I do not like healthy things. It’s not that I don’t appreciate veggies; it’s just that, if I had the choice between a pint of ice cream and a plateful of green things… well… that’s not a difficult one. In order to fill my sweets craving and stay healthy, I’ve had to come up with multiple food options that fit both categories.
Option #1: The Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 banana
3-4 ripe strawberries
½ cup of juice (any kind will do)
1 T of soy protein
1 t of flax seed
1 t cinnamon
1 dollop vanilla
1 dollop vanilla
aaaaand anything else you want to throw in there that sounds good, i.e. blueberries, raspberries, oranges, yogurt, etc;
Blend that all together and enjoy.
Option #2: Granola
This is a recipe I found in my mother’s handy dandy recipe box and, believe it or not, I managed to make a tasty batch of granola (honestly, it’s not difficult).
Ingredients:
Dry
6 cups oats
1 cup wheat germ
½ cup sliced almonds
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 cup flax seed
Wet
½ cup canola oil
½ cup honey
1/3 cup water
1 ½ t salt
1 ½ t vanilla
I added 1 cup of dried cherries
Mix the dry ingredients together. Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl and microwave until soupy, then stir. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix thoroughly. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place mixture on cookie sheet. Cook for thirty minutes stirring frequently. Cool and add cherries.
I love this homemade granola because you can add anything you want to it. I usually add some cinnamon to the dry mixture and some vanilla to the wet mixture. It goes well with yogurt and fresh berries! Not to mention it is very filling, which saves me from sneaking cookies or chocolate chips from the pantry later in the day…. I always thought that green things looked better when used for presentation, don't you?
Good morning, World. I am ready to take you on.
