To all my lady friends out there (and gents too if this interests you!),
Are you on the go often and feeling rather busy? Do you want to eat healthy and feel your best but also not spend copious amounts of time in the kitchen to achieve that?
How about a couple quick and healthy snack recipes that will help you eat healthy and stay energized!
Appealing?
Sounds good to me..
Read on if you are interested ?
Why fast recipes are my jam:
I have seen so many recipes out there that take WAY too long to make (in my opinion). I am a semi-impatient person I am discovering and I don’t like spending hours and hours in the kitchen (kudos to those passionate people who love it!).
I would much rather prepare something fast, simple, HEALTHY and tasty and then be on my way to go do something that I love even more like hiking, reading or whatever tickles my fancy..(that’s a weird saying…)
That is why fast, easy and healthy recipes are appealing to me, and I figured that they would be appealing to you as well, as I assume that you are a busy person like so many of us are in this day and age.
A note about being busy:
I am not about glorifying being busy .. and I think we should definitely try to bring more calm and balance into our lives and enjoy the regular things that we do everyday instead of sometimes dreading them (cleaning or cooking as examples).
What I found that helps to increase the enjoyment of these moments is to get present, make them fun, shorten them up if you can and GIVE yourself TIME to do these things so that you don’t feel in a rush to plow through them and get them off the list. (I am guilty of doing this !).
I found that I can enjoy anything (ex: yard work, cooking, cleaning, even cleaning toilets LOL!) if I don’t have a million other things on my mind that I need to do. And the opposite is true. A walk in nature can be a stressful thing if I feel like I gotta hurry up and get home to do XYZ..
Have you felt that way before?
Tips:
Organize your time: Try to time block cooking so that you don’t have to squeeze it in or rush. What can you take out of your schedule or juggle around to make room?
Can you say no to having plans each night of the week? Can you shift your priorities ? By having a few set days each week that are time blocked as cooking days, it can lower stress and make it a relaxing activity!
Become Present: Turn on the music and try to make your meal prep fun! (I listen to podcasts when I cook and my dog usually hangs out with me just in case some food falls on the floor)
Shorten it up: Quick, easy and healthy recipes can help make food prep less intimidating and more enjoyable!
Here are couple healthy snack recipes that I hope you enjoy!
RECIPES:
Chia Pudding
Basic recipe:
- 3 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 cup of almond milk
Variations for flavouring almond milk:
- 1 banana
- Fresh berries
- 1 tsp maple syrup or 1 date (soaked and pitted), a handful of goji berries and sprinkling of cinnamon
Options 1&2 -Blend your choice of fruit with the almond milk, add the chia seeds and let sit for 15 minutes.
Option 3: Simply combine in a bowl and let sit for 15 minutes.
Note: If you do not allow your chia seeds sufficient time to soak, they can cause dehydration. Chia seeds are an excellent source of fibre and omega 3s and 6s. Goji berries are considered a super-food and are high in antioxidants.
Nutty Chocolate Energy Bars (GF, DF):
- 2 cups nuts or seeds (almond, sunflower, pumpkin)
- ½ cup ground flax meal
- ½ cup shredded coconut
- ½ cup almond butter
- ⅜ tsp sea salt
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Topping:
- 8 tbsp coconut oil
- 8 tbsp almond butter
- ⅓ cup cane sugar or coconut sugar
- 5 tbsp cocao powder
- 8 tbsp raw agave nectar (or honey)
- ½ tsp vanilla
Base:
(Melt the coconut oil before blending if needed). Blend ingredients together into blended meal. Press mixture into 8X8’ square pan. Place in freezer while preparing the topping.
Topping:
Melt coconut oil and almond butter on medium heat on stove top. Stir in cocao and cane sugar, whisk in the sauce pan until smooth. Remove from heat, stir in agave nectar and vanilla. Pour onto the cooled base layer of bars and place in fridge until firm. Store in the fridge.
I hope you enjoy these recipes!
Let me know in the comments section or over on Facebook!
As always if you liked today’s blog please share it ?
Keeping it realistic n’ holistic,