Tag Archives: healthy snack

White chocolate hearts

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Hello everybody!

Long time no see … I know, life just gets so busy, having a toddler takes up all my time and I wouldn’t want it any other way! But I still try to blog or create recipes any time I have the occasion.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, so here is a very flattering but also super easy to make recipe to surprise your loved one.

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup cacao butter

2. 1 cup coconut butter

3. 3 tbsp of maple syrup or low carb sweetener

4. Freeze dried strawberries

Directions:

1. Add cacao butter and coconut butter to a cup over a sauce pan of boiling water.

Stir the two ingredients until all is melted but do not allow water to splash into cup.

2. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, taste-test for sweetness, and pour mixture into molds.

3. Freeze for 1 hour or more until solid.

4. Decorate it with freeze dried strawberries

5. Store in refrigerator or freezer

Low carb blueberry muffins

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Hello everybody!

If you like quick desserts this one it perfect for you. You need just a few basic ingredients and a blender.

Ingredients:

  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cups almond flour
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup sweetener
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 cup of blueberries

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven at 325 F
  2. Combine the eggs, sour cream and vanilla extract in a blender
  3. Add the rest of the ingredients but NOT the blueberries to the blender and blend for 30-60 seconds
  4. Stir in blueberries by hand
  5. Pour the batter into muffin tray
  6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden
  7. Let it cool and enjoy!

Delicious creamy cashew dipping sauce

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Hello everybody!

IMG_0994Today’s perfect snack is here. I tried this recipe for the first time, and I have to admit it came out perfectly and so delicious, that I will make it tomorrow and the day after tomorrow and maybe in the weekend too :))

It’s similar to a cheese dip, its super creamy, filling and tastes like heaven. You can serve it with whatever you like, fresh veggies, as dressing on your salad, dip for oven baked sweet potatoes, or use it in cauliflower mash or potatoes mash.

Here’s what you need:

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ cup water
  • chopped basil
  • freshly-ground black pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Add cashews to a small bowl and soak in water for at least 2 hours. (This will allow the cashews to soften and make them easier to process.)
  2. Drain cashews of the water and add to a blender or food processor, along with garlic powder, lemon juice, salt, and ¼ cup of water. Blend or process, until smooth, adding additional water as needed, until the mixture is the consistency of dressing.
  3. Add the basil along with pepper to taste, and refrigerate until using.

It’s that simple!

Enjoy! 🙂

How to make healthy peanut butter

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2014-07-26-15.40.10Hello everybody!

Today I have for you my all time favourite snack recipe…. the PEANUT BUTTER.  And when I say my favourite it means I really love it. I could eat peanut butter with almost everything…simply just with a spoon, with fruits, in shakes, with oatmeal, with frozen yoghurt or ricotta, on pancakes and so on 🙂

Unfortunately the peanut butter in the supermarkets is loaded with sugars, sweeteners, salt, hydrogenated vegetable oils, mono and diglycerides, maltodextrin, corn syrup and so on. So that kind of peanut butter can’t be called healthy for sure, it’s actually a caloric bomb!

The good news is that making home-made peanut butter is incredibly easy and takes less than 15 minutes.

Let’s see what you will need: 250- 300 gr of dry roasted peanuts and a power blender. That’s it yes! 🙂

wpid-photogrid_1406385003007.jpgDirections

  1. Throw the peanuts in your food processor
  2. Start running the processor and then just let it do its thing
  3. After 4-5 minutes  the nuts are much more finely ground, and they’re starting to stick to the outside of the blender
  4. Stop your food processor and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl
  5. After another 3-4 minutes the butter will start clumping together. It’s not quite peanut butter, but it’s getting there!
  6. Continue processing the butter for 2-3 minutes more, until it becomes completely smooth.
  7. Transfer the peanut butter to storage container, and that’s it, the peanut butter can be used immediately.

Here are some variations if you want your peanut butter a little different:

  • Honey:  add 2 tablespoons of honey in to the finished peanut butter
  • Cinnamon-Raisin: add ½ cup raisins + 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon + 2 tablespoons of honey into the finished peanut butter
  • Crunchy: Pulse 1 cup of peanuts into the finished peanut butter for a crunchier texture.

Try it out! Enjoy! :*

Ricotta soufflé with pumpkin blossoms

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IMG_20140709_115929Hello my dears!

Here is the recipe of the delicious suffle I posted some time ago on my facebook. You can make these little muffins in maximum 15 minutes. they are great for breakfast, but u can carry them with you as a healthy snack during the day.

Here is what you need:

Ingredients

  • 250 g ricotta cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • black pepper
  • 2 tbs of parsley, chopped
  • pumpkin blossoms (10 – 15 pieces)
  • 100 g parmesan, finely grated
  • 1 tbs of chickpea flour

Directions

1. Set the oven to 240°C/gas 8.

2. Place the ricotta and eggs into a food processor and whiz until the mixture has increased in volume.

3. Cook the pumpkin blossoms for 10 min on olive oil and a little garlic.

3. Pour into a large mixing bowl and fold in pumpkin blossoms, salt and pepper, parsley, the chickpea flour and the parmesan.

4. Pour the mixture in small muffin tin cups and then finish by sprinkling a little more parmesan on top.

5. Cook for 15 minutes, and you are done!

Have a good appetite and enjoy! :*

Healthy snack idea

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snackfHey guys!

I just made the most delicious healthy snack, and I want to share it with you immediately.

I did not invent this, I saw the recipe on one of my friends page.

Here is what you need:

  • an apple
  • a spoon of peanut butter
  • walnuts
  • some goji berries
  • a spoon of oats
  • some raisins
  • a spoon of shredded coconut

Yeah, it’s that simple! 🙂

Enjoy it for breakfast, pre workout or as a snack between meals!

Have a great day and don’t forget to smile 🙂

 

Best post workout snack/food ideas

Posted in Fitness Tips, Nutrition Tips by

Hey everybody!

mushroomsI hope you are having a nice and hot summer. I have a very requested article for you today, about post workout nutrition, so keep reading! 🙂

Here’s the first thing you need to know when it comes to post-workout food and fat loss: It is best to eat something within 30 minutes to an hour after training to replenish your body’s energy stores and repair muscle tissue. After a workout your muscles are depleted of nutrients, specifically carbohydrates and electrolytes such as potassium. The key is to follow your workout with meals that combine protein, which helps your muscles recover, and carbohydrates, which replenish energy stores. Here is our list of favourite healthy workout meals.

1. EGGS AND ORANGE JUICE

Eggs are the best protein source ever. There’s protein in both the yolk and the white of an egg. Orange juice provides plenty of carbs and vitamin C. If you workout in the morning, take a boiled egg and a frozen juice to the gym. The juice will thaw as you exercise and keep the egg cool as well.

2. BANANAS

Bananas are nature’s perfect post workout food. One large banana contains up to two grams of protein; four grams of fibre; 36 grams of carbohydrates; half a gram of fat; 602 milligrams of potassium and no cholesterol. Eat this with a tub of yoghurt or cottage cheese for a protein hit.

3. SALMON AND SWEET POTATO

Protein-rich salmon is a packed full of omega-3s, and will keepyou satisfied to avoid snacking. Try pairing salmon with spinach or green beans for vitamins and minerals and sweet potato for slow-burning carbohydrates.

4. SMOOTHIES

Tasty and refreshing, a yogurt-based smoothie provides the essential amino acid required for muscle recovery. Try this recipe: Half a cup of yoghurt, 1 banana, half a cup of skim milk or almond milk, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter for protein, and 1 tsp of ground flax seed for a dose of omega-3s.

5. CHICKEN

Skinless chicken breast is an excellent source of lean protein. Add some brown rice for fibre and carbs, load up with the vegetables and you’re good to go.

6. DRIED FRUITS AND NUTS

If you are away from a kitchen, dried fruits and nuts are a simple solution. Store a sandwich bag filled with dried fruit and nuts in your gym bag. Nuts provide a dose of protein and fats, and fruits will give you a shot of simple carbohydrates to replenish your muscle glycogen quickly.

7. HUMMUS AND PITA

Another great carb/protein combo: Hummus and whole wheat pita. Hummus, a dip made from pureed chickpeas, gives you both carbs and protein. Coupled with the slow-release energy from the whole wheat pita, it makes for a snack that’ll keep you fueled for hours.

After a good workout you need a good workout snack to help your body recover, rebuild your muscles and get back to shape. It is advisable to consume a post workout snack rich in proteins in 30 minutes of your workout.

Remember, your body uses a lot of energy during a workout. If you don’t replenish it in a short time after finishing, your muscles won’t properly recover, and all your hard work could go to waste. Even a small fistful of food within 15 minutes of working out goes a long way.

Have a wonderful day!  :*

Healthy pancake recipe. No sugar, no flour, no diary!

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panHello everybody!

Today I have an awesome recipe for you. I eat this kind of breakfast 2-3 times a week, it is one of my all time favourite. I know everybody loves pancakes, but maybe some of you are not eating it, or feeling guilty when you eat it, because of the high calorie content.

Well, I have good news for you: this recipe has only natural ingredients, no sugar, no flour and no diary.

A traditional American pancake has about 700-750 calories, lots of fats and sugars. This one has less than half of those calories and more nutrients.

Here is what you will need:

ingre

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 banana
  • 1 ts of cinnamon
  • A little cooking spray/ olive oil

Peel and slice banana. Mash banana and add egg. Mix until fully combined. Heat a frying pan on medium. Spray with cooking spray.

Fill a 1/4 sized measuring cup with the pancake batter. Pour measuring cup onto heated pan.

Cook each side until lightly brown.

For the topping I used greek yogurt and I made a berry sauce from fresh strawberries, raspberries and a half tablespoon of honey.

So if we count the calories, one egg has 72 kcal, a medium banana has 100 kcal, a tablespoon (14 g) of oil has 100 kcal.

One cup of greek yogurt (227 g) is 130 kcal, but I did not used the whole cup, just half of it, so it’s 65 kcal. The strawberry topping is about 60 kcal.

So the whole pancake is a total of 469 kcal, which is not few, BUT the serving size for these pancakes is the half of what you see in my picture.

One portion is 234 kcal; it has good nutrients, proteins, healthy sugars, potassium. You can eat it as a breakfast or as a post workout meal.

Compared to the traditional pancake which has lots of sugar, milk, flour, baking powder,  butter and on top of it maybe some maple syrup or caramel syrup or some chocolate cream and the whole thing can easily reach 800 calories.

I think I made my point here, try it out, it is delicious and be aware: size does matters when it’s about portionsJ. Keep your portions small!!

Have a nice day  :*