Quick!
What comes to mind when you think about Valentine’s Day?
Does you think of big, heart-shaped boxes of sugary chocolates?
Or artificially-colored heart-shaped candy confections?
Most of us associate this holiday with chocolate indulgence.
But there is a healthier way to celebrate this heart-centered holiday.
Show your sweetie some love with healthy Vegan Valentine’s Day party treats!
What better way to show your love for your loved ones than with delicious yet healthy treats?
Serve these to your sweetie or your Valentine’s Day party guests to show you really love
them:
Heart Themed Treats
* Healthy Hearts
Valentine’s Day is a heart-themed holiday.
Think of heart-healthy foods and serve those as snacks.
For example, heart-healthy seeds and nuts like sunflower seeds and almonds can be served
in pretty muffin papers or heart-shaped containers.
Make heart-shaped bran muffins, or arrange sliced strawberries in a heart on top of a bowl
of oatmeal.
* Sweetheart Cookies and Sandwiches
Your sweetheart will love a treat of heart-shaped, homemade, gluten-free or whole
grain cookies.
Or using a cookie cutter, cut whole wheat bread into heart shapes.
Make sandwiches with whatever healthy filling you like – the heart shape makes it festive.
For an extra touch, put a decorative red toothpick through each sandwich.
* Heart-y chips and salsa
Cut whole wheat tortillas into heart shapes.
Brush them with olive oil, sprinkle them with salt, and then bake them at 425 degrees F
until crisp (about 8 minutes).
Serve these with red, tomato-y salsa or other seasonal dip.
Fruity Delights
* Chocolate Strawberry Roses
Insert a wooden skewer into the bottom of some fresh strawberries.
Dip them into dark chocolate (dark chocolate, at least 60% cocoa, is considered healthful).
When the chocolate is cool, arrange the strawberries in a vase or other container.
* Juicy Red Fruits and Kabobs
Nature provides a lot of red fruits that look pretty on a skewer.
Cherries, raspberries, strawberries, and even cut-up red apples can all be put on
a skewer and enjoyed by young and old alike.
Serve with a fruit dip if you like.
* Watermelon Hearts
Naturally red, watermelon is great for cutting into shapes.
Cut heart shapes for a healthy treat.
Focusing on the heart means healthy foods.
Chocolate, whole grains, and other foods mentioned above are not only festive; they are
good for the heart.
Go Red with Delicious Drinks
Show your love with fresh, healthy, homemade red beverages such as:
*Hot and Spicy Tomato Juice
*Cranberry Pomegranate Punch
*Cherry, Grape and Apple Juice
*Strawberry, Cherry, Goji Berry Smoothie
*Bloody Mary Smoothie
*Fruity Red Sangria
*Cranberry Cherry Fruit Infused Water
*Rose Hips Hibiscus Tea Cooler
*Beet Pineapple Apple Ginger Cocktail
Share the Love with Veggies & Snacks
Wow your loved ones and party guests with a tasty selection of red sauces, dips,
soups, entrees and veggies such as:
* Cherry Tomato Kabobs
*Roasted Red Tomato Soup
*Spicy Red Vegetarian Chili
*Red Pepper Hummus
*Radish Kabobs
*Grilled Tomatoes
More Luscious Love Bites!
Now it’s time to “heat things up” a bit!
Enjoy these delectable Valentine’s Day recipes and ideas from some of my favorite spots across the web:
* Valentine’s Day Dinner & Dessert – Cooking with My Hubby from Brownvegan.com
* The Perfect Vegan Valentine’s Day Menu from KeepinitKind.com
* 50 Hot and Sexy Vegan Desserts for Valentine’s Day from OneGreenPlanet.org
* Top 25 Raw Vegan Chocolate Recipes from Rawveganpower.com
* Vegan Valentine’s Day Recipes from OhSheGlows.com
* Top Ten Vegan Valentine’s Day Recipes from Ecorazzi.com
* Top 10 Healthy Vegan Valentine’s Day Recipes from Honkifyourevegan.com
* This Valentine’s Day, Love is in the Fare from Peta.org
* 25 Romantic Breakfast in Bed Ideas for Valentine’s Day from OneGreenPlanet.org
And if you really want to make this Valentine’s Day green and special, you’ll love these:
*11 Tips to Go Green and Show Your Love This Valentine’s Day from organic4greenlivings.com
Whatever you do, have a healthy, happy Valentine’s Day!
So what’s on your menu for Valentine’s Day?
Share your plans and suggestions with us.
“Shared on Healthy Vegan Fridays”
“Shared on Pin Worthy Wednesday”
“Shared at Coffee and Conversation”
I’m making Garlic Tomato Balsamic Chicken! Red and filling!
http://brokeandbougie.blogspot.com/2013/10/garlic-tomato-balsamic-vinegar-chicken.html
Hi Lindsay,
That meal sounds delicious! Someone is going to be a very happy Valentine! Thanks for sharing your comments with us. All the best, Deb
Hi Deb, Some great ideas here for great alternatives to sugar chemical candy that has so many health risks. Can’t decide which idea I like best but the smoothie sound great and so do the fruit kabobs> Thanks for sharing on MaMade Blog Hop Link Up Have a wonderful healthy day!
This is a great post Deb!! That strawberry at the top looks delicious and now I reeeeeeeeally want some haha. Thanks so much for linking up with us at the MaMade Blog Hop! Don’t forget to stop back to link up again next week and see if you’ve been featured! Have a great weekend 🙂
Great post! I love all of these foods, especially the hearty chips and salsa! Bring it on! 🙂
Dear Deborah,
You provide a wealth of information, ideas, recipes, and lovely photos to help us celebrate Valentine’ Day. Fabulous is a fitting word for this blog post. I shared it on Facebook and will pin it ASAP.
Warm regards,
Nancy Andres, Health & Lifestyle Writer, Author of Colors of Joy: A Woman’s Guide for Self-Discovery, and Bliss, Blogger at http://obloggernewbie.blogspot.com and http://www.nancyandreswriter.com/colors-of-joy-blog/
Hi Nancy,
I sincerely appreciate your comments and I am delighted that you shared this post as well. Wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day!
These are fantastic ideas for a fun Valentine’s Day. I’m pinning this to my Valentine board to revisit next year, as I am recovering from surgery this year and won’t be doing any cooking or entertaining. I am looking forward to doing great things next year though – thanks for sharing!
Great alternatives to lots of chocolate – Thanks for linking up to Pin Worthy Wednesday, I have pinned your post to the Pin Worthy Wednesday Pinterest Board.
Hi Amberjane,
I always love partying at PinWorthy Wednesday! Thank you for pinning my post! I appreciate it.
There are so many beautiful recipes in this post! I wish I could attend this party in person and sample it all!! Happy Healthy Valentine’s Day! ♥
Great ideas! Love the red juice drinks!
Love these ideas! thanks for sharing on healthy living link party!
Hi Anne,
I’m glad you love these healthy vegan Valentine Day ideas! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
These are great ideas to keep Valentine’s Day a little less indulgent =) I used to really enjoy lots of candy and chocolate, but my tastes have changed over the years.
I really like your heart-y chips & salsa idea – it’s so cute!
Thanks so much for sharing at Healthy Vegan Fridays – I’m pinning & sharing.
Hi Kimmy,
I am so glad you like these V-Day treats. I too have gotten away from lots of candy, although I still love cacao goodies and a bit of dark chocolate now and then. Thanks for pinning and sharing. I appreciate it.