Cream Cheese Stuffed Prunes topped with Almonds

This is a sponsored post.

Outside of a little indulgence every now and then, I truly try to eat healthy most of the time. I always take special interest in my diet at the beginning of the New Year. As I am aging, maintaining my weight is becoming more and more of a challenge so smart snacking is essential to my diet.

For the many Americans who resolve to eat healthier in the New Year, focusing on healthy snacks is an easy way to improve the quality of your diet, especially when you add the Feel Good Fruit to your favorite snacking recipes. Sunsweet® prunes and juices are an easy fix to help you stick with your healthy eating resolutions for 2015 and the perfect partner for my Cream Cheese Stuffed Prunes topped with Almonds.

Amaz!n™ Prunes are little gems are a good source of fiber for only 100 calories per serving. Amaz!n Prunes are nature’s perfect way to feel good with nutrition and delicious taste. Prunes also have a low glycemic index, which means they keep you feeling fuller longer. They add a powerful boost of nutrition and fiber to snack time or your favorite recipe.

To make these delicious Cream Cheese Stuffed Prunes topped with Almonds you just need a few simple ingredients: Prunes, Cream Cheese, Almonds, Wheat Germ and Chia Seeds.

To begin, I stuffed the prunes with the cream cheese, wheat germ and chia seeds mixture.

I then topped each of the prunes with a whole almond.

I like to serve these Cream Cheese Stuffed Prunes topped with Almonds as part of a cheese tray, serving them alongside cheese slices, a bowl of diced prunes and a bowl of whole almonds for the perfect snacking tray.

My mother loves prunes and ate them all the time while I was growing up. She passed her love of prunes down to me and you know what, I am glad she did. Studies suggest the following positive effects from certain nutrients in prunes:

Bone Health: Prunes may promote healthy bones. Dr. Bahram H. Arjmandi of Florida State University says, “Dried plums (prunes) are the most bone-friendly fruit that I have seen in decades. They are nature’s solution to maintaining good bone health.” Dr. Arjmandi hypothesizes that the many compounds and nutrients contained in prunes, such as vitamin K, potassium, copper and boron, likely work synergistically to have this positive effect. Additional research is currently being conducted to learn more about prunes and bone health.

Potassium: Potassium may help prevent hypertension and stroke and play a role in helping support cell energy by regulating fluid balance, nerve impulses and muscle contraction to increase energy.

Fiber: A diet containing foods with fiber can replace fats and sweets, and contributes to heart health.

Regularity: A fiber rich diet may contribute to maintaining a consistent digestive tract which helps lead to improved digestive health. (I’ll be honest, this is really the #1 reason why I eat prunes).

I’ve been enjoying these nutritious gems with my morning smoothies or as the perfect post-workout snack. Heck, my Cream Cheese Stuffed Prunes topped with Almonds are good any time of the day. You have to try them, they truly are a #FeelGoodFruit.

So, dish it to me, do you like prunes? What’s your favorite way to eat them?

 

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

This post was written by Linda Arceo for Giggles, Gobbles and Gulps. All rights reserved.