BLOG MIGRATION!

Hey everyone! Just so you know, I've transferred my blog to: http://healthyforhappy.tumblr.com/


Please continue to read up on it to get some healthy meal ideas!
Thanks all :)


Ange♥

Very Yummy Vegan Burger!

I am still on the quest to try and find the perfect recipe for a meatless burger. Tonight I tried something that came pretty freakin' close to perfection. It has a little bit of everything in it - making it totally balanced in macro-nutrients, as well as BURSTING with flavour. I swear it tasted a LOT better than it looks :)

Ingredients (2 BIG burgers):
1/3 cup diced onions
1 clove garlic
flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp warm water)
1/3 cup oat flour (ground oats)
1/3 cup flaked oats
1/2 cup grated carrots
1/2 beans of choice, mashed (I used chickpeas)
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
2 tsp EVOO, divided
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Parsley
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin


Do this:
1. Saute the onions and garlic in 1 tsp olive oil for about 5 minutes. Medium heat.
2. Make the flax eggs (remember, this is a VEGAN recipe). Make sure they sit for about 10 minutes before you add them to the rest of the ingredients.
3. Once the onions and garlic are ready, add all of the ingredients together (except spices and flax eggs).
4. Add in the spices and flax eggs. Mix well.
5. Shape the mixture into patties. Make sure you mould them tightly!
6. Drizzle the other teaspoon of EVOO on a skillet over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes each side. Depending how thick you've made your patties, the insides may take a bit longer to cook through.
7. Remove from heat, and ENJOY! :)


The Goods:
Since this recipe is made of calorie-dense foods, it's no surprise it's a bit high on the cals. However, all the calories are good calories! So don't be afraid!
400 calories
18g fat (from the EVOO & seeds mostly)
15g carbs (mostly from the oatmeal and beans)
12g protein


One of the reasons I realllly liked this recipe was because of the assortment of ingredients. Not only did they offers lots of different flavours, but they also gave it a variety of textures. I especially like the crunch from the seeds and carrots. Also, since I used EVOO to cook the burgers, the outer layer was crispy while the inside was really moist! You can play around with the spices too, to try out different tastes.


Try it out and be creative!


:)

Healthy Dessert!

I almost always want (need) to end my night off with something sweet. It's hard to find healthy ways of doing it! Most nights, I'm satisfied with a piece of fruit, or mixed berries and oatmeal. But sometimes, I just want to indulge!
So how do you do so without breaking the calorie bank?
Simple. Eat this:

Looks to good to be true, doesn't it? Well, believe it. This mountain of yummyness is HEALTHY.


Start by making a protein pancake. Here's the link to my blog post on it: http://angelastreats.blogspot.ca/2011/11/protein-pancakes-guiltless-dessert.html

And then LOAD ON THE TOPPINGS.
Tonight, I chose orange-vanilla yogurt mixed with a tbsp cocoa powder, mixed berries, almonds, walnuts, goji berries, cinnamon, and dark chocolate pieces.


The pancake itself is full of protein. And the toppings I chose are full of healthy fats, antioxidants, and fibre! The dark chocolate was added to satisfy my chocoholism. PLUS! 1 oz of dark chocolate a day has been proven to be good for health (and fights depression). Talk about a fantabulous dessert.


:)

Making Grocery Shopping Easy

While I was studying *coughPINTERESTcough*, I came across this grocery shopping flowchart. It's kinda funny, but true nonetheless. 

Crispy Kale Chips

I am by no means the first person to attempt this recipe, so I take no credit for the amazingness of these! However, I do feel it is my duty as a citizen to inform others of a healthy chip recipe. You heard me - HEALTHY. Everyone craves chips every once in a while (or more...). The crunchiness, and saltiness, and the oil - YUM!.. But your arteries don't think so. So what alternative is there for this craving? KALE CHIPS.

Ingredients*:

- 100g Kale, stems removed

- 3/4 tbsp olive Oil

- Seasonings (I used cayenne pepper, no-sodium salt, and a Thai seasoning)

*100 grams of kale makes about a single serving. It is EASY to chow this all down in less than 2 minutes. So make more accordingly, and add the appropriate amount of olive oil.

To do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°, and line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.

2. Tear the kale into bite-sized pieces (about the size of potato chips), and throw them in a bowl. Discard the stems.

3. Drizzle the olive oil and add the seasonings into the bowl. Get your hands in there and mix it all up (olive oil is good for your cuticles... just throwing it out there). Make sure the leaves are covered as evenly as possible.

4. Spread the leaves onto the cookie sheet.

5. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until the leaves start to brown.

6. Let them cool, and try not to eat the entire batch! (or do...)

Before going into the oven...                                            After coming out of the oven...

Once these come out of the oven, you'll notice your 100g of fresh kale has shrunk to about 20 grams of kale chips!

These are not only great because they're lighter than regular chips, but they also only contain healthy oils (olive oil). Also, since you get to flavour them yourself, you can make them exactly how you like them! Not to mention the loads of vitamins you get from the kale. What's not to love?

:)

Creamy Curried Soup

So I'm on a bit of a curry craze! I just love the stuff! So, naturally, I had to find more ways to sneak it into my diet. I came up with this creamy soup. It's quite delish! Not only does the soup taste great, but it's also super low cal and easy to prepare - making it a favourable side dish to an entree!

Ingredients (for about 6 cups of soup):
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 1 red onion, diced- 1 cup milk
- 3 cups baby shrimp

- about 200g asparagus (about 15-20 medium-sized spears), diced

- about 200g broccoli (about 2-3 cups), chopped

- Curry powder (to your preference)

- Thyme, to taste

- Coriander, to taste

- 1/4 cube bouillon cube (optional)

To Do:
1. Remove the leafy part from the cauliflower. Microwave the cauliflower for about 4 minutes.
2. Boil one cup of water in a pot. 

3. Remove the cauliflower from the microwave and cut into pieces. Add to the pot.
4. Add the onion to the pot. Stir in the bouillon if you've chosen to use it.

5. After about 5 minutes, blend what's in the pot in a food processor (or Magic Bullet).

6. Return it to the pot once blended.
7. Add the milk, thyme and curry. Stir.

8. Mix in the shrimp, broccoli, and asparagus.

9. Keep over the heat until the veggies are soft (or to your preference).
10. Continue to add curry to your preference (aka a lot for me!)

11. Cut the coriander, and add it to the soup. Stir.

12. Remove from heat and VOILA.

Nutrition, for about 1 cup:

110 calories

1 fat

35g carbs (veggies, veggies, VEGGIES)

26g protein

This soups makes a nutritious and filling side dish. It's creaminess makes it the perfect (and guiltless!) comfort food!

:)

Cashew Nut Chicken Made Healthy

I absolutely love love love love LOVE cultured foods. I am obsessed with the spices and explosion of flavours. I've recently discovered (and perfected) a delicious and healthy version of Cashew Nut Chicken - a popular Thai dish.

How can you NOT want to dive head first into that??

Gather what you'll need (enough for 3 servings):
- 8oz boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3/4 cup quinoa (uncooked measurement)
- 1/2 a red bell pepper, diced
- 3 cups of broccoli florets
- 2 cups bok choy, chopped
- 1 sweet red onion, sliced 
- 1.5 cups bean sprouts
- about 10 asparagus spears, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1oz cashews
- 3 tbsp natural peanut butter, divided (you can use cashew nut butter instead... but it's more expensive)
- 3 tbsp oyster sauce
- coriander to taste (I used a whole stalk... I love coriander)


What to do:
1. Prepare the quinoa.
2. Over medium-high heat, cook the chicken.
3. Once the chicken is browned, add all the veggies to it (except the bean sprouts). Stir in the oyster sauce, and 1.5 tbsp of the peanut butter. Lower heat to medium-low. 
4. Once the quinoa is ready, stir in about 1.5 tbsp of the peanut butter into it.
5. Mix the cashews into the veggies. Mix.
6. Add the quinoa into the veggies. Mix well.
7. Chop the coriander, and mix it into everything else.
8. EAT IT ALL UP :)

What's so good about it?
One serving of this has the following:
560 calories
25g fat (from the nuts and nut butter... HEALTHY)
51g carbs (from the veggies + whole grains from the quinoa... HEALTHY)
37g protein (lean protein from the chicken and nuts... HEALTHY)


There is no reason NOT to eat this. Nutritionally, it's amazing for you. Taste-wise, it's INCREDIBLE. When you go to Thai restaurants, the dishes are usually loaded with added sodium and sugars from the sauces. Try cooking this meal at home. You get to control exactly what goes into it - making unnecessary calories DISAPPEAR!

This is definitely a dish that I turn to when I want to "spoil" myself. I think of it as a treat even though it's 100% healthy. I probably think it's a cheat-meal since I'm addicted to nut butters and nuts. Hehehe.


:)

Curried Chicken with Assorted Veggies

Being a student, it sometimes feels like I eat the same foods over and over again. That's why I like to play around with spices, and experiment with new and different ways to cook the "same old foods". I always have chicken and an assortment of veggies tucked away in my fridge. So tonight, I messed around with my cooking skillz, and came up with a marvelously delicious meal!

What you'll need:

- 4oz chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/4 sweet red onion, sliced
- curry powder
- 5 asparagus spears
- 1 slice turkey bacon
- 1/2 sweet red bell pepper, sliced lengthwise
- 1/4 eggplant, sliced into rounds
- 2 pineapple rings
- 1 tsp olive oil
- salt and pepper


What to do:
1. Heat up a frying pan on medium-high heat. Spray it with non-stick cooking spray. Once heated, add the chicken chunks and onion. Add the curry powder and coat well. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink on the inside.
2. As the chicken cooks, heat up a George Foreman-type grill.
3. Toss the remaining veggies in the olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper (or other spices of your choice).
4. Once the grill is heated, grill the veggies and pineapple. Flipping halfway through or until grill marks form (about 10 mins total, depending on how hot your grill gets).
5. Remove the veggies from the grill, and quickly heat up the slice of turkey bacon.
6. Wrap the asparagus in the turkey slice.
7. Throw it all together on a plate, and VOILA!


Nutrition:
289 calories
30g carbs
7g fat
37g protein


Talk about delicious and nutritious!
:)

FINALLY! A Sugarless cereal!

So as you may or may not know, I've recently been on the lookout for a cereal that is not loaded with unnecessary amounts of sugar. Finally, after searching high and low, I came across Ezekiel 4:9 Golden Flax cereal. I found it at Bulk Barn.

If you're not familiar with the Ezekiel 4:9 brand, it's an organic brand that uses only sprouted whole grains in their products. This means that these products are complete proteins, flourless, and exploding with nutrients!
The premise of the brand comes from the passage "Take also unto thee Wheat, and Barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and Spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make bread of it".


Check out the nutrient label here:

This cereal comes in different flavours, but this was the only one with ZERO grams of sugar. I just had to buy it and try it myself. And I'll just say that I DEFINITELY do not regret it whatsoever. It'll definitely be a repeated purchase!

:)

Keep Rollin'

This light meal (or snack!) is super easy and fun to make!

Foodie Stuff:- 1 medium zucchini- 50g canned & flaked chicken- 40g avocado, mashed


To Do:
1. Slice the zucchini lengthwise with a mandolin or potato peeler.
2. Mash the avocado into the chicken, and mix it well.
3. Lay zucchini slices out flat, and divide the avo-chicken mixture among them.
4. Roll 'em up!


This recipe is great since it's quick and easy! Of course you can play around with the fillings depending on whatever you have in your fridge. I opted for the avocado-chicken combo because I love the creaminess of ripe avocados, and wanted the protein from the chicken!


This snack has the perfect balance of macro-nutrients!
Facts:
142 calories
5g carbs
8g fat
15g protein


Avocados are one of my go-to foods! Not only do I LOVE the mild taste and creamy texture, but they provide healthy fats and fibre! Both essential in making you feel satisfied after eating a snack. Pair that with the protein from the chicken, and this dish quickly becomes filling but light!


:)

Green Wrap Ups!

So I recently bought collard greens, and discovered that they are the PERFECT alternative to tortilla wraps. Typical tortilla wraps are filled with useless calories and few nutrients. And when you do come across a brand with a decent fibre content, it's generally so expensive! So, I've solved that issue by replacing them with the low-cal and vitamin-EXPLODING collard greens. Read on for a nutritious recipe!


Spicy Curried Shrimp Wrap
This wrap is not only delicious, but provides you with a perfectly balanced meal. You wouldn't believe the amount of nutrients you get with such a light dish!


Ingredients (2 wraps):
- about 10 frozen baby shrimp
- 3 baby carrots, sliced
- 1/4 zucchini, diced
- 1/3 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 2 asparagus spears, diced
- 1/4 red bell pepper, julienned
- 1 tbsp curry powder (more or less depending on your preferences)
- 3 tbsp hummus
- 1/3 cup alfalfa sprouts
- 2 large collard green leaves


Directions:
1. Heat up a frying pan over medium-high heat, and cook the shrimp
2. Add all the cut vegetables (except the sprouts and the collards). Cook briefly, about 3-4 minutes.
3. Sprinkle in the curry powder. Coat well.
4. Lay out the collard greens. Spread half the hummus onto each leaf.
5. Divide the alfalfa sprouts in half, and add it to the wrap.
6. Divide the curried shrimp/veggies in half, and add it to the wrap.
7. Carefully roll up the collard green wrap (just like you would with a tortilla).
8. Chow down!


The alfalfa sprouts and collard greens gives this wrap an amazing crunch! And the curry adds a nice little kick. There's absolutely nothing "wrong" about this recipe, in my opinion! (then again, I'm a little biased...)

The facts (for 2 wraps):
210 calories
20 g carbs
8 g fat (this is all from the hummus, so it will alter depending on the brand of hummus you use)
15 g protein


Not only is this meal perfectly balanced in its macro-nutrients, but the collards also provide LOADS of Vitamin A (aids the immune system, eyesight, bones/teeth, and fights against cancer) and Vitamin K (aids in healing wounds).


100g collard greens (raw):
30 calories
5.5 g carbs (3.6 g fibre)
2.5 g protein
41% daily folates
222% daily Vit A
59% daily Vit C
426% daily Vit K
15% calcium
Talk about a power food.


Anyways, enough of my nutrient rant. Try this recipe, or discover a new creation to wrap in collards!


Enjoy,
:)

Healthy Cookie Dough Dip! (Seriously)

So I came across this recipe on Pinterest (I'm obsessed with that website, in case you didn't already know that). I made a few Angela-necessary changes to it to make it my own. And TA-DA! A healthy (and DELICIOUS) cookie dough dip emerged! 

What you need (makes a seriously big bowl of dip):
- 1 can of chickpeas (yes, you heard me right. Trust me, it tastes WICKED).
- About 1/3 cup peanut butter
- About 1/3 cup Splenda
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- chocolate chips (as many as you want)


What you needa do:
1. Rinse the chickpeas VERY VERY WELL. You want to rinse out as much sodium as possible or else you will get a salty cookie dough.. and who wants that?!
2. Pulse the chickpeas in a food processor (*coughMAGICBULLETcough*).
3. Add the PB, Splenda, and vanilla to the food processor. Pulse until it has a smooth cookie dough consistency. Add more PB or Splenda according to your preferences.
4. Scoop it into a bowl, and mix in the choco chips.
5. Serve with graham crackers, apples, and/or pears (or just eat it with a spoon if you're like me), and ENJOY!


What're the facts?*
Per 1/4 cup of this marvelous dip (Made with 1/3 cup chocolate chips):
150 calories
8 g of fat
12 g of carbs (Mostly from the chickpeas... fibre! But also from the choco chips)
5 g of protein
*Keep in mind: These facts will change depending on if you add more peanut butter and chocolate chips.


Although this dip is A LOT healthier than typical cookie dough, remember that it is VERY calorie dense. Chickpeas and PB - although healthy - contain LOTS of calories. A few extra tablespoons of this dip can easily pack on another 200-500 calories. But practice moderation, and this can be a guiltless and tasty treat!


So try this out, and hopefully you love it as much as I do!


Yum yum,


:)

Zucchini Rolls!

Who doesn't like sushi, really? It's so tasty - such a comfort food! Oh ya - and LOADDDEDDD with calories, useless carbs, and fat (tempura or spicy mayo, anyone?). So I took it upon myself to create a healthier alternative. Granted, this doesn't actually taste like sushi... at all. BUT! It looks like it! And you can still eat it with chopsticks... :)
At the end of the post, I'll list other possibilities to this recipe - including more Sushi-esque alternatives.

Ingredients (for one serving):
- 1 zucchini
- 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa
- 3 tbsp hummus
- 1/8 cup beans


To Do:
1. Prepare the quinoa.
2.Cut the zucchini into 1-1/2 inch rounds.
3. Hollow out the zucchini rounds - making little bowl-like things. Do your best not to break through the bottom, otherwise your fillings will fall right through!
4. Once the quinoa is ready, add hummus and beans into it. Mix it all together.
5. Fill the mini zucchini bowls with the quinoa mixture.
6. VOILA! Zucchini rolls!


Nutritionalzzz:
264 calories
13 g fat (mainly from the hummus)
36 g carbs (mainly fibre from the hummus and beans, and whole grains from the quinoa)
8 g of protein


Alternativezzz: Other ingredient combinations:
Healthier California Roll
- 1 medium zucchini (prepared as described above)
- 1/4 cup brown rice (or quinoa)
- 30 g ripe avocado
- 1/4 cucumber, diced
- a few strips of imitation crab meat
1. Cook the rice
2. Mash the avocado, and cut the crab meat
3. Mix the mashed avocado, diced cucumber, and diced crab meat into the prepared brown rice.
4. Fill the zucchini "bowls" with the mixture. Enjoy!


Tropical Delight
- 1 medium zucchini (prepared as described above)
- 1/4 cup quinoa (or brown rice)
- 2 rings of canned pineapple, diced
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/4 sweet red bell pepper, diced
1. Cook the quinoa in coconut milk instead of water
2. Heat the pineapple and red pepper over medium heat on a skillet
3. Once prepared, mix the quinoa with the pineapple and pepper
4. Fill the zucchini "bowls" with the mixture. Enjoy!


Healthier Philadelphia Roll
- 1 medium zucchini (prepared as described above)
- 1/4 cup quinoa (or brown rice)
- 3 tbsp low fat plain cream cheese
- 2 oz smoked salmon
1. Cook the quinoa
2. Once it's cooked, mix the cream cheese into it.
3. Cut the salmon into strips, and add it to the quinoa mixture.
4. Fill the zucchini "bowls" with the mixture. Enjoy!




There are so many other combinations that you can create! So mess around with the recipe, and come up with something marvelous!


Live in health,


:)

Protein-Packed Burger!

I've recently become intrigued in meatless burgers. There are so many healthy modifications to make to Western society's favourite food. I've seen a lot of recipes for quinoa burgers and black bean burgers. I thought I'd try my hand at a meatless burger, so I created the fibre- and protein-rich lentil burger! Let's just say - DELISH (and healthy, obv).

Here's what you're gonna need (makes 1 patty):
- 1/3 cup lentils
- 1 medium egg
- black pepper
- cayenne pepper
- parsley
- other spices of your choice
- cooking spray


Here's what you gotta do:
1. In a food processor (or the good ol' Magic Bullet!), pulse together all the ingredients
2. Once thick, scoop it all outta the processor.
3. Mould it into a patty shape with your hands.
4. Spray a pan, and heat it up on medium-high heat
5. Carefully put the patty on the pan. Cook until the bottom is browned, then flip and cook until the other side is browned.
* It may take a bit longer for the inside to cook through, so just keep flipping until the inside is heated through.
6. Once cooked, treat it like a burger!


I didn't have any buns (since I don't eat burgers), so I just ate mine as it was with a fork and knife. I topped it with organic hummus and mustard (my fave!), and roasted some veggies on the side.

And there you have it! A healthy, low fat, protein packed, and fibre rich burger! Who woulda thunk it?!


Nutrition Stuffz (burger without toppings and side veggies):
114 calories
5 g fat (from the egg)
9 g carbs (2g fibre, 7g net carbs)
10 g protein


Compare that to President Choice Blue Menu Thick & Juicy Lean Beef Burgers**:
210 calories
14g fat (5g saturated fat... ew. And these are the "lean" burgers)
1g carbs (0 fibre)
21g protein
** These facts came from: http://tinyurl.com/7m5pc5e


So next time you want a burger, try this recipe out! It's delicious and healthy! And if you're a legume-lover (like myself), try this recipe with different beans! Each one will give you a slightly different taste with great nutrition!


Happy eating!


:)

Omelette in Reverse

Some people think that eating clean and healthy limits your options. Well, I'm here to say: THAT'S NOT TRUE! I'm constantly finding new and exciting ways to incorporate nutrition-packed foods into my diet.
So today, I decided to try a reversed omelette!

What you'll need:
- 1 red bell pepper, cut in half, seeds and ribs removed
- 1 egg
- 6 tbsp eggwhites

- omelette fillings! (I only used turkey bacon and spinach)

- spices, to taste (I used cayenne, red pepper, oregano, thyme, and parseley) 

What you gotta do:
1. Pre-heat the oven (or toaster oven) to 400
2. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients except the pepper
3. Once mixed, divide the mixed goods and pour them into the pepper halves.

4. Pop 'em in the oven for about 15 minutes, and cook until the eggs are cooked!

Note: You can add whatever you want into this egg-cellent meal! Add in peppers, onions, ham, and whatever else you like in your omelettes! You could even top it with cheese!

Aside from it's nutrition, the best part about this meal is that you can have it anytime! As a hearty breakfast, a light lunch, or a side-dish at dinner!

Nutrition (with the ingredients listed above):

234 calories

7g of fat (egg + turkey)

11g carbs (veggies)

31g protein! (turkey + egg/egg whites)!

*if you add additional ingredients, don't forget to account for them!

There you have it! Nutritious and delicious!

Chicken Fried... Quinoa?

I've been craving Chinese food lately. Thinking about the taste of teriyaki and soy sauce was torturous. So, I did something about it. No, I didn't head over to an authentic restaurant and order a huge plate of fried noodles or sauce-drenched chicken. Instead, I made my very own Chicken Fried Quinoa - a spin-off of the ever so popular Chicken Fried Rice.
Why quinoa instead of rice? I personally prefer quinoa, and am constantly looking for new and creative ways to prepare it. And so I did.





Ingredients (for 2 servings):
-1/2 cup dried quinoa
- 8 oz chicken breast
- veggies of your choice (I used mushrooms, onions, carrots, and red peppers)
- 2 eggs
- soy sauce
- honey
- ground ginger
- ketchup/BBQ sauce (optional)




What to do:
1. Put about a cup of water and quinoa in a skillet. Bring to a boil, and cook until the quinoa has absorbed all the water and begins to "fluff" up.
2. While the quinoa is boiling, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
3. Spray a cooking pan with cooking spray, and pan-fry the chicken on medium-high until it's cooked through all the way.
4. Meanwhile, dice your veggies into small pieces.
5. Add your veggies to the chicken, and cook until tender.
6. Once the veggies are cooked, crack the eggs into them, and scramble it all together.
7. Mix the soy sauce, honey, and ginger together (add the ketchup and BBQ sauce if you've chosen to use them).
8. Add the saucey mixture to the cooked quinoa.
9. Mix the veggies/chicken and quinoa all together!


VOILA! You've made Chicken Fried Quinoa! It tastes amazing, and cuts all calories the from the extra oil and fried ingredients!

Nutrition per serving:
423 Calories
49g of carbs (veggies, honey, quinoa)
10g of fat
37g of protein

Healthy Homemade Granola

I absolutely love LOVE granola. I could eat it all day, err'day... either on its own or drenched in some vanilla almond milk (I guess regular milk is okay, too..). BUT. I've been faced with a granola roadbump - SUGAR. It seems like all store-bought granola brands absolutely LOAD UP on the stuff. Well, that's not okay with me! So I've decided to boycott these sugar fiends and create my own granola! Muahahaha!

So here are my secrets.

Ingredients:

- 6 cups oats

- 2 cups nuts*

- 1 cup seeds*

- 1/3 cup flax seeds

- 2 cups applesauce

- 1/3 cup honey

- 1 tbsp cinnamon

- 1 tbsp ginger

- 1 tsp vanilla

- 1 mashed banana

Whahcya gotta do:

- set the oven to 300°

- mix your dry stuff

- mix your wet stuff

- mix all the stuffs together!

- add in the nuts/seeds

- mix as evenly as possible. It won't be super moist at all, but that's okay.

- spread everything on a cookie sheet

- bake for about 40 minutes, stirring every 10 mins or so.

- if you want it crunchy (like me), bake it a bit longer on a lower heat (try 250°), then let it sit in the turned-off oven.

Before baking

After baking... nice 'n crunchy!

Approximate nutrition for a quarter cup:

125 calories
4.25 g of fat (from the nuts/seeds and oats)
18 g of carbs (from the oats, bananas, nuts, and honey)
3.5 g of protein (from the nuts/seeds and oats)

A very healthy alternative to store bought granolas that tend to add in mass amounts of unnecessary sugar! This all natural alternative not only TASTES amazing, but you can also eat it guiltlessly :)

So add it to yogurt, milk, or mixed berries. Or - if you're anything like me - just eat it by itself!

Enjoy! :)

Go Nuts for Banana Bread!

I've been D.Y.I.N.G. to make banana bread for a while now. And today was the day it finally happened. But this isn't just any banana bread. It's whole wheat-banana-nut-fruit-bread. Can you say healthy and delicious? AND SUGAR-FREE. That's just a bonus.

 So what goes into such a marvelous looking creation, you ask? Well:

- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup oat flour (grind up oats!)
- 1/2 cup seeds*
- 1/2 cup nuts*
- 1/3 cup dried fruit*
- 1/4 cup ground flax
- about a cup of mashed bananas
- a few tablespoons of shredded
   coconut
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1/2 tsp baking soda

* * Use whatever nuts/dried fruit you have in your kitchen! I used pistachios, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds. I would have loved to use walnuts and pecans, but I currently don't have any in my cupboards! For the fruit, I used dried papaya, pineapple, dates, and raisins. Mangos and apples would have  been nice, too! Be creative :)

 To make this beautiful thing:
- set the oven to 375°
- Add the dry ingredients together
- mash the bananas, and mix with applesauce
- add the banana-applesauce mixture to the dry stuff
- mix in your nuts, seeds, and fruit!
- spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray
- Pop 'er in the oven for about 45 mins, or until a
   toothpick comes out clean.
- Let it cool, and EAT UP!


Okay, so let's get to the facts:
I cut my loaf into 13 slices. Per slice, the nutrition is as follows:
150 cals
6 g of fat (mostly from the nuts/seeds... HEALTHY)
20 g of carbs (mostly whole grain, and from the fruit... HEALTHY)
4 g of protein (from the seeds and whole grains... HEALTHY)

Concerned about the lack of sugar? Don't be. The mashed bananas and applesauce are both naturally sweet alternatives to the pesky white grainy stuff. Add more if you want a sweeter taste. The cinnamon also sweetens it up! And gives it a little spice. The dried fruit also offers a sugary taste. Try to stick to unsweetened dried fruit for a healthier option (don't worry, they still give your sweet tooth what it wants). Still not content?... Add honey, stevia, Splenda, or agave nectar. Even maple syrup will do the trick.

So there ya have it, ladies and gents.
Go NUTS for it! Go BANANAS for it!
It's... Healthy Banana-Nut bread.
(Cheesy, I know. But you get what you pay for, right?)

Hope you all try it and love it as much as I do! Best part about it is that you can play around with the mix-ins to make it exactly what you love!

:)