Healthy Fit Cookie [Lifematrix Style / Raw Option]
Want a cookie that doesn’t go straight to your hips but instead used as energy and fuel? It’s possible, my fit friends!
A healthy cookie that still satisfies my sweet tooth but also my nutritional needs!
These cookies are soft and chewy from the help of the soft coconut flakes and ground flax meal which provide you with the fatty acids your body needs. The buckwheat adds key fiber and the protein is sourced from the use of hemp protein powder and my favourite Lifematrix’s Vegan Super Smoothie protein powder!
Like most of my dessert and snack recipes, these bad boys aren’t overly sweet (low in sugar and refined sugar free) so you can definitely taste all of the different flavours and textures happening.
Here’s one of my favourite recipes for a convenient cookie that’s all vegan, gluten/wheat free, low in sugar, rich in protein, high in essential fats and low carb. Oh, and nut free for those with a nut allergy. They’re ideal to have after a crazy workout or after one of your favourite daily active activities. I’ll admit, sometimes I have them for breakfast. 😉
What you’ll need:
1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes/shreds
1/4 cup of buckwheat flour
1/4 cup of organic brown rice protein powder (Lifematrix is my fav)
3 tbsp of organic ground flax meal
1 scoop of hemp protein powder
1/4 tbsp of liquid vanilla stevia
2 tbsp of granulated xylitol (adjust to your sweet tooth)
2 tbsp of organic extra virgin coconut oil
2 tbsp of filtered water (or unsweetened almond milk)
1 tbsp of cacao nibs or homemade unsweetened carob chips
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Scoop into little balls and press down into cookie shapes on parchment paper. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool! If you don’t, the cookies may fall apart.
Did you know you can also make these raw?
Place in the dehydrator for warm cookies!
Hearty Chia Seed Pudding
Happy weekend everyone! 🙂
It’s a beautiful day in Toronto. The sun is shining, the sky is deliciously clear and the wave of summer vibes is here to stay! One of the best things about summer is feeling good about waking up in the mornings. Warm and sunny mornings allow you to start your day right, wouldn’t you agree?
And what’s the best thing you can do for yourself in the morning? Eating a healthy and scrumptious breakfast. It’s easy to grab a bowl of sugary cereal or oatmeal with some full fat milk but in my opinion, there are optimal and more nutritional meals you can have instead. If you want to start your summer day off right, you should eat right. Plain and simple. So after I have my glass of water and warm lemon water to wake my insides up from a good night’s rest, I opt for a chia seed pudding with hearty add-ons.
The recipe I’m about to share with you is vegan and free of yucky ingredients that we definitely don’t want in our breakfast. It’s also low in sugar, wheat and gluten free, high in anti-oxidants, rich in protein, contains healthy fats and filling!
As you probably know, chia seeds are considered to be one of the many amazing super foods that Mother Nature has to offer to us. Despite their size, chia seeds are among the most nutritious foods on the planet. They are loaded with fiber, protein and omega 3 fatty acids. It’s easy to use and consume – sprinkle them in salads, bake with them, add them to smoothies and juices and my favourite way: puddin-nize ’em! (I made that word up btw!)
Here are some fast food facts about chia seeds and why they should be a staple part of your everyday diet…
- Provides a massive amount of nutrients with very few calories! Excellent for someone trying to lose or maintain their weight. It’s unique way of gelling with liquid helps to keep you full for hours. It’s also an excellent low carb food as most of the grams is fiber!
- Ideal food to help balance blood sugar. It’s great combination of soluble and insoluble fiber combine to slow down your body’s conversion of starches into sugars. Eating chia with a meal or as a meal will help you turn your food into a constant, ready energy and fuel your body rather than giving you the ups and down cravings that weigh you down.
- Chia is the richest plant source of Omega 3 fatty acids. By weight and gram per gram, chia has more omega than salmon!
- Rich in anti oxidants (more than blueberries) and contains good quality protein!
So whether you want to lower your cholesterol or blood sugars, properly lose weight or have more nutritional foods in your everyday diet, chia seeds will help you do all of that. Did I mention they’re also gluten/wheat free and vegan? 😉
If you don’t like the taste of gelatinized chia seed (chia seeds with liquid), you can sneak them in your smoothies or juices for added nutrients. But seriously, you should try making a chia seed pudding! It’s perfect for a filling breakfast, mid day snack or even dessert!
Don’t underestimate tiny things!
Here’s my yummy basic go-to recipe which can be easily customized to your liking:
1 1/4 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk (homemade if you have!)
1/4 cup of organic chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon of organic vanilla extract, flavouring or bean pod (alcohol free please!)
1 teaspoon of xylitol or some stevia (optional)
Add all of the ingredients in a glass jar or bowl. Give it a quick stir. If using a jar, cover with a lid and shake like crazy to mix it all up. If using a bowl, let sit in the fridge and stir occasionally. Refrigerate until it becomes very thick and pudding like. You can do this for a few hours or overnight. For me, 20 minutes does the trick; plus my stomach is impatient.
Top with super essentials: tons of organic blueberries (I like them frozen!), raspberries, raw almonds and half a teaspoon of organic cinnamon. If I want to satisfy my sweet tooth, adding unsweetened coconut flakes, carob/cacao powder or chips and coconut milk does the trick! Enjoy! x
Quick Colourful Quinoa Green Salad
Goodness I love quinoa. See here and here, oh and here. You can say that I’m a little coo coo for quinoa. 😉
It’s just so deliciously easy and simple enough to make into a great healthy, hearty dish!
For lunch the other day, I thought I’d turn it up a notch! I adore spices in my food and decided to make it flavourful (Moroccan style) and top it off with LOTS of greens, of course! It was a perfect lunch to enjoy outside and kept me full and satisfied until my next meal. Plus, look how beautiful and vibrant the colours are of delicious whole foods? This recipe is really easy, check it out for yourself…
What you’ll need:
2 cups of COOKED organic white quinoa
1 cup of organic chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of chili powder or chili flakes
1/4 teaspoon of turmeric
1/2 teaspoon of coriander
Juice of one lemon
1/4 teaspoon of himalayan salt
1 teaspoon of garlic powder and onion powder
1/4 cup of chopped parsley (optional)
Ground black pepper to taste (and lots of it in my opinion!)
Bell peppers and cucumbers, chopped
Toss all of the ingredients and combine thoroughly. Pair with arugula, baby spinach and pea sprouts!
Soft Hearty Coconut Cookies For Breakfast Please! [Vegan + Grain Free]
TGIF means cookies for breakfast! Who says you can’t start your day off with some healthy breakfast cookies once in awhile?
These cookies are certified SOFT and thick and you guessed it – free of all bad things we don’t want in our food! I figured out a way to use coconut flour without the use of eggs and these cookies held their own! Coconut flour can be tricky to bake with if you’re trying to veganize it but somehow, this recipe worked! It’s a perfect base recipe for a grain free, gluten free, sugar free vegan cookie which you can add some of your favourite fixins like vegan unsweetened carob chips (homemade is the best way!), cacao nibs, berries, unsweetened coconut shreds, cardamom, nut butters or whatever your little healthy heart desires…
I made this batch today and didn’t even have time to use my DSLR to take a pretty photo of it. It’s an iPhone quality photo but the taste is still the same! Check out my recipe below:
2/3 cup of organic coconut flour (Cuisine Soleil is my favourite!)
Binder: Half 1/3 of almond meal and the other 1/3 half of tapoica or arrowroot starch = so 1/6 of each ingredient equaling 1/3 cup
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 cup of xylitol (or coconut sugar or stevia – adjust to sweet tooth)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (non alcohol)
2 flax eggs/gels (3 tbsp of ground flax with 6 tbsp of water – let sit for a few minutes)
1 teaspoon of cinnamon and/or cardamom
3-4 tbsps of water or unsweetened almond milk
5 tbsps of organic cold pressed coconut oil (liquid)
1 tbsp of coconut butter (or any type of softened vegan butter)
Optional: your fixins!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Stir well.
Add in your fixins like unsweetened vegan carob chips or cacao nibs, etc. Next add in your flax eggs, coconut butter and coconut oil. Mix well. Then end off with the water or unsweetened almond milk. Till you get your batter to start holding together! You want it to be on the thick side.
Scoop onto cookie sheet or parchment paper. Press cookies down! Coconut flour doesn’t really expand so make sure to do this. Do not flatten them though since you want them to be thick and soft.
Bake for 14-16 minutes. Cool before removing from the cookie sheet. Then enjoy with some pure almond butter or organic unsweetened jelly to make it an ultimate breakfast treat! x
Spinach Obsession + Easy Everyday Green Blend
I love (baby) spinach. We have a special bond and I never get tired of eating it. This picture says it all, doesn’t it?
Yes peeps, that’s a restaurant size bag of baby spinach that I use up in less than a week! I blend it, juice it and most importantly I include it almost all of my main dishes – and a lot of it. Sometimes, I catch myself just unconsciously eating it by itself like potato chips. Don’t get me wrong, I eat a lot of dark leafy greens like kale, collard greens and arugula but spinach is sorta like a comfort food that’s super easy to eat. And if you’re not yet incorporating leafy greens into your diet, adding spinach to juices or blends is an excellent way to start. The taste is subtle and your body is getting hit with one of the most nutritious and nutrient dense foods Mother Nature has to offer. So eat a lot of it – everyday if you can!
Here are some fast facts about why it should be a staple part of your diet:
- Low in calories, high in vitamins and minerals like vitamin K, vitamin E, vitamin B2, zinc, niacin, vitamin C, magnesium, vitamin B6, potassium and the list goes on!
- Loaded with flavonoids which act as antioxidants protecting the body from free radicals and illnesses.
- Excellent source of chlorophyll which aids in gastrointestinal issues and help to cleanse the colon.
- Rich in protein and supplies the same amount of it as you would get from same quantity of meat!
- Great source of iron, so if you’re low of it, eat a lot of spinach!
These are just some of the many bountiful health benefits this fresh green vegetable has to offer. If possible, try to buy organic, local spinach since it’s one of the top pesticide coated foods out there. Otherwise, make sure to always thoroughly rinse it before consuming.
One of the easiest ways you can integrate spinach into your everyday lifestyle, is by blending it. You can definitely juice it but I find that it can be A LOT of waste just to make one serving of liquid.
What you’ll need:
2-3 packed cups of baby spinach (organic, local preferably)
1 handful of chopped up kale
1.5 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or homemade)
1/2 cup of frozen organic blueberries
1 teaspoon of xylitol or some stevia
1 teaspoon of chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon of spirulina
Optional: 1 scoop of vegan sprouted brown rice protein powder
Blend on high for about a minute or so. You can serve over ice if it’s a hot summer day! Enjoy. x
My Favourite Superfood: Spirulina!
If there’s one thing I cannot live without, it’s a quality bottle of spirulina. Haven’t heard of this amazing “superfood?” Let me give you a run down with a few fast facts:
- Spirulina is a natural blue-green algae powder that is incredible high in protein, healthy essential fats and nutrients.
- Made up of protein and essential amino acids and incredibly rich in iron so it’s suitable for all diets especially for vegetarians and vegans.
- Very high in Chlorophyll, which helps remove toxins from the blood and boost the immune system.
- Spirulina is said to be the most nutritious food source known to humans and has been used all over the world for centuries for both its nutritional density and its medicinal properties.
- Spirulina is also high in calcium with over 26 times the calcium in milk!
- It balances pH levels to reduce inflammation, the root of many diseases.
When choosing spirulina, always make sure it’s 100% pure and organic – no additives or preservatives. You want the best quality spirulina in order to fully reap the amazing benefits it has to offer. My favourite and trusted brand is by Nutrex Hawaii. Their all natural products are highly digestible and they provide a variety of options to consume spirulina. The most popular way to take it is by consuming it in powder form or tablet form. Personally, I like doing both. The powder is great to add in your everyday smoothie, blends and juices, whereas the tablets can easily be taken daily as a supplement. You can try adding the powder in a glass of water but most people (me being one of them) have a hard time downing it. It’s not the most pleasant tasting!
Their spirulina powder is so versatile that I decided to put it in a savory cracker recipe. It’s an easy way to get your daily dose of spirulina while enjoying a healthy and tasty treat at the same time! These crispy crackers are not only packed with spirulina’s super powers, they’re also gluten/wheat free, sugar free, sodium free, vegan and low in carbs. You won’t find anything like this at your grocery store!
What you’ll need:
1 cup of organic blanched almond flour (I always use JK Gourmet)
1/2 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of cold water
3 teaspoons of raw sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon of Simply Organic’s Italian Seasoning (My FAVOURITE seasoning of all time!)
1 teaspoon of Nutrex Hawaii Pure Spirulina Powder
1/2 teaspoon of organic garlic or onion powder
Some cracked black pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and thoroughly mix. Alternatively, you can put it in a food processor! Remove the dough and form into a ball with your hands. Place the ball in between two sheets of parchment paper then roll to a 1/8 thickness with a rolling pin. The thinner it is, the crispier it will be! But it might be a little more delicate.
Remove one of the parchment papers and cut the dough into desired square shapes. You can use a pizza cutter for this. Place in oven and bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for several minutes and carefully break the crackers apart. If you have a dehydrator, you can put them in for 24 hours on a low setting and flipping them halfway in between. Store in a sealed container to maintain freshness. However, I highly doubt they’ll make it to the next day! Enjoy. x
InnerJ Bars
InnerJ Bars are perfect for a post yoga session. Check out Toronto fashion stylist Talia Brown munching on hers in Yorkville.
Actress Natalie Papanou and graphic designer Oana Romaniuc enjoying their bars after a relaxing meditation class in The Annex.
Gluten free, low in sugar, wheat free, dairy free, soy free and peanut free. One of my favourite snacks to bring with me when I’m on the road and even in Jamaica! Living a healthy lifestyle, it can be challenging to maintain it while travelling especially when you don’t eat meat and you avoid wheat/gluten/dairy/sugar like the plague. But filling, nutritious and portable snacks like InnerJ Bars make it easier to keep satisfied while wanderlust-ing.
Boys like it too!
KEWAZA Energy Balls – AMAZE-BALL GIVEAWAY!
Like most people living the city, I always find myself on a life marathon – whether I’m headed to work, attending castings, on set for photo shoots, prepping and organizing meal plans, etc. But one thing is for sure: I always make time to eat. This is so important especially if you’re constantly on the run which means your body is working twice as hard to fuel you.
Sometimes it can be challenging to “fuel up” – especially nutritiously – in between chaos when you’re pressed for time or simply don’t have the energy to prep meals and snacks everyday. And then the worst comes after you’ve reached your hungry hippo stage….you dive into a unhealthy bag of chips or smother your face in nutrient deprived granola bars. Our western society has made it extremely easy and accessible to eat junky foods. But I’m here to tell you that there are tasty, wholesome, healthier options that properly fuel the body.
#WHATHEALTHYMODELSEAT
KEWAZA energy balls is one of them. It’s a yummy pocket ball that just bursts of clean nutrients and natural flavours. It contains the optimum balance of high quality carbs, fats and deliciousness all needed for the ideal snack to energize and revitalize. (I love a good rhyme!) It’s convenient, ready to devour and not complicated. It also keeps you very satisfied in between meals. My friends had a few bites of each flavour and praised how good they were. They felt like it was more of a treat than something nutritious! Apparently it’s delectable enough to confuse you that it’s healthier!
I generally make my own portable snacks so that I can control the ingredients and portions to fit into my everyday lifestyle. With my gluten free, wheat free, preservative free, sugar free, vegan, plant based motto, it can get a little tiring making my own energy balls or protein bars. And washing the food processor can be very tedious at times! However, I have a huge respect for health conscious companies, especially ones that are local, that provide reliable quality products in order to promote and encourage healthier, wholesome lives. Toronto based company, Kewaza, aims to do that everyday with their endearing slogan of Move Mountains. So whether you’re running some errands, finishing yoga class or moving some mountains, these energy balls will give you the sustenance you need to do all that and more.
Here’s the nutritional profile on these balls of energy:
Non GMO, organic, gluten/wheat free, preservative free, dairy free, soy free and wholesome. Ta-da!
Uncomplicated ingredients include organic dates, goji berries, walnuts, coconut oil, flax seeds, peanut butter, cacao powder and maca powder just to name a few. You can find the full list of ingredients in each ball on their colourful website.
I am going to have an honest moment with you. Because of my low glycemic, sugar free vegan diet, I wouldn’t be able to enjoy these like the next guy. Their peanut butter protein balls would be great if I ate peanut butter! 🙁 My fingers are crossed for an almond butter base flavor. However, for the purpose of this review, I did have a small bite of it and I confirm that it is indeed scrumptious. And with the use of super foods such as maca powder and hemp in the balls, it’s something you won’t feel guilty about eating.
Want to try it for yourself? You should! Enter our giveaway below for a chance to win a FREE set of balls – KEWAZA style!
Stay healthy, my friends. x
Summer is finally here in Toronto!
We had an abundant amount of sunshine today and that called for one thing: an abundance of healthy food for lunch. My go-to ingredients are pretty basic: organic quinoa, steamed kale, baby spinach and some sort of seeds or nuts. They’re nutritious, delicious and always leaves my insides satisfied. I always have these goods stocked in my kitchen, so when I’m not in the mood to make a meal creative or if I’m just pressed for time, I can always count on a super clean warm quinoa green salad to feed my soul. I’m always so grateful to see the beautiful colours in my food when I make this. You can say it’s pretty hearty.
The dish I made today is simple. Nothing fancy and pretty much anyone can make it. I’ve posted similar quinoa dishes before so I thought I’d make this one a tiny bit more interestingespecially since I’m celebrating the new season. So to add life to my basic quinoa bowl, I paired it with a tasty effortless dressing that pretty much goes with anything. It’s easy to blend up with very simple ingredients, yet elevates the rather fundamental quality of the meal into something more appeasing. Plus, who doesn’t love to drench their food with yummy sauce?
Like I prefer most of my meals, this one is about 50% – 70% raw. The raw portion adds full enzymes to the dish that aids with digestion and gives dish a appetizing crunch. The only thing cooked here is the organic quinoa and the massaged kale is lightly steamed.
Light, flavourful, earthy and colorful – perfect for a summer lunch!
Toss all of these ingredients in a bowl or plate:
Half a cup of cooked organic white quinoa (pre washed and soaked)
1 cup of steamed chopped kale
2 cups of raw baby spinach
1/2 cup of diced raw red bell peppers
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro (get the real thing because it makes a difference with the taste!)
For the dressing:
Half a cup of raw shelled sunflower or pumpkin seeds (preferably soaked for 8 hours or overnight)
1.5 cloves of garlic
Knob of fresh ginger
1.5 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp of unfiltered organic apple cider vinegar or coconut nectar vinegar
2 teaspoons of lemon juice (squeezed)
1/2 cup of filtered water
Cracked black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste
Optional: a pinch of stevia if you want it to be a little sweet
In a food processor or high power blender, combine all of the ingredients and pulse on high for a minute or so. Depending how “thick” you want it, slowly add the water and adjust to your desire. Season to taste. And enjoy with your awesome summer salad dish!
Grain Free Vegan Zucchini Pancakes
#WHATHEALTHYMODELSEAT
I don’t know how many times I’ve posted a pancake recipe but this one is one a keeper! It also gives me a reason to use my fluffy organic allergen free flours from Cuisine Soleil. It’s grain free, gluten/wheat free, sugar free, preservative free, vegan AND wait for it….there’s vegetables in it! It makes me a very happy vegan when I incorporate greens in my breakfast and adding them to pancakes just makes sense. Made with organic chickpea flour, it makes for a high fiber and protein rich breakfast that will be sure to satisfy any tummy on a Sunday morning. This is what I call a healthy balanced breakfast!
No need for honey, syrup or other sugary no good toppings; I top mine with my most favourite jam by Xyla. Their Mountain Berry is a mixture of naturally sweetened berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.) Since most jams contain a whack load of added sugars and preservatives, this one is a perfect healthy alternative because it’s completely sugar free and only sweetened with xylitol. The texture and flavour oozes of delicious fruit that sometimes I can’t help but eat it straight of the jar. That good.
Alright already…go have some breakfast!
What you’ll need:
1 1/2 cups chickpea flour (Cuisine Soleil has a great quality organic chickpea flour)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup of fresh grated zucchini
3 tbsp ground flax meal + 9 tbsp warm water (makes a vegan egg)
1 1/2 cups almond milk + 1 tablespoon of raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar (this makes a vegan buttermilk!)
Organic cold pressed coconut oil for cooking
Combine 3 tablespoons of flax meal in a small bowl with 9 tablespoons of warm water and mix well. Set aside for 5 minutes. To make the vegan buttermilk, combine the almond milk and apple cider vinegar and set aside for a minute or so. Combine the flour, cinnamon, zucchini and baking soda together in a mixing bowl. Then add the flax egg and vegan buttermilk to the mixture. Whisk the batter but not too much. Clumps are okay sometimes. 🙂
Preheat a non-stick pan on medium heat. Add a little coconut oil and spread around the pan. Add about a 1/4 cup of batter to the pan. Cook for a few minutes on one side, flip and cook a couple more minutes on the other side. When it starts to bubble, that’s how you know it’s ready to be flipped! Remove from pan, keep warm on a plate, and top with fresh fruit and jam!
Makes about 6 generous size pancakes.
