The other day, I got an email from a lovely reader, suggesting that I needed to mix avocado with almond milk, because apparently it turns into pudding. And I don’t mean the British kind of pudding, which I learned means dessert in general, but I mean the gel-like dessert that comes with different flavors like chocolate or vanilla. So of course I was so touched that I now get recipe tips and suggestions from my readers, that I had to give it a try immediately. Simply mixing avocado and almond milk, however, didn’t taste that exciting, so I added some other ingredients to make it even more nutritious and delicious. 

So I added the insides of a fresh vanilla bean, one tablespoon of raw honey, chia seeds, and a superfood powder for an extra touch of healthiness. And oh my, was I amazed by this avocado vanilla pudding! This is the kind of thing that you never knew you needed in your life until you actually tried it. I have mixed avocado, banana and chocolate countless times, and the idea to give it a completely different taste, never occurred to me. I believe that if you love bananas, you can even add these instead of the honey, but since every plant based sweet recipe includes banana, I left it out in this recipe.

In terms of health, this recipe only includes ingredients that nourish and strengthen your body. Avocado is a great source of healthy fatty acids, almond milk is rich in vitamin E, which is great for our nails, skin and hair, raw honey comes with amazing anti-bacterial properties, chia seeds contain basically every vital mineral or vitamin, and vanilla adds the final touch of deliciousness. If you have some kind of green superfood in your kitchen like matcha, kale or other alkalizing powders, then be sure to add a teaspoon of these too, because you can never have enough nutrients in your pudding.

Enjoy!

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I’m in love with this sauce. When my mom first introduced this sauce to our family we were instantly hooked. There’s no pasta sauce that we love more and everyone that I’ve made this for loved it. I admit that the thought of beetroot and turmeric may sound a bit strange when you hear it for the first time, but trust me on this. You’re going to love this creamy beetroot and turmeric pasta sauce. It’s so warming and delicious and all the ingredients create something wonderful that will provide your body with lots of healthy vitamins and minerals. There’s a lot of beets in this sauce, which really boost your iron storage. Almond butter and almond milk make it heavenly creamy and the turmeric is an additional health booster. Sunflower seeds give it some texture and a nice crunch.

INGREDIENTS:
– 1 onion
– 1 tbsp olive oil
– 2 medium sized beets (about 200g)
– 1 cup (200ml) almond milk
– 1/3 cup (80g) almond butter
– 1 tsp homemade veggie stock
– 1/4 tsp pepper
– 2 tsp turmeric powder
– 2 tbsp tamari
– 1 tbsp maple syrup or agave
– 1/4 cup (35g) sunflower seeds
– salt & pepper to taste

– 600-800g spelt or gluten free pasta

METHOD:

1. Start by cooking the pasta according to the directions on the package.
2. Peeling the beets. You might want to use rubber gloves so you won’t run around with pink hands for the next three days.
3. Cut the beet into small pieces or put them in the food processor and break them down for a couple of seconds.
4. Chop the onion finely. Heat the olive oil in a pot. Add the chopped onion and sauté for about one minute. Add the beets and fry for about 3 minutes. You may have to add more olive oil if it starts to burn.
5. Add the almond milk, tamari, maple syrup and spices to the pot, reduce the heat to medium low and let it simmer for about 8 – 10 minutes.
6. Now add the almond butter and heat to medium high heat for another 3 – 4 minutes.
7. Finally, add the sunflower seeds and stir well until combined.

Serve with the pasta and enjoy!

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This bread was the first thing I made when I turned completely dairy-free, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free two years ago. As I started researching for a blood pressure friendly diet, I came across different superfood breads from my four favorite health bloggers such as from my heroine Oh She Glows, the Swedish Health Gurus The Green Kitchen Stories, My New Roots, or the amazing Deliciously Ella.  They all have their own superfood bread, and you will find that they are all pretty similar, and almost all of them use something called “psyllium husk seeds or powder” in their recipes. Psyllium husk is a fiber that is commonly associated with helping increase digestion movement in your bowel. However, this recipe uses only a small amount, and in combination with the amount of flour and other ingredients, it barely has the known bathroom effect. In fact, psyllium husk is shown to have a positive effect on heart health and cholesterol levels.

Contrary to many superfood breads, this one is completely nut-free, because I have had several readers message me that they cannot cook many of my recipes, because they all contain nuts. So, my nut-allergic readers: this one’s for you.
The best thing about this bread is that every single ingredient comes with at least one amazing health benefit. There are no empty carbs or blood pressure increasing ingredients in this superfood bread. I promise:

Health benefits in this buckwheat superfood bread:

Chia Seeds: There are about a million amazing health benefits from chia seeds. They are packed with healthy fatty acids called omega-3, which lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Buckwheat: Gluten-free grain, that is full of protein and lowers the risk of heart disease.
Oats: Oats are extremely high in fiber, which aids digestion and stabilizes your blood sugar level. They are also known to lower the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.
Pumpkin Seeds: High in antioxidants which fight cell-harming free radicals in your body. This way, pumpkin seeds help to prevent chronic diseases caused by cell damage.
Sunflower Seeds: Vitamin E is the most abundant vitamin in sunflower seeds, which is amazing because vitamin E is very important for healthy skin, nails and hair.
Psyllium Husk: The fiber has a positive effect on heart health and lowers cholesterol.
Sparkling Water: Water is the most important resource in the world and it is vital for humans to be healthy and alive. In this bread, however, the baking evaporates the water, but I just wanted to point out once more how important fluids are.
Honey: Since I am not strictly vegan, I use honey for its amazing health benefits. It is highly anti-bacterial and raw honey comes with a long list of vitamins and nutrients such as iron, copper or magnesium which are all important for a healthy and functioning body.
Apple Cider Vinegar: The plant-based cider is shown to lower blood sugar levels, which is great for type 2 diabetics.

Besides from being amazing for your health and well-being, the bread also tastes so good. I almost could not believe that it actually tasted like “real whole-wheat bread” when I tried it for the first time. It made switching to a plant-based diet so much easier. I actually did not even want to eat boring American wheat bread anymore, because this buckwheat superfood bread gave me so much energy. It also filled me up quickly, and a slice or two was enough to get me going for hours. I love the bread with some mashed avocado, tomatoes and a pinch of Sal d’Ibiza (or any sea salt) and a squeeze of lime or lemon juice. It also tastes delicious with almond or any kind of nut butter and bananas. That’s my favorite breakfast besides overnight oats. I hope you’ll love this bread just as much as I do.

Enjoy!

The post Chia Superfood Bread appeared first on Heavenlynn Healthy.

Acai is one of my favorite superfoods. If you compare it to other superfoods like maca or baobab, acai is definitely the best tasting superfood out there. It really tastes like a berry, which is perfect in this smoothie bowl. If you don’t know what smoothie bowls are, I will get to that in a second. First, let me tell you a little bit more about acai. As most superfoods, acai comes from South America, especially from Brazil. It’s a little berry that is extremely high in antioxidants, which protect your body from harmful free radicals. Free radicals are unstable electrolytes that harm our cells from within our body. Antioxidants fight these harmful cell killers, thus protect us from various chronic diseases such as certain types of cancer. Antioxidants are also extremely good for our skin, which is why acai is such a beauty-superfood. It is also very high in unsaturated fatty acids, which protect our heart from various diseases such as heart disease. The easiest way to buy acai in Germany and in Europe is as a powder. You can get that at any health or organic store or online.

Now on to the smoothie bowl. Smoothie bowls make a great breakfast, because they tend to contain more calories than regular smoothies, because they are supposed to be a whole meal. Adding oats and nut butters makes breakfast smoothie bowls very filling and keep you satisfied for hours. I love to sprinkle mine with home made granola, fresh berries and chia seeds. It makes a complete breakfast, is easy to digest and tastes amazing. Start your day with this acai and berry smoothie bowl tomorrow and you’ll see what I mean.

Ingredients:
– 1 tsp acai powder
– 1 Banana
– 1 Cup Strawberries
– 1/2 cup raspberries
– 1/4 cup blueberries
– 1/4 cup oats
– 1/2 cup (120ml) water, coconut water or almond milk
– 1 tsp chia seeds (optional)
– some fresh granola to top (optional)

Simply through all the ingredients into a blender and blend for a couple of seconds until a creamy smoothie forms.
Serve with home made granola, fresh fruit or chia seeds.

Enjoy!

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It seems like chia pudding is everyone’s favorite on the blog. Beside from overnight oats or porridge, it’s my favorite breakfast dish. It’s also so heavenly versatile, as you can add whatever you like to it. This version with rasberries and bananas is my new favorite. It only takes a couple of minutes to prepare, and then you just let it sit in the fridge over night. Is there anything better than to eat a pink breakfast in the morning? I think not. As everything chia related, this breakfast inspiration is also packed with valuable nutrients, which I have listed below because the list of vitamins and minerals in chia seeds seems to be endless. You really can’t go wrong with this breakfast as it keeps you satisfied for hours, and gives you enough energy to master anything in the morning. It’s also a great post-workout meal because it is packed with potassium and magnesium which is exactly what your muscles need to regenerate. Of course you can also enjoy it as a healthy snack or dessert – anything that makes you happy and healthy. I really hope you like it or at least enjoy the pretty picture. I would love to hear what you think in the comments below.

Health benefits in this Mango Chia Parfait:
– calcium (important for bone, teeth, muscle and nerve health)
– fiber (important for heart health, lowers cholesterol levels)
– iron (important for healthy red blood cells that transport oxygen through your body)
– magnesium (important for a healthy nerve system, muscle health, energy production)
– omega-3-Fatty-Acids (prevents heart disease, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure)
– protein (important for a healthy metabolism, immune systems, production of enzymes)
– vitamin A (antioxidant powerhouse, anti-aging benefits, maintenance of good eye-sight)
– vitamin C (good for your immune system, tissue health)
– zinc (important for growth, skin, and a healthy immune system)

Ingredients:
Serves 2
– 1 ¼ cup (about 300 g) almond milk (or any other milk at hand)
– 2 tbsp chia seeds
– 4 tbsp (gluten-free) oats
– 2 cups (120g) frozen raspberries
– 1 banana

Simply mix the almond milk, chia seeds and oats in a glas or breakfast bowl and let it soak overnight. The next morning, peel the banana and blend it together with the rasberries until smooth. Now begin layering the parfait with the chia-oat mix on the bottom, then a layer of the mango-banana blend on top. Go on like this until you’ve reached the top. Sprinkle with more mango on top if desired.
If you want a quicker way, then simply mix the banana raspberry puree with the chia seeds, oats, and almond milk, mix it all together and let it soak over night. It may not look as pretty but it will taste just as amazing.

Enjoy!

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