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Intentional Snacking (and a Sinless Chocolate Cheesecake Fondue Recipe!)

March 8, 2016 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Fiber One through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a post about Fiber One’s® Cheesecake Bars, all opinions are my own.

Friends, today I want to talk about a problem I have had for as long as I can remember: I do a lot of mindless snacking. Do you know what I’m talking about? Where you stand in your pantry or at your kitchen counter and just eat whatever might be easy to grab without even thinking?

This problem seems to have gotten much worse after having kids. If I’m fixing them a snack I tend to “tax” whatever I’m making for them by eating a bit of it, myself, even if it’s something I am not craving at all (like graham crackers), and even if I’m not actually hungry.

I seem to snack on things simply because they are there. Do you ever do this?

The Power of Intentional Snacking

I want to share with you the strategy I have used with the greatest success in combating this bad habit: intentional snacking. I plan out my snacks so that they are fairly frequent (I’m a grazer by nature and if I try to rebel against that completely, I always fail). I also plan at least one snack during the day that knocks my socks off and that totally feels worth the wait.

For example:

Pretty amazing, right?! This has quickly become one of my absolute favorite things to enjoy during my early afternoon quiet time, or during that 3pm slump when I need a little boost to power me through the last part of the day before dinner.

Are you wondering how on earth a chocolate fondue with cheesecake bites can be sinless? And are you wondering how this comes together without an extensive amount of time in the kitchen? It’s all about the ingredients, baby!

The cheesecake bites from Fiber One certainly don’t taste sinless, but in addition to tasting great, they are also loaded with 20% of your daily fiber needs. They also keep your calories in check, with just 150 calories per bar.

I pair this up with a vegan faux chocolate fondue made from the following ingredients:

1 avocado
¼ cup cocoa powder
2 tsp honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
(optional) 1 tbsp almond milk

(makes 4 servings of chocolate fondue)

Simply mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl (it takes all of 30 seconds to do) and then slice up your Fiber One Cheesecake bar into 8 pieces and you’ve got the most amazing snack EVER. It’s certainly worth saying no to a handful of cheese crackers, a few bites of pretzels and other random things you’ll come across throughout the day. If I know that I have this waiting for me, my ability to stop eating everything in sight mindlessly improves drastically.

I get that nice energy boost from the avocado that I need to finish off the day and I get to enjoy the great flavor of the cheesecake bites. I don’t worry in the slightest that I’m spoiling my dinner, either.

I hope you’ll give intentional snacking a try and really treat yourself to this indulgent (yet sinless!) snack! You can find Fiber One Cheesecake bars at grocery stores nationwide. For more great snack ideas, follow Fiber One on Facebook.

Make Your Special Treat Really Count: Fiber One Cheesecake Bars

August 7, 2015 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

This post brought to you by Fiber One. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Stuff Parents Need.

July 30th was National Cheesecake Day, and I totally missed it.

Sad face.

You know, when incredible holidays like National Cheesecake Day pass us by, it is perfectly acceptable to change the rules and celebrate after the fact. Here’s a way to do it without even having to make yourself a cheesecake.

Look at these gorgeous cheesecake bars. They are from Fiber One, and they come in salted caramel and strawberry flavors. They look gorgeous and they taste positively sinful. I actually just stopped writing this blog post to grab one because it just seemed rude to my body to be writing about this product and not also enjoying it! THEY (nom nom nom). ARE (chew chew chew). AWESOME!

You can find them with other Fiber One products at your nearest grocery store, and the boxes look like this:

I’m looking out for you, friends. I know you don’t want to be the girl in the grocery aisle with that super crazy look on her face while searchng for the cheesecake bars. 😉

Here’s what I really love about these products: they taste indulgent and so they make a fantastic choice for a special treat or perhaps some dessert. But you can skip the guilt because these bars come in at just 150 calories and 6 grams of fat, and most importantly, you’ll find 20% of your daily needed fiber in one serving. So your special treat choice doesn’t need to be filled with empty calories, friends. Everything you eat needs to fuel your body. Fiber One Cheesecake Bars for the win!

Fiber One Cheesecake Month Sweepstakes

Fiber One doesn’t think the cheesecake party needs to end after just one day, either, so they are hosting a Fiber One Cheesecake Month celebration, including a Fiber One Cheesecake Appreciation Month Sweepstakes with great prizes! There are going to be 1-2 winners EVERY SINGLE DAY throughout the month of August, as well as a grand prize winner! You’ll also notice a Pin to Win sweepstakes on the Facebook page, so be sure to check that out as well.

Celebrate!

If you haven’t already tried Fiber One Cheesecake Bars, swing by the grocery store today and pick up a box (they retail for $3.89)! Enjoy!

Healthy Snacks for Work

August 13, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

I know, I know…this post should be all about great lunch ideas for kids, since we’re in the midst of the back-to-school season. But I didn’t want the parents to feel left out! Whether your work space is on a factory floor, behind a desk, or in the driver’s seat of a vehicle (Carpool line! Hello!), you need something to snack on while you are working hard, too! So I created a list of some of the healthy snacks I have stocked my pantry with for the grownups when break time rolls around. Some of the snacks were recently provided for review and I fell in love, and others are products my family discovered a while back! Affiliate links below.

Best Healthy Snacks for Work

FiberOne 90 Calorie Brownie. These are a total favorite of mine. So yummy. So friendly on the waistline! So satisfying!

Saffron Road Crunchy Chickpeas. The wasabi flavor will WAKE. YOU. UP!!! And either way you go, these are tasty little treats, packed with flavor.

KIND bars. Have you tried these??? You guys. SOOOOO good! And they really help me to stop grazing once I have one. Very filling and did I mention that they are REALLY good? These are new to me, and I’m a little bit bitter that I didn’t know about them sooner. Just sayin’.

PopCorners. I so rarely get to enjoy these because Tim always takes them to work. As I recall, though, they are REALLY good! 🙂 Definitely be sure to try the barbecue flavor!.

Balance Mini Energy Bars. I love the taste of these bars, but even more, I love the size! I’m working in New York this week, and I’m spending a lot of time creating cooking demonstration videos. I’m surrounded by food all day, and yet, there is very little opportunity to eat! I put a handful of these bars in my purse so that I could have something to eat that would give me a boost!

Lovely Candies. These seriously taste like homemade candies you could only get from a loving grandmother. I don’t know how that got that all wrapped into little squares of wax paper, but they did. Consciously made. Gluten-free. A must try!

Van’s Crackers and Bars. I wrote about Van’s crackers earlier in the summer, and we recently had some new flavors and just adored them, as well. They also have cranberry almond bars that will REALLY help curb some hunger pains when you need to power through until dinner. Love this brand!!! Everything is gluten-free, as well!

Those are some of my suggestions that maybe weren’t already on your shopping list! I’d love to hear what you snack on while you get through your work day. Anything you just can’t live without? Any new finds? Let’s hear it!

Your New Diet-Friendly Brownie from Fiber One

January 15, 2013 · by Tiffany Merritt · 219 Comments

Hiding Junk Food

Have you cast aside all your holiday chocolate yet? Making all of mine less accessible has been on my “to do” list for about 3 weeks now. Somehow it seems to be the item that keeps getting bumped to the next day’s list.

All the while, I’m totally eating it. I suppose candy is harder to get to and eat if I’ve ALREADY eaten it, right???

Making the Switch

But now I feel ok to get the job done, because I’m putting something yummy in its place. I’ve got Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownies. In addition to being a low-calorie dessert option, they also each contain 20% of your daily fiber requirement (5 grams).

I am loving these for several reasons. First, they taste great! I wasn’t really expecting a low calorie, high fiber brownie to delight my taste buds, but I was mistaken. They are delicious and I’m more than happy to swap out my chocolate stash for these.

Second, they are sized right. We Americans have serious portion control issues, and seeing what size of a treat I should be eating is helpful.

Third, these are highly portable. I’ve been sticking them in my purse so that when I’m out running errands and Darah announces that she’s hungry, I’ve got something to give her that will be a special treat for her, and won’t make me feel guilty. Tim also has a stash of these in his drawer at work so he can satisfy a craving for sweets easily.

Are you seeking a sweet treat that you will actually enjoy eating, and that will help you step away from the junk food with ease? I definitely recommend Fiber One Brownies. I’ve only tried the Chocolate Chip (love, love, LOVE them!), but they also offer Peanut Butter and Fudge varieties. Incorporating Fiber One Brownies as part of a weight management plan just makes sense!

I received complimentary products for review purposes from General Mills. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.