Tag Archives: clean eating

Healthy Snack Ideas!

I remember a time when I thought “healthy” snacking meant plain rice cakes, plain non-fat yogurt, an apple + 1 tsp peanut butter (<– I blame womens health magazines for that one) and raw veggies. A square of dark chocolate or one slice of cheese if you really feel like letting loose. Plain, boring, bland food. It’s no wonder people bail on their “healthy” diets… that’s no way to eat… or live!

It didn’t take very long to figure out that I didn’t have to follow the nutrition advice laid out in health magazines and, as I was introducing more whole foods into my life, I started getting creative. So, with that said, I wanted to share some of my favorite go-to nutritious snacks.

Yogurt Bowls

What we want: plain, unflavoured, at least 3.8% MF (at the very least 2%, I know higher fat yogurts can be hard to come by in some areas) preferably organic. The higher the fat content, the more satiating – it also cuts the glycemic load of the lactose and any added mix’ins. Liberte, The Greek Gods and Olympic are my favorite brands. I’m also a huge fan of Fairwinds Farm organic goat yogurt, which is produced here in southern Alberta.

What we don’t want: non-fat, low-fat, chemically flavoured and/or sweetened yogurt

1. Strawberries, walnuts, chopped basil
2. Frozen cherries, banana, strawberries
3. Strawberries, frozen cherries, orange, banana, hemp seeds
4. Peach, orange, raw cashews, tamari almonds

-Apple + 10% yogurt + cinnamon
-Grain/Sugar Free peanut butter cookies

Who doesn’t love a good snack plate? I’m obsessed with mini cucumbers and cocktail tomatoes sprinkled with himalayan & kelp salt. A handful of raw nuts or a couple devilled eggs on the side.

Spicy nori handrolls – these are so easy to make. I buy nori sheets from a Japanese grocery store, then add lettuce, avocado, protein (either shrimp or salmon sashimi), drizzle on hot sauce, roll and dip in gluten-free tamari.

-Shrimp cocktail with salsa instead of cocktail sauce
-Assorted veggies, chicken and feta packed in a leftover salad box <– for an on the go mini-meal

-Sugar/dairy-free chocolate dipped cherries (you can do this with any fruit)

-Coconut flour waffle or pancake topped with cream cheese and cinnamon or nut butter + fresh fruit.

The end.

What are some of your go-to healthy snacks?

What kinds of pre-packaged “health” foods give you the sads? Rice cakes, skim milk, “reduced fat” peanut butter (wrong on so many levels), individually packaged yogurts that literally contain 2 tbsp of yogurt and 800 tbsp of sugar.

Green Juice Recipes + LMG Meal Plan 7/23-7/29

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I’m really excited about my recent shopping trip to the grocery store. I spent $49 – my lowest grocery haul YET. Keep in mind that includes everything required to prepare breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for two very hungry/athletic people. For a week. Not bad, hey? Especially considering I try to buy everything organic.

Currently, the garden is providing us with an assortment of lettuce, spinach, peppers, herbs and strawberries. There’s nothing like harvesting a summer meal from your backyard. Now, if only we could enjoy this year round… in Hawaii

Here’s what’s on the menu for next week:

Monday: Red Lentil Sloppy Joes (I haven’t made these before – I’ll post the recipe if it’s a success)

Tuesday: Grilled Fish Tacos

Wednesday: Roasted carrots, potatoes and onions, rice & baked tofu

Thursday: Shrimp Salads

Friday: Asparagus & Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts, Veggies

Saturday & Sunday: wing it

Lets talk juicing. Are you into making your own fresh squeezed vegetable and fruit juices? It’s been on my ‘to-do’ list for quite a while, and it’s just something I’ve recently gotten into. Summer is a great time to add some extra vitality to your diet with juicing. Produce is fresh, prices are lower, and people typically gravitate towards fresh food during the summer months.

I eat a LOT of fresh veggies and fruit, which make me feel great, but since I’ve incorporated just 1 daily juice into my diet, my energy has increased, my blood sugar is stable, and I haven’t had my usual cravings for things like frozen yogurt or ice cream.

Here’s a few favorites from the week.

‘Pineapple Ginger Lime‘ (Fave)

1 cucumber, 2 large handfuls of spinach, 1 celery stalk, 1 cup frozen pineapple, 1 lime, 1″ chunk of fresh ginger

‘Green Lemonade’
6 kale leaves, 1 cucumber, 1 celery stalk, 1 green apple, 1″ chunk of ginger, 1 lemon

‘Swamp Water‘ (Tastes like V8… but better)
2 Roma Tomatoes, 2 celery stalks, 1 red bell pepper, 2 kale leaves, 1/2 a lemon. After juicing, I added 1/2 tbsp chia seeds, salt, pepper & a splash of jalapeno Tabasco. Mmmm… spicy.

‘Zest For Life‘

4 large carrots, 1″ chunk of ginger, served over ice

Court likes juice that are a little sweeter and here’s his favorite creation:

‘Just Beet It’:
4 large carrots, 1 green apple, 2 small beets with beet stalks (yes, you can eat them!) 1″ chunk of fresh ginger

I always stir some of the pulp back into the juice, to prevent a major blood sugar spike and to give it some staying power. The remainder of the pulp gets composted, or used for flavorings in things like marinara sauce (carrot pulp is a great addition) or salad toppings.

Since I’m a newbie, are there any juicing tips or tricks I should try? Or recipes?

Quinoa-Brown Rice (Protein Power) Bowls

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You know who is having the best summer ever?

This guy:

He loves hanging out with us in the backyard while we garden and laze in lawn chairs. The nice thing about Lex is he doesn’t run away or leave the yard like most cats do. He’s a grounded guy, and sticks to us like velcro.

A recent summer lunch that was enjoyed in the backyard:

Quinoa-Brown Rice (Protein Power) Bowls
Serves 3-4

A clean-eating lunch to fuel a busy (or laid back) afternoon. It’ll keep you feeling ‘light’ and energized!

Ingredients/Directions
3/4 cup quinoa, cooked according to directions
1 cup brown rice, cooked according to directions

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 small zucchini, quartered
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 sweet red onion, diced
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 tbsp turmeric
4 cups loosely packed fresh spinach, set aside
salt & pepper, to taste
opt: dash of chili seasoning
cooking oil: extra virgin olive or coconut (about 1/2-1 tbsp)

After the brown rice and quinoa are finished cooking, fluff with a fork and combine the two in a large bowl. Set aside to cool.

In a skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, and onion. Cook for approximately 2-3 minutes, then add bell pepper, zucchini and chickpeas. Season with turmeric and pepper. Cook for approximately 8 minutes, then add the tomatoes and cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Once done, season with salt, adjust turmeric and pepper if needed.

Combine the sauteed veggies with the quinoa and rice, then stir in fresh spinach leaves. Serve immediately.

Summer in a bowl.

I’m going to join Lex in the backyard for some of this:

We are lazy.

Sweet Potato Muffins

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Cue the Oprah voice: You. will. LOOOVE THESE MUFFIIIIINS!!!

I’m so excited about this recipe for a few reasons.

It’s based on leftovers I found in the fridge, like quinoa and sweet potatoes
They turned out perfect, after one try (don’t you love that?)
They’re absolutely delicious, filling and have some real staying power

Promise me you’ll make them! Or don’t. ~~Friends off forever.~~ But hopefully that convincing Oprah voice did the trick.

Sweet Potato Muffins
Makes approximately 8 regular sized muffins. I made 18 minis. The nice thing about using sweet potatoes or yams is they add natural sweetness and moisture to baking, without overpowering the recipe with a distinct flavor.

Note: These are actually yams, but for some reason, grocery stores and some food companies label yams as sweet potatoes. To make it less confusing for people shopping for ingredients – go with the orange variety.

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly coat a muffin tin with oil/butter/cooking spray

In a bowl, mix together the dry ingredients:

1 1/4 cup buckwheat flour (or spelt/all purpose)
1/2 cup rolled oats or flakes
1/4 cup raisins
2 tbsp shredded coconut
1 tbsp hemp seeds (for a little crunch)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

In a separate bowl, mix together:

1 cup mashed sweet potato (cooked)
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/4 cup maple syrup (or agave)
2 tbsp palm sugar (or cane)
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp egg whites
1 tsp vanilla

Add dry to wet, fill muffin tins and bake for approximately 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

I immediately ate a couple muffins (actually, it was probably more like five) topped with almond butter as a pre-dinner snack. Then, as I was cleaning up my dinner mess, I was about to put away the goat cheese when a strange idea entered my mind.

Creamy, goat cheese + sweet potato muffin = healthy frosted carrot cake.

It was a strange phenomenon that just…. worked.

Blueberry Chia Jam

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It’s been a while since my last post on ‘foodie highlights’ from the week. Last time was in Hawaii, when my diet was 90% pineapple, apple bananas, taro frozen yogurt and ahi poke. I miss those days. Especially the taro fro-yo.
I love being able to cook in my own kitchen again, though. Some highlights from the week:

Rainy day chicken and rice casserole served in the ultimate comfort dish – a giant mug.

In a crock pot on high heat, I added sliced carrots, red onion and celery, along with a cup of vegetable broth, salt, pepper and a pinch of rosemary and sage. After an hour, I added sliced zucchini, peas and corn.

Then I wrangled two chicken breasts into a frying pan. It was a sad and awkward sight to see. Raw meat just… creeps me out and I don’t know what to do with it! It was like a scene from Fear Factor. Court is usually in charge of grilling or cooking it. I took the easiest approach I could think of: frying the breasts in coconut oil. Once they were done, I shredded the chicken and added it to the crock pot with the veggies. I turned the broth into gravy by whisking in almond milk, corn starch, nutritional yeast and some extra sage, salt and pepper. As you can tell, I’m really good at writing down measurements. Sorry about that.

I cooked brown rice according to the directions, then tossed it with a tiny bit of butter, a handful of chopped spinach and pepper. The chicken casserole was poured on top of the rice.

A great salad topper that can be made ahead of time: red lentils tossed with coconut milk, tumeric, cumin, garlic salt and pepper. Mixed with sauteed mushrooms, fresh basil and spinach.

Blueberry Chia Jam. The only jam I’ve ever made and probably will make, because the thought of pectin, boiling jars, etc stresses me out.

All you need:
a jar
1 cup frozen blueberries
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp lemon juice
optional: cane sugar

In a saucepan on low heat, I added frozen blueberries and mashed them slightly until they thawed. After stirring in lemon juice and heating for about a minute, I poured the berries into a mason jar, stirred in chia, and let it thicken for two hours in the fridge. Chia seeds are so magical.

Creamy Lemon-Basil Spaghetti

Inspired by the flavors in one of my favorite coconut curry dishes, I added a springtime twist. The creamy sauce is a can of coconut milk, the juice of half a lemon, and a cup of loosely packed basil leaves.

I tossed extra basil leaves in with brown rice spaghetti, olive oil, then poured the creamy sauce and veggies over top. Again, I forgot to write down the measurements, but doesn’t it look good?! It was delicious.

Lastly, I’ve been eating this for breakfast… a lot. Topped with chocolate PB2. You need to try this 5 minute breakfast cupcake recipe. It keeps me satiated for hours and it tastes like dessert!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, friends! What are some of your favorite eats from the week?

Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats

‘Anytime’ Banana Split

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The only thing missing from this banana split is the 3240923 calories. Suitable for breakfast, a snack or dessert!

It’s a good thing my husband wasn’t home when I made this, otherwise I think we would’ve fought to the death over it.

‘Anytime’ Banana Split

Serves 1. Unless you want to share. You shouldn’t though.

1 banana sliced in half

1 can chilled coconut milk (full fat only)

Toppings:

1/3 cup oats

1tbsp dried cherries

1 tbsp hemp hearts

dash of cinnamon

Plus any additional toppings – coconut and pineapple chunks are always good. Finished with a light drizzle of melted chocolate. Ohh yes.

Open the can of chilled coconut milk and scoop out the cream into a large bowl. Beat with a hand mixer until thick.

Spoon whipped cream onto the banana, then pile your toppings on. Don’t forget the cherry!

Please live in my stomach forever. Pretty please with a cherry on top.

Truth be told – I’ve never had a banana split from a restaurant before. Quick – someone make this and tell me if it’s comparable.

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