#nanaimo bars

Food: Canadian nanaimo bars

Fooduary 2026: Nanaimo Bar

Fooduary 2026! I've been meaning to finish up my fooduary project for a coloring book and this februrary created the perfect opportunity. I opened up my tumblr for suggestions and got a bunch of really fun ones!

First one up is Nanaimo Bars! Invented around 1953, and a continuation of the Magic Bar craze that also created hello dollies and lemon squares these yummy chocolate and custard desserts are a Canadian favourite.

International No Diet Day

Drop your rules and restrictions around eating and join a movement of no-shaming body positivity and health-focused education on International No Diet day.

There has been a long-standing movement to shed the shame typically associated with being less than Hollywood perfect. The photoshopped images found in fashion and beauty magazines have been marked as a direct cause of a rising instance of eating disorders among the youth.

Too long has health been associated with unrealistic body types and unhealthy, dangerous fad diets. International No Diet Day has been pushed forward with the intention of promoting healthy lifestyles for all body types.

History of International No Diet Day

International No Diet Day was first started by Mary Evans in 1992. The purpose of the day was to help men and women around the world to appreciate their own bodies. Having gone through anorexia herself, Mary began Diet Breakers, which is her organization. She then created the first International No Diet Day, bringing attention to the cause, and of course, her organization as well. Now, the day is used to help tackle tough issues regarding diet and body awareness, focusing on a number of agendas. This includes the following…

Educating people about the right way to diet responsibly and effectively

Having all people take a one-day break from their diets

Celebrating the diversity of different shapes and sizes

Bodies can be beautiful at all shapes and sizes, with both the svelte look of the athletic beach nut and the more Grecian and Rubenesque body types merely exemplifying the natural body type. Considering that the failures of dieting often result in yoyo-ing weight, with all of the weight lost being regained in almost every case within 5 years. To combat these incredibly unhealthy habits organizations all over the world have been engaged in forcing the fashion industry to label those images that have been modified, or outlawing the use of photoshop altogether.

How to celebrate International No Diet Day

Celebrating International No Diet Day is best done by recognizing that your own body is beautiful exactly as it is. De-emphasizing your efforts to shed weight to look a particular way, it is far better to celebrate the holiday with efforts at beginning to live a healthier lifestyle altogether. Worry less about your final goal, and more about getting out and being active and keeping your body healthy. Losing weight rapidly or shooting for unrealistic body types is an excellent way of causing yourself harm in the pursuit of greater health. Instead, love your body by finding active hobbies and love yourself the way you look!

There are a number of different ways that you can participate in International No Diet Day. This includes the following…

Help end weight discrimination, fatphobia, and sizeism.

Understand the inefficacy of commercial diets and learn about the diet industry.

Embrace body diversity and challenge the idea of one ‘right’ body shape.

Declare a day that is free from dieting and obsessing about shape and weight.

Compliment colleagues on contributions, achievements, and skills, rather than focusing on appearance.

Here are some of the suggestions that we have to help you make the most of this day…

Eat what you love! Don’t worry about the calories or anything like this. Instead, eat what you truly want to eat because it tastes good. Let that be your only concern today.

Throw away your scales. Don’t judge yourself based on a number. You will be surprised by how liberating this feels.

Instead, celebrate and embrace your intrinsic qualities, such as your uniqueness, quirkiness, kindness, or strength, for instance!

Be adventurous and cook something that you have always wanted to but you have never cooked before.

You can also use International No Diet Day in order to make people aware of different eating disorders. There are so many ways that you can go about this. If you have had your own personal experience and you feel ready to share it, you may take this opportunity to start a blog about it. You could also decide to fundraise for those who are struggling with eating disorders. Whether you raise funds or you simply raise awareness, you are going to be doing a great thing to help a lot of people.

However, you should not feel guilty about simply using this day as an opportunity to look after number one! After all, we all need to care for ourselves as well. Why not make a list of all of the things you love about your body? Now is the perfect time to start focusing on the positive rather than the negative. Most of us have a tendency to focus on the things we dislike instead of focusing on what we do like about our bodies. Today is the perfect time for you to change this!

The ultimate Canadian no-bake treat, now in perfect pop-able form. 🇨🇦 These three-layer bites have a coconut-graham crust, a rich custard buttercream middle, and a smooth chocolate top. They're decadent, sweet, and require zero oven time. So good, eh?

Metadata

Servings: About 24 bites

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Set Time: 2+ hours (in the fridge)

Cook Time: 5 minutes (stovetop for crust)

Difficulty: Medium 🥄 (due to the layers, but still easy!)

Estimated Calories: ~200 calories per bite (estimate based on specific ingredients)

Ingredients

For the Base Layer:

½ cup (1 stick / 113g) unsalted butter

¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar

⅓ cup (35g) unsweetened cocoa powder

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 ¾ cups (175g) graham cracker crumbs

1 cup (90g) unsweetened shredded coconut

½ cup (60g) finely chopped walnuts or almonds

For the Middle Custard Layer:

¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, softened

2 tbsp heavy cream or whole milk

2 tbsp custard powder (like Bird's) or vanilla pudding powder

2 cups (240g) powdered sugar, sifted

For the Top Chocolate Layer:

4 oz (115g) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

1 tbsp (14g) unsalted butter

How to Prepare

Prepare the Base Layer: Line an 8x8 or 9x9 inch pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.

In a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water (double boiler), melt the ½ cup butter with the sugar and cocoa powder, whisking until smooth.

Gradually whisk in the beaten egg until the mixture thickens slightly (about 2-3 minutes). Remove from heat.

Stir in the graham cracker crumbs, coconut, and chopped nuts. Mix until well combined.

Press this mixture very firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Make the Custard Layer:

In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened ¼ cup butter, cream, and custard powder until light and fluffy.

Gradually beat in the sifted powdered sugar until a smooth, spreadable frosting forms.

Spread this layer evenly over the hardened base layer. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to set firmly.

Create the Chocolate Top Layer:

In a clean double boiler (or microwave in 20-sec bursts), melt the semi-sweet chocolate with the 1 tbsp of butter, stirring until completely smooth.

Let the chocolate cool for a few minutes so it's not piping hot, then carefully pour and spread it over the chilled custard layer.

Chill to Set: Return the pan to the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours, or until the chocolate top is completely firm.

Today I'm having nanaimo bars. I went with Nestle Aero truffle nanaimo bar for these cookies. Unfortunately, during shipping it melted, so visually it's a complete mess, but I figure since the taste will be the same I can just cut out a segment.

These are somewhat soft with a smooth consistency. The flavor is, as one would expect, chocolate and coconut. Not as bad for me as just coconut flavor, but I can't say I enjoy these.