January is the month that we usually start to re-focus on our healthy eating habits and a lot of us even set some healthy lifestyle goals for the upcoming year. I’ve been thinking about this and wanted to share this delicious dessert recipe and some tips from Truvia® brand.

Their website is loaded with lots of lightened-up recipes too- like these yummy Truvia® brand Raspberry Bars that I recently baked up!

I also found these awesome tips…

Follow our Red, Green and Orange Rule. At each of your meals, include either a red, green or orange fruit or vegetable. You’ll focus on what you should be eating rather than what you should stay away from and you’ll fill up on nutrient-, antioxidant-, and fiber-rich foods that are an important part of a balanced diet.

Sneak in exercise. It’s not always possible to get to the gym each day, but it’s important to sneak in exercise wherever you can. Take stairs instead of the elevator at work or push your kids on the swings for an arm workout. Even if you walk around the neighborhood for 15 minutes, it counts. Just get moving!

Shut off your electronics 30 minutes before bedtime. Computers, TVs, phones, and iPads—they all stimulate your mind and disrupt sleep. Interrupted sleep and sleep deprivation slows your metabolism and negatively affects your immune system.

PLUS, they have a really cool ‘Stay tru to You’ Facebook page where you can enter a sweepstakes to win one of three really cool prizes!

A little incentive always helpful, right?!

Stay TRU to You

Sticking to your New Year’s resolutions can be stressful. We’re here to make the process a little sweeter for you.

A recent survey commissioned by the Truvia® brand showed that 59 percent experience small setbacks to eating healthy, such as snacking on junk food or treating themselves to an indulgent meal. That’s why Truvia® natural sweetener is launching The Stay TRU to You Sweepstakes, which aims to give fans a chance to enter to win one of three rewards for sticking to their New Year’s resolutions. From Jan. 24, 2014 to Feb, 2014 fans will have the opportunity to take the Stay TRU to You pledge, and just for doing so, each entrant will receive a Truvia® brand coupon in addition to having a chance at winning one of the three selected rewards.

Yield: 24

Truvia® brand Raspberry Bars

Name: Truvia® brand Raspberry Bars
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 24
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups old-fashioned oats; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 3 ⁄4 cup unsalted butter, softened; 1 ⁄2 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 ⁄3 cup Truvía® Baking Blend; FILLING; 4 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen; 1 ⁄3 cup Truvía® Baking Blend; 2 teaspoon lemon juice; 1 ⁄3 cup corn starch

You must give these Truvia® brand Raspberry Bars a try or any of the other delicious recipes you'll find on their website!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 ⁄4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 ⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ⁄3 cup Truvía® Baking Blend
FILLING
4 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen
1 ⁄3 cup Truvía® Baking Blend
2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 ⁄3 cup corn starch

Instructions

Assemble all ingredients; preheat oven to 325° F.
Place oats, flour, cinnamon, butter, salt, vanilla and Truvía® Baking Blend in mixing bowl, mix at low speed for 1 minute.
Scrape sides of bowl, mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Portion 2⁄3 of oat mixture into greased 13” x 9” baking pan; set aside remaining 1⁄3 of mixture for topping.
Press oat mixture into bottom of pan to form crust.
For filling: blend raspberries, Truvía® Baking Blend, lemon juice, and corn starch until uniform. Spread over pressed oat mixture.
For topping, add remaining oatmeal mixture.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 950Total Fat: 93gSaturated Fat: 57gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 30gCholesterol: 244mgSodium: 191mgCarbohydrates: 86gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 3g

* this recipe is from the Truvia®website

I like to use Truvia® brand to reduce calories in some of my recipes- it’s a great way to make anything your cooking have a little less calories.

Did you know that Truvia® brand natural sweetener is a great tasting, zero-calorie sweetener made with the best tasting part of the stevia leaf. One packet provides the same sweetness as two teaspoons of sugar, and is great in coffee, tea, or even your morning grapefruit.

The sweetener is available in 40-, 80- and 140-count boxes, and in a spoonable jar. Truvia® Baking Blend blends Truvia® natural sweetener and sugar to provide a sugar-like taste and texture for recipes, with 75% fewer calories than sugar. For more info, check out Truvia.com/recipes or our Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube channels.

AND Check out these interesting stats…

You must give these Truvia® brand Raspberry Bars a try or any of the other delicious recipes you’ll find on their website!

Happy Friday and Happy Baking!

xoxo~ Ruthie

*Compensation was provided by Cargill® via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Cargill®