Layering a thick smoothie with granola and yogurt is the ultimate in healthy brunch decadence and it’s good enough to eat for dessert. You can use any smoothie and granola you like, here I kept the flavors tropical for a bit of a pick me up from the dreary winter weather. Smoothies are a really great item to incorporate into a healthy diet because they are flexible to your individual preferences and since the food is completely blended they are less work for your digestive system to break down. Continue Reading →
Portobello Egg Cups
Portobello mushrooms are a versatile vegetable (technically they are actually a fungi) with a meaty texture and their large round shape makes them an ideal container for stuffing with other ingredients. They are a good source of many different antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, but what’s even more interesting is the potential of their phytonutrients to enhance immunity. Continue Reading →
Baba Ganoush with Roasted Delicata
Baba Ganoush is a Middle Eastern dip with very similar flavors to hummus, except that it features roasted eggplant instead of chickpeas. Eggplant is an interesting vegetable, with a deep purple skin and soft pale flesh which sucks up liquid like a sponge. In its raw state it is very bitter but once it is cooked for long enough the flavor becomes much deeper, rich and earthy and in this state it is often used as a meat substitute for vegetarians. Continue Reading →
Banana Sushi
These are nothing like regular sushi, no seaweed or raw fish for this recipe. All that is needed is a banana, some nut butter and a whole grain tortilla, additionally you can add in some small seeds and spices for extra healthy fats, protein and flavoring. The nut butter makes the tortilla stick together as you wrap it around the banana and then cut it into the separate pieces. Continue Reading →
Chunky Minestrone Soup
Minestrone is a really easy, healthy and low cost soup. It is basically a tomatoey broth filled with an assortment of vegetables, pasta and beans. Normally the tomato flavor comes from a can of crushed tomatoes but I have a secret trick- use marinara sauce instead for a more rich texture and depth of flavor. Continue Reading →
Ginger Yam Butternut Soup
I never ate ginger much growing up, except for in gingerbread cookies at Christmas time. Since learning about its health properties I have been experimenting with it more and more and a trip to the market grocery store is no longer complete for me without grabbing some fresh ginger from the produce section. Even just throwing a couple small pieces in a cup with hot water makes a nourishing tea that helps with digestion and is very soothing for sore tummies. This soup is very simple but it features some of the best foods for fending off and recovering from colds and flus Continue Reading →
PB&J Bites
One of the easiest ways to make food more nourishing is to bypass as much processing as possible. Nutritional advice will often dictate to eat the whole fruit rather than their juice or the whole seeds rather than their oil. Several nutrients in fruits and vegetables start to decrease in amount and potency the moment that the food they are in is removed from the plant, this loss is further sped up through different processing techniques like cooking and drying. Moreover, all the nutrients work together- for example the fiber in fruits lessens the impact that the sugars they contain have on the body, slowing down the digestion process and keeping blood sugar levels more stable. Continue Reading →
Pesto Chickpea Gnocchi
Pre-made gnocchi is one of my favorite throw together comfort foods. Gnocchi is similar to both pasta and dumplings except the main ingredient is potatoes instead of flour and once it is thrown into some boiling water it cooks in only two minutes, maximum three minutes and the pieces come out dense and soft. Potatoes are very easy for us to digest and they are a good recovery food if you’ve been suffering from any of the winter viruses making their rounds now. Traditionally gnocchi does have some white flour as a binder but there are gluten-free options that use potato starch instead and they are really delicious. Continue Reading →
Ginger Spiced Almond Cookies
Almond flour is a good substitute for refined white flour in creating dense and chewy cookies with a lightly crispy crust. Almonds provide a significant source of vitamin E, along with several B vitamins and the minerals manganese, magnesium and phosphorus. They are high in fats, but they are primarily monounsaturated, one of the types of unsaturated fats we should choose more regularly than saturated fats (as found more concentrated in palm oils, red meat and dairy). Research has shown that eating almonds alongside simple carbohydrates, such as fruit, sugars and syrups reduces the overall glycemic index (GI) of the meal, meaning that it causes less of a rise in blood sugar than the simple carbohydrates would have on their own… making them an ideal ingredient for healthy desserts. Continue Reading →
Almond Avocado Spring Rolls
This is serious health food. It is loaded with fresh, raw vegetables potent with nutrients and made palatable through the magic of two sauces laden with healthy fats. If you are looking to get your body back into top shape after holiday feasting, make more room on your plate for raw vegetables. They are an integral part of the diet because of their vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which all support functions throughout the body. Beyond this, they can also enhance digestion because contain something called enzymes. Continue Reading →