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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

Friday Fare

Chickpea Veggie Burgers

June 20, 2014

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you all had a lovely week and have some fun plans for the weekend. I will be venturing up North to visit my boyfriend’s grandparents and aunt. But before I do, I wanted to share my new chickpea veggie burgers with you all.

Chickpea Veggie Burgers

Chickpea Veggie Burgers

Today I have some lovely vegetarian Chickpea Veggie Burgers (garbanzo beans for my American’s) for you all! I had a craving for something cheesy and filling a few nights ago and thought it would be fun to experiment .. ultimately resulting in this delish recipe. Chickpeas are a wonderful source of low G.I. carbohydrates, protein, fiber and a range of vitamins and minerals. A 1 cup serving of chickpeas contain 40g of carbohydrates, 2g of fat, 14g of fiber (wow!! almost half of your daily requirement), and 14g of protein. They also contain a fair amount of iron, which is great for the ladies, especially ladies who choose not to eat red meat. These chickpea burgers are not vegan because they contain asiago cheese. However, they can be made vegan if you omit the cheese that is in them, or replace it with vegan cheese, but I cannot guarantee the same texture and taste if you do this.

Chickpea Veggie Burgers

Chickpea Veggie Burgers

Excited? Hungry? Hopefully both, so let’s get cooking!

Chickpea Veggie Burgers

Alice Williams
Enjoy a healthy burger without the guilt!
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Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup chickpeas
  • 4 tbsp shredded asiago cheese
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp tahini
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp himalayan pink salt or any high quality salt

Instructions
 

  • 1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees farenheit
  • 2. Put all of the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until smooth. You can make it as smooth or as chunky as you please.
  • 3. Form the mixture into two burger patties, and then place in the oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, BROIL the burger patties on high for 2 minutes.
  • 4. Serve naked, on some sourdough bread, on a tortilla like I did, or whatever your heart desires. And don't forget to add your veggies too!

Notes

Makes 2 large patties or 4 small ones.
Chickpea Veggie Burgers

Yummmm. They are so filling and delicious, in love! I hope you all enjoyed them as much as I did. I love having mine with plenty of spinach (my go to leafy green) and tzatziki. What do you have yours with?

Honestly yours,
Alice

Friday Fare

Healthy Blueberry Coconut Muffins

June 13, 2014

Ah muffins, how I adore thee, and especially these healthy blueberry coconut muffins. But certainly not the kind you buy from the supermarket or from most commercial stores.

healthy blueberry coconut muffins

Healthy Blueberry Coconut Muffins

Most commercial muffins are made with many unnecessary ingredients and tend to be packed full of sugar and starchy carbohydrates. My delightful muffins are not only filled with ingredients that will actually do your body good, but they are also low in added sugar and have a good amount of protein and fiber in them. Of course they are a treat, but when choosing a sweet treat it is always better to make your own sweet treat using ingredients that provide your body with energy and nutrients. Plus, not all places provide the nutritional information and ingredients used to make their muffins .. so who knows what you may be eating and how many calories and added sugar you may be having! I like knowing exactly what is in my food, thanks very much.

Healthy Blueberry Coconut Muffins

These muffins are a sweet combination of complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, protein and fiber. All of your daily macronutrients in one little muffin! In place of white or brown sugar, the sugar in these muffins come from bananas, blueberries, and honey. Of course these ingredients still have sugar in them, but they also provide you with a lot of other things such as vitamins, minerals and fiber. I replaced white flour with coconut flour because it is packed with fiber, protein and iron and gives the muffins a lovely and moist texture. The majority of the protein of course come from the eggs and the vanilla protein powder to help us with our weight loss and strength training goals. Oh, and for those with nut allergies or gluten sensitivities, these muffins are gluten free and are nut free 🙂

Healthy Blueberry Coconut Muffins

I am pretty sure that by now you are convinced that you must try them!

Healthy Blueberry Coconut Muffins

Alice Williams
A succulent blend of sweet blueberry and coconut wrapped in a warm muffin!
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Ingredients
  

  • Dry Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder
  • 2 tbsp chia seeds
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • Wet Ingredients
  • 1 banana
  • 3 eggs or 1 cup egg whites
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 cup blueberries

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees farenheit
  • You can use either a food processor or a whisk to mix the ingredients together. First, combine your wet ingredients in a bowl (EXCEPT for the blueberries) and then mix in the dry ingredients. If using a food processor, put the wet ingredients in first and then pulse until smooth (minus the blueberries). Then add the dry ingredients and whizz some more until you get a smooth and thick consistency.
  • Now you may add in the blueberries. Do not blend or mash them in! Simply fold them into the muffin mixture.
  • Evenly divide the muffin mixture into 10 muffin holders and bake for 18-20 minutes. Let them cool for 5 minutes.
  • Eat and enjoy - try and put some in the fridge for the coming week (if you can resist)!
Healthy Blueberry Coconut Muffins

I hope this week’s edition of Friday Fare inspires you to try this healthier version of a muffin instead of reaching for something easy and convenient when you are next out shopping. There are so many ways that you can enjoy the foods you live whilst living a healthy lifestyle. And half of the time, the healthier versions taste better than the unhealthy versions! I have certainly noticed this and most ‘normal’ desserts I have are just far too sweet for me now. What is your fave healthy sweet treat?

Honestly yours,
Alice