Tag Archives: sugar-free

Blog, Product Review

Review: Montbec Sugar-free Mints & Candies

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Sugar-Free Candies

       While I’m a big fan of creating treats from scratch for my family and I, sometimes time doesn’t permit it. Life as a full-time student with 2 part-time jobs as well as numerous hobbies leaves me strapped for time quite often than not.

         Wandering down grocery aisles, you’ll find little to no real sugar-free, keto approved candies. Most commercially sold “sugar-free” candies are laden with maltitol, a sugar alcohol that many (myself included) cannot tolerate without having digestive issues. Furthermore, maltitol can cause insulin spikes for some people, which is counter-productive as that is what we were trying to avoid in the first place.

        Of the sugar-free candies, there are four flavours sweetened with stevia extract and sorbitol (Peppermint, Wintergreen, Raspberry and Spearmint) and 4 flavours sweetened with Splenda (Cranberry, Cherry, Tutti-Fruits and Menthol-Eucalyptus). Personally, I try to stay away from Splenda as there are not enough longitudinal studies on the effects of Splenda on the body. That being said, I have no issue with sorbitol or stevia and I really enjoyed those sugar-free treats.

My favourite of all the candy flavours was the Citrus Punch. They have a really nice flavour and I also enjoyed that they were individually wrapped.

Mints

       A foul-smelling breath is one of my biggest pet-peeves. While chewing gum is a good way to freshen up stale breath, I’ve never liked the image it gave off. I didn’t want to be that person that was constantly chewing away. These sugar-free mints are a great alternative to chewing gum. They leave a lasting refreshing mouthfeel and come in a variety of flavours. The small size of the mint package is also super convenient and allows you to bring these mints virtually anywhere. One drawback though is that they are sweetened with Splenda.

       In addition to freshening your breath, peppermint oil has been demonstrated to have muscle relaxant properties, which could aid in digestion. Peppermint is also known for its other beneficial properties such as relieving intestinal gas, indigestion and its antimicrobial properties.

For more information on MontBec’s many sugar-free products, visit their website or Facebook page.

Disclosure: While I did receive samples for this post, all opinions are my own.

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Food, Recipes

Decadent, Flourless Brownies (Low Carb, Paleo, Keto, Sugar-Free)

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At over 10$ for a small bag of almond flour, sometimes it is hard to fit that into our budgets, especially if you’re an undergraduate student (like myself). Today, I’m here to tell you that that will not stop you from being able to make your favorite decadent brownies. Yes, you heard that right. These beauties are not only easy to make, but they’ll also make your taste buds sing! I love these for lunches because there are so many temptations there.

Remember that if you are on Instagram and have tried my recipe, hashtag your pictures with #jesspaigelchf so I can see and share it with my other readers.

Flourless Brownies in the making
Flourless Brownies in the making
jesspaigelchfflourlessbrownie
Flourless brownies

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cups cocoa powder, unsweetened
  • 1/4 Tsp baking soda
  • 1.5 cups butter, unsalted or coconut oil (paleo option)
  • 1/2 Tsp salt
  • 1.25 cups of erythritol or honey (paleo option)
  • **Stevia could also be used but the amounts of sweetener may vary, I have not tried it
  • 3.5 oz of 90% chocolate (I used Lindt)
  • 4 eggs, large
  • 1/2 cup water, room temperature
  • 1 Tsp Vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup – 1cup almonds, chopped

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate, butter and erythritol together. When mixed all together, add the eggs, water, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and vanilla extract together. Blend with a hand mixer. Mix half of the almonsd into the batter. (The batter should be pretty wet). In parchment paper lined baking dish, pour the batter and add the remaining nuts on top. I used 2 loaf pans because I like my brownies thicker but you can just a 8x by 8x. Bake in a preheated oven at 350F for 20-30 minutes. Baking times may vary depending on your oven.

Serves 16.

Bon appétit my keto, paleo and low carb friends!

Nutritional info for 1 serving: 211 cals, 21.8g fat, 2.7g carbs with 1g of fiber and 0.6g sugar, 2.6g protein. Net carbs: 1.7g

Flourless brownie in my lunch
Flourless brownie in my lunch