Juicing Recipes and Pulp Muffins

This week, I had the pleasure of trying out a Ninja blender and Jack LaLanne juicer for a smoothie/juice table at work. Let's just say I am very much addicted to the both! I tried out a bunch of different recipes and combinations; however, there were a few that went over really well with the members (that I had come by my table), my family, and myself.

Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie
-1 mango
-1 banana
-1 cup berries
-1 cucumber
-1 cup pineapple
-1 orange
-2-3 cups of spinach/kale
-ice/water

*Since there is a lot of fruit in the smoothie, I suggest blending spinach, kale, and water, then adding in fruit to taste. Once you get over the green color, it is really great! I liked the mango taste better, so when I made it a second time, I added more mango and eliminated the banana.

Bunny Juice
-10 carrots
-3 apples
*For this recipe, I used the juicer. I did the carrots first, then added apples to taste.

Apple Banana Berry
-2 apples (juiced in the juicer first)
-2 bananas
-2 cups of berries
-water and ice
*For this recipe, I didn't add vegetables because of the green color. I was serving to kids, so green didn't go over so well. You can add spinach/kale, cucumbers, or beets for a vegetable punch.

Green Machine Juice
Juice 2 lemons, 1 cucumber, and 2 apples. Add to a blender with 2 cups spinach/kale.

My Experimentation Phase
(The monster is a prop for a nutrition class)

After using the juicer, I didn't want to just throw away the pulp, which contains all of the fiber. So, I decided to make muffins! Besides muffins, you can use pulp for vegetable stock, sauce for mac n' cheese, or mixed in another smoothie drink.

Juicer Pulp Muffins

Ingredients

-4 cups of pulp

-1/4c honey (I used a little less than 1/4c)

-3 eggs

-1 teaspoon vanilla

-1 cup coconut or olive oil ( I used about 1/2-3/4 cup because my pulp was a bit thinner)

-3 cups flour (I used 2 cups coconut flour and 1 cup white flour. You can also use almond flour.)

-1 teaspoon baking soda

-1 teaspoon nutmeg, or cinnamon (I used both, plus a little extra)

Directions

1. Mix together the first 5 ingredients. 

2. Add flour, baking soda, and cinnamon to wet ingredients. 

3. Grease muffin pans. Bake muffins at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Apple-Carrot Pulp Muffins

Ingredients

-2 cups pulp

-1 1/2 cup almond meal

-1/4 cup flaxseed

-1/2cup coconut palm sugar (I eliminated this)

-1 teaspoons baking powder

-dash salt

-dash cinnamon

-4 eggs

-2 teaspoons vanilla

-1/4cup honey (I used only about 1 tablespoon of honey)

Directions

1. Mix together all wet ingredients. 

2. Mix together all dry ingredients. Add wet to dry. (Can also add chopped walnuts).

3. Fill paper lined muffin tins with pulp mixture. 

4. Bake 25-30 minutes at 325 degrees.

I found the juice to be both filling and nutritious. It is a great way to sneak in some fruits and vegetables with cancer-fighting antioxidants. For a protein boost, try adding almond milk or protein powder to the recipes.

 Happy juicing!

Healthy Breakfast Ideas

Looking for some healthy ideas for the most important meal of the day (breakfast if you were wondering)? You have come to the right place!

Skinny Pancakes Recipe 1
Ingredients: 2 egg whites, 1/2 banana, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2c uncooked oatmeal, dash cinnamon
        *Optional add-ins: fruit, honey, unsweetened coconut, protein powder, etc.
Directions: Blend together all ingredients. Cook in a frying pan over medium heat.

Protein Pancakes Recipe 2
Ingredients: 1/2 banana, mashed (or 1/4c applesauce), 1 scoop of protein powder, 2 egg whites, cinnamon to taste
        *Optional add-ins: fruit, honey, unsweetened coconut, etc.
Directions: Blend together all ingredients. Cook in a frying pan over medium heat.

Protein Pancakes Recipe 3
Ingredients: 1 egg white, 6 oz. plain greek yogurt, 1/4 c almond or coconut flour, 1 scoop protein powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda
Directions: Stir together dry ingredients. Stir together wet ingredients. Add wet to dry ingredients. Cook in a frying pan over medium heat.

3-Ingredient No-Bake Bars
Ingredients: 1 cup natural peanut butter, 1 cup honey, 3 cups of oats, protein powder (optional)
Directions: Heat peanut butter and honey in a saucepan on low heat until liquid. Mix in oats and protein. Press in a 9x9 pan and refrigerate overnight.

Breakfast Add-Ons

-Add fruit to pancakes, cereal, or toast.

-Add flaxseed and granola to yogurt.

-Add protein powder to your smoothie.

Ideas for Breakfast On-The-Go
Let's face it, you don't always have time to make fancy breakfast meals. So, what do you do instead? One option is to make a large batch of protein pancakes, bars, or muffins and store in the fridge/freezer to use all week. Another option is to make a quick smoothie (fruit, yogurt/milk, peanut butter, ice, protein powder). I use the magic bullet. It is the perfect size for 1 smoothie and the cups are portable! Another option is to make a trail mix to snack on while you drive.

Happy breakfast eating!




http://thejoyofeverydaycooking.com/3-ingredient-no-bake-peanut-butter-bars/

Fresh Fruit and Yogurt Pops

Looking for a healthy summer treat to cool you off? Try some fresh fruit and yogurt pops!

Ingredients
-2 cups of fresh blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and sliced bananas
-2 cups plain or vanilla yogurt
-8 small paper cups (or popsicle trays)
-8 popsicle sticks
-aluminum foil

Directions
1. Blend together all ingredients until smooth.
2. Fill paper cups (or popsicle trays) 3/4 full with fruit mixture.
3. Cover tops with aluminum foil.
4. Poke a popsicle stick through the center of the foil on each cup.
5. Freeze for at least 5 hours.

Nutrition Information (per serving)
*Altered slightly based on type of yogurt used
70 calories, 240mg potassium, 12g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 8g sugar, 4g protein


Enjoy!

Adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/fresh-fruit-and-yogurt-ice-pops/
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp

Snacking and Healthy Eating on the Go

Scenario 1: From the minute you get up in the morning, you are running like crazy, whether it is with your job, your family, your hobbies, or all of the above. You may have just enough time to grab breakfast in the morning. If not, your stomach is grumbling leading to the perfect setting for that salty, fatty, not-so-good snack. Scenario 2: You don't eat all morning and before you know it, your stuffing cold leftovers into your mouth at the fridge. Scenario 3: You experience both scenarios mentioned before, depending on the day.

Whatever your scenario may be, here are simple tips and recipes to help you curb the cravings and snack healthy!

Let's start off with a brain buster question. Are 100-calorie pack snacks "healthy?" Truth is, no. They are basically 100 calories worth of carbohydrates. Since simple carbohydrates turn into sugar in your body, they are basically 100 calories worth of sugar. While they are better than eating chips out of the bag and help with portion control, they are no match for the endless possibilities of healthy snacks.

Tips for Healthy Snacking
1. Design your snacks like mini-meals. Include protein, fat, and healthy carbohydrates.
2. Resist the urge to snack when you are bored or stressed. Try going for a walk or reading a book to get your mind off of food.
3. Don't snack in front of the TV. This leads to mindless eating and lack of portion control.
4. If you are one to eat from the chip/pretzel bag, take out a serving and put the rest away in the cabinet.
5. Make snacking interesting! Try something new and different (like macadamia nuts or avocado slices).

Tips for Snacking On-The-Go
1. Pack your snack the night before, or at the beginning of the week. If you are making non-perishable items (trail mix or homemade granola bars) portion out a serving so they are easy to grab on the way out.
2. Remember to read the nutrition label. Sugar should not be one of the first 4 ingredients!
3. Choose high-fiber snacks like fruits and vegetables to keep your fuller for longer.
4. Stash carrots, peanut butter, and crackers in your bag or desk drawer so you always have healthy food nearby.
5. If the vending machine is all you have as an option, opt for nuts (protein and fat) or a lower sodium food.

Simple Snacks for Home or On-The-Go
-bananas dipped in yogurt, rolled in nuts, and frozen
-bananas dipped in peanut butter and frozen
-apples and peanut/almond butter
-apples and cheese
-trail mix with dried fruit, nuts, popcorn, etc
-hummus (mashed chick peas, olive oil, garlic) and vegetables
-avocado deviled eggs (hard boiled eggs, yolks mashed with avocado and spices)
-smoothie made with protein powder or peanut butter
-mini sandwich with tuna or egg salad
-yogurt with blueberries and granola

Hopefully, these tips help you to curb those cravings and snack healthy. Happy snacking!

Fun Fruit and Vegetable Facts

Did you know that banana trees are not trees? The banana plant is actually a giant herb. Today's blog features fun facts about different fruits and vegetables!

Avocados
-One avocado tree can produce up to 400 avocados a year! 
-Avocados are a good source of Vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, folate, and fiber. They are also high in Vitamin E.

Strawberries
-Ever wonder how many seeds were on your strawberry? On average, there are 200!
-Strawberries are not truly a berry, despite their name. 
-Strawberries are a good source Vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.

Kiwi
-Kiwi can be used as a meat tenderizer. Cut the fruit in half, rub over meat, and leave for 10-15 minutes. 
-The brown fuzzy skin is edible!
-Kiwi are a good source of Vitamin C and E, potassium, and fiber.

Cranberries
-Native to North America. They were deemed the name "cranberry" because the flowers resemble cranes.

Broccoli
-The name broccoli comes from the Latin word brachium, which means "branch" or "arm"
-Broccoli is a good source of Vitamin A, folate, iron, calcium, and fiber.
-Ounce for ounce, Broccoli has more vitamin C than an orange and as much calcium as a glass of milk.

Nectarine
-The nectarine is actually a subspecies of peach that lacks the gene for fuzz. 

Cabbage

-Cabbage needs to be kept cold in order to retain its Vitamin C.

Carrots

-Pick carrots that are dark orange in color (more beta-carotene).

-Carrots are a good source of fiber, beta-carotene, and Vitamin A.

Tomatoes

-They are technically a fruit; however, they are prepared and eaten like vegetables.

-The French used to refer to the tomato as the "apple of love."

-Tomatoes are a good source of Vitamin A and C. 

Apples

-Ever wonder why apples float? They are good for apple bobbing games because they are 25% air!

Pineapples

-You can speed up the ripening of a pineapple by standing it upside down (on the leafy end).

EXTRA Food Facts

-In ancient Greece and Rome, fava beans were used in voting; a white bean was used to cast a yes vote, and a black bean for no. 

-Pinch your nose and eat an onion, apple, and potato. They will all taste sweet. The difference in flavor is caused by their smell.