Blueberry coconut dance
Berries are a food group on their own! Highly anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, low in sugar and also low calories. That's why it's great to combine them with satisfying coconut and dates, to create a morning smoothie bowl which will fill you up with energy so you dance through your day.
cup of frozen blueberries
2 yellow bananas
1 tbl of dried coconut
3 chopped dates
more blueberries to top up your smoothie bowl
Blend a cup of blueberries & bananas till smooth. Top with coconut, dates and more blueberries and enjoy.
Pineapple dream
This smoothie is like dreaming about summer. Light, creamy, refreshing. It can also remind you of melted ice cream. Pineapple stimulates creation of your digestive enzymes, cucumber and celery restore healthy electrolytes in your body giving you a boost in the mid-afternoon or after a work out. Definitely one of my favourites when I feel like having a cuddle. Enjoy!
2 cups filled with pineapple chunks (defrosted or use half of a large pineapple)
0.5 cucumber
2 medium celery stalks cut into pieces (this will make it easier to blend and eliminate any possible celery strings)
Note: If using fresh pineapple make sure it’s ripe for deep sweet flavour. The skin of pineapple should be yellow/brown, not green.
Put pineapple pieces, cucumber and celery into a high speed blender and process until smooth and creamy. Serve in your favourite jar topped with more pineapple pieces and pieces of cucumber for bit more freshness if you wish.
Banana milk fruit bowl
Banana milk is a great swap for a yogurt. You can use it as a topping or a sauce for your favourite fruit and turn it into a delicious light breakfast, snack or even a treat! It's best to use very ripe banana and for fruit something less sweet, so the flavours compliment each other well. My favourite part is even if you mash up banana just with water instead of your favourite plant milk, it still tastes delicious! 🙂
1 very ripe banana (1/2 to mash up and 1/2 to slice)
1 medium orange peeled and cut into small pieces
1 kiwi ( I like golden variety but any works well)
splash of unsweetened almond milk
1 nectarine cut into small pieces
handful of blueberries
5 walnut halves (for crunch)
Mash 1/2 of banana with a fork in a splash of your favourite unsweetened plant milk. Top it with fresh fruit and walnuts, mix well and enjoy.
Mango energy booster
Next time you crave sugar, try this green smoothie instead. Cravings often hit when your energy drops mid-afternoon, so instead of reaching for a chocolate bar, treat yourself to this Mango Energy Booster. Greens in the smoothie, curb cravings but because of the mango you won't even notice them.
2 cups defrosted mango cubes or 1 large mango peeled
2 generous handfuls of spinach (at least 150 gr)
2 celery stalks
drop of unsweetened almond milk
Put mango, cut up celery and spinach into a high speed blender. Add just enough of almond milk so it can blend but not too much so your smoothie is nice and thick. Process at high speed and enjoy chilled.
Apple pie creation
The healthiest apple pie ever. What a great way to start your week - it’s like you are reminiscing about the weekend. Warming, gentle and soothing for your gut smelling like your grandma’s kitchen. Bananas are potent prebiotic and are also soothing for digestion. Apples support liver to release stored toxins and also help our body get rid of harmful bacteria and viruses by sweeping them out of our colon. Cinnamon (use Ceylon for bigger potency) adds even more antioxidants while helping with blood sugar balance.
3 apples
3 bananas
1 tsp cinnamon
Drop of water
Blend together 2.5 bananas and 2.5 apples with a drop of water. Serve in your favourite bowl topped with 0.5 apple and 0.5 banana sliced. Sprinkle cinnamon generously and enjoy with a warm cup of a herbal tea.
Summer bean salad
Colourful, quick, tasty, what else can you ask for when it comes to fixing a nutritious lunch! Beans are a fabulous weight loss food due to their resistant starch which will keep you feeling full for hours.
1 cup chickpea, drained with no salt/sugar added (1 tin)
1 cup red kidney beans, drained with no salt/sugar added (1 tin)
1 cup corn (defrosted)
0.75 cup sugar snap peas cut into pieces
0.75 cup chopped red pepper
handful chopped parsley
coriander juice from 1 lemon 3 tbs balsamic vinegar
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, except for lemon juice, balsamic and herbs. In a small cup mix lemon juice and balsamic well. Pour dressing over the salad, garnish with herbs and mix well. Let it sit in the fridge for an hour to allow the flavours to blend. Then mix one more time before serving and enjoy.
Nutty kale salad
This is a treat, not a salad! Seriously, everyone who comes over to our house asks for this salad well in advance. Sometimes I like to keep it simple and use only kale. Other times I like to play a bit and add shredded white cabbage and a generous sprinkle of pomegranate seeds when in season. Explore until you find your own favourite combination and fall in love with this salad treat yourself. And you will because as they say the secret is in the dressing...
1 bag kale (about 250 gr)
0.75 cup cannellini beans
handful of natural almonds (with their skin on)
1/2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
1 – 2 inch piece of peeled ginger (depends on your preference)
0.75 cup raisins (or 1/2 cup whole pitted dates)
0.25 – 0.5 cup water
Seeds from 1 pomegranate (optional)
Wash the kale and remove the hard core-stems leaving only the leaves. You can chop the leaves into smaller pieces if you prefer and put into a large bowl. Put all other ingredients into a food processor and mix until well combined. If the dressing comes out too thick, add a bit more water. (Also, if you’d like it to be sweeter, add a few more raisins or dates.) Pour the dressing over the kale and, using your hands, massage it into the leaves until they are well covered. You can serve immediately but it tastes best after being chilled in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Note: To make the dressing even more delicate you can also use almond butter instead of whole almonds.