Homemade Healthy Granola Bars

Hello, everyone!

I wanted to share with you this homemade granola bar recipe. I have these in my freezer at this very moment, and I can't wait to devour them. I think that it's important to make your own granola bars, because honestly, it's hard to find ones at the store that are actually healthy. No add-ins, preservatives, chemicals, artificial ingredients...etc. Although there are tons of recipes out there that I could show you, here is just one that I have been into recently. 

Homemade Healthy Granola Bars

• 1 cup dates
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/4 cup nut butter of choice (I used peanut butter. Make sure your nut butter just has ONE ingredient)
• 1/4 maple syrup (or honey...or agave)
• 1/4-1/2 cup pistachios (or any kind of nuts)

Optional add-ins that I used:

• Pumpkin seeds
• Cacao nibs (or chocolate chips)

1. Process the dates in a food processor until it becomes dough-like
2. Mix in the rest of the ingredients by hand
3. Mold into shape and place on a pan lined with parchment paper
4. Stick in the freezer, and enjoy

Plant-based "Chicken" Salad Recipe

Hi everyone!! So sorry that I haven't posted a blog in so long. I have been extremely busy with school and working. However, I came across this recipe for a vegan "chicken" salad, and I literally have been eating this every day for lunch since spring break. I like to just make a large batch of it and keep it in my fridge.  This recipe is perfect for a picnic or a potluck! Plus, it only takes about 15 minutes to make.

"Chicken" Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) (15 oz)
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 3 or 4 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise (or regular, or hummus)
• 1/2 cup celery (about 2 small stalks, leaves ok too), chopped
• 1/2 cup red onion (about 1/2 small), chopped
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup cucumber or zucchini, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 handful cilantro
•  salt & cracked pepper to taste
• Ezekiel bread, toasted
• leafy greens, to serve

Drain and rinse beans, place in medium size bowl and roughly mash with back of a fork or potato masher until desired consistency, I like mine a little chunky. Add rest of ingredients and mix well adding any extra ingredients you like.
  Serve chilled or at room temperature on bread of choice along with some leafy greens. You can also serve on cucumbers, crackers, or use a big leafy green or cabbage to serve.

Recipe credit: The Simple Veganista

The Healthiest Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches EVER

Hello fellow food lovers,

So I found this recipe for the world's healthiest ice cream sandwiches, and I couldn't wait to try them. And by that I mean, I started getting out the ingredients. Now keep in mind that these are meant to be healthy. They aren't going to taste like sugary butter.

What I like about these is that they don't have to be for dessert. They are a perfectly healthy snack for kids or even for post-workout. My 6-year-old brother said they were delicious. Not to mention they are loaded with protein and void of any gluten, dairy, refined sugar, or oils. {Other than the natural oil from peanut butter.}

World's Healthiest Ice Cream Sandwiches
from The Sweet Life

Ingredients for the Ice Cream:

• 3 ripe bananas
• 1 tbsp. non-dairy milk
• 2 tsp. maple syrup (optional, the bananas provide a lot of sweetness as is)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Line a small rectangular dish (I used a 6x4 sized dish) with parchment paper. Feel free to use whatever size or dish you have (you can even use a round pan). Just know that the bigger you use, the thinner the ice cream filling is vs. the small the pan, the thicker the slices.
2. Blend everything up in a high-speed blender until smooth. Place into the dish and freeze until set (approximately 2+ hours).

Ingredients for Cookies:

• 1 c. peanut butter, smooth or chunky (almond or sun butter works too)
• 1 c. white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 c. gluten-free old-fashioned oats
• 4 Tbsp. applesauce
• 2 Tbsp. maple syrup (you may want to add a tbsp or 2 more if you want them sweeter)
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2/3 c. non-dairy chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In food processor blend everything (except the chocolate chips) together smooth, yet thick enough to form into a dough. Fold in chocolate chips.
3. Roll about 1 Tbsp. of dough into a ball between hands and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Shape with your hands by gently flattening dough down into 2" diameter circles. These will not spread while baking so it's important to shape them prior to.
4. Bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly brown along the edges and allow to cool on the baking sheet. Transfer to the freezer until ready to assemble.
5. Take a 2" circle biscuit cutter and make cut-outs in the dish holding the banana ice cream. Place in between 2 frozen cookies (optional: coat with non-dairy chocolate chips) and freeze again until fully set.

Quick & Healthy Kids' Lunches

A common thing I hear from people about eating plant-based or just eating healthy is, "Well I could totally do it, but my kids never would go along with it." Or people ask me, "What do you make for your little siblings?" 

While at first I thought that the hardest part about eating this way would be finding recipes that the kids would actually like, it turns out that kids are ten times easier to please than adults. I mean I don't have any kids, so maybe this is a no-brainer to many of you, but it was a great discovery to me. I noticed that my brothers and sisters preferred to eat separated, simple meals rather than a plate of several things mixed together. William even prefers for his food not to be touching.

So here are 3 days of lunches that I made this week for my siblings, and it was a big hit. My sister Ellie asked if every meal could be this way from now on.

Just to be sure I'll go ahead and describe what's on each plate

Apples, cucumber, carrots, celery, broccoli, & vegan ranch dressing. {Ellie prefers oranges for her plate.} Protein source: broccoli {2.6 g per cup}

 

"Ants on a log": celery, peanut butter, & raisins. Bel pepper, kiwi, cucumber, and green apples. Protein source: peanut butter {8g for 2 tbsp} 

Oranges, carrots, pears, and broccoli. Protein source: broccoli {2.6 g per cup}

Of course you can do all kinds of combinations for lunches for kids, but hopefully these plates give you some ideas!