Blueberry Almond Porridge

My go-to for breakfast is typically something with toast. Or oatmeal. Or cereal.. I basically depend on grains in the morning to fill me up and give me energy, so the goal for this one was to make a breakfast without it. Something easy, quick and filling.

But how could I?! I depend on those precious grains to give me some pep in my step.

The answer: Healthy Fats.

Before you run away screaming, remember how there are different kinds of fats? Each fat has a different structure and is used differently by the body. It’s not the total fat consumption that matters so much; it’s the type of fat consumed that affects your health. Unhealthy fats like saturated and trans fat build up the nasty fatty material, called plaque (that gunk that causes heart disease on the inside of your blood vessels). That junk makes you fat. If you’re snacking on a handful of mixed nuts, saute your vegetables in olive oil or slip avocado in your salads and sandwiches, your body will utilize those fats and convert it to energy. The Department of Health and Human Services declare that Americans should get between 20-35% of their total calories from fats. We NEED healthy fats for:

Healthy hormone production
Healthy immune system
Protect our internal organs
Help improve cholesterol levels
Fuel to burn when needed
Keep our skin & hair healthy
Maintaining our mental stability
Decreased risk of heart disease
Help us absorb vitamins A,D,E & K

I notice that my ADHD symptoms are lower when I’m eating a diet higher in healthy fats (and my weight goes down too, go figure!)

So today, Blueberry Almond Porridge it is. It’s so filling I couldn’t finish it. Keeps you full for hours. Great dish to impress those who believe cooking whole foods “from scratch” is intimidating or complicated.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups frozen blueberries
2 dates
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup ground almonds

Instructions:

1. Separate 2 tbsp ground almonds for a finishing garnish
2. Put the frozen blueberries in the microwave for 2 minutes, or until it gets too hot to touch.
3. Separate 1 cup hot blueberries into a bowl and add chia seeds and 1/2 cup almonds. Let sit for 5 minutes to create a thicker consistency.
4. Let the dates sit in the remaining 1/2 cup hot blueberries for a minute or so, to soften. Then blend together in a food processor to create a sweet paste.
5. Mix everything together and garnish with 2 tbsp ground almonds.

Variations:

• For something light and sweet, substitute nuts for 1 extra tbsp of chia seeds, and add an extra date to the sweet paste.
• Experiment with different nut and seed flavors, replacing half of the almond mixture with walnuts, sunflower seeds or pecans.
• If you have a sweet tooth in the morning, try replacing some almonds for an equal amount of unsweetened coconut flakes and add agave nectar, stevia or sugar to sweeten as desired.

——–
Calories: 517; Fat: 29g; Cholesterol: 0.0mg; Sodium: 3.1mg; Potassium 685mg; Carb: 55g; Fiber: 18.4g; Sugar: 32.4; Protein 15g

Omega 3 Fatty Acids: 6.1g; Omega 6 Fatty Acids: 2.1g; Manganese: 79.5%; Vitamin E: 73.5%; Magnesium: 52.3%; Phosphorus: 42.1%; Copper: 31.9%; Calcium: 29.3%; Riboflavin: 28.4%; Iron: 27.1%; Niacin: 16.4%; Zinc: 15%; Thiamin: 13.2%; Vitamin B-6: 11.3%

Raw Chai Berry Cobbler

Personally, I rarely enjoy nuts in their natural form. I need them to be jazzed up in something in order for me to really like them. So raw vegan recipes are one of my favorite ways to get in my serving of nuts, and it’s a great excuse for me to avoid cooking too.

I like to have some raw vegan dishes every so often because cooking food destroys the complex balance of micronutrients. Heat interacts with fat, protein and carbohydrates and produces a different chemical reaction (that some say is not really healthy) and cuts out some of the nutritional value in the food. What a bummer, right? So all those healthy vegetable dishes could be healthier if they weren’t cooked. But cooked food is just so darn yummy!

So I try to enjoy the best of both worlds.

Like throwing in nutritional powerhouses like this cobbler! Honestly, this is my favorite cobbler ever… even compared to the baked ones! And this still contains all the nutrients of the fruit and nuts in their natural form. How cool is that? What makes it even better is that it’s as easy as a snap to put together. You just toss the ingredients in a food processor and presto. Layer up that bad boy and you’re down to chomp in just a matter of minutes! My dad gave this 5 stars out of 5 stars, so you know he’s serious.

On a separate note, this is a great pre-workout snack too. Dates are my staple energy boost before a run because they’re dense in carbohydrates and sugar. Almonds are a great source of protein and calcium. Then you’ve got antioxidant-rich berries coated with energy-supporting agave nectar. With all these nutrients and natural sugar, chia seeds can make your absorption more efficient for a workout because they gel in the stomach, creating a physical barrier between carbohydrates and the digestive enzymes that break them down. The result? It slows down the conversion of carbs into sugar. So it extends your energy over a longer period of time. Neat trick, huh?

Ingredients:

1 cup dry almonds
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dried dates (any kind as long as they’re soft)
1 fig (optional)
2 cups strawberries, chopped
2 cups blueberries
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 tsp chia seeds (optional)

Instructions:

1. Toss the almonds into the food processor to chop them up well. Then add nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, dates and fig. Process through until you get a yummy chunky chai result.
2. In a bowl, coat the blueberries and strawberries with agave nectar.
3. Layer the cobbler by spreading 1/2 of the nutty chai mixture on the bottom of your pan. Press down to evently distribute.
4. Pour your berry mixture in, then top it off with the rest of the nutty chai mix on top. Try to crumble and sprinkle to evenly distribute.
5. Sprinkle the chia seeds on top and enjoy

Makes roughly 5 servings, 1 cup each. Stays fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Nutrition Info– Calories: 301; Fat: 15.3g; Sodium: 237mg; Potassium: 372.5; Carb: 25.7g; Fiber: 8.9; Sugar: 17g; Protein: 7.1

Highest Vitamins & Nutrients– Vitamin C: 75.5%; Manganese: 58.2%; Vitamin E: 40.4%; Magnesium: 22.2%; Copper: 19.4%; Riboflavin: 17.9%; Phosphorus: 15.5%

Hearty Banana Nut Chia Muffins

My family decided to run the Spartan Race this August in Amesbury, Massachusetts. It was a lot of fun, probably one of the most fun adrenaline-inducing, crazy things I’ve ever done in my life! I had never done anything like it before, so I was insanely nervous about it. Maybe I wouldn’t have been so nervous if I had– ahem– I don’t know… maybe actually trained for it?

To put it bluntly, I was highly unprepared. It was a long drive for us too so we needed to plan our nutrition accordingly. Nutrition was the only thing I could do to help my cause at this point, so I started to think hard. I thought muffins would be quick and easy to pack for all of us, so I tried coming up with a recipe that would be filling, nutritious and energizing.

Originally I had banana nut muffins in mind, but didn’t want something too light and fluffy. I included walnuts and chia seeds for omega-3 benefits, and used wheat flour to make it more dense and hearty. Dates added a bit of richness along with the bananas, and helped pack each muffin with a significant amount of potassium, which aids in muscle function. Agave nectar is 1 and a half times sweeter than sugar, and a quick source of carbohydrate. These muffins were convenient to pack with us and gave me a quick source of stable energy without the crash. We started out strong and remained strong till the end. I felt like I could have kept going! It wasn’t until a few hours later, after the adrenaline wore out, before I started to realize how sore I was.

We already signed up for the next spartan race in November! We can’t wait! I have to say though, I have to train better for the next one. The next morning I was totally wiped out. I shuffled to the kitchen and reached for one of my energizing banana nut chia muffins… and there weren’t any left! My mom laughed and said, “You didn’t think those were going to last till today, did you?! We loved them!”

Oh and by the way, they taste great heated with earth balance butter. Yummm. :)

Ingredients:

2 cups wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup agave nectar
6 dates
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup canola oil
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 chopped walnuts
1 1/2 tbsp chia seeds

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 12 muffin tins.
2. Soak dates in 1/2 cup hot water. Set aside.
3. Combine wheat flour, baking soda, walnuts and salt. Set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, combine oil, agave nectar, chia seeds and vanilla with the mashed bananas. A little lumpy banana is ok!
5. Blend dates and water in a food processor until creamy (should look like the pic below). Add to oil/agave/chia/banana/vanilla mixture and mix thoroughly.
6. Combine all the ingredients together and fill each muffin tin 3/4 of the way with batter. Sprinkle the tops with a little extra cha seeds if you prefer.
7. Bake for 25 minutes, until they are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Makes 12 muffins.

Nutrition Info:   Calories: 320.7; Total fat: 19.3g; Potassium: 216mg; Carb: 36g; Fiber: 4.6; Sugar: 15; Protein: 4.5g
Vitamins/Nutrients:   Manganese: 16.4%; Vitamin E: 15.9%; Vitamin B6: 13.7%; Copper: 8.4%; Magnesium: 6.3%; Vitamin C: 6.2%