Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, so I want to share some Simple Switches for the standard Valentine’s Day treats to which we are accustomed.
First of all, chocolate is not the bad guy! It’s the amount of sugar in the chocolate that gets us. An easy way around this is to buy dark chocolate in the highest percentage you can tolerate. I’ve played around with this a bunch, and, for me, around 72% is the best I can do. I’ve had higher, but I don’t really enjoy it.
We have to remember that sugar is a highly inflaming ingredient, not to mention addictive.
It also compromises our immune system function for several hours after consumption, so you want to choose wisely when it comes to the sugar content of a product.
Here are a few of my favorite chocolate delights:
- Endangered Species Chocolate Bites – Sea Salt & Almonds
- Alter Eco – Dark Chocolate Coconut Clusters
- Primal Chocolate – Almond Sea Salt
When it comes to kids, try seeking out cute little gifts other than candy, like pencils, lip balms, bouncy balls, notepads, and stickers.
However, if you feel you need to get them something in the realm of candy, here are my top picks:
- YumEarth – Organic Pops
- Simple Mills – Chocolate Chip Crunchy Cookies
- Strech Island – Original Fruit Leather (Cherry flavored)
This is also a common time for baking, so here are a few Simple Switches to try in that area:
- Simple Mills – Banana Muffin & Bread (Almond Flour Mix)
- Xylo Sweet – All Natural Xylitol Sweetener
- Boulder Bake – Almond Flour Brownie Mix
The banana muffins are great and really easy to make.
The xylitol is a sugar alcohol, which can be used in place of sugar (1 to 1) in a recipe. I must warn you, however, that it can cause digestive complaints, like gas and bloating, in sensitive people.
Boulder Bake products are great as well – easy to use, and I like the ingredients.
The more you commit to these Simple Switches, the more your family’s taste buds will crave less and less sugar. It takes a little time for the taste buds to change, but it is totally doable! Don’t give up – especially on your kids.
