Hi everyone! I am sharing with you today this quick three minute video where I demonstrate how to make a Good Morning Gorgeous Smoothie Bowl. You can find the full recipe here.
Good Morning Gorgeous Smoothie Bowl!
Enjoy your day!
Sandra
Nutrition Stripped T-Shirt worn by Sandra Shields, HealthCoach sameatshernurients.com
Green Smoothies are nutrition powerhouses and a great way to ensure you are getting lots of very important nutrients, fiber, phytonutrients, calcium, and cancer preventative greens, vegetables and fruit in large varieties. They help your hair and nails grow faster….this is due to the nutrient absorption. Blending a smoothie is like predigesting your food, so your digestive system doesn’t have to work as hard to access the benefits. The energy they give you (which isn’t a sugar boost energy you get from too many carbohydrates) is sustainable for hours. They are a great addition to your diet, and you can reap many benefits from them. Drinking green smoothies makes it easy to get in your daily servings of vegetables. I know a lot of people do not eat enough vegetables, and this is an easy way to ensure you do!
If you have never had a green smoothie, you may have to start out a little sweeter when you begin. After your taste buds adjust, and you start feeling like you can conquer anything because you feel so fantastic, you will learn to love the green taste along with the fruit flavor and know you are feeding your body something oh so good for it! I actually love the taste of green smoothies without a lot of fruit now. When this happens, you get to join the seasoned green smoothie club. 🙂
I like to rotate the greens I use in my smoothies to get as much variety as possible. Different greens taste better with certain fruit and vegetables. Experiment and see what works well for you.
Kale Kiwi Green Smoothie
There are a few things to consider before you start drinking green smoothies regularly. If you are susceptible to kidney stones, you will want to avoid too many high oxalate foods if your doctor has put you on a low-oxalate diet. These would be foods such as spinach, kale, nuts and kiwi. Here is a list of low oxalate choices for your smoothies.
Choose lower sugar fruit, such as berries if you are monitoring your blood sugar levels, and consult with your doctor if you are on any medication like blood thinners or thyroid medication before drinking daily green smoothies to rule out any food you should avoid adding. Food is medicine.
The smoothie recipe I am sharing with you today uses kale. It is on the sweeter side of a green smoothie due to the addition of kiwi (Excellent source of Vitamin C), Watermelon (lycopene which has sun protective properties and is hydrating) and banana. The raw cocao contains antioxidants and is a source of energy, and chamomile is a mild diuretic (helps reduce water retention).
Kale has a stronger flavor than colorful lettuces and spinach which are mild and good starter choices. Kale is an excellent source of calcium, iron, beta-carotene and vitamin K.
Try a green smoothie challenge…….30 days, one a day, preferably in the morning to start your day, but anytime is okay.
Then let me know how it has made a difference in your life! If you already are drinking green smoothies, I would love to hear your story!
Kale Kiwi Smoothie
Kale Kiwi Green Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 Kiwi, peeled
1 Cup Cubed Watermelon
2 Cups Kale Leaves, Stems Stripped
½ Ripe Banana
1 Teaspoon Raw Cacao Powder
1 ½ Cups Chamomile Tea Chilled
1 Cup Ice Cubes
1 Tablespoon Tahini or Sunbutter
Blend in a high speed blender until smooth. Drink slowly making chewing motions to help the digestion begin in your mouth.
Enjoy how good it feels to know you have just given your body a loving dose of nutrition!
Have a beautiful day!
Eat Your Nutrients!
Good Morning Gorgeous!!! Yes, you are a gorgeous person! Today I have a fantastic new Smoothie Bowl Recipe to share with you that will help make your insides gorgeous too, and when we are gorgeous on the inside, it naturally makes us glow outward! Wouldn’t you agree? This smoothie is a nourishing breakfast bowl full of only real food, fiber, protein, and you are getting in a serving of greens all in an easily assimilated, highly digestible way! I am a big fan of smoothies in the morning, because our digestive system has been resting as we sleep. It is an optimal time to put a blended meal in our bodies to quickly absorb the nutrients and keep us energized throughout the morning, with just the right amount of calories. This smoothie has low sugar berries, banana and a few slices of mango. The flax helps keep you regular, the seed butter adds healthy fat and protein, and the sliced almonds add crunch!
Here is the recipe. I highly recommend you give this a try! It is such a beautiful way to start your day. The colors nourish your soul (we eat with our eyes too!) and the food nourishes your body. Make a commitment today to do this for yourself!
Have a nourishing week!
Good Morning Gorgeous Smoothie Bowl!
Good Morning Gorgeous Smoothie Bowl
Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Fresh Raspberries
1/2 Cup Fresh Strawberries
1/2 Cup Fresh Blueberries
1 Ripe Banana
1 Cup Packed Baby Spinach
1 Tablespoon Sunflower Seed Butter or Tahini
2 Teaspoons Ground Flax Seed
1/2 Cup Crushed Ice
1/4 Cup Cold Water
2 Teaspoons of Sliced Almonds
Sliced Mango for the top
Directions: Place all the ingredients into a blender except the Sliced Almonds and Mango and reserving some each of the Raspberries, Strawberries and Blueberries to scatter on the top. Blend on high until smooth. Pour into a bowl (or bowl mug). I am a fan of Affirmation Bowl Mugs like this one. Scatter with reserved berries, a few slices of mango, and sliced almonds.
Sit down and savor this highly nourishing breakfast. It is a wonderful way to care for your body that will be your home while on this planet!
You can find out more about my Health Coaching on my Website: sandrashieldshealthcoach.com and sign up for my free monthly Health Coaching newsletter (different from my blog newsletter) for tips on creating healthy habits that will last a lifetime!
Have a Gorgeous Week!
Eat Your Nutrients!
Granola Bars have been a long time favorite around our house, and today I have a grain free version for you! My girls have given me the thumbs up on them.
There is so much to love about granola bars. They stay fresh for several days, so you can make a big batch and wrap them individually for a quick snack, breakfast or a grab and go when you are heading out! Because, hey, the weather is getting so nice, who wants to spend a lot of time in the kitchen on a bright sunny day, or you have ball practice, a yoga class or workout to get to at the gym, or it is your day to……?
I really like the tahini in the recipe. I have noticed since consuming more nut and seed butters in the last six months, my hair is growing thicker and faster, and who doesn’t want that? Read this for information on 10 Superfoods to Prevent Hair Loss.
I added optional chocolate chips in the recipe. Note: If you use chocolate, they are not SCD approved. I have recently tried a mini dark chocolate chip that is sweetened with Stevia by Lily’s or use your favorite dark chocolate.
Grain Free Cherry Berry Granola Bars
Ingredients:
1 Cup Raw Pecans
1 Cup Raw Walnuts
1/2 Cup Dried Dates, pitted & coarsely chopped
1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
1/2 Cup Superfine Almond Flour
2/3 Cup Honey
1/2 Cup Tahini
3 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries (no sugar added)
1/2 Cup Dried Blueberries (no sugar added)
1/2 Cup Mini Dark Chocolate Chips (optional, omit for SCD)
2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
1/4 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt
(see In My Pantry here for product brands I use)
Directions: Preheat your oven 350º degrees. Line a square 8″ x 8″ baking pan with a sheet of parchment paper.
Using a Food Processor with a blade attachment, add the pecans, walnuts, coconut flour, almond flour, chopped dates and salt. Pulse in the processor until you have coarse pieces of nuts. Melt the coconut oil in the microwave (takes about 20 seconds), and add the melted coconut oil, honey, vanilla and tahini to the food processor and pulse until evenly combined but the mixture still contains chunks. Add the dried berries and chocolate chips if using.
Granola Bar Mix
Pulse until evenly distributed. Transfer the dough to your parchment lined pan, and using a piece of plastic wrap to prevent it sticking to your hands, press the dough evenly into the pan.
Bake for 30 minutes in your preheated oven.
Remove from the oven and cool completely. After the bars have cooled, lift them easily from the pan using the edges of the parchment.
With a sharp knife on a cutting board. Cut the bars into 15 rectangles.
Enjoy!
Eat Your Nutrients!
Orange Boost Smoothie is a creamy addition to a smoothie rotation! It provides Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Potassium, Protein from gut healing grass fed gelatin which also will help joints, skin and connective tissues regenerate, antioxidant rich Matcha Green Tea, Cinnamon (antioxidant, fights inflammation), and is easily digestible..
I like to have this smoothie in the mornings on my tough workout days when I have depleted glycogen.
Orange Boost Smoothie
1 Ripe Banana
1 Organic Medium Orange
1/4 Cup Sliced or Baby Organic Carrots
2 Tablespoons of Grass Fed Gelatin
1 Tablespoon Matcha Green Tea Powder
1 Tablespoon Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Cup Crushed Ice
Directions: Blend together the Orange, Carrots and Banana. Add in the gelatin, Matcha Green Tea Powder, lemon juice, cinnamon and crushed ice. Blend on high until smooth.
Try this smoothie on the days you need an extra boost! Enjoy!
serves 1-2
Eat Your Nutrients!
It’s a great day to make a blueberry crumb loaf! The birds are screaming here this morning. They are so happy about the Spring weather! Everything is so green, and the buds on my Thundercloud Plum trees are swelling and turning pink. We have several of the trees lining the driveway. The smell of the blooms is heavenly! It reminds me of sweet tarts.
Thundercloud Plum Tree Blossoms
Thundercloud Plum Tree Close to Blooming
I planted blueberry bushes three years ago, and this year I think I will get a good crop of them. Blueberry bushes are ornamental also, so I incorporated them in my front garden.
I grew up with my father always having a large garden, and my mother would can and preserve the summer’s bounty, which we would enjoy year round. So, this year I have decided to get back to my roots and grow more of my own food. I started a raised bed garden and so far have planted baby lettuces, which are sprouting already.
Hopefully by summer, I will be making this loaf using my own organic blueberries. But today after being outdoors working in the garden, I can’t think of a better afternoon snack than a cup of tea and a slice of warm blueberry crumb loaf!
Here is the recipe!
Blueberry Crumb Loaf
Preheat your oven to 350º degrees and grease an 8″ inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
Ingredients for Streusel Topping:
1/4 Cup Toasted Walnuts (Toast them for five minutes in your 350º degree preheated oven)
2 Tablespoons Pecans
2 Tablespoons Finely Shredded Unsweetened Coconut
1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
2 Tablespoons Honey
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt
Ingredients For Bread Batter:
2 Cups of Superfine Almond Flour
2 Tablespoons of Coconut Flour
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup Coconut Oil
2 Tablespoons of Dried Currants
3/4 Cup Organic or Wild Blueberries
2 Tablespoons Honey
2 Teaspoons of Pure Vanilla Extract (like this)
1 Teaspoon Gluten Free Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cardamom
1/4 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt
Directions:
For the Streusel Topping:
Pulse all the streusel ingredients in a food processor until it forms medium crumbs and is even in texture. I use my mini processor for this, but you can use whatever one you choose.
Set aside while you make your bread batter.
To make the bread batter:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, melted coconut oil, honey and vanilla extract. Set aside. In a large bowl whisk together the remaining dry ingredients except the currants and blueberries.
Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and thoroughly incorporate. With a rubber spatula, fold in the currants and blueberries. Spoon the batter into your prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly. It is thick. Then, sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the loaf.
Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. You can tent the loaf with foil the last 15 minutes if you notice the crumb is getting too dark.
Remove from the oven, and cool in the pan for five minutes. Then using the parchment to help you, remove the loaf from the pan and cool on a wire rack.
Serve warm or cooled. Store any leftover bread after the first day in the refrigerator.
Eat Your Nutrients!
I recently saw the cutest pancakes made into a bunny shape showing the back of a bunny in Good Housekeeping Magazine. They were made with wheat flour, and since my family is gluten free, I really wanted to replicate these for my kids, but with my own spin on it and grain free. We had so much fun making these, and they are easy peasy and delicious! It is a fun kitchen recipe for children to participate in. Mine had a ball creating their bunnies on the griddle, naming their bunnies (Bubba and Fluffy), deciding if they were a boy or girl, etc. For the younger kids, they will enjoy watching you make their bunny, and I sure hope the kid in all of us enjoys a bunny too!
Here’s Zackary getting ready to eat his bunny pancake.
They are made with nutritious ingredients, and are perfect any time of year, but especially on Easter. These pancakes are made with bananas, eggs, almond flour and honey, and I used blueberries for the eyes and dried, unsweetened banana chips for the tail and feet embellishment.
Grain Free Bunny Pancakes
Ingredients:
2 Ripe Bananas
4 Pastured Eggs
3/4 Cup Superfine Almond Flour
2 Tablespoons of Clear Honey
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
Banana Chips
Blueberries
Coconut Oil for greasing the griddle.
Directions: Heat a non-stick griddle to 325º degrees. Puree the bananas in a small blender. In a medium bowl, whisk together all the ingredients except the blueberries and dried banana chips.
Brush a little melted coconut oil onto a preheated griddle. Drop 1/4 cup of batter in a circle shape for the body, 2 Tablespoons of batter in a circle shape for the head, 1 Tablespoon of batter in an oval shape for each foot, and 1 Tablespoon of batter in a long ear shape for each ear. Put three blueberries on the bottom of each foot for toes and two blueberries on the head for eyes. When set and the edges are looking dry carefully flip the pancakes and cook a minute or two longer. Assemble the bunny with the blueberry eyes and toes facing up. Add a dried banana chip for the tail and one for each foot decoration and serve.
Makes 4 Bunnies.
Note: 1 Bunny is Moderate FodMap containing 3 Tablespoons of Almond Flour.
Eat Your Nutrients!
Are you a fan of healthy smoothies like me? I love all the blended nutrition you can get in a smoothie, and how they are so easy to digest. I am especially a fan of really cold ones. The coolness of the smoothie gives me a sense of well being. A warm beverage can do the same thing depending on the season, time of day, if I just worked out or was romping around the yard with Ming and the girls. My favorite smoothies are ones that get their sweetness from whole fruit and no added sugar like this Blueberry Blast Nut Smoothie. It is simple to make and can be enjoyed any time you get a craving. This delicious smoothie takes only minutes to whip together, and contains good fat from Coconut Milk and a Nut Butter of your choice, as well as Blueberries and Melon for Vitamin C, Antioxidants and Phytonutrients. There is the option for add ins for more health benefits!
For more health and wellness tips, you can go to my new Sandra Shields, Certified Health Coach Facebook page here and like it to follow me. I post new content there throughout the week! Thank you to all my followers for your support! I love you guys!
Blueberry Blast Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 Banana
1 Cup Wild Blueberries
1 Cup Honeydew Melon, Chopped
1/2 Cup Coconut or Almond Milk
1 Tablespoon of Nut Butter (Almond, Walnut, Cashew)
1 Cup Crushed Ice
Blend in a blender on high until smooth.
Serves 1 – 2
Optional add ins: Bee Pollen, 2 Tablespoons of Grass Fed Gelatin, 1 Tablespoon Ground Flax
Eat Your Nutrients!
This new muffin recipe uses whole peeled oranges in it, which adds a lot of flavor! There are many benefits in eating food in it’s whole form the way nature made it, so I was very excited to come up with this recipe! There is no added sugar. They are sweet and flavorful from the banana, and oranges with an added benefit of carrots in the recipe. This is an ultra moist muffin and is egg free.
Orange Currant Muffins
Directions:
Preheat your oven 350º degrees and line muffin pans with 16 natural liners.
Ingredients:
2 Flax Eggs (combine 2 Tablespoons of Ground Flax Seed and 6 tablespoons water, whisk and refrigerate 15 minutes)
1 Cup Very Ripe Banana (sliced and packed) this took 3 medium bananas, but measure
1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
1/2 Cup Superfine Almond Flour
2 Cups Orange Segments (no seeds, peeled)
2 Cups Peeled and Sliced Raw Carrots
1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 1/2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt
1/4 Cup Dried Currants for the Tops
Orange Currant Muffins Ready to Go Into the Oven
To Make the Muffins: Place all the ingredients except the dried currants in a food processor with a blade attachment. Pulse to start incorporating and chopping larger ingredients, then turn on and process for two minutes until completely blended. Fill each muffin cup almost to the top with a muffin scoop, refer to photo, (you should have 16 muffins) and sprinkle with dried currants, dividing evenly.
The muffins are sweet and moist! It is hard to believe they have no added sugars and are made completely with whole nutritious fruit!
Bake in the oven for 35 minutes. Enjoy!
Eat Your Nutrients!
It is pretty easy to make your own granola, and it is worth the extra effort. This week I have a really delicious granola recipe for you that is grain free! If you like variety in your granola, this Strawberry Apricot Granola recipe is a delicious way to add it. It may become your new favorite! It is definitely my springtime favorite this year! With nuts, seeds, fruit and healthy fat, what’s not to love? I like to grab a handful for a snack, and for breakfast it is good with dairy free milk and fresh fruit. It is also fantastic with yogurt.
Strawberry Apricot Grain Free Granola
Ingredients:
1 Cup Raw Pecans
1/2 Cup Raw Pistachios
1/2 Cup Raw Sunflower Seeds
1/2 Cup Raw Brazil Nuts
3/4 Cup Dried Strawberries (like these) not freeze dried
6 Medjool Dates
1/2 Cup Dried Apricots
1/2 Cup Very Hot Water
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon Ground Flax
1 Tablespoon of Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt
1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil, Melted
Directions:
Preheat oven 325º degrees.
In a food processor with a blade attachment, puree dates, apricots, vanilla, coconut oil and hot water until it is smooth. Add the nuts, sunflower seeds, flax and coconut flakes and pulse until you have a medium grind and everything is sticking together nicely. Add in the cinnamon and salt and pulse to combine. Dice your dried strawberries into 1/2 inch pieces then add them to the food processor and pulse a few extra times to incorporate them.
Turn the granola out onto a parchment lined, rimmed baking sheet and bake in a 325º degree oven for 35 minutes, stirring every ten minutes, or until golden brown. Cool and store in an airtight container. Enjoy this delicious granola for breakfast or as a snack! It travels very well also!
Eat Your Nutrients!
Sam Eats Her Nutrients 
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