Christmas treats without sugar (try these!)

I'll be baking up a storm next week...

Making my to-die-for Ginger Cookies, Almond Chocolate Freezer Fudge, and of course, Healthy Sugar Cookies for Santa! 

As always, there are candy, cookies, and sweet treats everywhere you look this time of year...

And you might call me a Grinch for saying this, but I do something very unconventional to protect my health:

I avoid refined sugar whenever possible (yes, even during the holidays). 

That doesn't mean I skip dessert or suck the joy out of Christmas. It just means I'm more intentional about the treats I choose and how I bake.

Here's the truth about refined sugar...

• White sugar, brown sugar, and powdered sugar are all ultra-processed forms of refined sugar.

• They're boiled, filtered, bleached, and stripped down until nothing is left but a cheap, dead sweetener with no nutritional value. Every natural mineral and plant compound is taken out. What you're left with is pure stimulation for your taste buds and nothing your body can actually use.

• Brown sugar begins as white sugar. It simply has molasses added back in to make it "brown" again.

• Corn syrup is also ultra-processed. It's made by breaking GMO corn starch down with enzymes and chemicals, then heavily refined and filtered into a clear, concentrated sweetener where all natural nutrients and minerals have been stripped out.

• Unless a sugar says it is "cane sugar" on an ingredient label it's probably made from GMO sugar beets. Any sugar (including Cane Sugar) that is NOT organic could have been sprayed with Roundup, Atrazine, and other harmful pesticides. 

When you eat refined sugar, it hits your system fast. Your blood sugar spikes, insulin jumps, and your body starts working overtime to bring things back into balance.

That whole process creates extra acidity in the body. And since refined sugar doesn't have any minerals to buffer it, your body has to use its own mineral stores.

This diminishes your immune system, makes you more tired, anxious, and wreaks havoc on your skin.

You truly can minimize or avoid so many health issues simply by replacing refined sugar with healthier (unrefined) options! 

You see, I don't believe that treats need to be unhealthy. There's a way to make fun and festive treats that don't demolish your health and taste incredibly delicious.

I've also found after years of avoiding refined sugar, I prefer desserts made without it. My palate has adjusted and my body knows what is best for it (I can literally feel the difference if I eat something with refined sugar - and it makes me feel awful). 

Here are several ways I replace refined sugar in my baking, and they even pack in nutrition: 

Organic Coconut Palm Sugar – It's an easy 1-to-1 substitute for baking recipes that call for regular sugar and brown sugar, and works great in most cookie recipes. It's completely unrefined, helping to preserve all of its vitamins and minerals, and it has a lower glycemic index than refined sugar.

Organic Maple Syrup – This can replace things like corn syrup, white sugar, or even powdered sugar in glazes and baking.  Because it's a liquid, you usually use a little less than you would refined sugar and slightly reduce other liquids in the recipe so the texture stays right. It's not refined or bleached, and it still contains natural minerals from the tree.

Organic Date Sugar – Date sugar doesn't dissolve so it's great for sprinkling on top of baked goods in place of powdered sugar (though not as sweet). It's produced by grinding dried dates into a powder, so it's unrefined and still contains fiber and naturally occurring nutrients.

Food Babe's Sweet Blend – I make a delicious blend with organic raw pitted dates, prunes, bananas and sometimes applesauce or maple syrup together in the blender along with some fat – either organic coconut oil or melted organic butter. It makes the most deliciously sweet cookies or cakes! No processing and all nutrition.

It's all just about making better choices, and this same philosophy applies any time of the year.

Some of my favorite holiday treat recipes without refined sugar: 

• Forever Cookies - This recipe uses my "sweet blend", so you can refer to this to get the exact proportions of ingredients that I use. You can then substitute this blend in many other recipes that call for a butter/sugar blend.
• Almond Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies - Look fancy, but only take about 15 minutes of your time.
• Classic Real Ginger Cookies - Sweetened with a small amount of real maple syrup and organic molasses. 
• Healthy Sugar Cookies - Sweetened with coconut palm sugar and almond flour. 
• Raw Cacao Candy Crunch - Full of antioxidants!
• Almond Chocolate Freezer Fudge - Just the right amount of sweetness, fat and protein to seriously satisfy a sweet tooth. 
• Candied Ginger - Moist, chewy, sweet, spicy and has tremendous health benefits! 
• Brownies or Cookies In-A-Jar - A great edible gift idea!

I hope these tips help you enjoy holiday treats without health-wrecking refined sugar. Happy baking! 

Xo,

Vani

P.S. If you're still looking for last-minute gifts, I put this Healthy Holiday Gift Guide together to help you. But hurry, before shipping windows close! 

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Do you use "REAL" salt everyday on your food?

For years, I never thought twice about the salt sitting in my kitchen.

Salt is salt, right?

Not quite. 

Most table salt has been stripped of its natural minerals, bleached white, and loaded with anti-caking agents and other additives you'd never guess was in there.

Here's what's hiding in conventional table salt:

• Aluminum compounds (used as anti-caking agents)
• Dextrose (sugar!)
• Bleaching chemicals
• Zero trace minerals (they've all been removed)

Your body needs salt—but it needs real salt with all the minerals nature intended.

That's why the only salt I use is Redmond Real Salt.

Here's what makes it completely different:

Mined from an ancient seabed in Utah—protected for millions of years beneath volcanic ash, far from modern pollutants and microplastics

Unrefined and unprocessed—no bleaching, no chemical treatments, no additives

Naturally rich in over 60 trace minerals—the way salt was meant to be

Subtly sweet flavor—those minerals give it an amazing taste that makes everything better

I love knowing exactly where my salt comes from. It's mined with a stainless steel hydraulic tool (no explosives!), crushed into the size you need, and packaged in a clean room with nothing added.

That's it. Just pure, mineral-rich salt the way nature created it.

It's also a clean, local, and sustainable alternative to Himalayan pink salt—and it tastes even better.

Get Redmond Real Salt here

Once you taste the difference, you'll never go back to that bleached processed stuff.

Xo,
Vani

P.S. Want to try your Redmond Real Salt in something delicious? These Happy Holiday Chocolate Goji Sea Salt Drops are the perfect sweet-and-salty treat—and that sprinkle of real sea salt on top makes all the difference!

P.P.S. At Food Babe, we only promote products we love to use. If you buy a product we link to, we may earn commission.

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Big Food has a robot that mimics human taste buds?

I can't believe I got to say this on the national news…

They let me go on (and on) about the dirty tactics Big Food uses to addict Americans to their products. 

Americans need to know the truth. 

PepsiCo literally has a ROBOT that mimics human taste buds, to make sure you'll crave their products before you've had the first bite.

When machines determine what we crave, it's not food anymore – it's manipulation.

Cheetos are engineered to "melt away" so your brain thinks you didn't eat anything.

They call this "Vanishing Caloric Density" – when a food dissolves quickly, the brain doesn't register the calories, so you keep reaching for more.

Doritos are designed with the perfect blend of fat, salt, and acid – plus MSG – to keep you hooked.

MSG has such a powerful effect on the brain that it's given to rats in animal studies to make them fat.

And that's just the beginning…

WATCH TO THE END: How Big Food Engineers Their Products To Hijack Your Tastebuds!

It's downright alarming and unconscionable what they are doing.

How do we stand a chance against this manipulation?

Big Food didn't want you to know how they've been using tobacco-industry tactics to addict our children so they can secure lifelong customers.

And now look where we are as a country…skyrocketing sickness, outrageous rates of obesity, and a food system built to keep people hooked instead of healthy.

It's disgusting, and it needs to stop.

Now that you know the truth, the best way to fight back is to share this so everyone sees exactly how the food industry has been playing their cards against us. That's how they stop winning.

Please share this video on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and X. 

And if you're not on social media, you can forward this email and YouTube video to your friends and family.

I love you for continuing to spread the word. 

The tide is turning! 

People are paying attention. Regulators are paying attention. And honestly, it's about time because the Food Babe Army has been waiting too long for something to be done about this.

Xo,

Vani

P.S. If you're still on the hunt for Christmas gifts, check out my Healthy Holiday Gift Guide. It has exclusive discount codes to help you save BIG on incredible wellness, beauty, and foodie gifts! 

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Is this really happening at Whole Foods?

What a year this has been...

Our Food Babe Army has made some incredible accomplishments, to say the least. 

My company, Truvani, and I are forever grateful for your support on our mission: 

To make clean ingredients go mainstream.

Your support made Truvani the top-selling Plant Protein at Whole Foods nationwide!!!

Are you kidding?! 

You also gave us the opportunity to launch a brand NEW USDA Organic Whey this year…

This product became so popular that it has been sold out on our site for months…

So naturally, you asked: "When will this be available in more stores?"

Well, I have the most exciting news:

Truvani USDA-Organic Whey is now available at Whole Foods!

Check out my reel on Instagram and comment which flavor you're most excited for!

Click Here to Watch 

You can now find all 3 flavors of Truvani USDA Organic Whey in Whole Foods nationwide: 

• Vanilla that tastes like melted ice cream at the bottom of the bowl.
• Chocolate that tastes like rich chocolate milk.
• Unflavored that tastes like a cold glass of milk.

It's insane to think…

Almost 3 Years Ago, we launched our Plant-Based Protein in Whole Foods. 

Only 1 Year Ago, they put The Only Bar on shelves. 

And NOW? Just 6 months after launching it…

Truvani USDA-Organic Whey is in Whole Foods Nationwide!!!

This is such a dream come true. We couldn't have done this without you. 

Xo, 

Vani

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Is your mattress making you sick?

A few years ago, I had this unsettling realization:

I'm meticulous about ingredients that go into my body during the day — reading labels, buying organic, filtering my water...

Yet I was spending 8+ hours EVERY NIGHT sleeping on a mattress filled with chemicals I'd never put anywhere near my food.

It hit me: We spend ONE-THIRD of our lives in bed.

That's a third of our lives breathing in whatever's lurking in our mattresses.

And here's what I found when I started investigating conventional mattresses:

• Polyurethane foams
• Flame retardants
• Synthetic materials
• Off-gassing chemicals

I couldn't believe it. I wouldn't let my family eat this stuff, so why was I letting them sleep on it?

Your bed should be a clean space for rest and recovery — not a source of chemical exposure.

That's why I upgraded to My Green Mattress, and it's honestly been one of the best decisions for my family's health.

Here's what makes My Green Mattress different:

✓ Certified organic cotton & wool
✓ ZERO polyurethane foams
✓ NO flame retardants
✓ Handcrafted in the USA
✓ Actually affordable (especially compared to other organic mattresses!)

I sleep on the Natural Escape Organic Mattress and it's absolutely amazing!

I wake up feeling rested, and I have peace of mind knowing my family isn't breathing in harmful chemicals all night long.

Right now, you'll not only save big on your own mattress BUT you'll also get a FREE protector* when you use my link:

Get your own non-toxic mattress (+ protector) here

Don't spend another night on a toxic mattress.

This is their biggest sale of the year!

Xo,
Vani

P.S. With the holidays coming up, this would make an incredible gift for anyone you love. Clean sleep is one of the most impactful upgrades you can make for your health.

*Free protector for all mattresses except the Emily Crib Mattress.

P.P.S. At Food Babe, we only promote products we love to use. If you buy a product we link to, we may earn commission.

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It’s time to rise up Food Babe Army

I have some really good news… but then some bad news.

You need to know both.

A major scientific paper the chemical industry points to as "proof" that Roundup weed killer (glyphosate) doesn't cause cancer was just pulled by the academic journal it was published in! 

They pulled the paper when internal documents showed that it was ghostwritten by Monsanto – the company who invented Roundup. 

This means that our EPA can no longer rely on this fraudulent piece of industry-written "science" to say Roundup doesn't cause cancer. 

Americans deserve to know the truth about Roundup, and not have carcinogens sprayed on their food. 

Bayer bought Monsanto a few years back, and has already paid out $10 BILLION to cancer victims caused by this chemical…

And there are upwards of 67,000 upcoming cases. 

This is a problem that won't go away for Bayer. And instead of taking responsibility, they're trying to wiggle out of this in the worst way possible. 

Bayer petitioned the Supreme Court to give them a federal liability shield. 

This would block people who get cancer from their product from suing them, so all pending lawsuits would come to a screeching halt.

They're claiming that since the EPA doesn't require a cancer warning, the lawsuits should be thrown out.

And things just escalated, because the Solicitor General is supporting them getting heard by the Court, making it more likely to happen.

This is why the EPA needs to reevaluate glyphosate ASAP and warn the American people about how it causes cancer – or we are screwed.

I have an entire chapter about Roundup and how Monsanto lied to Americans in my book Feeding You Lies. 

This book also breaks down all of the lies we have been fed by Big Food and how they use the tactics of the tobacco industry to hook Americans on their products. 

Which brings me to one more piece of good news! 

Big Food just got sued by the city of San Francisco. 

This is the first government lawsuit of its kind… 

Claiming that Big Food corporations deceptively market their products using tactics right out of the tobacco-industry playbook.

Even worse, how they target our children – and KNOW their ultra-processed products make people sick… but sell them anyway. 

Defendants in the suit include: Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Kraft-Heinz, Post, Mondelez, General Mills, Nestlé, WK Kellogg, Kellanova, Mars, and ConAgra.

Big Food is the new tobacco. 

The truth is catching up to them.

Their old playbook doesn't work anymore. 

And they're finally being called out for it.

Xo,

Vani

P.S. If this email sparked something in you or there's someone in your life who wants to get healthier in our ultra-processed food system, my book Feeding You Lies would make a great gift. Perhaps even for yourself! 

P.P.S. Don't forget I put all of my healthy gift ideas in a holiday guide for you here. It includes products I personally love, use, and fully stand behind for my family. From beauty to kitchen tools to wellness must-haves, these gifts align perfectly with the Food Babe lifestyle.

***If someone forwarded this email to you, make sure to subscribe to my free email newsletter here. I'll send you updates, life-changing health tips, recipes, and breaking investigations each week***

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The only cookware I trust for holiday cooking

I don't know about you...

But I'm getting my kitchen ready for the holiday rush.

Cookies for neighbors. Sheet pan dinners for busy weeknights. And those massive holiday cookie exchanges that are coming up.

But here's what you may not realize:

That non-stick baking sheet you're using? It could be releasing toxic chemicals directly into your food.

Most non-stick cookware and bakeware contains PFAS (aka "forever chemicals") and PTFE (Teflon).

And when these coatings get overheated -- which happens fast when you're baking cookies or roasting vegetables -- they release toxic fumes that have been linked to cancer, hormone disruption, and immune system issues.

In fact, these fumes are so toxic they can kill pet birds and cause flu-like symptoms in humans (it's actually called "Teflon flu").

That's why the only baking sheets I use in my kitchen are from 360 Cookware.

Here's why they're different:

• Made in the USA with surgical-grade stainless steel
• Zero PFAS, PTFE, or aluminum touching your food
• Bakes everything evenly with no toxins
• Lifetime warranty (mine still look brand new after years!)

And right now, you can save 25% OFF 360 Cookware baking sheets and cookware with code FOODBABE.

Get 25% OFF 360 Cookware here

Don't bake another batch of cookies on toxic non-stick pans.

Now is the best time to upgrade your cookware before the holiday rush! 

Xo,
Vani

P.S. At Food Babe, we only promote products we love to use. If you buy a product we link to, we may earn commission.

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