts! Perfect for those who have a minidoughnut maker, but the recipe can be made as minimuffins, too - enjoy!

Do you need this recipe as badly as we do? Find it on her blog Pure2Raw, then upload your delicious recipes into our Healthy Recipe community group.

A Reader Recipe: Banana Chocolate Chip Gluten-Free Muffins

Fit Community — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:09:48 PST

Craving a sweet treat, but not craving gluten? Try this recipe for gluten-free banana chocolate chip muffins from reader Gabysgfree. She shared the recipe in our Healthy Recipe group.

Learn how to make these muffins, after the break!

A Reader Recipe: Gluten-Free Green Egg Muffins

Fit Community — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:55:29 PST

Breakfast getting stale? Try this recipe for gluten-free egg muffins from reader Gabysgfree for a quick weekday breakfast on the go. She shared the recipe in our Healthy Recipe group.

Not quite frittatas, not quite quiches, these portable egg muffins are packed with good-for-you greens like kale and get a healthy kick from fresh jalapeño. They're a great make-ahead meal that you can enjoy all week long!

Read on for the recipe.

The Biggest Diet Trends of 2011

Leta Shy — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 03:35:06 PST

Like years before, 2011 was chock-full of trendy diets that got everyone talking, as well as trying. So what were the top diets of 2011? Read on to find out!

HCG Diet
The HCG diet isn't new (it's been around for more than 50 years), but it's once again a phenomenon. This was the year that people flocked to doctor's offices to get a pricey hormone injection all in the name of weight loss. The diet's deal: eat a restricted calorie diet, usually 500 calories a day, and inject the HCG hormone (or use drops or lozenges) every day. The claim is that the HCG hormone, which occurs in pregnant women naturally and helps them burn fat to use to feed their babies, helps convert body fat to energy so you get all the adequate calories you need every day without feeling hungry, but experts warn that there aren't any studies that prove the safety and effectiveness of the diet.

Paleo Diet
Eat like your ancestors did - as in, the ones from a very long time ago. The Paleo diet is a meal plan based on the hunting and gathering instincts of cavemen. That means lots of free-range, grass-fed meat, fresh seafood, and vegetables, but no grains, dairy, legumes, refined sugars, and processed foods. The Paleo Diet's main focus is to improve your overall health, and many people who have been on it say it's cured their digestive conditions, such as IBS. Experts are split on whether or not it's an effective diet - especially since some very common foods, like dairy and grain, are forbidden.

Read on for more top diet trends of 2011.

6 Gluten-Free Breakfast Ideas With 10 Grams of Fiber

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 01:59:23 PST

Breakfast is one of the easiest times to fill up on fiber since whole grain breads and cereals are great sources. If you're eating a gluten-free diet however, it's not so easy since many high-fiber choices are off-limits. Getting enough fiber may take a little creativity (and a trip to the health food store) so you can try these gluten-free breakfast ideas that contain at least 10 grams of fiber.

Hot apple millet: One cup of cooked millet (2.3 g) mixed with unsweetened applesauce (2.9 g, one small chopped apple (3.6 g), and five walnuts (1.4 g): 10.2 grams of fiber
Cinnamon raisin almond butter buckwheat: One cup of cooked buckwheat groats (4.5 g) mixed with one ounce raisins (about 50, 1 g), two tablespoons almond butter (4 g), and one teaspoon ground cinnamon (1.2 g): 10.5 grams of fiber
Banana hot cereal: Quarter cup of uncooked Bob's Red Mill Mighty Tasty GF Hot Cereal (4 g) mixed with one tablespoon chia seeds (6 g) and one small banana cut in slices (1.1 g): 11.1 grams of fiber

Continue reading for three more high fiber, gluten-free breakfast ideas.

Healthy Alternatives to Comfort Food Favorites

Anna Monette Roberts — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 11:22:30 PST

Breakfast pastries, creamy soups, pot pies, and apple pie are just a few of the wonderfully creamy and nostalgically comforting foods we eat during the Winter and holiday season. Since nutritional value is on your mind, we've gathered ten healthy twists to decadent favorites that will please your palate and satiate any comfort food craving.