If you have a group of people that you're hoping to spread love to this holiday season, but you don't want to break the bank, and you want to offer a break from the traditional holiday sugar coma, give them the gift of guilt-free indulgence.

My children go to the YMCA for child care, where classroom assistants are often jumping into different classrooms to help. I wanted to thank everyone that has loved my children so well, and I know they value their break time, so I decided to fill up their break room with healthy treats, including some Izze sparkling juice, apples, and this Chocolate Avocado Fruit Dip. While you might wince at the idea of avocado in a sweet dip, the flavor of it is lost to the sweetness of the banana, chocolate and syrup. But the avocado does give it a healthy source of fat, as well as a creamy pudding-like texture:

CREAMY CHOCOLATE AVOCADO FRUIT DIP

I spooned the dip into 4 oz. mason jars and added labels between the lid and the ring, for a special touch. This recipe filled 12 jars, and I may or may not have eaten the little bit that was remaining with a spoon.

Then again, you don't need a gift giving opportunity to make this recipe. Serve it to your kids, your spouse or your extended family. If you don't tell your picky eaters what it's made of, they'll probably devour it without the slightest clue that it's a healthy treat.

Here - I'll take all of the pressure off of you. If you would like to recreate this recipe as a gift, here are some jar labels for you. Simply click on the photo below to be taken to a file that you can print, cut out, and add to your jars. Enjoy!

My experience with Fresh Thyme has been that while their packaged foods are more expensive, their produce prices, especially for their quality, are hard to beat. They have a great organic section, with great organic deals to match. If I plan my meals around their ads, cooking clean, simple meals, I find that I can typically feed my family of four (with two small children) for about $80-90 per week. To save on canned and packaged goods, milk, eggs and butter, I usually make the extra trip to Meijer, Kroger or Costco.

You can find all of Fresh Thyme's ads on their website. In addition to produce, I like to pick up all of my supplements at Fresh Thyme as well. They have a great selection of vitamins and supplements, along with natural body care products.

If you would like help learning to meal plan in an affordable way, please contact me at ext. 2137.

Where do you find your best deals to make eating well affordable? What is your greatest struggle when it comes to preparing healthy meals for yourself or your whole family? I would love to help. Share in the comments below, so I can offer feedback that may benefit everyone.