Banana Smothered In Almond Butter and Dark Chocolate

Dark Chocolate and Almond Butter Smothered Bananas

   The owner of a sweet tooth (in honesty, an owner of more than just one), I often find myself in the conflict between eating healthily and satisfying my cravings for something sweet. Gooey. Rich. Creamy. Chocolaty. Basically, my taste buds want dessert and they want it now.

   Weening myself off of sugary junk foods cold turkey isn't an option. I believe habits are better formed when one takes a gentle and mindful approach to bettering their conditions. So, the next time I reach for something sweet and creamy, I take note of how I am feeling.

   Is there a need I'm not fulfilling for myself? Am I neglecting an aspect of my life? Am I just bored and understimulated? Do I need to be comforted?

   Being mindful is a habit. At first, it will be a conscious effort that takes a great amount of willpower to exercise. Eventually, like any habit, mindfulness becomes our default mechanism.

   The path to mindfulness can't be an immaculate puritan path, at least not for me. So, here is a healthy substitute for those very unhealthy sugary treats I crave. 

   Preparing this well requires the process of mindfulness. Be aware of the ingredients you use, even though they are extremely basic in this case. How you do it is what matters. 

    Skip the microwave when making this, or at least skip it more often than not.

Ingredients

1 banana

1 tbsp almond butter

1 square dark chocolate

   Warm the almond butter and dark chocolate together in a double boiler or saucepan. Or simply warm the almond butter if you prefer whole pieces of chocolate for texture.

   You can slice the banana and spoon the melted concoction over it, or you can directly put the slices into the sauce.

   Or for a frozen option, dip banana slices into the melted almond butter and chocolate and place on a freezer safe tray and wait a few hours.

   To embellish upon this simple recipe, try mixing the banana with other fruits like berries and apples, or crush some walnuts or cashews or any type of nut you like and crumble them on top.

   

   This is a great snack or dessert to satisfy your sweet tooth. The recipe makes 1 serving, which contains roughly 250 calories, and loads of healthy fats and a bit of protein. Dark chocolate contains a tiny bit of caffeinne for a mild pick-me-up and also induces the release of endorphins, along with the healthy carbs in the banana. You also get plenty of potassium, manganese, magnesium, B6, folate, and riboflavin.

   

      Try this recipe. Be mindful. Enjoy your food. :)