Guilt-Free Strawberry Banana Ice Cream

Hey there health-nuggets! 

Now that it is finally warm and sunny outside I have been craving ice cream like crazy! Since eating full-fat Italian ice cream is definitely not the most figure-friendly thing to do, I have created my own dairy-free and sugar-free ice cream recipe which tastes as good (if not even better!) than the real thing! 

Here is my 100% guilt-free take on ice cream this summer:

What you will need:

• 2 frozen bananas (chop them up and leave in the freezer overnight)
• 100 g frozen strawberries (for a touch of pink)
• 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder (I like Optimum Nutrition brand best)
• 200 ml soy milk (can use more or less depending on how thick you like it)
• optional: a handful of 100% raw cacao nibs for added crunchiness

What next? 

Blend all of the ingredients together until smooth, put on some sunnies, go outside and enjoy every mouthful of this yummy goodness!

Blueberry & Bee Pollen Post-Workout Boost

Hey there health-nuggets!

It's been a while since my last post... nevertheless I'm back with a new smoothie recipe that I came up with this morning. I went for a lovely 5km run along the river right after waking up and this is how I treated myself afterwards! 

This post-workout smoothie has everything you need to replenish your body after a workout - natural sugars and fiber from the berries, protein for muscle recovery and an extra dose of anti-oxidants from bee pollen. 

What you will need:

• 350 g frozen blueberries
• a handful of fresh strawberries
• 250 ml light almond milk
• 1 scoop of Optimum Nutrition 100% whey vanilla protein powder
• 15 organic raw cacao nibs
• 1 tsp of bee pollen

Blend all of the ingredients until the consistency is smooth. Sprinkle with some bee pollen and your quick post-workout breakfast fix is ready! 

Healthy Snack Ideas Below 200 Kcal

Hey there health-nuggets! 

Here are some easy & delicious snack ideas that are healthy, filling (thanks to the fiber content in them) and easy to take with you to school or work! Plus, all of them are below 200 kcal and some even under 100! 

(1) Apple + 15 almonds (sprinkle it with cinnamon for that extra metabolism boost) (200 kcal)

(2) Banana + 7-8 walnuts (200 kcal)

(3) Baby carrots + 2-3 tablespoons of hummus (100 kcal)

(4) Celery sticks + 1 tablespoon of peanut butter (100 kcal)

(5) 2 wedges of Light Laughing Cow cheese + 2 rice crackers (100 kcal)

(6) 2 pieces of string cheese + 200g of small cherry tomatoes (200 kcal)

(7) 1 small container of Greek Yogurt (0% fat) + 1 tablespoon of honey (150 kcal)

(8) 1 skinny latte with light soy milk (100 kcal)

(9) 1/2 small melon (100-150 kcal) chop it up and take it with you in a small container box

(10) 1 granola bar (look for one low in sugar) with oats, nuts and seeds (150-200 kcal)

(11) in the summer time - 250 g any berries (blueberries, raspberries, gooseberries) (100 kcal)

(12) a protein bar (look for one that is low in sugar and doesn't have too many kcal) - (<200 kcal)

(13) dried apple chips (love them!) (150 kcal)

(14) 250 ml of any innocent smoothie (100 kcal)

(15) 2 tbsp dried cranberries + 10-12 cashews (<200 kcal)

When choosing snacks, it is important to have a mix of both protein (e.g. nuts, cheese) and carbohydrates (e.g. banana). This is the secret for feeling full for longer. Also, it is better to choose foods that are naturally rich in dietary fiber (e.g. apples, berries) to aid your digestion, normalize your blood-sugar levels and stay full. 

Hope you enjoyed this post and hope you're all having a wonderful week!

Berrylicious Breakfast Smoothie For 2

Hey there health-nuggets! 
'
Hope all of you are having a wonderful weekend! This morning I finally slept like a true health-nugget that I am and woke up really late. Gotta love Sundays :) For breakfast I made a really quick and yummy summer berry smoothie and oooh.. it was delicious! 

What you will need:

• 350 g of frozen summer berries (strawberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, raspberries, blueberries)
• 350 ml of light soy milk
• 1 tablespoon of crunchy peanut butter
• 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
• 1 tablespoon of raw, organic 100% cacao nibs

What you will do:

• take your blender, put in all of the ingredients and start blending
• it will turn out pretty thick, so it is best to eat it with a spoon

Dinner In 5 Min: Healthy Spinach

One big 'Hi' to all the health-nuggets out there!

Yesterday I was working late and once I got home I was completely starving (+ my belly was making strange, roaring sounds). Desperate times like these call for an immediate dinner quick-fix that would ideally take under 5 minutes. This is what I made last night - it was yummy, filling and, most importantly, very easy to prepare.

Keep these staple items in your fridge at all times and you will have a healthy (<500 kcal) dinner option every time!

What you will need:

• a (~400g) pack of frozen (pureed) spinach
• 1 or 2 eggs
• low-fat mozzarella
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt & pepper
• cherry tomatoes (optional)

What you will do:

(1) spray some olive oil on your pan and warm it up

(2) add the frozen spinach and cook on low heat until all ice is gone

(3) add 1 or 2 eggs and keep stirring for a few minutes until the eggs are cooked

(4) in the end add some halved cherry tomatoes and a pack of light mozzarella cheese and cook it for a minute or two

(5) sprinkle with some sea salt, pepper and herbs of your choice and your dinner is ready!

P.S. You can mix & match the ingredients however you like - add mushrooms, paprika, courgette, feta, shrimps, tofu, chicken breasts... the options are endless! Also, try baking it!

Sweet Protein-Avocado Recipe

Hey there health-nuggets!

I have always been fascinated by avocado. It has such a creamy and rich taste... but is it a fruit or vegetable? The answer is both because it is so versatile and can be used in both savory and sweet dishes. I love to make some fresh, lemony guacamole or just eat it with bread. 

Finally I decided to try it sweet and oh.. my.. it turned out SO good! It is very simple and anyone can make this at home in less that 5 minutes. All you need is a good blender and you're good to go!

What you will need:

• a blender
• 1 ripe avocado
• 200g of low-fat, smooth cottage cheese or greek yogurt
• 1 lime
• 1 tbsp honey
• unsalted pistachios (optional)

What you will do:

(1) peel the avocado and put it in the blender together with cottage cheese, blend until it all gets smooth and green

(2) squeeze the lime and add the juice

(3) add 1 tablespoon of honey to sweeten it up (for a low-kcal option you can use stevia or a drop of organic vanilla extract)

(4) to garnish add some thinly chopped pistachios (or other nuts) on top

(5) ENJOY this green goodness that has a ton of antioxidants, healthy fats and protein!

How To: The Perfect Smoothie

Hey there health-nuggets! 

I came across this amazing picture yesterday which pretty much sums up everything you need to know about creating THE perfect green smoothie and wanted to share it with you!

Step 1: Choose your base (250ml)
- coconut water for athletic performance
- green tea for energy
- purified water for weight loss

Step 2: Add your greens (2 cups fresh or 2 tbs powder)
- spirulina (can also use chlorella or wheat-grass)
- spinach
- kale

Step 3: Add healthy fats + fiber + fruit 
- 1 tbs coconut oil (can also use any oil or 1 tbs organic peanut butter)
- 1 tbs chia seeds (can also use flax seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds or wheat germ)
- 1 cup organic antioxidant-rich fruit (any berries, bananas, grapes or kiwi)

Step 4: Add superfoods for extra boost
- 1 tbs bee pollen
- 1 tbs raw cacao

- 1 tbs acai protein powder (I substituted acai with maca powder because it is well... just disgusting :) )

Step 5: Sweeten it up (1 tbs)
- raw agave syrup
- pure stevia
- raw honey

Super Booster Green Smoothie Recipe

Hello health-nuggets! 

How about we put some GREEN in 2013? I happen to know the most yummy, super-healthy green smoothie recipe that I wanted to share with you. I try to drink a huge glass of it at least 3x/week for lunch. It is amazing how some of my colleagues will drink coffee and complain 2 hours later how sleepy and tired they are, while I will sip on my green goodness and feel full of energy hours later! 

What you will need:

• a blender (and a juicer, if you have one)
• handful of frozen broccoli
• handful of fresh or frozen spinach
• a bunch of fresh mint
• 1 ripe banana
• handful of frozen strawberries (any other berries will do the job too)
• juice of 3 big apples (if you do not have a juicer then just use some 200ml of store-bought freshly-squeezed apple juice

What you will do:

- juice the apples

- in a blender mix the apple juice together with the rest of the ingredients, and voila - the most delicious green smoothie is ready!

- serve it with some fresh berries, if desire :)

Yummy & Healthy Banana Bread Recipe

Hi everybody! 

Valentine's day is over, and I imagine most of us enjoyed it with some quality chocolates and extra wine last night. Tick tock - it is time to jump right back to healthy eating again! One of the best ways to do that is to cut out all dairy, wheat and sugar from your diet for a couple of days. But that does not necessarily mean that you have to be boring and eat only bunny food.

I have come up with a sugar-free, dairy-free AND gluten-free banana bread recipe that is super healthy, juicy and has a ton of vitamins and nutrients.

What you will need:

- rectangular loaf bread baking tray that you usually use for baking breads or making lazania
- baking paper


- 100 g chopped walnuts or pecans
- 100 g dried cranberries (you can also add other dried berries and fruits like dried blackcurrants, goji berries, dried plums etc.)


wet ingredients:
- a little bit of oil (olive, sunflower or any other nut/vegetable oil)
- 4 ripe bananas
- 1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
- 4 eggs

dry ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour (or quinoa flour)
- 1/2 cup coconut flour (or rice flour)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- a ton of cinnamon (I used like 1/2 a pack)
- 1 teaspoon freshly grinded muscat (and other spices of your preference)

Recipe:

1) pre-heat your oven to 175-180 degrees Celsius
2) in a bowl mix together all of the dry ingredients
3) in a separate bowl mix together all of the wet ingredients (mash the bananas with a fork, add the eggs, vanilla extract and 5-6 tablespoons of oil)
4) mix together the wet ingredients and dry ingredients; stir in the chopped walnuts and cranberries
5) place the baking paper inside of the loaf baking tray and grease it with a tiny bit of olive oil; with a big spoon carefully put in the dough
6) bake it for 50-55 minutes or until nice and golden brown7) eat it with fresh berries or soy pudding. You can eat it for 3-4 days and toast it little bit to make it nice, warm and crispy later on :)