Category: Fats

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mmmmm chocolate power balls…

So here is the Instagram version…

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and here is the real life version…

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because real life doesn’t look like Instagram!

But the good news here is that this recipe is super instant even in real life 🙂

Ingredients:

  • about 2 cups cranberry trail mix (this is a premixed bag that you can buy at superstore)
  • 4 tbsp hemp hearts
  • 1.5 tbsp chia seeds
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • non-dairy chocolate chips
  • cocoa power

Method:

In a food processor add all of the ingredients except the chocolate chips and cocoa powder. Blend until the mixture is all chopped up and sticky.  Portion off little balls of any size you like, fold a chocolate chip into the middle before rolling it in your hands. Thanks to the maple syrup rolling them is super quick and easy. Prepare a small bowl of cocoa powder to roll each ball in.  After rolling it in the powder you’re done!  You can eat or refrigerate…your call 😉

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Fusion Noodles

Another leftover creation that turned out so delish, that I will just make it on purpose and not wait for leftovers!  A little Italian, a little Asian – win win!

Of course I had sprinkled everything on top, really pretty, to take an appetizing Insta-pic but then I stirred it and started eating it before I remembered to take the PICTURE!!

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We like the really thin spaghettini or vermicelli noodles when we are eating pasta.  I  love to have just a little taste of noodle and mostly taste the veggies and sauce that I’ve dressed it with.

Since, I was starting with leftover spaghettini that had been in the fridge, it was cold and I decided to roll with it and make a cold noodle ‘salad’.

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I added my seed mix. This SUPERFOOD mix I’m trying for the first time.  Usually I just add hemp hearts and the “salad topper” from Costco that has pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and dried cranberries in it.  Either way these seeds are a healthy source of fat, great fibre and add a nice crunch.  I also sprinkled some chili powder, S&P and chopped up fresh basil.  For a little moisture and some salty asian flavour (because that is what I love, give me heat and salt and I’m a happy girl!) I added a splash of tamari. Tamari is fermented soy sauce.  Because of the fermentation, the salt doesn’t effect your blood pressure the same way that it would with other salty products and it is gluten-free if you need that.

 

If you decide to give it a try I hope you like it as much as I did!

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Not your average OATMEAL

OATMEAL: 28grams (1 small bowl) per day = 5% lower death risk (because the leading causes of death involve your heart and oatmeal is great for your heart)

Oatmeal has many health benefits and is quick and easy to prepare in the morning before work and school. You can also add a variety of fruits (both fresh and dried), nuts, seeds (chia seeds, pumpkin, sunflower) and spices (cinnamon) to the oatmeal to give it different flavours and boost it’s nutritional value even more!

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This boosted version of oatmeal that I made for my kids before school took about 5 mins:

  • quick oats & boiling water (protein and vitamins)
  • hemp hearts (protein)
  • ground flax (healthy fibre and anti-inflammatory)
  • cinnamon (anti-inflammatory)
  • chopped banana (vitamin C, fibre, protein)
  • rasins (protein, antioxidants)
  • dried cranberries (fibre, antioxidants)
  • pumpkin and sunflower seeds (good fats for the brain!)
  • a heaping scoop of coconut mango whip (healthy fat and vitamins)
  • a small blob of maple syrup since my kids like it on the sweeter side (they are kids after all!)
  • scoop of peanut butter (healthy fats, protein)

 

Some of the health benefits of oatmeal are:

– BETA GLUCAN (which is an extremely helpful sugar) – reduces absorption of cholesterol reducing LDL 7% (similar to a statin drug but without side effects)

– beta glucan also increases the production of bile salts which are critical for the digestion and absorption of fats (prevention of gall stones)

– it contains vitamins and minerals such as copper, manganese, iron, b vitamins

– oats are a source of soluble fibre which lowers cholesterol (lowering the risk of heart disease)

– oats are anti-inflammatory; lowering your blood pressure; reducing arthritis 

– they help control your body weight

– improve liver function (fatty liver disease is now the most common cause of liver disease, even more than alcohol)

– increase positive gut flora (beneficial bacteria in your stomach and intestines)

With all these health benefits and so many ways to make it delicious I hope you consider making oatmeal a part of your morning!

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Coconut Whip

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This delicious whip is a new family breakfast favourite …even my mother, a long time yogurt lover, declared this was BETTER!  Now just to be clear this doesn’t offer any probiotic benefits, but it does offer many other benefits such as fibre, omega 3 and Vitamin C, along with it’s light and delicious flavour.

This is another 5 mins or less recipe that will not only save you time but is seriously easy on the bank account.  We love vegan yogurt, granola and fruit as a nutritious breakfast, lunch or even dessert if supper was really early.  But 680g of coconut Silk brand yogurt will run you between $6-$8 per container depending if you have found it on sale or not. We were going through about 2 containers a week minimum. So now I’m spending $16/week on a processed food that we only kind of liked because we were adding maple syrup to it to cut the sourness.

I saw a need…

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This is a 680g container full to the top and the best part is …the recipe below makes 2 of them!

  • 3 bananas ~$1
  • 1 can coconut milk ~$2 (look for one that has the least amount of ingredients, once you start reading the labels you will be surprised at the difference)
  • 2 generous cups of chopped, frozen mango ~$2
  • 2 tbsp chia seeds (cents!)

blend until smooth and refrigerate over night… I’m guessing it would only take about 3 hours in the fridge to become a nice whip, but I have always just made it the night before.  You want the chia seeds to soak in all the moisture and break open their shell so you get all the benefits from the omega 3 fats that they have to offer.  Banana’s lower your risk of cardiovascular disease and the fibre filled mango is not only a great source of vitamins A and C but also an antioxidant boosting your immune system.

So there you have it, we are at $5 and change and this makes 2 containers! 

ENJOY 🙂

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A Classic Snack

Salsa and guacamole a classic snack available at almost any restaurant …but even better when made at home!

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This healthy snack is perfect for a night on the couch or to set out when friends drop by. By excluding the cheese and preservatives we only have healthy fats and fresh nutrient dense, enzyme rich veggies for dipping!  I sliced up some whole grain tortilla shells and popped them into the toaster oven for a few minutes – these are so thin it doesn’t take long for them to crisp up.

TIP: When buying food in a package from the store like tortilla shells, read the ingredients to choose the ones that have the shortest list and the most words that look familiar to you.

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THE GUAC:   Guacamole is very often a personal preference, maybe you like it with tomatoes or onions, chunky or smooth. But no matter how you like it, it is a really great source of healthy fat.  People often shy away from foods they know contain high amounts of fat but there is good fat and bad fat and avocados are one of the best! Fats not only help you stay warmer in cooler weather, giving your body sustained levels of energy, they slow the uptake of sugar into your bloodstream, reducing fatigue and stabilizing your mood. Most importantly fats are needed to maintain the connections in your brain, helping you to remember your old memories and develop new ones.

Here is how my family likes guac…

  • 3 avocados
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 small green onions or 1 large
  • a splash of pickle juice from your favourite pickles
  • 1 tsp vegan mayo
  • pepper
  • a hand full of fresh dill

blend it all in the food processor …smooth, creamy guacamole in under 5 mins!

 

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THE SALSA: Unfortunately tomatoes aren’t in season where I’m living right now so I tend to add a little extra spices to the salsa than I would in the summer…those summer sweet tomatoes can’t be beat! But the health benefits of eating out of season tomatoes are worth the sacrifice in flavour.  Tomatoes are a great source of potassium which lowers your blood pressure reducing your risk of heart disease. Tomatoes contain vitamin C and are a powerful antioxidant – these two properties contribute to its role in cancer prevention triggering apoptosis (cell death) in diseased cells.  Along side tomatoes you have other nutrients like onions and garlic (anti-inflammatory), dill and cilantro (these herbs detoxify heavy metals from your body) and lemon the powerful liver cleansing fruit.  

  • tomatoes
  • garlic
  • onions (I used green but you can use any kind you like depending on your love for onions)
  • herbs (cilantro – if you can find it and dill)
  • juice from half a lemon

wiz it a couple times in the food processor so you keep it chunky and don’t end up with tomato sauce!

Making your own dips with fresh food ensures that it is full of all of it’s natural and powerful digestive enzymes, essential to good digestion and the growth of healthy gut bacteria.  

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Immune Booster!

We are one day away from the day of sugar…I mean Halloween!  With Halloween comes two things that can suppress your immune system cold weather and sugar.  Here is a great spreadable/dipable snack that tastes great and will help keep your immune system strong and ready for the fight.

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This almond spread was so simple to make in my food processor – literally took 5 mins!

  • 2 cups soaked almonds
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
  • lemon zest
  • 1/3 cup water
  • blend in food processor until it’s like a really thick peanut butter – I did not take the skin off of the almonds and almonds don’t fully puree (like a cashew would) so the spread does have some texture.  You can definitely make this with cashews (I have) and it comes out creamy and luscious and costs twice as much 😦

Almonds are packed with healthy fats and vitamin E to keep your immune system strong.

Nutritional yeast not only supports your immune system to prevent illness but keeps it strong if you do get a virus and drastically reduces your recovery time.

Finally the lemon juice – loaded with vitamin C and cleansing properties to keep our digestive juices flowing and our immune systems top notch!

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My lunch today!  I went that extra immunity mile and added some garlic cloves to my steamed asparagus and portobellos. You can see the thickness of the almond spread next to the hummus on my dark rye toast 🙂  

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Healthy Fats

Fat gets a bad reputation but it’s because most of the time we are getting them from all the wrong places.  Fats are essential to a healthy heart and a healthy brain!  …We just need to ensure that we are eating whole food, plant fats.  Like these amazing avocados, which can help maintain brain connections and lower LDL cholesterol!

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