Vegan Strawberry Banana Protein Breakfast Smoothie

I’ve been making breakfast smoothies for so many years, the only thing that’s changed is that I was making them with whey protein in the past. I have nothing against whey protein and I know a lot of people love it for the extra protein in their diet, but most of the time it just didn’t sit well with my stomach and I would get the worst tummy rumbles! Having been a personal trainer for over 7 years, I for one know that there are SO many views out there on how much protein women need in their diet. We definitely need protein but I do believe that it is sometimes eaten in excess so the 9 g of protein that this breakfast smoothie adds to my diet is plenty for me because I get protein from other sources as well. Since I’ve been trying to cut back on my dairy intake I decided to use organic tofu. What’s great about tofu is that it not only adds protein but also structure and creaminess to the smoothie. It’s so easy to whip up and a great breakfast if you’re feeling rushed in the morning!

Ingredients

• 1 banana
• 7 or 8 frozen strawberries
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 85 g tofu (I used organic extra firm)
• 4 ice cubes

Directions

1. Place all your ingredients in blender and blend until smooth!

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Winter is the perfect time for oatmeal. It warms you up first thing in the morning and fills you up until lunch time. I for one love being full until lunch, less snacking, especially after all the holiday eating! Lets be honest, plain oats are not the best tasting (actually they’re ewwww), so I decided to use an apple and some basic ingredients I had on hand to make this a rich and decadent oatmeal. I added cinnamon, brown sugar, and my secret ingredient that’s not so secret anymore, almond extract. I used a combination of milk and almond milk in this recipe but you can use one or the other or just use water. Using almond milk or water would make this Vegan! Of course water doesn’t add the creaminess that milk and almond milk do.

Yields 1 serving

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup oats
• 3/4 cup milk (substitute with water or almond milk to make Vegan)
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/2 apple
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• Pinch of salt
• Chopped walnuts or almonds for topping (optional)

Directions

1. Cut up half an apple into small cubes, about 1/2 inch. Place them in a small skillet over medium heat. Add one tablespoon of brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Cook until apples are soft.
2. In a small saucepan pour 1/2 milk, 1/4 cup almond milk, oats, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, and a pinch of salt. Bring the mixture to a boil on medium heat and cook until oats are soft. Add your last 1/4 cup of milk in the last few minutes of cooking.
3. Scoop oats into a bowl, add apples on top and garnish with chopped walnuts or almonds if desired.

Avocado Sandwiches

Fresh, delicious, and so satisfying! I highly recommend using Shepherd’s Bread for these sandwiches!

Ingredients

1. 2 slices bread (I recommend using Shepherd’s Bread)
2. 1 ripe avocado
3. 1 cucumber sliced
4. Juice of 1/4 lemon
5. Handful cherry tomatoes sliced in half
6. Olive oil
7. Sea salt
8. Seasoned salt
9. Garlic salt
10. Pepper
11. Chopped basil leaves (2 large ones)

Directions

1. Start off by toasting your bread.
2. Mash the avocado in a bowl and add the lemon juice. Continue mixing and add the seasoned salt, garlic salt, and pepper. Add to your liking.
3. Spread mixture over toasted bread and place sliced cucumbers and tomatoes on top. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. And for the secret ingredient, add your chopped basil.

Light & Fluffy Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

I was about to say that these pancakes are my first pumpkin recipe this fall but then I remembered what happened last week. My first creation was eaten so quickly I didn’t even get a chance to take pictures, so I’ll be posting that pumpkin recipe as soon as I make it again, pictures and all. These pancakes are light and fluffy and just melt in your mouth!

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
• 2 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 egg whites

Directions

1. Melt the coconut oil and let cool.
2. In a small bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice mix. Set aside.
4. In another bowl mix the pumpkin puree, coconut oil, egg yolks, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.
5. Add your wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Fold in egg whites. Let stand for 5 minutes.
6. While your batter is resting, preheat your griddle to 325 degrees F.
7. Scoop 1/4 cup pancakes onto griddle and cook on one side until edges are brown and bubbles start to for. Flip and cook for an addition minute.