Lighten up: Fruit brings out the natural sweetness in three easy, anytime treats

These three recipes are some of my go-to favorites: peanut butter banana oat bars, lemon loaf, and strawberry lemon muffins. They’re lightened-up, easy to make, and all use fruit to bring out natural sweetness without being overly sugary.

Whether you’re following Weight Watchers or just trying to make a few healthier choices, these are great options to have on hand.

I’ve made each of these recipes more times than I can count, and they’ve become staples in our family. They’re filling, flavorful, and perfect for breakfast, a snack, or even a little something sweet after dinner. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

If you are someone who loves to batch recipes or meal prep, these are perfect. And if you don’t normally meal prep items to have on hand for the week, these are easy recipes to get you started.

The peanut butter banana oat bars taste like if banana bread and a granola bar had a baby. The texture is perfect, the peanut butter comes through, and the added protein powder helps keep you fuller longer.

The lemon loaf recipe was inspired by Starbucks’ lemon loaf. It’s bright, comforting, and pairs perfectly with your morning coffee.

Strawberry lemon muffins taste like a farmers market treat. You can use fresh or frozen, but if using frozen, toss the strawberries in a sprinkle of flour first. This will ensure the batter isn’t too wet once the strawberries defrost.

• My Bizzy Kitchen runs once a month in Food. Follow Biz Velatini on her blog at mybizzykitchen.com/, on Instagram @mybizzykitchen and Facebook at facebook.com/mybizzykitchen.

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Peanut Butter Banana Oat Bars

2 medium bananas, ripe

⅓ cup peanut butter

½ cup sugar free pancake syrup

1 tablespoon coconut oil (melted)

2 cups oats (we used quick oats)

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (we used Flavcity Vanilla)

⅓ cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 tablespoon flour

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease an 8x8-inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas until smooth. Add the peanut butter, sugar-free pancake syrup, and melted coconut oil to the mashed bananas. Stir until well combined.

Mix in the oats, protein powder, flour, and chocolate chips until everything is fully incorporated. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan, pressing it down firmly.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center is set. Remove from the oven and let the bars cool in the pan for 30 minutes.

If using parchment paper, lift the bars out of the pan and place them on a wire rack. Let them cool completely for another 30 minutes. Slice into 9 squares and enjoy!

Makes: 9 bars

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Lemon Loaf

1½ cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt

½ cup cashew milk (any milk works!), plus 1 teaspoon, divided

½ cup no-calorie sweetener (I used Truvia)

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon lemon extract

3 Meyer lemons, zest and juice

1 tablespoon avocado oil

¼ cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon cashew milk

Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt and Truvia.

In a second bowl, mix the yogurt, eggs, ½ cup cashew milk, lemon juice, zest and oil until the eggs are incorporated. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and, using a fork, mix just until combined. It will be light and fluffy.

Spray loaf pan with avocado oil spray, pour the batter into a loaf pan. Tap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles in the batter. Bake for 35-45 minutes at 350°F. (I cooked mine 45 minutes.) Let cool before slicing.

To make the glaze, mix the powdered sugar with 1 teaspoon cashew milk. Drizzle over the top.

Makes 10 slices.

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Strawberry Lemon Muffins

2 cups self-rising flour

1 cup Splenda for baking

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 scoop Flavcity Berries and Cream Protein Powder*

1 cup strawberries, diced

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

¼ cup nonfat Greek yogurt

¼ cup fat-free cottage cheese

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons light butter

2 large eggs

4½ teaspoons sugar, divided

1 tablespoon lemon zest

Heat oven to 425°F. Mix the flour, Splenda, salt, protein powder and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the strawberries and toss to coat.

In a separate bowl, add the buttermilk, yogurt, cottage cheese, lemon juice, light butter and eggs. Whisk until combined.

Add wet batter to dry batter and stir just until combined.

Let the batter rest for 15 minutes.

Spray a muffin tin with avocado oil spray. To get that bakery-style high-rise muffin, leave every other spot open to give the muffins room to rise, baking 6 muffins at a time. Fill the batter to the top (instead of the usual ¾). Top each muffin with ½ teaspoon sugar and add a couple pinches of lemon zest.

Bake for 7 minutes at 425°F, then reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake 6-7 minutes.

Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing.

Makes 9 muffins.

*Note: Any protein powder will work, and vanilla flavored protein powder would be a great substitute.