Energizing Acai Protein Smoothie Recipe (VIDEO)

This hearty and icy deliciousness is my go-to smoothie recipe right now. It's full of protein from peanut butter + medjool dates, and has tons of antioxidants from the acai. The chia seeds and cacao nibs give it a bit of a crunch and make this a magical superfood breakfast that you must try out! I made it in my new Vitamix Ascent 2300. Check out the video below! Also, make sure your volume is turned up cause I'm a huge fan of the song it's edited to, haha.

ENERGIZING ACAI PROTEIN SMOOTHIE:

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe, spotty bananas
• 2 packages of frozen acai berry (I used Sambazon)
• 3-4 pitted, soft medjool dates
• 1/2 cup ice cubes
• 1 tablespoon coconut flakes
• 1 tablespoon cacao nibs
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 2 tablespoons fresh ground peanut butter
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup almond milk (or any non-dairy milk) - just add it as you go and add more if needed.
• Add cacao nibs and coconut flakes on top

Method:

This is a pretty simple recipe! As you can see in the video, you literally just pour everything into the blender and blend as long as you like to get your preferred consistency! I prefer my smoothies to be thicker in texture, but if you like yours to be more creamy all you have to do is blend longer and increase your settings to go faster. (Which is a super nice perk!) This  drink can easily be made into a bowl as well, just simply use less almond milk and top with fresh fruit and granola.

Using the Vitamix blender was SO easy. I've never owned one and can honestly say I'll probably never live without it again. As a plant-based mom, it is so convenient for almond/cashew milks, nut butters, smoothies and bowls, and I use it as a food processor. I've even used this thing to grind up oats for oat flour in my banana bread. I am officially in love, you guys.

I'd love to know what you think of the smoothie recipe! Let me know if you try it out!

*Vitamix provided me with this product to review. All opinions are 100% authentic and my own.

xo. L

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How To Bake Dairy-Free | Easiest Egg Replacement: Flax Egg

I seriously couldn't wait another day to share this with you. Learning how to make this egg replacement has changed my life. I say that not only because I'm vegan and don't eat eggs, but because it's made out of one of the easiest, least perishable, healthiest foods out there: flaxseed. If you don't know what flaxseed is, definitely check out this article on Web MD that headlines: "Preliminary studies show that it may help fight heart disease, diabetes and breast cancer." 

Yes, you can prevent breast cancer AND replace a highly perishable food when cooking and baking! Read on to figure out how easy this is. It takes all of 30 seconds, AKA, the time it takes to crack open an egg (without the mess).

EASY EGG REPLACEMENT: FLAX EGG

What You'll Need:

• 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 small dish
• 1 spoon for stirring

Method:

This is done in LITERALLY thirty seconds.

1. Measure out the flaxseed, then put into the dish.
2. Pour the water over the flaxseed and stir to combine.
3. Let it sit for 5 minutes (or while you complete other steps of your baking) and then it should thicken quite a bit!

This is the equivalent to one egg. So if your recipe called for two eggs, you would use 2 tbs. flaxseed and 6 tbs. water, and so forth! Simple as that, and WAY better for you!

HAPPY DAIRY-FREE BAKING!

I know dairy allergies are fairly common now, so please take try out this method, you guys - I promise you won't go back to eggs, ever!

READ ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF FLAXSEED.

ORDER SOME FLAXSEED HERE (IT KEEPS IN THE FRIDGE FOR MONTHS!)

xo. L

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Vegan Lifestyle | What I Eat In A Week [Breastfeeding Mom + Toddler] + Video

As most of you know, I'm vegan and have been for almost a full year. It's been one of the most rewarding and gratifying experiences in my life so far. I have a huge passion for sharing my meals and recipes with you because although I've been vegan for almost ten months, I can actually count on one hand how many times I've eaten a salad. We don't just eat fruits and veggies in the raw, contrary to what  the masses may have been told or believe.

There is a huge misconception about the vegan lifestyle; I eat delicious, nutrient and protein rich, plant-based foods (and lots of baked goods free of refined sugar) so when people ask me what the heck I eat, and what the heck I feed my vegan 17-month-old baby, I always chuckle and then bombard them with my favorite recipes. This video and post is my way of organizing my thoughts and sharing my favorite recipes with those who are interested in a plant-based lifestyle and what we eat on a daily basis. 

I am so excited to share this video and post with you! It's been in the works for about a month. I filmed for one week, then had to edit it all together and write out this post so let me know if you have any questions in the comments below and I'll answer them.

Note: I DO NOT AND WILL NOT judge you for not being vegan. This is a safe, accepting place for anyone - vegan or non-vegan, so please do not feel as though I am shaming anyone who does consume meat or dairy. I am not shaming - all I'm doing is sharing my experience with you, so please view it as just that! I love you always and forever, vegan or not. 

HOW AND WHY I TRANSITIONED TO VEGANISM:

So, many of you were wanting to know how I transitioned to eating a plant-based diet. It's been about ten months since I switched, but I'll start from the beginning! I was vegetarian for 4 years in high school into college, and loved it, but dorm room food didn't lend itself to being super healthy, so I ended up eating meat, however I had never been fully vegan.

When I got pregnant I was started worrying about the products I was putting in and on my body. It all began with an awareness of pesticides on my fruit and vegetables. I started researching the benefits of an organic or non-organic diet and decided that, although it would be a little pricier, I would just eat organic food while pregnant so that I didn't have any potential harm to my baby. Then I heard about GMO's. GMO's and pesticides are two totally different things. GMO's are genetically modified organisms that they use to genetically engineer foods to be bigger, more colorful, stay riper and fresher longer. So far most fruits and vegetables are GMO, and pretty much 90 percent of our corn crop in the U.S. is genetically modified corn. Same with cane sugar. As I did more digging, I learned that GMO's were not only in our fruits and veggies, but in almost all processed foods because corn syrup (or HFCS) and cane sugar are in EVERYTHING. It's so frustrating.

I watched the documentary OMG, GMO's and it really helped open my eyes to the horrific state of our country. We are at the mercy of Monsanto.. and so this sent me into a funk... I decided "okay, only organic foods from now on." Fruits and veggies, meats, dairy, everything had to be organic because that's the only way it was safe. (Or so I thought.) I also read The Unhealthy Truth, a book by a Robyn O'Brien and I loved it so much! It was super eye opening and helped tip me off into further research of the food we ate. (Side note: interestingly enough, both resources I mentioned above were written/filmed by parents who started researching their food after they had traumatic experiences with their own children).

Okay so fast forward to my delivery, newborn life, and breastfeeding exclusively then my babe being around 6 months old. I decided that I felt good about my eating (I've always been a pretty healthy eater - I love sweets here and there, but I'm a total veggies all the time person), but still felt weird about my little one eating dairy or meat, so I didn't give her any of that and stuck with fruits and veggies. Gracie didn't really get into eating solids until she got her first teeth around nine months so it was all breastmilk from birth to that point!

So when I finally made the decision to go 100% vegan, G was nine months old and showing interest in solid foods now that she finally had some teeth! At this point, I was already not drinking milk and pretty much didn't eat meat because I hated it my whole pregnancy and always tried to cook veggie-based dishes for G because I felt like it was healthier than animal products. So I already didn't mind not having meat in my food; it was cheaper! Then I watched two documentaries that sent me over the edge....

Cowspiracy and Forks Over Knives. 

Forks Over Knives is the one that really resonated with me. I consider myself a health-conscious person, and after being presented with the possibility that eating animal-based products may increase the likeliness of cancer, I was honestly stunned. In short, the documentary explores how eating a plant-based diet could possibly keep you from getting cancer because you aren't consuming casein protein - something they've found in lab rats that had tumors. They link casein protein with foods like meat, dairy and eggs, and that did it for me. I guess I look at it this way: I am a parent - my number one duty in life is to take care of, protect my daughter, and teach her the healthiest way of life. To me, that is eating a plant-based diet. (I try to use those terms more so than "vegan" as it sounds less snobby). 

I won't say it isn't hard. I cook almost every day and going out to eat is a huge hassle because animal products are hiding everywhere... but I honestly am SO much happier since. I feel better, I've lost a ton of weight... literally the pounds have shed off of me, and I feel amazing when I cook - although I have to do it often, I am OBSESSED with foods. I love watching G eat healthy foods and enjoy things that nourish her body and mind.

I also really enjoyed watching Cowspiracy. I recycle, cloth diaper, and try to live as sustainably as I can. Cowspiracy sheds light on the issue of sustainability and the insane amount of resources we have to use to support the meat and dairy industry. Water is a huge one, especially for those living in California where they suffer from a drought. I believe that we need to care of our Earth, and eating a vegan diet (growing crops/plants) instead of mass raising, multiplying and producing cows, chickens, etc. for our own human consumption has proven to be significantly better for our environment.

Side note, and honestly not 100% the reason I transitioned to a vegan lifestyle, but I am SO much happier with myself as a person too. I am happy that I don't contribute to the deterioration or mistreatment of animals, and happy that I can teach G about that too. I am vegan for the health reasons mostly, but the fact that animals are not harmed because of my food choices is a total bonus, as I am an animal lover and always have been! 

In a recent podcast I listened to by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau she talks about the idea of humanizing animals. Some startling information I learned in the specific episode are that pigs are slaughtered at 6 months for meat, beef cattle are slaughtered at 18 months all for our disposal. I also learned in a separate podcast of hers that cows are actually given calcium supplements, since they don't eat grass like nature intended them to (they eat GMO corn feed) so they have to supplement the cows with calcium before taking their milk for human consumption. Why can't we, as humans, just eat the calcium straight from the "grass" itself?! Plants! 

A WORD ABOUT PROTEIN:

I get so excited and totally nerdy after I tell someone I'm vegan and they ask me whether I get enough protein! It gives me the opportunity to share information like this with them:

The idea that your diet has to be protein-packed is glorified by the meat and dairy industry. But don't take my word for it. Just see what the USDA Dept. of Agriculture has to say about veganism!

"This concern about protein is misplaced. Although protein is certainly an essential nutrient which plays many key roles in the way our bodies function, we do not need huge quantities of it. We recommend eating a variety of unrefined grains, legumes, seeds, nuts, and vegetables throughout the day, so that if one food is low in a particular essential amino acid, another food will make up this deficit." (source)

Did you know that there's protein in broccoli and carrots? I'll bet you didn't - because you were led to believe that only meat can provide protein and only cow's milk can provide calcium. It's simply not the truth!

  (SEE VIDEO CAPTION FOR LINKS TO RECIPES I USED)

A FEW RESOURCES:

-Film: OMG, GMO's

-Film: Cowspiracy

-Film: Forks Over Knives

-Book: The Unhealthy Truth by Robyn O'Brien

-Podcast: Food For Thought

-Activist: Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
-USDA on veganism

-Try being vegan for 30 days!

"You can change the world; you must change the world."

Try being vegan for 30 days!

xo. L

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10 Second No Bake Vegan Granola Recipe + Video

*This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BetterWithCraisins #CollectiveBias

I am so excited to share this vegan granola recipe with you today! This is my 10-second, raw, no bake granola that I share on Snapchat almost every week! I make a big batch in the beginning of the week so that G and I get to enjoy the soft and chewy goodness. This Autumn-inspired recipe is infused with naturally sweetened medjool dates, and deliciously tangy Ocean Spray® Craisins® Dried Cranberries, you are seriously going to "Fall" in love with this recipe!

I used to grab Craisins® Dried Cranberries when I shopped at Sam's, but haven't seen them there in awhile. I snagged this bag at Target, though! They have both the 12 ounce and 24 ounce bags! 

Ingredients:

• 1 spotty, ripe banana
• 5 pitted medjool dates
• 1 cup organic rolled oats
• 1/2 cup Craisins® Dried Cranberries
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut shreds
• 1/2 teaspoon non-alcoholic vanilla extract

Method:

This is a pretty simple recipe! As you can see in the video, you literally just pour everything into the food processor and pulse until the dates and dried cranberries bind with the other ingredients, creating a soft, chewy, and crumbly bite!

I use Craisins® Dried Cranberries in sooo many things like salads, banana breads, muffins, and even our delicious vegan meatloaf! Did you know that 1/4 cup of cranberries is actually a serving of 1/2 cup of fruit? You can visit this link here to more recipe ideas and where to find this product near you.

xo. L

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Vegan Pumpkin Protein Smoothie Recipe

*This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #KashiPlantPower #GOTOGETHER #CollectiveBias

I'm pretty excited to be sharing one of my favorite vegan treats... I mean, drinks, right now. It just so happens to be Fall themed! A pumpkin protein smoothie. I've been wanting to try out a plant-based protein for quite a while now, so when I was was given the opportunity to shop at Target.com for a Kashi® GOLEAN™ Plant Powered Shake, I jumped at the chance.

As you know I am a pretty busy lady - I spend many mornings on the go with G, so my breakfasts are usually in a cup. Protein is essential to my diet so anything that gives me extra energy is amazing. Plus the fact that's it's vanilla flavored, mixed with the pumpkin in this recipe... it's basically a little taste of heaven!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup organic almond milk (it can be flavored or unflavored - I like vanilla)
• 1/2 cup organic pureed pumpkin
• 1 organic frozen banana
• 1 scoop of Kashi GOLEAN Vanilla Vinyasa protein powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 3-4 almond milk ice cubes (or you can use regular ice cubes)

Method:

This is a pretty simple shake with little to no prep. I keep frozen bananas and almond milk ice cubes on hand at all times because I am such a smoothie drinker! To begin, simply gather your ingredients. Pour each of them into a high-speed blender, and blend until smooth! Top with extra cinnamon or nutmeg, and enjoy a little taste of Fall with some added 15-16 extra grams of protein!

I would definitely use this Kashi GOLEAN protein powder in some pancakes for J when he gets back from the gym (he's been going a bit more frequently these days) and you can even incorporate pumpkin into that too! I love that this product is vegan and gluten-free as well to cater to several types of diets.

Coupon Code: You get to try out the Kashi GOLEAN or Kashi Organic products now too! Use this code: TGTKASHI for $10 off one Kashi Protein Powder from either of the two product lines!

I am eager to try out Kashi GOLEAN's Matcha Tea Mantra flavor next! Also, side note: I cannot tell you how much fun I've been having sharing my food journey with you all via Snapchat and Instagram stories. It's been a blast answering questions and sharing great recipes with everyone, so thank you for being so eager to know about it all - I love sharing! Please let me know on here, snap, or insta if you end up trying out this drink! It's one of my favorites right now.

xo. L

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Snacking Without Processed Food | For Kids & Adults

We all know how easy it is to grab a bag of chips or a few boxed cookies for snacking. Simple and quick. However, since we've starting trying to eliminate processed food from our diet, I've had to get creative with our snacking!

I'm definitely not a chef, so many of the things I cook up are just recipes I've found from scouring Pinterest! I try really hard not to feed my baby processed foods too, so that's definitely a big motivator for me. I guess what I'm trying to say is: all of these recipes are definitely kid-approved!

(photo credit: The Minimalist Baker)

1. Simple vegan gluten free cookies

These are sweetened naturally with dates + banana, and perfect for that sweet tooth you may have! I also feel more comfortable feeding these to my baby since there isn't any refined sugar in them! With only five ingredients, there's no way it can take that long!

2. Rainbow fruit kabob tray

Toddlers are bound to eat anything that's themed. If you have a fabulous rainbow tray with every single color, you can have a mini-lesson and snacking session all in one! Plus, you're getting lots of benefits from those fresh fruits too!

3. Nibble tray idea (seriously cutest thing ever)

If you offer/have a little bit of everything, you won't have any desire for the processed stuff!

4. Freezer fruit popsicles

Perfect for the hot months, and your kiddos will have NO clue. You can probably trick yourself into thinking the fruit popsicles are a real sweet if you try hard enough!

5. Ants on a log variations

From humms and sliced up bell peppers to the traditional nut butter and raisins, 'ants on a log' is a totally classic snack! It's simple to make, non-processed, and most importantly - it's good for you!

6. Homemade granola bars

I need to share my recipe (picture below) that I adapted from the one I linked above! Homemade granola bars are soft, chewy, and freeze wonderfully! There truly is nothing like a homemade granola bar. You'll never go back to the store bought stuff!

xo. L

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Eating Healthy On The Go

It's tough to eat healthy at home. It's even more difficult to eat a healthy meal on the go. I used to bring my lunch to work every day when I was teaching and more often than not, it was a hot pocket and some chips, and maybe some fresh veggies or an apple here and there. Eating healthily takes time, planning, and isn't for the faint of heart, but I promise you that once it becomes a habit, it is infectious! 

Baby G and I bring food everywhere we go. Part of that has to do with my plant-based diet, but most of it has to do with having kids. I have discovered that it is essential to bring food along almost everywhere! Today I'm sharing three complete [healthy] meals that I LOVE to eat at home, and on the go. These are also great back to school lunch ideas if you have school-aged kiddos, and they're obviously toddler-approved, as baby G literally eats ALL of these things.

G always gets so excited when she sees this pink Igloo lunch box now. She knows exactly what's in it! The vibrant colors are perfect for kiddos when they have to keep track of their own lunch bag at school, and I love how there are a couple of different options for carrying. I use the shoulder strap almost exclusively because it allows me to carry my diaper bag, high-chair cover, and the baby too. As you can see, G likes to hold it by the top haha.

Meal One:

Roasted chickpeas (see recipe for these here)

Dried strawberries (these taste like fruit snacks)

Fresh red pepper sliced

One cup of plain hummus with hemp hearts

One banana

Dried mango

The main dish for this is the roasted chickpeas, which are a household favorite. These have seasonings like cumin and chili powder; they're just divine. See recipe here. We eat a lot of dried fruit over here as well. I like that it doesn't spoil as quickly, and isn't high maintenance at all. I treat it like fruit snacks, except there are not refined sugars. Dried strawberries are SO sweet by nature! The peppers and hummus is there for a fresh-tasting snack. The key to feeling full is eating a lot of healthy foods, often, which is why I have like 3-4 different fruits in here alone! I packed water of course, because you can never get too much of that! Have you ever tried infused fruit water?!

Meal Two:

Oatmeal granola bars (I modified this a bit to my own liking, but it's a great base recipe)

Homemade magical chia seed jam (recipe here, and you MUST try it. I use a lot of chia seeds for thickness)

Dried apple

Fresh strawberries

Pear

Baby carrots

Almonds

Date and oat granola clusters (homemade recipe below)

Like I said, I'm a snacker, but these are some of our go-to foods. I forgot to include fresh nut butter. I put the nut butter and chia seed jam on the oatmeal granola bars and it's absolutely divine! This is more of a breakfast type lunch, but these oatmeal granola bars are packed with deliciousness that will keep you full of energy all day!

Date and Oat Granola Recipe

In food processor mix up the following until crumbly:

-1 cup of oats

-8 medjool dates

-1 tablespoons cacao nibs

-2 tablespoons coconut shreds

-1 tablespoon non-alcoholic vanilla extract

That's it! you can play with the ratios and ingredients, but that's the base recipe and I always add and change things around!

Meal Three:

Chickpea salad (literally tastes identical to egg salad)

Applesauce

Raw cashews

Dried cranberries

I didn't include a ton of snacks in this one because both the chickpea salad and almost 1 full cup of cashews are very filling. Plus, the chickpea salad is packed with tons of fresh veggies and lots of protein to keep you full all day. Yes, this dish is toddler-approved to, and can easily be modified for those who aren't fans of chickpeas! Just switch it out with egg if you eat them, or pasta, even!

Chickpea Salad Recipe (modified from this one)

In a bowl simply mash up the chickpeas, then stir in the rest of the chopped veggies. Mix in the mayo and mustard, then serve and enjoy!

1 15 oz can of chickpeas

1/2 cup red bell pepper diced

1/2 cup green bell pepper diced

1 cucumber peeled and diced

2 tablespoons vegan mayo (or regular)

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

2 teaspoons fresh dill

salt and pepper to taste

Last tip: make sure you are using a quality lunch box! You want one that's extra insulated to keep food cooler longer like this Igloo one, and has plenty of room for all of the deliciousness you can fit inside! I prefer lunch boxes that are water resistant, and have a BPA, phthalate-free lining, since those chemicals shouldn't be around the food. I love that I can conveniently bring fresh, healthy food everywhere with me thanks to my Igloo lunch box. I hope you enjoyed these recipes and food ideas!

*Thanks to Igloo for sponsoring and inspiring today's post.

xo. L

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