Apple Monster Mouths

Ingredients

• 2 medium apples, ideally tart ones like Granny Smith
• 1 tsp lemon juice mixed with 2 Tbs water
• 1/4 cup (64g) natural peanut butter or sunflower seed butter
• 2 Tbs (18g) roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
• 2 strawberries

Instructions

1. Core the apples and cut each one into 8 wedges.
2. On the skin side of each wedge, cut out a smaller wedge from the middle to make an open mouth. Brush the cut surfaces with the lemon water so they don’t brown.
3. Spread a little peanut butter inside each mouth.
4. Press sunflower seeds into the peanut butter along the top and bottom edges, pointing out, for teeth.
5. Cut the strawberries into thin slices, trim them into tongue shapes, and tuck one into each mouth so it sticks out.
6. Serve right away, or chill for up to 2 hours.

Notes

• Why it’s diabetes-friendly: Apples have more carbs than the other treats here, so a serving is 4 mouths (half an apple). The peanut butter and seeds add protein, fat and fiber, which slow how fast the fruit sugar reaches your blood. Tart green apples have a little less sugar than sweet red ones.
• Use a peanut butter with no added sugar; the ingredients should just be peanuts and salt.
• For eyes, stick a blueberry on top of each mouth with a dab of peanut butter.