Vegetarian Protein

Fudgy Black Bean Brownies!⁣⁣Who doesn't love something sweet from time to time? What if we told you that not only can you satisfy your sweet tooth with INSANELY moist chocolate brownies, you can do it guilt free!⁣⁣@sabrinavirdee dropped off this recipe that is FOR SURE going to have the family cleaning their dinner plates in anticipation. Don't take our word for it, but a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream pairs up pretty well with a warm Brownie! Let us know what you think below! It's Brownie Time! #livelifehealthy⁣⁣ Fudgy Black Bean Brownies⁣INGREDIENTS⁣1 15-oz can Black Beans rinsed and drained⁣3 large eggs (local if possible)⁣3 tbsp Coconut Oil ⁣1 tsp Vanilla Extract⁣
¼ cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder⁣
⅔ cup Coconut Sugar ⁣½ tsp Baking Powder⁣¼ tsp Salt⁣½ cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips ⁣ ⁣DIRECTIONS⁣1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees2. Puree black beans in a food processor, until a rough paste. ⁣3. In a large bowl, mix together the bean puree, eggs, oil, and vanilla. ⁣4. In a separate bowl, combine cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and salt⁣5. Add the dry ingredients to the black bean mixture then stir in chocolate chips.
⁣6. Grease an 8×8 or 9×9 inch pan and pour in batter and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the edges are visibly cooked and the center doesn’t jiggle much when you shake the pan (a toothpick may still come out a little gooey, that’s fine!)⁣7. Allow brownies to cool before cutting.⁣ Recipe created by: @sabrinavirdee

Healthy Planet is back with @sabrinavirdee and dropping yet another healthy recipe for the family. The ultimate side dish or a stand alone star, the Spring Chickpea Salad can be used in any setting! Lunch, dinner or a snack, you choose! #livelifehealthy⁣ Spring Chickpea Salad⁣Serves 4-6⁣INGREDIENTS⁣1 can of Kidney Beans drained and rinsed⁣1 can Black Beans drained and rinsed⁣1 can Corn drained (fresh corn if possible)⁣1 can of Chickpeas drained and rinsed ⁣½  Red Bell Pepper diced⁣½  Orange Bell Pepper diced⁣½ medium Red Onion finely diced⁣½ cup fresh Cilantro finely chopped ⁣2 Jalapenos seeded and finely chopped  (optional⁣)1/8 cup Apple Cider Vinegar ⁣¼ cup Olive Oil ⁣½ tsp Sea Salt⁣¼ tsp ground Black Pepper⁣   ⁣DIRECTIONS⁣1. In a large mixing bowl, add all of the ingredients and toss to combine. Taste and adjust as necessary until the flavors really pop—I usually add another teaspoon or two of vinegar.2. Cover and chill to marry the flavors—preferably overnight or at least 2 hours. Serve in individual bowls as is, or with a protein of choice!⁣⁣OTHER FUN WAYS TO ENJOY! ⁣1. Top with avocado’s for some healthy fats ⁣2. Pile it onto nachos or serve it as black bean salsa with tortilla chips.⁣3. Use it as a filling for burritos or quesadillas (leaving as much of the liquid behind as possible)⁣   Recipe created by: @sabrinavirdee

Mango & Coconut Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie!⁣⁣The change of season is here! Longer days, warmer temperatures and a sense that the world is slowly getting back on schedule. @sabrinavirdee is rolling out a delicious treat that can be enjoyed anytime of the day. By adding natural ingredients along with a bit of love, you will be cooling down in no time with a cold smoothie in hand! Add Kaizen Naturals Vanilla Protein Powder and help build muscle, repair tissue! Check out past recipes to put together a full day of eating, snacking and enjoying time with your loved ones and friends! #livelifehealthy⁣⁣Mango & Coconut Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie⁣Serves 1⁣INGREDIENTS ⁣1½ cups Frozen Mango ⁣½ cup Frozen Pineapple ⁣½ cup Coconut Milk ⁣1 tsp Turmeric Powder⁣1 cup of Cold Water⁣1 scoop of Vanilla Protein Powder *optional ⁣⁣DIRECTIONS1. Add all your ingredients into your blender and mix until you have a smooth and creamy consistency. Add more water for desired thickness! Enjoy!⁣ Recipe created by: @sabrinavirdee

Everybody’s favourite season has arrived! Why not FALL in love (pun intended of course – I’ll work on it) with health conscious seasonal recipes while we have the time!  For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Cass. I am a Holistic Nutritionist obsessed with creating healthier favourites for myself, friends and the Health and Wellness Community.  I am a sucker for all things baking, making, creating and of course photo styling my creations before I demolish whatever it is I have made. Join Healthy Planet and myself as we create some unforgettable recipes that will certainly keep you coming back for me. Enjoy! If you love pumpkin, cookie dough and a guilt-free way to eat the entire batch of something you have created, then you have come to the right place!  Even as a child I ALWAYS loved cookie dough, this lead to my love/hate relationship with cookie dough. My friends and I would always go to the store, grab a tube of cookie dough and sneak it into the basement to eat it, RAW! Yum…but, not very nutritious. Growing up there weren’t many “healthy alternatives” for treats like cookie dough in a tube. Not only are these filled with grams and grams of sugar, they also have absolutely zero nutritional value to them. So what if I were to tell you, you could revisit your childhood, sit on the couch and snack on RAW HOMEMADE COOKIE DOUGH that will satisfy your sweet tooth without all the sugar! I say heck yes! What about you? Check out my recipe below and enjoy the guiltless snacking! Ingredients 3 cups Bobs Red Mill GF Oat Flour 20 large pitted organic medjool dates (soaked 20 minutes before) 4 tbsp organic pumpkin puree – add 1 tbsp afterwards until well mixed like sticky dough 3 tbsp Nuts to You Cashew Butter 3 tbsp organic raw honey 1.5 tbsp Simply Organic Pure Vanilla Extract 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice  ¼ cup Lily’s Sweets Chocolate Baking Chips Directions add oat flour and medjool dates in a food processor or blender blend until dates are chopped up  add pumpkin puree, raw honey, cashew butter, vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice blend until you get a nice dough ball. You may need to add more pumpkin puree if too dry or more oat flour if too wet. Scrape down the dough from the sides as it may get stuck, this is ok. Blend until combined, we want all the ingredients to be thoroughly mixed so each ball tastes the same! Repeat steps 4-6 until you reach ideal consistency/cookie dough texture Add chocolate chips in last to avoid chocolate melting/balls turning brown Remove from blender/processor and roll into balls (the fun part is you can choose the size) – I like to make a variety as your needs can change depending on cravings. Added bonus: feel free to roll the balls in cacao powder, melted chocolate, maca powder, etc for an added nutritional kick Tips on how to store Refrigerator – store in air tight jar or container, glass is best (I find the taste changes in plastic after 2 days).  Freezer – store in airtight jar or container, tempered glass is best. Good for up to 2 months depending on your freezer quality. I like storing mine in a tempered glass container in the freezer. I will take out a few at a time and keep in the fridge for easy access. Follow @healthyplanet for more Health and Wellness Recipes from yours truly! You can also follow me @the_nourishingproject for past Health and Wellness Recipes! Happy sweet eatin’ from yours truly!

Avocado Toast is is the next best thing to sliced bread, we can all agree on that. Few things can match the simplicity and amount of flavours you can pack onto a perfectly toasted piece of bread. The base of every avocado toast? The bread, of course! Healthy Planet has taken that same piece of perfectly toasted bread and added another level of flavour. Curried mushrooms! Earthy, rich and loaded with flavour, continue the trend of every and anything on toast and show off to your friends and family next time you want a snack! Take a look at the Healthy Planet Curried Mushroom Toast recipe below! Ingredients 12 ounces sliced mixed mushrooms (button, crimini, maitake) 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil 12 tablespoons Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (available at all Healthy Planet Locations) ⅛ teaspoon curry powder (you can add more according to your taste!) 1 large minced garlic clove 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (available at all Healthy Planet Locations) 1 medium shallot, finely sliced ½ teaspoon zest of a lemon 1 ½  cup washed sunflower sprouts  ground black pepper and sea salt for taste sliced gluten free bread   Instructions A standard slice of toasted gluten free bread is always acceptable, but, if you want to get fancy, grab your bread and with a  large round baking mold, punch out 12 round slices of bread. Toast the sliced bread until it has a golden brown color. A well toasted, crunchy slice is perfect for catching all the flavour from the hummus and mushrooms!  Check out our Roasted Red Pepper Recipe for instructions on how to create your own, or you can simply go into any Healthy Planet location and pick up one of our favourite Hummus Brands! Any hummus will do for this recipe, we just love the combination of roasted red peppers and curried mushrooms! Heat a large pan and add your olive oil, unsalted butter, mushrooms, shallots and garlic. Saute for roughly 5 min on high heat before adding your curry powder. You want your mushrooms to brown and absorb all the flavours from the curry, garlic and shallot. Stir occasionally to mix the flavors while evenly coating the mushrooms. Add a pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper to taste. Once you have you sauteed your mushrooms to perfection, add your lemon zest and mix thoroughly. The more you create this dish, the more familiar you will be with what level of flavour you want from the curry. A little goes a long way! Add more curry as you see fit and make it your own! Set aside your mushrooms and let them cool to room temperature. Now that the main attraction is finished preparing, grab your toasted gluten free bread and swipe 1 tablespoon of roasted red pepper hummus per piece. This will add some creaminess as well as keep your mushrooms firmly in place on top of the bread. After you have swiped all 12 pieces with hummus, start adding your mushrooms! Take 2 tablespoons of mushrooms for each slice. Once you have evenly distributed the mushrooms to the toast, top off with the remainder amongst them. In a separate bowl, wash and then dry your sunflower sprouts, garnish your mushroom toast with the sprouts and you are ready to enjoy! Perfectly served on wooden cutting board or your favourite serving platter! #livelifehealthy  

It’s that time of year again.   The kids are heading back to school and you’re looking to get back into a routine after enjoying all the fun summer distractions that the nice weather can bring. Did you know that  80% of achieving your health and wellness goals is determined by what you put into your body. So where do you start so you can hit your goals faster? Let’s take a look at 3 key nutrients that will kick start you on the right track fast. Protein A busy lifestyle calls for enough protein throughout your day to keep your energy up as well as support and maintain muscle tissue. Protein is needed for hormones, neurotransmitters, enzymes and so much more.  That’s exactly why we need to make sure we’re getting enough. Studies show that as we get older, we need more quality protein to perform and feel our best every day.  Fibre Is very important to our health.  Not only does it help with bowel regularity which reduces the risk of colon cancer but adequate daily fiber also can aid weight loss, support heart health, reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and so much more.  Adequate fibre also supports healthier gut bacteria which has many health benefits. It helps with satiety and can support more even energy levels. Most people only get ½ off the 25-40 grams of fiber that is suggested for everyday health.   Antioxidants These are natural chemicals that lessen the stress caused by free radicals.  Everyday your body creates free radicals in response to chemical reactions inside the body. Certain external factors such as smoking, drinking, pollution, pesticides etc can lead to further damage.  Free radicals are unpaired electrons. They steal electrons from other pairs leading to the creation of more free radicals and more damage. This oxidative damage is thought to correlate with accelerated aging and disease. Antioxidants are critical nutrients that donate an electron to these free radicals rendering them harmless.  Vitamin A, C and E are 3 very common antioxidants. It’s recommended to consume 3000-5000 ORAC units per day. ORAC stands for Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity. It represents the antioxidant capacity of a nutrient or food.   VegEssential All in One has you fully covered.   1 serving: 27 grams of protein 7grams of Fibre Antioxidant equivalent of 6 to 8 servings of fresh veggies” 2g Omega-3 plant oils  5000 ORAC units (antioxidants) Vitamins & Minerals Veg Essential All in One embraces the wisdom of consuming an alkaline forming whole food diet and draws on nearly 100 plant based ingredients to deliver an incredible spectrum of micro and macro nutrients.  This provides an unbeatable daily nutritional foundation to help you get back to it with ease. It’s like a whole cupboard full of supplements in a single smoothie. You just can’t get any easier or more convenient than that. By Tammy Strome: Performance & Wellness Expert

Who doesn’t love a Vegan Cheese Board? Perfect for any gathering of family or friends living life healthy, the vegan cheese board is the go to spread when entertaining vegetarian, vegan and food loving friends alike! The best part of the vegan cheese board? Accoutrements!You can’t have a proper spread without crackers, nuts, jams or honey!  Our favourite part of creating a Vegan Cheese Board? Mixing and matching! With so many recipes available for a variety of vegan cheeses as well as vegan cheese available at your local Healthy Planet, you can lay out a display worthy of any true cheese connaisseurs respect. Check out one of our very own recipes that combine two of our favourites, Cashews and Macadamia Nuts. Follow our steps and in no time you will be creating your very own vegan cheese!   Ingredients 1 ¾ raw cashews 1 cup raw macadamia nuts 1 ½ cups of water 2 tablespoons pink salt ½ teaspoon probiotic   Instructions Separating the 2 nuts, cover and soak them overnight. This will activate the nuts while also softening them allowing for a smoother blend.  The following day, drain and rinse both nuts transfering to a blender. Add your water, salt and blend until you reach a smooth texture. After reaching the desired texture, transfer the cheese into a 1-quart glass jar and add the probiotic. Stir until it is stirred in completely.  Dehydrate for 24 hours at 85F - 90F. After 24 hours check for desired texture. You should have a “rind” or a tougher outer skin, much like the skin of a Brie, the inside will be creamy and delicious! This “rind” will give you a very similar feel to a dairy cheese without the dairy!  Add your cheese into molds for shape and freeze for 1 to 2 hours. This process will allow the cheese to set into the shape you desired for display. Remove the cheese from the molds directly onto the dehydrator sheets dehydrating  at 118F for 12 hours. Turn your cheese over and continue the dehydrating process for an additional 24 hours.  Gather your friends and family to spread some love….and vegan cheese! #livelifehealthy

 

Protein: Power plants For a variety of reasons, you might be cutting back on the animal foods in your diet – at the same time that you’re concerned about how to meet your daily requirements for protein. Luckily, plant foods are powerful and delicious sources of protein that you can easily incorporate into your meals and snacks. Start with seeds Seeds contain all the nutrients required for a plant to start and sustain early life. With 8 grams of protein per cup, for example, quinoa is a grain-like seed that also provides magnesium, antioxidants, and fibre. Amaranth offers 7 grams of protein per cup, along with a side order of iron, B vitamins and magnesium. Pumpkin seeds take protein up a notch with 8 grams per 1/4 cup. Sprouts for maximum protein In order to stall germination until optimum growing conditions occur, seeds contain anti-nutrients including phytic acid, enzyme inhibitors and lectins that can cause digestion problems and impaired absorption in humans. The trick to de-activating these anti-nutrients is to start seed germination, which breaks down starches and makes it easier for you to digest plant nutrients without bloating and gas. As a bonus, sprouting is associated with higher in enzyme activity in plant foods, as well as the B-vitamins, vitamin C, calcium, iron, zinc and the phytonutrient sulforaphane. Sprouting also amplifies amino acids, which will help you with your goal to eat more protein. Compared to raw, for example, sprouted quinoa provides 30% more antioxidants and higher concentrations of γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA). Germinated brown rice also contains higher levels of glutamic acid, alanine, and glycine versus the raw grain. The net result is undeniably better nutrition. Supplemental support Add a scoop of Iron Vegan Sprouted Protein to your morning smoothie for an extra 18 grams of plant-based protein derived from 5 organic, non-GMO sprouted grains and seeds, including brown rice, amaranth, millet, pumpkin seed, and quinoa. Try delicious vanilla, chocolate or unflavoured. For 16 grams of protein on-the-go, try Iron Vegan Sprouted Protein bars. Available in Coconut Cashew Cluster, Double Chocolate Brownie, Peanut Chocolate Chip and Sweet and Salty Caramel, these bars are also an excellent source of fibre.

Almond Hemp Energy Balls? Yes please! On the go treat that will energize you all day? We got it.  Packed with superfoods and high in protein, these Energy Balls will keep you energized and on the move all day feeling healthy and complete. Healthy Planet Ambassador  marissaliana shared with us one of her favourite Fitness snack recipes, AMAZING Almond Hemp Energy Balls. Super fast and easy to prepare, this is the energy ball you will be craving pre and post workout. Combine hemp seeds, chia seeds, almond butter and  protein powder together for what will quickly become your new favorite post workout snack. Find what drives you and fuel it with a heart healthy and nutritious treat made with love. #lifelivehealthy Almond Hemp Energy Balls Ingredients: 1/2 cup Organic Traditions Raw Almond Butter 1/2 cup Manitoba Harvest Hemp Seeds 4 tbsp Prana Chia Seeds 1 overly ripe banana 2 scoops Vega Vegan Vanilla Protein Powder (70g) 2 tbsp Shady Maple Farms MapleS 6 tbsp Giddy YoYo Dark Chocolate Chips   How to prepare Mix all ingredients in a bowl and stir until well combined. Roll into golf ball sized balls and store in freezer for best texture. Let thaw for 5 minutes before eating and enjoy!   Put together your favourite Energy Ball recipe, tag @healthyplanet on Instagram and show us what keeps you going! Use the Healthy Planet hashtag #livelifehealthy and we will share your recipe with our followers! Keep spreading the love!