This is a very vibrant salad with lots of different vitamins and nutrients. The beans are a great source of folate, calcium, potassium and B vitamins. They are very dense and help your body utilize leptin, a hormone that signals to your brain that you are satiated. A salad like this a more food safe option for BBQs than mayonnaise based or dairy heavy salads, because it can sit out longer. Continue Reading →
Agua de Jamaica
The beautiful red color of this drink comes from dried hibiscus flowers. I like it when Western science can prove the effectiveness of natural remedies, as is the case with hibiscus. Many recent studies have shown it to be effective at lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, regulating blood sugar levels and promoting improved circulation. Plus it also contains a high concentration of many antioxidants and Vitamin C. Continue Reading →
Oatmeal Bar
This is by no means a complicated breakfast, and that is the beauty of it. If you want to have a warm, relaxing breakfast on your own or if you have several picky eaters to feed, this is a great way to start the day. A couple months ago, I went to a retreat on Denman Island and we had this every day at 7:30 am. Normally I am not a morning person. Not at all. I never liked eating breakfast, especially so early, but by the third day I started to wake up excited for my daily oatmeal creation. Continue Reading →
Iced Coffee Cubes with Fresh Vanilla Almond Milk
This is my idea of heaven in a glass. Sweet, refreshing and delicious, a nice treat on a lazy summer weekend morning. Of course you could use store bought almond milk but I suggest trying homemade because most off-the-shelf varieties contain preservatives and stabilizers such as carrageenan, a red seaweed derived thickener. Even the organic brands use this, a vegan alternative to gelatin, but many recent studies have shown that it is inflammatory and linked to a range of gastrointestinal cancers. On a larger scale, the increased farming of this specific red seaweed is invading and ravaging entire colonies of coral reef, which are already severely endangered. Continue Reading →
Tabbouleh en Beige
Tabbouleh is a traditional Middle Eastern salad, usually very green with much more parsley. This version is predominantly beige from the millet with little specs of green, but I promise it is not lacking in taste. I like to use millet instead of the more traditional bulgur since it is gluten free and very rich in several important nutrients including iron, magnesium and phosphorus. Continue Reading →
Crunchy Apple Almond Fruit Boat
I generally prefer finger food, especially in the summer, so I like to make food that is socially acceptable to eat with my fingers. Fruit boats just don’t work any other way. This one makes a nice and quick, lazy option for a healthy dessert or small breakfast. Continue Reading →
Exotic Yam Chickpea Salad
A little bit Moroccan and a little bit Thai, this salad is light but filling. Continue Reading →
Cinnamon Bun Granola
My mom loves cinnamon so I made this especially for her. She likes to eat it sprinkled over greek yogurt but it could also be nice with some fresh berries or used to jazz up some plain oatmeal. Don’t get too excited but it kind of tastes like a healthy cinnamon bun… in granola form. Once you have all the ingredients this is easy to make time and again. In the long run it is also more cost effective than buying fancy packaged granolas, many of which contain preservatives, cheap fillers, unhealthy sweeteners and GMOs.
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