Healthy Snacks and Smoothies

In true form I decided to make a New Years resolution to try a new smoothie a week for one month. I was hoping to bring some post holiday nutrients into our diet. I did succeed in one full month of new smoothies and hope to continue exploring. I also wanted to share some healthy snack inspiration in hopes that others may share their favorite ones.

Smoothies-

The first smoothie I tried was my favorite. It is called a ‘Feel Good Pineapple Smoothie’. It’s hard to not like a smoothie with pineapple in it but this smoothie has ginger in it which is a huge plus for me and my obsession with ginger. It also is a non-dairy smoothie! It is a bit zesty in flavor with a combination of pineapple, orange, ground turmeric, flax seeds, pepper and coconut water. The coconut water and ground turmeric offer great electrolytes, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. My kids were not as big of a fan due to the spicy or zesty nature but Joe and I loved it. If you want it less intense you could use less turmeric and omit the pepper!

https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/feel-good-pineapple-smoothie-recipe/

This smoothie titled a ‘Pineapple Orange Banana Smoothie’ is your typical green smoothie. Is is a blend of pineapple, banana, orange, coconut water, spinach and avocado. It has a good texture and I was able to get the kids to enjoy it as well.

https://getinspiredeveryday.com/food/pineapple-orange-banana-green-smoothie/#tasty-recipes-14257

This is one of my go to green smoothies and my favorite ingredient is the kiwi. ‘The Mango Kiwi Avocado Green Smoothie’ features, kiwi, avocado, almond milk, chia seeds, mango and spinach. Mangos and kiwi are high in vitamin c and fiber.

https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/beauty-and-fitness-food-mango-kiwi-avocado-green-smoothie-vegan-gluten-free/

 Healthy Snacks-

No Bake Energy Balls- I have been making these for years and slowly have adjusted my recipe. It started from a Pinterest recipe that I have included below but at this point I just eye the ingredients. You cannot really ruin this recipe. I love it because they have a long shelf life and you can freeze them. Another benefit is you can change the ingredients each time you make them. For my kids it is a great alternative to the typical pantry snacks that are full of sugar and lack nutrients. For my protein balls I use organic rolled oats, dried bananas (chopped or crushed), dried blueberries (from Costco), chocolate chips, chia seeds, coconut, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, agave syrup, honey and peanut butter. You can omit anything you don’t like in this list or add anything. The key is, you need enough peanut butter, agave and honey to hold the balls together. Some other ingredients people include are nuts, diced apricots or sunflower seed butter. I add all the ingredients in a large bowl. I start to mix it with a spoon but towards the end using your hands helps to really mix all the ingredients. When I assemble them I have to get my hands slightly wet with hot water in order for the balls to not stick to my hands. Gloves may work too but I find just rewashing my hands a few times and having hot water on hands is the only way to get it done. I stack them in a bowl, cover them and freeze them. Once they are frozen you can individually wrap them if you would like for convenience. Here is a recipe you can use as a starter but I have since modified it.

https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/no-bake-energy-bites/

Homemade Sun Dried Tomato Hummus – Hummus is one of the easiest snacks to make! There are so few ingredients and all that is required is a blender. We use our Vitamix to mix it. The fresh taste blows the store bought ones out of the water. I find the hummus stores well in the fridge and we use it throughout the week.

1 can garbanzo beans (keep the liquid in the can)

1 clove garlic peeled

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil

You put it all the blender and add the garbanzo bean liquid as needed to get your preferred consistency. I usually use most of the liquid.

Protein Pancakes-

These were given to me from an old trainer I had, Ryan! These pancakes are high in protein, gluten free and dairy free (if you desire). Unlike typical pancakes I do not feel like I have a brick in my stomach after eating these. They are super satisfying and my kids will even eat them. I have since lost the exact recipe but here is the general idea.

-5-7 egg whites

-2 full eggs with yolks

-3/4 cup vanilla almond milk

-2 cups rolled oats

-2 tbls cinnamon

-1 cup fruit… we use frozen blueberries and bananas typically but apples and peaches are great too

-1 tsp vanilla (optional)

-1 tbls vanilla greek yogurt (optional)

You mix the ingredients together enough to mix the eggs up but not destroy the fruit. I recommend a well oiled skillet or pancake mold. Re-oil or butter the skillet each time. We use a waffle iron with a pancake insert. It helps to hold the pancakes together because they can be a bit runny if there is no form for them. We serve them with berry or maple syrup! Keep in mind there is no sweetener added to the recipe. The syrup is enough! I also love using berry syrup on these.

 Who I follow- I am by no means a chef. I love to cook and try new recipes. Here are a few chef’s/bloggers I follow on Instagram who inspire me!

@bucknakedkitchen

@mykcvalleylife

@awholelottaoven

@pinchofyum

@food52

Happy cooking and please share with me your healthy snack/meal recipes.