The Holiday’s are coming. Dinners with family (and extended, extended family), drinks with friends and less time at the gym is unavoidable. Instead of missing out on all the fun and worrying about the potential Winter-weight gain to come, try some of these healthy (yes, really), tasty and hunger-curving foods. When you’re at work or at home, these will help to keep you from bloating and binging and turn eating out into a guilt-free occasion.

1. Giddy Yoyo 100% Raw Cacao

Giddy Yoyo Chocolate. Photo Credit: Marc Rimmer, Swerve

Who says you can’t have a whole slab of chocolate and not feel guilty about it? Okay, maybe not a whole slab. But Giddy Yoyo chocolate bars are definitely not your average chocolate bar. Giddy Yoyo Chocolate bars are the bee’s knee’s. Cultivated from the 30+ year old True Arriba Cacao (NOT to be confused with Cocoa) trees, this rich dark noir chocolate contains no Phytic Acid, its air dried, and sourced from natural spring water. There’s plenty of other health benefits to the bars which you should read about giddyyoyo.com.

“Our chocolate contains the world’s most nutrient dense highly mineralized cacao and unrefined sun dried cane juice available. Synergistically these ingredients provide a deliciously profound magical experience.”

And let me tell you, it IS a magical experience (coming from someone who generally prefers milk chocoalate over dark). I recently had the Mint and Orange flavoured bars which may have only been 76% Cacao but 100% organic, 100% raw and 100% amazing.

I beg you, whenever you have a hankering for sweets, have this! You can buy them at Noah’s Natural Foods or GiddyYoyo.com.

2. Simply Choices Wellness snacks

Simply Choices Chips, credit Wellness Foods

Speaking of hunger pangs. Do you ever just crave a bag of chips (after you’ve had your sweets)? I definitely don’t… ahem. But if you do, Simply Choices has a super great alternative! Perfect for this time of year when snacking is a serious and again unavoidable thing. Instead, grab a pack of these while everyone else is knockin’ down cheetos and doritos.

The Simply Choices line was designed to keep hunger and cravings at bay (literally, for at least three hours) while also stepping in as great option for those with diet restrictions. Made from all natural ingredients, these munchies come in gluten, soy, dairy-free, vegan, vegetarian and kosher options. The Canadian line consists of The Simply Bar, Simply Protein Whey, Simply Protein Chips and a brand new Simply Protein Crunch which are all great options for people on the go and looking for a quick but healthy snack.

For more information and where you can buy visit wellnessfoods.ca.

3. Your Tea Tiny Teatox

Your Tea, Credit: YourTea.com

What happens when its mid-November and you’re already feeling bloated, heavy and flat out depressed? Some might indulge in a trip to McDonald’s or a crazy night out with the girls (cause why not). But stop yourself there, because you can have Your Tea, which is much better.

Your Tea is the simple science of blending tea flavours to cut down bloating and drop pounds in as quick as two weeks in what they like to call a Teatox (a Tea detox). According to Your Tea, there are teas for pretty much everything including cleansing toxins, aiding nausea, increasing energy, and aiding immunity to name a few, but what they’ve created are specific blends and combinations of these teas to “target a symptom that the body is enduring as a result of lifestyle, diet choices and other influences such as stress and emotion.” Umm, sign me up, please!

The Tiny Teatox is Your Tea’s 14-day tea detox that literally everyone in Germany and Russia is raving about (seriously, check Instagram). How it works: for 14 days, drink the tea allotted by Your Tea three times a day at least 30 minutes before or after meals: Morning, midday and early evening. Then see your body flush out the bad Micky dee’s and become the proper nourished entity it once was before the holidays. (Note: this is NOT a laxative tea, it is 100% organic).

For more information check out yourtea.com.

4. Happy Planet Everything!

Globally Inspired Soups, Credit: Happy Planet

What better time to feel really good about eating than the Holidays. How often is it that you eat something and feel really good about it? Like good because you’re eating all natural and organic ingredients but also, like, warm on the insides? For me, its whenever I have anything by Happy Planet. The Vancouver-based soups, juices, smoothies  and philanthropic food company has been on my go-to list for a quick lunch or snack since 2012. I would say its solely because their products taste delicious, are  all natural, all organic, and taste like my mom made it, but it’s also because proceeds from every soup go towards helping food banks across Canada.

And I’m just going to say it, for a brief moment it makes me feel nice inside to know I’m supporting a company that does good (note: one of Happy Planet’s goals is to make people smile). I can’t even speak anymore about how awesome they are without crying, please go visit their super cute website freshsouplove.com and happyplanet.com.

Rawlly Delicious Energy Balls, Credit: RawllyDelicious.com

It’s a given that the hustle and bustle of the Holiday’s will leave us feeling deflated so a quick pick-me up is key when we’re partying from back-to-back. Though, most of us automatically hit up Starbucks or Tim’s without realizing theirs a better way! Enter Rawlly Delicious super awesome raw and vegan energy balls. These tiny Timbit-sized balls of energy (literally) have everything Timbit’s don’t; they’re gluten-free, high in antioxidants, have plant based protein, green powered nutrition, tons of fibre, iron, and contain no artificial anything (including preservatives). The Coconut Bliss energy ball is heavenly (*hands a hearts center*) and has enough dense nutrients to fill up on the health meter (kind of like a 1UP).

The best part about the Holiday’s is that you don’t have stay on track alone. Team up with a friend or take a family member to a Rawlly Delicious Raw Food Culinary Class to learn how you can make these delicious energy balls for yourself or how to incorporate raw and organic foods into your every day life (hey, maybe you’ll even start a New Year’s resolution early).

For a power filled snack or to attend a class, please visit RawllyDelicious.com.

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