By YAZ TROLLOPE
My Instagram feed is full. Clogged. Jam-packed with healthy, delicious food creations accompanied by the hashtag #healthy #raw #IQS #vegan and #dairyfree.
The fact is, the picture of health is changing, moving away from low carb, low fat and transitioning into natural, real food that comes predominantly from plant-based ingredients rather than labs.
But while the idea of spending my days tinkering away in the kitchen creating the perfect raw dessert is spectacular, the reality is I don’t have time. My guess is you don’t either.
So I’ve created four super easy recipes that tick all the boxes for you, so you can fill my feed with #dairyfree and #natural pics as well. Thank me later.
Just as an FYI, you should know that this series of posts is sponsored by Almond Breeze. But all opinions expressed by the author are 100% authentic and written in their own words.
Gluten-Free Banana and Almond Pancakes
Sundays just aren’t the same without waking up to the comforting smell of pancakes, right? But when your favourite skinny jeans start to feel a little more snug than you like, it might be time to switch up the recipe. Here’s one that won’t hurt your waistline.
You’ll need:
1 ½ cups almond milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups almond meal
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 really ripe bananas, slightly mashed
3 tablespoons of coconut oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
Sprinkle of Norbu or your favourite natural sweetener
Step 1: Separate your wet (eggs, almond milk, bananas) and dry (almond meal, baking powder, cinnamon and Norbu) ingredients into two separate bowls, mixing the ingredients in each bowl so they’re well combined.
Step 2: Now, make a well inside your dry ingredients bowl and slowly start to pour your wet ingredients in the centre, using circular motions to combine the ingredients into a nice smooth batter. You don’t want clumps here.
Step 3: Pop your fry pan on medium heat and place a dollop of coconut oil in the centre. Once liquid heats, pour spoonfuls of your batter into the pan, cooking until you see little bubbles forming on top. Then flip it over and cook for about another 1-2 minutes. Repeat until all the batter is cooked.
Step 4: Serve with banana slices, fresh fruit, smashed almonds, desiccated coconut and a dash of coconut cream for a decadent, yet healthy, start to the day.
Knock-Your-Socks Off Raw Chocolate Mousse
Avocado adds a really rich, creamy texture to this dish that you normally get from, well, cream. The best part about this option is that it really only takes a few minutes to prepare, and is sure to hit the spot when you’re craving something naughty.
You’ll need:
1 small ripe avocado
1 large ripe banana
¼ cup raw cacao powder
¼ cup almond milk
1 tablespoon of coconut nectar (or pure maple syrup)
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 handful of crushed almonds (or hazelnuts)
Toss all the ingredients into your food processor or blender and whizz until smooth and combined. Serve in individual bowls with some desiccated coconut on top, and even some nuts for added texture.
Serves 2
Almond, Coconut and Berry Buckwheat Breakfast Pudding
There’s something so comforting about this breakfast pudding. It’s not overly sweet, but definitely lends itself to those who order bircher over eggs, and thanks to the addition of the gluten-free buckwheat groats, it can be enjoyed by one and all. When shopping for groceries, look for whole buckwheat groats rather than the cracked variety.
You’ll need:
½ cup almond milk
¾ cup whole buckwheat groats
½ cup almonds, soaked and crushed
1 large banana
2 Medjool dates, pitted
¼ cup desiccated coconut
½ frozen mixed berries
Step 1: Soak buckwheat in water for around an hour while you’re cleaning the house, doing the laundry or painting your nails.
Step 2: Once the buckwheat has expanded in size and softened in texture, drain and pop in the blender with all your other ingredients, whizzing until it’s smooth and creamy.
Step 3: Serve it up!
Serves 4
Super Berry Smoothie
If green smoothies just aren’t your thing, you can create a similar nutritional profile using nuts, berries and coconut instead. Of course the greens offer certain health benefits that are unique to them, so I’ve hidden some among the flavourful, antioxidant rich berries. But you can’t taste them, I promise.
You’ll need:
2 cups almond milk
½ cup baby spinach leaves
½ cup frozen raspberries
½ cup frozen blueberries
1 frozen banana
½ cup pre-soaked cashew nuts (or almonds)
Flesh and water of one baby coconut
1 teaspoon of chia seeds
Simply throw all the ingredients into the blender and whiz until smooth, creamy and well combined.
Serves 2-3
Why soak nuts? Soaking your nuts in water for a minimum of 2-3 hours (or even 15 minutes if you forgot) makes it easier for your body to digest them, as nuts contain enzyme inhibitors that can cause bloating and discomfort, among other things.
Check out our gallery of Instagram-worthy recipes to keep you healthy all day long…
@tabletonic Brown rice, pumpkin (cooked in coconut oil), continental parsley, tamari almonds, green olives. PS Some preserved lemon would have been awesome. @tabletonic Pork fillet with a salad of quinoa, zucchini, almonds (toasted), ricotta (has to be fresh!) + pesto (home made) // A twist on the "Quinoa, Almond + Ricotta 'Meatballs' with Zucchini Pasta" @youngnhealthy Greek Yogurt Muesli or granola (your choice) Half of an apple A few grapes A peach Some freshly squeezed lemon juice (to taste) A pinch a stevia or cane sugar . Layer them however you desire (: @youngnhealthy Stuff your fresh cabbage leaves with zucchini, kale, carrots, red pepper, tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts, pee shoots, raw sprouted chickpea hummus & mushroom marinated in pineapple-garlic-cilantro-tomatoe-coconut water mixture. Garnished with some nasturtiums and calendula petals. @eat_to_thrive I was pleasantly surprised to find a handful of good tasting blueberries still growing on my bushes yesterday! So I added them to my #fruitbowl this morning, along with strawberries, raspberries, bananas, grapefruit, pomegranate, & white chia seeds. @eat_to_thrive Colourful & delicious #dairyfree coleslaw salad! Bowl full of julienned carrots, red cabbage, eggplant, yellow zucchini (found 2 more little ones in my garden!), steamed broccoli, and cilantro on a bed of not-visible-in-this-photo baby spinach and romaine lettuce. Dressing was a quick mix of tahini, garlic, water, lemon juice, salt, and ginger. @eat_to_thrive Overnight soaked chia seed, buckwheat & hempseed layered w/ chai tea infused pumpkin, date & banana purée. Apples & roasted hazelnuts on top. @healthylivinginheels Had some wraps leftover from my spicy falafels last monday so I decided to make 2 wraps for lunch today! @healthylivinginheels Made this delicious Superb Spinach Smoothie after my workout! Ingredients are among others: spinach, pear, banana, quark, coconut grater & chiaseeds @healthylivinginheels Time for a new week with lots of new changes! What better way to start than with a breakfast parfait! @lolacooks My vegan chocolate shake with cacao nibs, goji berries, and dessicated coconut. (2 frozen bananas, 1/2 cup almond milk, 1 tbsp almond butter, 2 tbsp cacao @lolacooks Raw, vegan, and sugar free peanut butter-caramel dipped apples! Topped with dark chocolate shavings and crushed walnuts @lolacooks Super simple and yummy #mealprep @yourdailyshake Yourdailyshake thinks your tastebuds will enjoy the contrasting flavours of this tangy & sweet Mango Raspberry Smoothie. Recipe (Serves 2) 1 cup coconut water 1 mango 1 cup frozen banana 2 tbsp coconut yoghurt Juice of 1 lime Poured over muddled fresh raspberries. @yourdailyshake Yourdailyshake loves fresh fruit. We also love smoothies. So there's nothing we love more than a fresh fruit smoothie! Give your body its daily vitamin boost with this Fruit Burst Smoothie! Red layer: 1/2 apple, 1/4 banana, 3 grapes, 1 strawberry, 3 blackberries and a shot orange juice Orange layer: 7 grapes, 1/4 banana, 1/2 squeezed orange, 1/4 little carrot and a 1/4 mango @yourdailyshake Yourdailyshake likes to add abit of crunch to our breakfast with this Nutty & Crunchy Chocolate Smoothie! Blitz in a blender 1 cup almond milk, 1 frozen banana, 2 heaped tbsp raw cacao powder, 1 tsp chia seeds and 1 tbsp cacao nibs. Pour into a large glass and decorate with chopped hazelnuts, extra cacao nibs and raw organic dark chocolate. Add a hunk of sesame or peanut brittle. @healthyfoodfiles A bit of everything for lunch. Simple ingredients smoked salmon, one egg two egg white omelette cooked in a little coconut oil and smashed avocado. Full of omega 3 fat and high in protein. Nutritiously delicious. @eddoctorahealth A bit of everything for lunch. Simple ingredients smoked salmon, one egg two egg white omelette cooked in a little coconut oil and smashed avocado. Full of omega 3 fat and high in protein. Nutritiously delicious. @eddoctorahealth With Healthy Plate model there is no need to count calories or weigh food (1/2 non-starchy veggies/fruit, 1/4 protein, 1/4 starchy veggies/whole grains). Lunch today was homemade burgers (recipe in previous post), leafy green salad, grilled vegetables (tomato, onion, mushroom) homemade sweet potato chips @eddoctorahealth Salad in a jar and apple for breakfast. Layers of yogurt (with little salt, summak and cumin), and diced salad vegetables: tomato, carrot, cucumber and yellow bell pepper. I also put a tablespoon of chia seeds in. Final touch: cucumber flowers and mint, basil and parsley sprigs
What’s your go-to recipe when you feel like a treat?
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Top Comments
Wow, thank you so much for this. I'm ccoming to the realisation that I'm allergic to dairy, a speck of milk sets me off and a life without chocolate or icecream is too depressing to imagine so I will be trying these!
I'm not a huge lover of avocado, so I've made another vegan chocolate mousse containing silken tofu, sugar/sweetner and cacao all whizzed up. It's pretty good! Does the avocado mousse have a strong avo flavour?