I knew from monitoring my own body (haha — what I mean is, watching myself gain weight, especially as I got into my 40s and beyond!), that eating those simple carbs didn't satisfy my appetite at all. Actually — just the opposite! You know how when you have one Oreo you only want 10 more? That's what I noticed with myself (and with my kids too, by the way).

I couldn't find any prepared snack foods —especially not treats — that weren't full of sugar and excess carbs. So I started experimenting with carb substitutes, looking for ingredients high in nutritional value, not just fillers, and that's when I discovered the beauty of flax seeds. Among other things, flax is high in Omega-3 fatty acids, which are so good for your skin and bones. They're also full of fiber which helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels.

To the flax seed meal I added a few eggs, a little coconut oil, and some natural sweetener, and voila! I had a baked treat I eventually got to where even my kids liked it! (Although this meant a number of batches along the way had to be eaten solely by myself).