Category: Free Inquiry

If you are like me this long weekend, I would love some tasty treats but I am so tired of all the sugar and fat I have been eating over quarantine! Well I got some great news for you. Why not make some healthier treats that still satisfy your sugary needs for Easter? Some of there are even great to share with your bubble (if there’s any left!)

Ok first and foremost, I absolutely love Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. They are my absolute favourite chocolate all year round! These chocolates are great every once in a while but they definitely are not the greatest for you to have a bunch of. Here I found a recipe for Reese Peanut Butter Egg dupes!

https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/copycat-recipe-reeses-peanut-butter-eggs/

Next up we have one of the only cakes I really like (and an Easter staple) carrot cake! Now I think some of us choose carrot cake because it has carrots in it, so it must be healthier right? Well… I will not ruin it for you all. Although, here is a great healthier carrot cake recipe with greek yogurt icing instead of cream cheese icing!

Healthy Carrot Cake

Lastly we have a great, super fast and easy recipe for those who may not have the pleasure of settling down this weekend (aka those of us university students finishing up the semester)! I present to you a 3 ingredient no bake healthy brownie! Yes, three ingredients. Yes, healthy! I was amazed when I came across this recipe to say the least. All you need for this one is cocoa powder, dates, and walnuts. There is also a recipe for a chocolate frosting in there if you are feeling a little wild.

https://kirbiecravings.com/no-bake-healthy-brownies/

In this informative Tedx Talk, Gillian Riley talks about the mindset for healthy eating. She opens up talking about how when people want to eat healthier, they are often denying their freedom of choice. An example of this is restrictive diets, although it is not limited to this. People give themselves rules with food all the time.

Gillian talks about “The Minnesota Starvation Experiment” which put men on low calorie diets. These men became obsessed with food among other psychological issues. After this experiment, the men ate a lot more food and ended up gaining more weight. Gillian compares this to modern diets by stating this is due to the lack of freedom to choose. Prohibiting food makes it more attractive.

Gillian suggests instead of prohibiting food, give yourself permission without necessarily eating the things you give yourself permission to eat. Instead of thinking of restrictions, is to choose to eat less. Gillian talks about studies that show brain activities reflecting the habitual mindset, and this can be changed. The way to get around this is to embrace freedom completely. We are all free to eat whatever we want, however, we can make choices to consider our options.

“The more freedom you include, the more self-control you can develop” is a quote stated by Gillian that I really love. What I love about this statement is that it sets eating into a more positive light rather than a negative one. This is because when we decide what to eat without feeling guilty, we are allowing ourselves to be in more control of our choices. For example, I can tell myself that I can eat a tub of ice cream if I want to. That is giving me freedom. Now, say instead of eating the full tub of ice cream I decide to eat a small bowl. I do not feel as guilty about eating the ice cream because I realize that I have freedom to eat what I want, and my choice is to make a healthier decision.

If you are Tik Tok, you might know that baked oats are all the rave this week (and rightfully so). I eat oatmeal every single morning but if you want to treat yourself a little bit, baked oats are PHENOMENAL. What is the appeal? It is super easy to make. You just throw everything together and then bake it, boom you have an easy breakfast!

Now there are many variations of baked oats. Blueberry, chocolate chip cookie, raspberry coconut, the possibilities are endless. Today we will look at a protein-packed baked oatmeal recipe as a great way to start the day. This recipe is by Alyssa Rimmer is gluten-free and vegan, and overall just a great source of plant-based protein.

For this recipe you will need the following ingredients:

• 2 cups oats
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 large bananas
• 1 flax egg
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
• 1/4 cup protein powder
• 1/4 cup hemp seeds
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups plant-based milk (I love oat milk)

1. The first step is to add oats and boiling water together and let it sit for 10-15 minutes
2. Mash bananas in a bowl and then stir in the flax egg, syrup or honey, and protein powder. Then pour this mixture into the oats and stir until combined.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl
4. Pour the whole mixture into a 9×13 baking pan and top with bananas and blueberries
5. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes
6. Allow the oatmeal to rest until it has cooled a bit and then enjoy!

Now some of you may have read this recipe and thought to yourself… what the heck is a flax egg?! Well, I have pleasant news for you, it is quite easy to make. All you need to do it ground flax seeds and then add water to them letting it rest for 5 minutes. This recipe calls for 1 flax egg so you will need 1 Tbsp of ground flaxseed as well as 2 1/2 Tbsp of water.

Let me know what you guys think, and enjoy!

Baked oatmeal recipe: https://www.simplyquinoa.com/protein-baked-oatmeal/?jwsource=cl

Flax egg recipe: https://minimalistbaker.com/how-to-make-a-flax-egg/

I am a big believer in eating whatever you want. Candy? Yum. Carbs? I love eating carbs. Gluten? Pasta and bread are my two true loves. Part of having a healthy diet is enjoying the food you are eating and having a good relationship with food. The important thing to note about food that may not be necessarily good for you is that moderation is key. If you love pasta you should eat pasta! Well unless you are allergic to gluten of course. Although, even if you are allergic to gluten, there are tons of gluten free options. Pasta can be made into many yummy and healthy recipes.

I personally love the new Canada’s Food Guide and I think it is a great way to think about the different types of food you should be eating in a day. Protein, fruits and vegetables, and grains. My rule of thumb is to have each of these food types in all of my meals throughout the day so that I can ensure I am getting enough vitamins and minerals that my body needs.

I have really been obsessed with nutritional yeast on popcorn lately. If you are not concerned about the amount of fat you have been eating, treat yourself to some garlic butter on your popcorn as well to help the nutritional yeast stick. If you want a healthier option, I absolutely love coconut oil on my popcorn.

Healthy eating needs to be appreciated more and not just a boring iceberg lettuce salad with carrot and cabbage. There are so many better options! I am looking forward to diving into recipes, tips, and research on what healthy eating really means.