Nicole Testa (2026)

08/03/2021

I don’t know about you but I am a sucker for Girl Scout cookies and I will admit that I got caught outside of Target buying 5 boxes one day... 😬🤦‍♀️😂

While I love the real thing, I also love to try and recreate them in the kitchen. Today I am bringing you a healthier Carmel deLite recipe 😜🙌

Ingredients:
Cookie base
- 1 3/4 cups almond flour
- 4 tbsp coconut flour
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
- 4 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- Pinch of sea salt

Coconut topping
- 1 1/2 cups shredded toasted coconut (can purchase this way or make your own in the oven)
- 1/4 cup creamy almond butter
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp salt

Chocolate layer
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp melted coconut oil

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Add all cookie ingredients to a bowl, mix, and form in to 1 inch dough balls.
3. Flatten dough balls out with hands, forming a circular shape. Use a straw to cut out the middle of the cookie.
4. Transfer cookie dough to the baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
5. While cookies are baking, add coconut topping ingredients to a bowl. Mix and set aside.
6. Once cookies are baked and fully cooled, melt chocolate and coconut oil together in the microwave (30 seconds at a time until melted).
7. Dip the bottom of the cookies halfway in to the chocolate, place back on the parchment paper.
8. Top cookies with coconut topping and drizzle tops with more melted chocolate.
9. Let chocolate fully harden and enjoy. 😉

Hope you enjoy this recipe, tag me if you do end up making them!

Also, quick note... if what you really are craving is the real thing (and not a “healthier” twist recipe- like this) just EAT THE COOKIE girl 😘

09/02/2021

I’m back… and am sharing my cozy bowl of oatmeal with you all this morning, along with tips on how to build a filling (and satisfying) breakfast 🤗☀️

Let’s keep things simple, here are five things include in your morning meal:
- Fiber
- Whole grains
- Protein
- Healthy fats
- Fruit/vegetables

This snowy weather has had me on an oatmeal kick lately and it is honestly one of my favorite ways to start my day (besides having a cup of coffee 😜). Not only is is packed FULL of nutrients but it also keeps me full for hours, different additions can be added daily (keeping things new and fun), and it is super yummy!

In this bowl I cooked ½ cup of oats with 1 cup of almond milk, 1 tbsp of chia seeds, a dash of cinnamon, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract. I then topped it with ½ cup of defrosted mixed berries, 1 tbsp of sliced almonds, and a drizzle of honey 😋

What have some of your go to breakfast been lately? 👇

27/11/2020

I don’t care what your plate looked like last night, you don’t need to feel guilty or shameful about it!!! 👏👏👏

You also still need to eat today and you don’t need to do hours of cardio to burn off the calories. 👈

Look at the bigger picture… What are you going to remember a year from now? 🤔 It’s not gonna be the amount of food you consumed or how stuffed you felt. You’re gonna remember the experiences you had, the people you were with, and the memories you made. 🥰

Thanksgiving is so much more than stuffing your face with Turkey and pie, and it’s completely okay if you overindulged a little yesterday. That one meal does not define who you are or where you are going, so don’t let it hold yourself back.

Be compassionate and show yourself some grace!! ❤️

Hope you all had a wonderful and safe celebration 🦃 😘

25/11/2020

Alright, the end of pumpkin spice season is right around the corner 😢 so I gotta post one more recipe while it is still socially acceptable.

Any who… I am SO excited about this one!! 🙌🙌

One of my all time Starbucks fav’s is their Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew (and I am sure many of you can agree) 🥰

I literally wait all year for them to bring it back out and I am there a couple times a week while it is on their menu lol 😂

But, today I have a copycat recipe I am sharing with you all and let me just say, it is literally identical and so beyond yummy (plus it’s super easy and way cheaper- saving time and money) 🤩🤩

I also made it will monk fruit sweetener, instead of sugar, and you cannot even tell the difference.

Swipe for the recipe, save it, and try it out!! I promise you will not be disappointed. ❤️

What are your Starbucks fav’s? 👇

24/11/2020

No need to overthink your Thanksgiving meal, so do yourself a favor and STOP! 🛑

You don’t have to plan your macros! 🚫
You don’t have to worry about how you’re are going to avoid the dessert table! 🚫
You don’t have to run a 5k to “earn” your dinner 🚫
You don’t have to stress over what the scale is going to read the next day! 🚫

There are 21 meals out of our 7 day week, 1 of them is not going to ruin your progress!! READ THAT AGAIN FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK 👏👏

What you can/should do… relax, enjoy and be present in the moment, spend time with your loved ones (whether virtually or in person), give thanks, eat the pie 🥧 and all the mashed potatoes 🥔 that you want!

And on Friday, resume back to normal. Do not deprive or “punish” your self for “getting off track.” ‼️ Move your body, eat balanced meals, and hydrate. 🧘‍♀️🍎💦

Has anyone ever struggled/is currently struggling with the stress of Thanksgiving dinner? What stressed (or stresses) you out the most? 👇

23/11/2020

It is officially Thanksgiving week (still having a hard time believing this- time is flying) and with that I have some reminders for all of us ❤️

First, you do NOT have to earn your food and it is also okay to indulge in the moment.

Enjoy the time spent with your loved ones!!!

You do not need permission to eat your favorites. If you want the pie, eat it, and without guilt! 👏

Find things to be grateful for this week and always! Hope you are all staying safe and healthy 🥰🥰

03/11/2020

I used to go out to eat with family and friends and dread it, I would either get super flustered and stressed about what to order on the menu 😫 OR I would just not order anything and just eat at home 🤦‍♀️. It was NOT an enjoyable experience and it SHOULD be!! 👏👏

Though I have come a long way since then and I joyfully go out with my loved ones, enjoy the food I order, and have a great time 🥰

So... let’s talk about some tips to make your dining experiences more enjoyable if this is something that you also struggle with. 👇

First, order what you want!!! Don’t just order a salad 🥗 because you think this is what you should eat! This will lead you to being less satisfied at the end of your meal and likely lead you to going home and bingeing on something not so good 🍪🍩, just making you feel worse in the end (where you could’ve just ordered the chicken sandwich and felt satisfied). 🙄

Second, be mindful of your food and check in with your hunger. Yes, you should enjoy the social experience of eating out but also do not just mindlessly eat your whole plate. Slow down, taste, and savor every bite. Also, be mindful of how hungry you are. Check in while eating and notice whether you are satisfied or not to help you make the decision of when to stop eating.

Third, enjoy the experience. Going out to eat is an experience and one that should be pleasant. Be sure to take it in and be consciously grateful that you get to be there with your loved ones.

Lastly, show yourself grace and move on. If you forget to practice any of the tips above, it’s okay! One meal does not determine whether or not you are healthy, and you should not let it dictate how you feel about yourself. 😊❤️

30/10/2020

Happy (almost) Halloween y’all!! 🎃👻💀 Lets talk about mindful eating, the process of being aware of our senses and choosing to eat things that we actually enjoy/that make us feel good. 🥰

Quick reminder… YOU are the one who has the power to choose what foods you put in your body! AND YOU can give yourself permission to eat things like a Reeses’s cup or a Snicker’s bar without feeling guilty about it! 👏👏👏

When we restrict foods from our lives like candy/sweets, it just makes us crave them even more and can result in a binge later (that we won’t feel so good about). 🙃😩

Moral of the story, if you want to snickers and you know you will enjoy it, EAT IT, be satisfied, and move on. 🙌 Make mindful decisions that will make you feel good and stop restricting foods that you actually enjoy…

Some tips as we head in to Halloween for how to eat mindfully are:
1. Ask yourself before eating the piece of candy if it is something that you really want and that will make you feel good/satisfied. 🤔
2. Be sure to eat balanced meals throughout the day full of carbs, proteins, and fats (do not “save” your calories for candy- this is likely to lead to a binge and also spike your blood sugar) 🍝🍗🥗
3. Keep the wrappers of the candy you do eat in a pile to be mindful of how much you are consuming 🍬🍫

What kind of candy will you be ENJOYING this Halloween??! 👇 (I will most definitely be eating a Take 5- the best of all worlds in my opinion lol 😁)

29/10/2020

I am back with another fall flavor inspired recipe... 😁🙌🙌

It’s spooky season people, let me have my moment. Please and thank you!! 🧡🖤

Lol but no for real, this is sooo yummy! 🥰 It is a Pumpkin Pie Rice Pudding Recipe 🎃🥧

We had a family fall fun night last night and I made this for dessert, it was a hit!!!

Swipe for the recipe 👉

You should DEFINITELY try it out and let me know how it is ☺️

20/10/2020

There was a time (not so long ago) in my life that I literally tracked EVERYTHING I put in my body (even the tiny bit of oil I would use to cook with). I was obsessed with the amount of calories I ate and I refused to go over the MyFitnessPal recommended calories for me to loose a pound a week. 🤦‍♀️🙃

I wasn’t happy, I was fighting personal insecurities and striving to be as thin as possible in hopes of feeling beautiful. I was afraid of food, I was afraid of calories, I was afraid of eating “too much,” I was afraid of gaining weight and was obsessed with losing it.

This wasn’t healthy for me. I was crushing my relationship with food, it became toxic.

Flash forward... I am working on my food freedom and am feeling better than ever with my relationship with food. ☺️ I eat mindfully, do not track my calories, eat foods that I actually ENJOY (while still fueling it with needed nutrients), can go out to eat with friends and not feel like I have to pick the lowest calorie option on the menu, etc... 🙌

Finding food freedom has not been a linear process and there are many ups and downs along the way, I still have down days, and that is okay! What I can say is that I am so grateful for the growth I have made and am damn proud of where I am and where I am going 💪❤️🥰

17/10/2020

I mean let’s be honest who doesn’t LOVE apple cider donuts??! 🍎🍩😍

They are honestly one of my all time favorite things about fall! One of my other favorite things to do in fall is to try out new recipes and make some yummy treats.

I am here to share a healthy apple cider donut recipe with you all (swipe for the recipe 👉). Save this post and try them out. I hope you enjoy them as much as my family and I did! 😊

What are your favorite fall treats? 🍁👇

13/10/2020

I know I have been MIA on here lately but I want to get back to growing this page and sharing my story and passions with you all. So sorry for being absent, but I am back!! 🙌

I want this platform to be one where I am both vulnerable and transparent so I’m going to be honest… posting is hard for me. I am working on my confidence, my self-worth and believing that what I have to share is important. While I know that it is important to me, I worry others won’t feel the same.

With that being said, my whole hope with this account is to help others live their best and happiest lives through finding a healthy lifestyle that works for them! SO, that is why I am doing this, that is my WHY!

I know that if I do not show up for myself and my dreams of helping all of you live your best lives, I can’t expect you all to show up for yourselves and actually make the changes you need to too.

So I am back and will be sharing more! Thanks for supporting me, growing with me, and joining me on this crazy journey through life ❤️

A reminder for myself and you all too: growth does not happen in your comfort zone… time to get un-comfy! 😜🥰💕

Nicole Testa