Carrot Cake Oatmeal Cookies

Courtesy of a delicious recipe from Amy’s Healthy Baking, carrot cake oatmeal cookies are well worth trying. Rich in vitamin A thanks to the inclusion of carrots and containing other healthy ingredients like oats and cinnamon, carrot cake oatmeal cookies are a healthy sweet treat to tuck into. While cookies are usually associated with plenty of sugar and chocolate chips, this alternative is not only tasty but far healthier, too.

Apple Sauce 

Not all apple sauce is healthy, but a homemade version with the inclusion of honey as the
sweetener is far more beneficial than regular apple sauce that can be filled with sugar. Whether it’s topped on some delicious protein pancakes or on top of a selection of fruit, apple sauce can provide a range of benefits. You might even fancy throwing in some cinnamon for extra flavor and a good dose of additional antioxidants.

Frozen Mango, Kiwi & Raspberry Fruit Pops

You can make delicious mango, kiwi, and raspberry fruit pops thanks to this simple recipe from SkinnyTaste. These types of frozen fruit creations provide a refreshing snack and are also genuinely tasty during the summer heat. All of the fruit included in these fruit pops are also
packed full of vitamin C. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient involved in the repair of tissue and
the formation of collagen, alongside providing a range of other notable benefits.

Fruit Salad

While fruit salad doesn’t appeal to everyone, it’s very healthy. It’s a classic healthy
dessert that has been enjoyed for decades, especially after a heavy meal. Always
include as many beneficial berries as possible, such as blueberries, raspberries, goji berries,
bilberries, açai berries, and cranberries. Fruit salad is generally filling and very refreshing,
particularly in the summer months when you might not necessarily want a hefty final course.

3-Ingredient Chocolate Mousse

While this is probably the most naughty dessert on the list, you are allowed to enjoy some sugar from time to time. A 3-ingredient chocolate mousse should provide enough of a sweet kick to satisfy any cravings while not being too unhealthy if enjoyed on the odd occasion alongside a fitness regime. This delight features dark chocolate, marshmallows, and a little heavy cream. Taking just 10 minutes to put together, all you need is a blender to whip up this tasty yet relatively guilt-free treat.

Other healthy desserts include dark chocolate banana bites, a paleo strawberry crumble,
watermelon granita, no-bake energy bites, grilled pineapple, keto peanut butter cups, breakfast cookies, and roasted peaches.

The post Selection of Desserts That Are Healthy appeared first on Food Health & Parenting Tips.

Fortunately, the prepared meal delivery services can solve all these problems and provide you quality food on your doorstep. Keep reading the article to find out the benefits of ordering food from a meal delivery service. 

Saving Your Time

This is probably the most obvious benefit of a meal delivery service. Several services are specific to different people’s needs; for example, some services provide meals only for vegans. If you have specific diet plans or preferences and don’t have time to gather all the ingredients and cook food on your own, don’t overlook the importance of meal delivery. 

You can save all the precious time spent making the trip to the supermarket and finding out what food you should cook. All in all, whatever your routine and food preferences might be, ordering food from meal delivery is certainly going to help you save your time. 

Budget-Friendly Meal Delivery Service

At first, you might think that ordering food is not a good idea for your pocket. But, if you take a deeper look, meal delivery is not as expensive as you think – it’s affordable. 

The reason is that gathering all the recipes will cost you more money than buying a prepared meal. They have suppliers who provide those veggies and other things at a discount, and that’s why you can buy food from them at a more affordable price. Apart from that, most meal delivery services offer discounts from time to time, further decreasing the prices. 

Healthy Food

Choosing the right proportion of nutrients is important if you are willing to live a healthy life. However, while cooking at your home, you will hardly know how many carbs or proteins are in your food, which is not a good thing from a health point of view. 

On the other hand, when it comes to buying food from meal providers, you can find the exact nutritional values of your consuming food. Most services write the nutritional facts on the packaging, making it easier for you to understand your nutritional needs and choose accordingly. 

Trying New Foods

Meal delivery services don’t deal with one or two types of meals. It is often the case that they have a great menu and offer various meals that you can choose from. For example, if you are in the mood to try Chinese food, you can order it right away from these services. You will not have to hop on the internet and check the recipe before you start cooking; neither will you have to visit the nearby grocery store to buy the ingredients. 

Focus On Your Goals

Eating tasty food or making more money is not the right life goal. This doesn’t mean that being a foodie is not good. The point is that you can spend time on other things rather than making your next meal perfect. 

How can you enjoy good food and focus on your goals at the same time? Well, a meal delivery service can help you achieve this goal. You can buy food from them at any time and spend the least amount of time on fueling your body. Meanwhile, in your free time, you can focus on the important things and achieve your personal goals!

Read more: 4 Ways to Lead a Healthy Lifestyle

The post Here Are the Benefits of a Meal Delivery Service appeared first on Food Health & Parenting Tips.

There are some very well-known healthy foods that everyone knows. But some foods might be more enriched with food value than your expectation. Here are five delicious healthy foods you didn’t know were healthy.

Whole Grain Pasta as Healthy Foods

The nutrition value of the whole grain pasta is much richer than multigrain pasta. It has far more fiber and nutrients (like iron and protein) than the usual semolina type. When eaten with some restraint, pasta can be a part of a smart eating routine.

Whole grain pasta has a stigma that it tastes terrible. And it will taste not good if you don’t know what you are doing. For example, some whole-grain pasta (especially the whole-wheat kinds) has a nutty flavor that doesn’t go well with the taste of tomato sauce. When it comes to the taste, what matters is what you put on the pasta – not the pasta itself.

Eggs

Although eggs have a bad reputation for being a high cholesterol food, the depiction doesn’t give shoppers the full story.

Nutritionists presently have realized that dietary cholesterol and blood level cholesterol have altogether different impacts on the body, and an ongoing logical investigation even demonstrated that eating entire eggs appeared to expand the degree of good (HDL) cholesterol in the body.

Furthermore, eggs (and egg yolks explicitly) are outstanding amongst other food wellsprings of the B-complex nutrient choline, which is thought to decrease aggravation in the body and improve neurological turn of events and capacity.

Popcorn

On account of its high fiber content, popcorn beats out all competitors as one of the most filling low-calorie snacks. Even though there are just 31 calories in 1 cup (8 grams) of air-popped popcorn, it brags 1.2 grams of dietary fiber — up to 5% of your day-by-day fiber needs.

Popcorn can keep the blood sugar at a constant level to suppress hunger and cravings.

Be that as it may, remember that these advantages apply to air-popped popcorn. Most of the ready-made popcorns are processed with a ton of unhealthy fats, artificial flavorings, and included salt or sugar, which significantly increase the calorie content.

Mushroom

Mushrooms don’t merely add flavor to sautéed food; they’re likewise low in calories and an excellent source of the disease battling mineral, selenium.

Also, these modest plants are the most elevated vegan wellspring of nutrient D, and they’re high in copper and potassium, supplements required for typical heart cadence, nerve capacity, and red platelet creation.

Mushrooms cook instantly and pair similarly well with veggie-lover, vegetarian, or substantial suppers. Cut them onto sandwiches or into plates of mixed greens, or put them in any formula that could utilize an increasingly gripping surface.

Greek Yogurt

There are very few foods in the world as healthy as Greek yogurt. It has a creamy texture that is packed with nutrients. It can even help you to lose weight.

Greek yogurt contains probiotics, vitamin b12, potassium, and Iodine. All of these are not only essential but also a necessity to keep our bodies in peak condition.

Adding greek yogurt to your diet is a great way to boost your protein level without consuming dense food like meat. It can be used as toppings on other food. Instead of sour cream, you can use it on chili or baked potatoes.

With a creamy and thicker texture, It has a flavor that is applicable for not only sweet but also great food choices.

Healthy foods or a smart diet implies eating an assortment of nourishments that give you the supplements you have to keep up your wellbeing, feel better, and have vitality. These supplements incorporate protein, sugars, fat, water, nutrients, and minerals.

Although all the foods on this list have every property of healthy food, establishing an eating pattern with appropriate calorie intake is essential.

Read More: 

• How Intuitive Eating Impacts Sleep Quality
• Healthy Banana Bread Recipes
• Foods That Relieve Constipation Naturally

The post Delicious Healthy Foods You Didn’t Know Were Healthy appeared first on Food Health & Parenting Tips.

Peel the Following Fruits and Veggies

1. Onion and garlic

The skin might look paper-thin on these flavorful veggies, but are extremely tough and sometimes impossible to chew through. Don’t spend your meal extracting stringy onion skin from between your teeth.

2. Papaya

Papaya’s skin isn’t’ as tough as some melons, but it’s still not digestible and is very hard to chew.

3. Mango

Mangos are also hard to digest, and its skin is inedible. The good stuff is inside, but make sure you don’t try to eat that huge seed either!

4. Pineapple

Of course, common sense should tell you that the spiky skin of pineapple would wreak havoc in your mouth. Instead, stick to the sweet core.

5. Avocado

Yes, an avocado is technically a fruit, but its skin is something you should never eat. It has a terrible flavor as well, and the nutritional benefits can be found in the creamy flesh, so it’s best to avoid it.

6. Honeydew melon

Both honeydews and cantaloupe house some yummy goodies on the inside, but the outside is tough and butter, making it better to discard. Or use it as a bowl for a parfait!

7. Hard winter squash

Although some squashes might have edible peels, if you boil them down enough, it becomes tough, stringy, and very hard to spread. It will ruin an otherwise creamy and delicious squash – toss it!

8. Lime and other citrus fruits

You might be able to eat the peel of citrus fruits like lemons and oranges if you grate the skin into a fine zest or cook it beforehand to add flavor to something else. Citrus fruits are full of antioxidants – without the peel.

9. Banana

We love bananas because they come in their own portable container – the skin. But don’t try to eat it – that’s a gritty, textured bite that we’re not looking forward to.

Organic vs. Non-organic

Much of the bad stuff in these peels come from pesticides and wax, so if you buy organic and you really want the unique texture of a peel, go for it! However, we’ve found that most people prefer the ingredient’s taste when you remove the peel.

Read more: How to Shop Organic & Healthy Without Breaking Your Budget

Fruits That Have an Edible Peel

There are, however, other fruits and veggies that contain lots of nutrients in the peels, such as apples and sweet potatoes. And they taste much better than the inedible peels! Here is a list of fruit and vegetable skins that taste good and have many nutritious health benefits.

• Apple
• Cucumber
• Cherry
• Carrot
• Eggplant
• Potato
• Zucchini

Read more: 

• The Gut Health Guide
• The Importance of Gut Health 
• What to Eat for a Healthy Gut

The post Fruits and Veggies You Should Peel appeared first on Food Health & Parenting Tips.

It’s most commonly used in Siberia and Asia as well as other locations in the northern hemisphere. The Chaga mushroom doesn’t look like the mushrooms you’re used to seeing in the grocery stores. Some people describe its appearance as a clump of dirt or charcoal, making it hard to find out in the wild. However, it has a special orange tissue on the inside that sets it apart from other ‘shrooms’.

It’s technically a superfood, with high amounts of amino acids, selenium, B-complex vitamins, potassium, magnesium, zinc, and other nutrients and minerals.

Benefits of Adding Chaga Mushroom to Your Routine

1. Improved immunity, reduced illness

The Chaga mushroom has been used for health for centuries – just not by people in North America. The mystery fungus boosts immunity by regulating the production of cytokines, which allow cells to communicate with each other, potentially fighting infections of varying degrees.

However, it also has a powerhouse of other benefits, including the treatment of cancers, heart disease (lowering blood pressure), and diabetes (lowering blood sugar).

Natural Ways to Improve Your Immune System

2. Turn back the clock

Its antioxidant-rich nature could slow aging or even reverse some symptoms, making it a potent supplement for anti-aging purposes. It can also lower LDL or “bad” cholesterol.

3. Goodbye, inflammation

Chaga mushroom is also useful for dealing with autoimmune conditions and arthritis since it’s been proven to reduce inflammation. This is unique, especially since these illnesses are often chronic and hard to find relief from.

How to Consume 

Chaga mushrooms are low in calories and does not look appetizing, so it’s generally consumed as an herbal tea. You can buy many pre-ground formulas, but can also grate it into a fine powder and brew it as tea on your own.

If you don’t want to drink it in a tea (many people are turned off by the earthy taste), consider buying it as a powdered supplement, or in the form of a capsule to avoid the flavor all together. It’s important to take it with warm or cold water, or a fermented extract, which is said to activate medicinal properties.

Talk to Doc

Always talk to your doctor first, since it may cause side effects or allergies in some, depending on if you’re already taking medication or not. It can also be problematic for people with kidney issues. Opt for organic, USDA certified products when purchasing.

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The Basics of Intuitive Eating

To understand how intuitive eating influences sleep quality, you should first know what intuitive eating is. These are the 10 principles of intuitive eating:

1. Reject the diet mentality: No quick fixes.
2. Honor your hunger: Don’t allow yourself to get so hungry you’re tempted to overeat.
3. Make peace with food: Don’t put any food off-limits.
4. Challenge the food police: Food behavior is neither good nor bad.
5. Respect your fullness: Listen to your body when it says you’re full.
6. Discover the satisfaction factor: Enjoy the pleasure and satisfaction of eating.
7. Honor your feelings without using food: Don’t try to fix your feelings with food.
8. Respect your body: Be realistic about your body shape.
9. Exercise, feel the difference: Enjoy feeling better with exercise rather than burning calories.
10. Honor your health: Choose foods that support your health and make you feel well.

Intuitive Eating and Sleep

Part of intuitive eating is choosing foods that offer the nutrition you need to live a healthy life. And food that helps you sleep is a big part of that. When you sleep well, you can support overall health and wellness.

In general, healthy foods support healthy sleep. So if you’re choosing nutritious food, you don’t necessarily need to obsess over particular ingredients or nutrients. But if you’re seeking out food that can help you sleep in particular, it’s a good idea to consider foods rich in nutrients that can help you sleep. These include:

• Tryptophan
• Carbohydrates
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Melatonin
• Vitamin B6

Some of the best foods for sleep offer one or more of these nutrients.

Foods That Can Help You Sleep Better Include

• Milk
• Cheese
• Eggs
• Nuts including walnuts, almonds, and pistachios
• Fish
• Beans
• Rice
• Bread
• Pasta
• Potatoes
• Yogurt
• Leafy greens, including kale
• Cherries
• Bananas
• Whole grains and oats
• Tomatoes
• Raw garlic
• Chickpeas

When you focus on healthy foods, you can improve your sleep quality. When you eat can make a difference, too.

For example, some foods don’t sit well when you’re trying to get to sleep. Eating a big meal before bed can keep you up at night, especially if you’re too full. And some people suffer from reflux or heartburn at night, which can be exacerbated by spicy food, caffeine, or alcohol, especially late in the day. You can sleep propped up on a pillow, but that’s not always comfortable.

It can be difficult for your body to relax and get to sleep if it’s too busy digesting. But at the same time, going to bed hungry might keep you up, as it can be tough to go to sleep when you really need to eat. Listen to your body and pay attention to cues of hunger or fullness so you can determine whether you should eat or not before bed.

Sleeping well can translate to being healthier, but you may need to start by looking at your diet first. Intuitive eating encourages you to listen to your body’s cues, which can help you choose foods that support good health. At the same time, listening to your body’s cues for sleep can help you get the rest you need, as you can head to bed when you’re feeling sleepy.

Read More:

• Let’s Reduce our Stress Levels. Learn to Breathe Like a Yogi
• Can CBD Help with Sleep? We Explore

The post How Intuitive Eating Impacts Sleep Quality appeared first on Food Health & Parenting Tips.

Shop Fresh, Save Cash

When it comes to eating a more organic, yet affordable diet picking seasonal fruits and vegetables is one way to stretch your dollar. Plus, in-season produce often tastes the best. To keep your grocery shopping list on track with all the right organic fruits and vegetables, plan out your meals ahead of time. 

And keep in mind, you don’t have to plan more than a couple of days in advance. By now, you’ve likely heard about people who can meal prep and plan for weeks at a time. While this certainly works, planning too far in advance might lead to more impulsive and, thus, costly purchases when you shop organic. 

Considering how quickly our cravings can change, the dinner you had planned for Saturday might be the last thing you want to eat when the day arrives. So what do you end up doing? You likely rush to the store to pick up more ingredients, which can then tempt you into buying more than you need, or you end up ordering takeout. Plus, too extreme planning can leave out spur of the moment opportunities, such as when your partner picks up a pizza on the way home. If you don’t plan correctly, those skipped planned meals end up going to waste.

Try Not to Waste 

While a few skipped meals throughout the week probably doesn’t seem that wasteful, it adds up. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, around 30% of the food we buy ends up in landfills. Not only does this impact the environment, wasting valuable resources such as water and energy, but it’s money down the drain. 

When you shop organic, it’s essential to learn how to limit yourself to buying only what you’ll use. It can be hard to plan exactly how many apples you’ll eat in the day, but getting as close as you can to the right amount is still helpful to your budget and the environment. 

Moreover, for those times when you do end up with leftover food, keep it out of the landfill by utilizing some unconventional methods to reduce food waste. This can look like using old stale bread to make delicious bread pudding or mealing-sharing with neighbors or your children’s teachers. 

Inspire a Positive Relationship with Food

Another way to shop organic and healthy without breaking your budget is to shop around. While this can be time-consuming and a bit of a hassle, these days, it is much easier to peruse various sales and competitive prices than in the past. All it takes is jumping online to look at a few grocery store websites and see what offers they have. If you prefer to shop locally, many small businesses will at least have a social media page where they announce exclusive sales or allow you to contact someone to discuss prices.

Shopping around for more affordable options can also inspire a better sense of intentionality when it comes to your food habits. This, in turn, is likely to help you develop a more positive relationship with food, making the process of procuring healthy, affordable food for yourself and your family more enjoyable. When you look forward to cooking a delicious, healthy meal each day, shopping around becomes part of the journey rather than just another chore. Furthermore, when you cook at home more than eating takeout, it gives you full control over the ingredients, portion size, and overall cost.

Pick Your Battles

Committing to a total overhaul of your lifestyle and eating habits all at once can lead to an early defeat. Switching to shop organic, healthy eating is a significant change to both your usual diet and budget, so to ensure the longevity of this worthwhile change, start slowly. An easy way to do this is to stick with the Clean 15. 

The Clean 15 list includes certain conventional produce, such as avocados, pineapple, onions, eggplant, and asparagus, that have low amounts of pesticide residue. This makes them not much worse than their organically produced counterparts. 

On the other hand, there is also the Dirty Dozen. If you’re going to make any produce a priority on your organic shopping list, it should include items from the Dirty Dozen. This includes produce such as strawberries, spinach, apples, celery, and potatoes as these are notably some of the worst items for pesticide use.  

Eventually, once your budget adjusts to the new costs of shopping organically, you can then switch to shop organic foods exclusively. In the meantime, though, you can still save money with these helpful guidelines, without sacrificing your health. 

Whatever your reasons are for wanting to switch to a healthier, more organic diet, there are numerous ways to enjoy this lifestyle without going broke. With enough motivation and helpful tricks up your sleeve, you can enjoy all the many benefits of how to shop organic while maintaining your budget.

Read more:

• 7 Wonderful Ways to Live a More Sustainable Lifestyle
• How to Reduce Waste in Your Grocery Shopping

The post How to Shop Organic & Healthy Without Breaking Your Budget appeared first on Food Health & Parenting Tips.

In these extraordinary circumstances, we need to invest even more effort and creativity into staying healthy and resilient. Exercise remains the most powerful ally in this pursuit, as it’s one of the most effective strategies that help you stay healthy both physically and mentally. 

Build up Your Confidence

Photo: Matthew LeJune/Unsplash

Physical accomplishments are as impressive as those of your intellect. You don’t have to be a professional athlete to appreciate your physical output. You can undoubtedly commend yourself on all the challenges you overcome to reach your weekly training milestones. Exercise helps you build up your confidence.  Appreciate all the hard work you invest in boosting your fitness and improving your physique. 

Once you notice your everyday activities becoming less complicated, managing a grocery haul on your own, running without getting tired immediately, and fitting into your favorite jeans, you’ll undoubtedly feel much more confident. Staying active can not only build up your confidence, but it can impact your mental health too. 

Amplified Energy Levels

Photo: Georgie Cobbs/Unsplash

You might think that adding more exercise to your schedule will only make you feel exhausted. The opposite is exact! Regular training and physical activity allow you to fight fatigue, sluggishness, and energy levels. Exercise boosts your immune system, strength, and stamina, increasing your energy levels over time. In the current situation, however, many people lack the much-needed zeal to stick to their training routine.

Including exercise into your daily life can benefit not only your energy levels but also your mental health.

Following in the footsteps of many versed athletes, you can buy the best whey protein online and use them to amplify your energy levels for your workout. Pre-workout supplements can make it easier for the body to recover after training. They also help you stay focused during your workout so that you can prevent injuries and focus on correct movement execution. Exercise paired with the right diet and supplementation can work wonders for your energy levels for the long haul. 

Reducing Stress and Anxiety Will Have a Big Impact on Your Mental Health

Photo by Chelsea Gates on Unsplash

Your increased heart rate during exercise, paired with the influx of happy hormones such as endorphins, helps your brain beat stress and tension that builds up every day. On a chemical level, your workouts give you the whole brain and mood boost to start your day on a positive, self-affirming note. Reducing stress and anxiety can have a significant impact on your mental health. 

On a more psychological level, sticking to your workout routine allows you to realize that you’re overcoming obstacles through your training every day. Every time you push through a challenging set and move your boundaries just a little bit, you’re actively improving your endurance and strength, and your mental resilience, too. Workouts aren’t just a reflection of your physical fitness. They show that you’re willing to go outside your comfort zone and work on yourself. That alone is an authoritative source of inspiration to banish stress and feel more empowered than ever.

Getting Inspired to Eat Healthily

Photo by Louise Burton on Unsplash

When processed foods surround you, getting inspired to eat healthily can be challenging. Fast food, the mere option of takeout, and other convenient eating solutions, it’s all too easy to lose motivation to stick to your nutrient-dense eating regime. Building healthy habits can be difficult, especially when you try to establish them separately. However, when you introduce regular workouts, you’re already vested enough to start adapting your diet.

As your body changes, when you shed fat and build lean muscle, you’ll feel more inspired to clean up your menu. Making healthier and self-care decisions is another reflection of self-love, and another step towards a healthy attitude towards your mental health. The food you eat will, in turn, fuel you with more energy and positivity, so the benefits are double when it comes to eating well thanks to your training routine. 

Sleep Quality

Photo: Ale Romo Photography/ Unsplash

To balance your hormones, regulate your stress levels, and have enough energy, you need sleep quality, and consistently so. When you spend most of your time passive and without any physical or mental stimulation, your body gets restless. Making your sleeping patterns become more erratic, and the overall quality of your downtime is compromised. Exercise helps regulate all of these issues simply because when you stay active and get tired just enough, your circadian rhythm will become more balanced.

However, it’s important to avoid working out too late in the evening and just before bedtime. Light stretching and breathing exercises are the right choices, but intense workouts should be scheduled earlier in the day. 

Your mental health depends on a slew of different factors, and they all heavily depend on how active you are. We might have adapted over time to lead predominantly sedentary lives, but that is by no means an excuse to avoid physical activity. On the contrary, for those wanting to feel better in their skin, have more energy, regulate their mood and stress levels, and become more resilient, exercise is the critical component in achieving all of those goals. Don’t shy away from being active at home or finding ways to incorporate more physical activity during the pandemic – use your creativity, and you’ll see how your wellbeing responds to your efforts and how exercise can benefit your mental health. 

Read more:

• Anxiety or Stress? Keep Reading and Breathing
• 5 Adaptogenic Herbs to Fight Anxiety and Stress
• Cycle Your way through America- Boost Your Mental and Physical Health

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Oatmeal may seem like the healthier option, but believe it or not, cocoa powder is packed with health benefits of its own. Rich in antioxidants, this decadent sweet may help to reduce blood pressure, improve blood flow, and even boost your mood. So what are you waiting for? Not only is chocolate delicious, but it’s also a healthy choice. Grab your blender and let’s begin.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 frozen banana, sliced
• 2 pitted dated, chopped
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• ½ scoop vegan chocolate protein powder
• ½ tsp cinnamon

To Top:

• 1 tsp hemp seeds
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• 1 tsp crushed walnuts
• ½ tsp shredded coconut

Instructions: 

Baby let’s blend.

Toss the almond milk, banana slices, chopped dates, cocoa powder, protein powder, and cinnamon in your blender. Press on and blend away!

When the ingredients are well blended, you can pour your smoothie into a glass and top it off with hemp and chia seeds, as well as walnuts and shredded coconut if desired.

Read more: 

• Simple Vegan Banana Oat Bites
• Decadent Dark Chocolate Vegan Muffins
• Meatless Monday Recipe: Chocolate Mousse

The post Crazy for Cocoa Smoothies appeared first on Food Health & Parenting Tips.

Simply put, the central tenet of the ketogenic diet is to effectively cut out all sources of carbohydrates. In the keto diet, carbohydrate intake is replaced by fat, theoretically in order for the body to enter a state of ketosis. In this state, the body will convert fat into energy in the place of carbohydrates.

The keto diet is used primarily by people who aim to drop some weight as well as blood sugar levels and is thought to promote better health in general.

The diet itself is highly restrictive – par for the course – but there is a body of evidence that supports the claims its proponents make. This is what makes it a popular dieting choice for weight watchers.

But it’s not as simple…

It is not just about replacing each and every carbohydrate source with wanton consumption of full-cream dairy and fatty cuts of pork and processed meats.

Keto diets require a lot of discipline, dedication, and planning if they are to be done the proper way. While the thought of being able to snack on as much fat and dairy as you want is a tantalizing prospect for most, failure to plan can mean you’re not doing it right.

Fortunately, there is a kitchen appliance that makes keto dieting an easier proposition for most of us who don’t have the time to prepare meals in advance. It’s a multi-use appliance that can play the role of a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, and steamer (among others), all in a convenient, easy-to-use device. Just check this guide to see how they compare to other machines – pretty darn good!

Now, it must be noted that cutting carbs entirely out of your diet isn’t always the best approach to losing weight for just anyone and everyone. However, if you’ve consulted with a nutritionist, or have found a taste of keto diet success on your own, you can ramp up your keto strategy with the ever so useful Instant Pot. 

Here are some tips you can employ to make meal prep a breeze.

1. Do Your Meal Prep with the Instant Pot

One of the most important things you can do to stick to your keto commitment is to prep your meals. And it’s also one of the hardest and time-consuming things you can do, especially if you prepare your meals alone.

The Instant Pot is a time-saving godsend allowing you to cook meals faster than conventional cookers (slow ones, to boot), and help you get great cooking results without having to wait hours and hours on end as you would with a slow cooker. Plus, cooking meats with one produces the same delicious results. What’s not to love?

2. Keep a Close Eye on Dairy Products

Keto dieters rejoice – many Instant Pots throw in a fantastic yogurt-making attachment as part of the device. That’s always a great deal, right? However, a word of caution: Instant Pots don’t always get cream- and cheese-based sauces right the first time, every time.

That’s no fault on the Instant Pot, however. It’s simply the nature of dairy products to curdle or boil when heated, making cheeses ooze liquid and solidify.

Here’s the key: anytime you use dairy products for a cheese-based or cream-based recipe, make sure to add it only after pressure cooking is finished (instead of throwing it in before or during it). This will ensure that you’ll get an evenly creamy meal that isn’t all saturated with liquid from the dairy.

3. Don’t Go Too Heavy On the Oil

One thing keto dieters take solace in their quest for ketosis is being able to enjoy delicious food without having to worry too much about fat. But be careful not to overdo it. Adding too much oil or fat in the Keto Instant Pot without the right amount of water will not have it come to pressure the right way. Don’t use over 1/4 cup of fat or oil in your recipes to make sure that you get the pressure cooking done right.

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