Healthy, Simple Raw Lunch and Snacks

Here’s a healthy and simple raw lunch I have just finished preparing and packing to take with me to work tomorrow. I get such a kick out of preparing my lunch and snacks especially when they look this yummy 🙂  It reminds me of my childhood and being a student in primary school. I hated the lunch my school served so I packed my own lunch (most days) and snacks. School lunch was usually under or overcooked and lacked any flavor whatsoever but it was prepared from scratch with real whole foods. In hindsight it was definitely so much healthier than what most public schools serve children here in the US, hence the childhood obesity epidemic. If only everyone listened to Jamie Oliver. Snack time & Lunch time, at work now, are still one of my favorite parts of the day so why not take the time to prepare something tasty and healthy for the day ahead or early in the morning if you can manage that. A longer work day means you should pack even more food so as not to succumb to temptation. Don’t forget to hydrate 🙂 with water and your favorite no-fuss juice recipe.

Breakfast: I’ll make this green smoothie recipe early in the morning in the Vitamix before I head out the door! I LOOOOVE that Vitamix. It is so incredibly powerful, fast and easy to clean. I have gotten so much use out of it! Can’t imagine our kitchen without it. *Thanks babe*

Snack time #1: Peeled and quartered juicy oranges

I bought a huge box of these oranges wholesale at Costco and to be honest they are the juiciest and most delicious oranges I’ve ever had. Hubby & I finished a box in a few days so I joyfully took at trip back to Costco last Friday for box #2 . Let’s see how long they last this time…

Lunch time: Large Green Salad with your healthy dressing of choice

• organic mixed organic greens
• cherry tomatoes from mummy’s garden
• mini bell peppers from my other mama’s (MIL) garden
• sliced cucumber
• organic baby carrots

Snack time #2: Mangoes & Strawberries

Are you salivating like I am?

Bonus snack: Trail mix

*nuts are all raw and measure half a cup all together

• cashews
• pumpkin seeds
• almonds
• sunflower seeds
• 1 heaped tbsp of dried cranberries

Ready to go!

What are your favorite easy peasy healthy and simple snack and lunch ideas?

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Summer Reminiscing: Snack Time!

I think the best motto for trying to lead a healthy lifestyle especially with food is… Keep it Simple and Keep it Real! (and organic if possible :-)) Hubby and I had snack time one lazy afternoon this past summer that was just too pretty not to photograph! One of my absolute favorite things about summer is the abundance of fresh fruits. This was the most delicious snack time we’d had in a while. It had me thinking of how incredibly delicious real food is and how grateful I am we get to indulge. Here’s to keeping it simple and real with all our meals!

Ingredients: Pineapple, Strawberries, Bananas, Cherries, Grapefruit and Mango. Use your favorite fruits, especially what is in season since it tends to be the most affordable and have the most nutrients. This is a great breakfast recipe too!

~Munch&Enjoy!~

Raw Breakfast Recipe: Freedom Fruit Salad

Here is the best thing that came out of week 2 of my New Year, New Me 6 week plan. I thought of waiting till the 4th of July to share it with y’all but that just feels like light years away! It’s a recipe I have dubbed Freedom Fruit Salad for it’s gorgeous red, white and blue colors. It’s not just beautiful, healthy, raw, organic, vegan but also out-of-this-world delicious and so easy to make. It’s the perfect healthy raw breakfast recipe, healthy snack or even main meal if you make a large portion of it. Here were the ingredients to this recipe that literally had me dancing in the kitchen as I devoured it. All ingredients are fresh, not frozen.

• 1 large organic banana, sliced
• 1 cup of organic strawberries, sliced
• 1/2 cup of organic blueberries
• The freshly hand-squeezed juice of 1 orange or clementine
• 1 tbsp or organic unsweetened dehydrated coconut *optional
• 1 tbsp of organic raw shelled hemp seeds *optional

I don’t need to give directions, do I? (Throw everything in a bowl and stir!) It’s the easiest, tastiest and most original breakfast recipe I have made in a while. I was in and out of the kitchen in 5 minutes. The last two ingredients are optional but really add a wonderful dimension to this recipe. If you don’t have them, the recipe is just as tasty but feel free to get creative with what you have in your kitchen.

~Enjoy!~

Nuts about Nuts

The focus of this blog is that natural wholesome foods are not only the healthiest kind of foods we all should be eating but that they are easy and delicious to prepare awesome recipes with. It doesn’t get any easier than purchasing some of your favorite nuts and seeds and munching on them as a snack any time of the day to stave off the hunger. Here’s a pic of my favorite raw nuts, almonds and cashews, as well as some pumpkin seeds right on top which I enjoy as well. Nuts are full of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, vitamin E and many other nutrients, all of which create optimal health. I’m nuts about nuts (and seeds), are you?

~Enjoy!~

Kale Chips

Ok…so kale chips have been all the rave in the health food community for a while and I have no idea why it has taken me so long to make my own. All you literally have to do is buy one bunch of kale, wash them thoroughly, pat the leaves dry, use your bare hands to rip into ‘chip’ sizes , coat with olive oil and a 1/2 tbsp of sea salt. Really rub the olive oil and salt all over the kale chips to make sure they are well coated. Spread the kale over a baking dish and bake at 350F for 5-7 minutes. I followed someone else’s recipe, the first time and baked them for 10 minutes and they all burnt! I would advise anyone to watch them closely and taste a few at 5 minutes, if you prefer them more dry, bake a little longer. I actually prefer the texture that’s in between, not to chewy and not too crunchy. This makes quite the healthy snack and I can’t think of a healthier and more delicious green or vegetable period than kale! My husband actually loved them which I couldn’t believe. He is usually very averse to my “health” foods/recipes. Here are the before and after pics.

 

~Enjoy!~