Guilt-Free Snacking! Get Your Award Season on with Tart Cherries

It was battle royale at this year’s Emmys, and now the Oscars are nearly upon us.

Awards season is in full swing, but there’s still time to watch the most talked-about shows and movies while enjoying tasty snacks like U.S. grown tart cherries.

February is National Snack Food Month, and mindful snacking is a top trend. Tart cherries are the ideal superfruit that delivers delicious flavor and health benefits so you can savor the moment and indulge without the guilt.

Scientific studies suggest that U.S.-grown tart cherries may help improve sleep and exercise recovery, reduce inflammation, improve gut health, and promote heart health.

Try tart cherries yourself with the recipe below.

Tart Cherry Superfood Banana Splits

Ingredients:

• ½ cup dark chocolate chips
• 2 cups tart cherry juice
• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt (whole, low-fat, and nonfat all work)
• ¼ cup almond butter
• ¼ cup granola
• ¼ cup dried tart cherries
• ½ cup frozen tart cherries (thawed)

Directions:

• Make the tart cherry chocolate sauce. Place the chocolate chips in a bowl. Add the tart cherry juice to a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until reduced to ⅔ cup. Pour the reduced tart cherry juice into the bowl with the chocolate chips and mix until all of the chocolate is melted and you have a smooth sauce.
• Cut the bananas in half lengthwise and place on 2 plates. Spoon ½ cup of Greek yogurt on each banana, then drizzle on 2 tablespoons of almond butter and 2 tablespoons      of tart cherry chocolate sauce.
• Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of granola, 2 tablespoons of dried tart cherries, and ¼ cup of thawed frozen tart cherries on top of each banana split. Serve and enjoy!
• Store any leftover tart cherry chocolate sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for later use.