Natural Sweetness

I’m always on the hunt for ways to add flavor and use ingredients that tend to sit in my fridge. Recently, I’ve loved using assorted fruit preserves, many of which are a good source of Vitamin C. Preserves give a concentrated fruit flavor and often a more natural sweetness. Dates are also a natural sweetener that can literally hold a recipe together while packing in a tremendous amount of potassium. You’ll love these recipes that cover breakfast, dinner and snacking in between. The overnight oats have been a staple at my house for months. Adding assorted fruit flavors with preserves allows me to change the taste and get just the right sweetness. Overnight oats, especially when made with milk, provide satisfying protein and essential fats to get a tasty head start on your day! Enjoy this recipe with chopped dates, preserves or both.

Overnight Oats with Crofter’s SuperFruit & Dates

Yield: 4 servings (make the evening before)

Ingredients

• 2 cups Old-fashioned oats
• 2 cups Whole milk
• 2 tsp. Vanilla
• 1/2 cup Dried dates, chopped
• 1/4 cup Crofter’s SuperFruit Spread (or any flavor you like)

Instructions:

1. Mix the first 3 ingredients together. Stir in dates and spread, mix until thoroughly combined. Store in covered bowl.
2. Refrigerate overnight and for up to 3 days. This can be eaten hot or cold. I reheat for about 30 seconds in the microwave.

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Roasted Pork Loin with Dijon Apricot Glaze

Yield: 6–8

Ingredients

• 1 2-lb. Pork loin roast
• 1 12-oz jar Sprouts Organic Apricot Preserves
• 2 Tbsp. Sprouts Dijon Mustard
• 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. While oven heats, generously season pork roast with salt and pepper.
2. In a small bowl, mix together preserves, mustard and olive oil. Spread half on roast and place in oven for about 60 minutes or until juices run clear.
3. Once cooked, let cool 5–10 minutes before slicing. Use remaining sauce to drizzle over sliced pork roast.

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Walnut Chocolate Chip Energy Bars with Dates

Nutrition energy bars can be hard to come by and often expensive. These bars are delicious with only three ingredients. You do need a food processor to get your dates into a paste that will hold the bars together. It’s a sticky job but the taste is worth the effort. These tasty bars filled with essential fats, antioxidants and potassium don’t last long at my house! Yield: 6 Bars

Ingredients

• 1 cup Dates, chopped
• 1 cup Sprouts Bulk Walnuts
• 1/4 cup Sprouts Chocolate Chips

Instructions:

1. Wash your hands well and/or use clean kitchen gloves. Place dates in food processor. Process the dates until it makes a paste.
2. Take the paste out and put it into a medium mixing bowl. Now add walnuts to processor, pulse the ingredients in the food processor until the walnuts are in small pieces/chunks.
3. Add the chopped nuts and chocolate chips into the bowl with the date paste. Use your hands to mix together.
4. Once mixed in well, shape into a ball and cover the ball completely with plastic wrap. Press the ball into a square about 1/2-inch thick.
5. Cut into 6 bars, individually wrap in clear wrap or container, and refrigerate for up to a week.

 

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About Leslie Schilling

Food Shouldn’t Be Complicated

Leslie Schilling is a Las Vegas-based nutrition and wellness expert. She is a master’s-level registered dietitian, nationally recognized speaker, wellness coach and nutrition therapist. Warm, compassionate, and entertaining, she’s been featured in Women’s Health, BuzzFeed, the Huffington Post, U.S. News, Yoga Journal, and HGTV. She holds the highest US credential for professional sports nutrition and was the sport nutritionist for the 2014-2015 Memphis Grizzlies NBA team. She owns Schilling Nutrition Therapy, LLC and YourSupperSolution.com, a premium online dinner menu planning service. Leslie is also a wellness content expert for Avanoo.com. When she’s not counseling, cooking, or hanging out with her family; you can find Leslie using her social media channels and speaking platforms to deliver science-based, lifestyle and wellness messages with a dash of humor. To learn more about Leslie, visit LeslieSchilling.com.