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Friday Fare

Friday Fare, Health

Pumpkin Spiced Smoothie Bowl

November 14, 2014

Fall his on the horizon and I am ready for some pumpkin treats (not the cold weather though)! As a new American, I look fondly to fall because it also ushers in holidays such as Thanksgiving. I celebrated Thanksgiving for the first time 9 years ago (remember, I am originally British not American) and it has fast become one of my favorite holidays. I love the focus on being thankful, being with family and friends, and of course … the incredible food! I absolutely love pumpkin pie and I cannot wait to enjoy a slice (or two) soon, during Thanksgiving. But until then, I’ll indulge in my delicious, healthy pumpkin spiced smoothie bowl. Continue Reading…

Friday Fare, Health

Blueberry Honey Chia Jam

September 6, 2014

Sounds cool right? I have been eating this blueberry honey chia jam for a few weeks now and I absolutely love it! I adapted My Whole Food Life’s recipe and used honey instead of maple syrup, although at first I did test it out with sugar-free maple syrup (from Nature’s Hollow). I personally did not find it as sweet as I would like it to be so I used honey the next time round and it came out perfectly to my taste 🙂

Blueberry Honey chia jam

So what makes this blueberry honey chia jam special? Most commercial varieties, such as Smuckers, tend to use sugar sources such as high fructose corn syrup or just plain old white sugar. I love using honey as a sweetener because not only does it have a fantastic and thick texture, it also contains a variety of minerals and chemicals.

This jam also contains chia seeds (my loves) which are a rich source of fiber, protein, healthy fats (omega-3s), vitamins and minerals. Because of their high fiber and protein content, I have found that chia seeds help keep me fuller for longer. Another bonus (like we need more) is that they are low in calories; 1 tablespoon is roughly around 60 calories!

Blueberry Honey Chia Jam

Anyway, point being is that I loooove this jam! It is yummy, filling and super healthy. Plus, it is a fantastic way to use up any fruit which you think may go off soon. I had a BUNCH of blueberries and was panicking about how I was going to finish them, and so the discovery of chia jam was a blessing.

Blueberry Honey Chia Jam Recipe

Blueberry Honey Chia Jam

Alice Williams
A delicious and healthy way to make jam that is full of fiber!
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Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups bluberries
  • 2-3 tbsp honey
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds

Instructions
 

  • Blend all of the ingredients together in a food processor
  • Transfer to a jam jar or equivalent container and then leave in the fridge overnight to thicken and set

Notes

Adapted from My Whole Food Life

Feel free to substitute in different fruits, and if you do let me know how they turn out!

 Hope you enjoyed this week’s edition of Friday Fare! Please remember to subscribe to Honestly Fitness if you enjoy my blog posts and please share the posts and recipes with your friends and families. This chia jam is sure to be a winner with everyone!

Honestly yours,
Alice

Friday Fare

Super Blue Smoothie

July 25, 2014

A few weeks ago, I bought a juice from Vive Juicery (based in Salt Lake City) that had spirulina in it, and a little bit after that Nutrition Stripped (my favorite nutrition blogger) did a post on spirulina milk. I was so intrigued that I quickly went out and bought some spirulina and decided to experiment with it. For anyone who knows what spirulina is, they will know that it is not inexpensive. Luckily one of the Whole Foods at Salt Lake City had it in their bulk food section so that helped me save quite a lot of money as I didn’t need a whole tubful! And voila; this is how I came to create my super blue smoothie!

Super Blue Smoothie

For all of you that DON’T know what spirulina is, no doubt you are wondering what it is and why I am experimenting with it!. Spirulina is a blue-green algae that is grown and harvested from alkaline water . It has a slightly nutty taste and has been said to have a variety of health benefits. These include protecting the liver, anti-inflammatory properties, and has even been said to help increase fat burning during exercise. Spirulina also has a ton of protein (57g of protein per 100g!), contains chlorophyll, iron and a ton of vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids.

Super Blue Smoothie

Hopefully that has convinced you to at least give it a try! A lot of people call spirulina a ‘superfood’ but I am not particularly fond of that name because it suggests that it is an almost perfect food which will magically make you healthier .. which is of course not the case. There is no one perfect food, and we should try and include as many nutrient dense foods as possible in our diet to become healthier. 

Super Blue Smoothie

Which is why I wanted to throw spirulina into a smoothie! I really wanted to make a ‘blue’ smoothie that would of course include blueberries (high in nutrients and low in calories) and other tasty fruits. Although it turned out more blue-green than blue, it is tasty and filled with lots of fruit. It is very refreshing and a little milky so feel free to sweeten it up with honey, maple syrup, stevia or whatever other sweetener you desire.

Super Blue Smoothie

Alice Williams
A delicious and nutrient packed smoothie with spirulina, blueberries and banana!
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 and 1/2 cup of milk of your choice almond, coconut, cow's milk
  • 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
  • 1/2 cup frozen sliced bananas slice some bananas and pop in the freezer the night before
  • 1 tablespoon of spirulina

Instructions
 

  • Put all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Feel free to add any sweeteners such as honey or maple syrup if you wish.
If you make this super blue smoothie then please leave me a comment and let me know what you think about it! And please remember to subscribe to Honestly Fitness so that you are always kept up to date with healthy recipes, workouts and other health and wellness tips.

Honestly yours,
Alice xxx