Breakfast, Recipes, Snacks, Tips, Toast Tuesdays, Vegan, Vegetarian

Peanut Butter & Banana Toast

Happy Toast Tuesday to all of my little bunnies!

Sam and I  are on the last leg of our road trip making our way from Tucson to LA! Yesterday we drove  15.5 hours, so we are really excited for the shorter drive today. In the past couple of days I have been smothered by a countless number of incredible emails and a plethera of new readers, pinners, Facebook fans, and Twitter followers. I love reading your stories and seeing your DIY photos! Thank you soooo much for continuing to read my blog everyday. Your support means the world to me. Because I have been attempting to blog via my iPhone (appologies for any awkward autocorrections and spelling errors!) in the middle of the dessert on my road trip, I haven’t been able to respond to emails as promptly as usual. I love chit chatting with readers and really appreciate the time and courage that goes into so many of your emails and I like to do the same for you! I’ll be emailing everyone as soon as I can, you are so important to me! I love you little bunnies!

Now onto the toast! Not only is this toast a classic, but it’s the perfect post workout snack with a purpose.

It may seem counterintuitive to eat after you have just exercised, but this is the best and most important time to eat. Your body needs protein and carbohydrates to repair muscle tissues and replenish glycogen stores, which are depleted after a strenuous workout. You can avoid cancelling out the calories that you just burned by eating the correct combination of foods to meet your body’s fuel needs.

After a sweat session, you want an ample protein (nut butter) combined with a high-glycemic carbohydrate (banana). By adding a complex carb like whole-grain toast, you are getting extra fiber without empty calories to make a more substantial post-workout meal. Eaten together within 45 minutes after a workout, this combination will go a long way to help your body repair and restore.


Peanut Butter & Banana (PB&B) Toast
Serves 1

1 slice whole-grain bread
1 Tbsp unsalted peanut butter
½ banana

Toast the bread and slice up half of a banana. Spread the toast with peanut butter, and top with banana slices.

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Breakfast, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Brown Rice Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowl

I absolutely love cereal and oatmeal in the morning, but sometimes I just want a change in my morning routine.

When I visited Japan, I had tons of white rice porridge for breakfast. I really loved the idea of rice for cereal, so when I got home I made my own Rabbit Food version with hearty whole-grain brown rice, creamy tropical, coconut milk, sweet fuji apple, and pecans. I’m not sure weather to call this a porridge, cereal, or muesli… so I shall call it, a Breakfast Bowl (although this would be a yummy snack or dessert bowl too)! I have tried this hot and cold and love both, it just depends on what I’m in the mood for when I wake up.

Brown Rice Apple Coconut Breakfast Bowl
Serves 1

1 small fuji apple
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (I like So Delicious Dairy Free)
½ cup cooked brown rice
2 Tbsp chopped pecans
cinnamon to taste

Cook the brown rice to package instructions. Finely chop the apple into small cubes or slices. Transfer rice into a bowl and pour coconut milk on top (like cereal). Top with apple slices, pecan, and a dash of cinnamon.
Note: You could heat the coconut milk and brown rice together on the stove for a hot cereal, or chill the rice, and coconut milk for a cold cereal.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: fuji apple
Whole Grain: brown rice
Protein: light coconut milk
Plant Based Fat: pecans

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Breakfast, Recipes, Treats, Vegan

Sunburst Muffins

I spent some time playing in the kitchen for my second ever, vegan baking experiment from Love Food Eat. I used a healthy mixture of whole-wheat flour & almond flour, along with all natural honey, and unsweetened applesauce in place of oil. After I mixed up my batter, I could not stop licking the spatula! I’m so glad there are no raw eggs in this recipe, because I probably would’ve been sick after that little taste test! I know that some strict vegans do not consider honey to truly be vegan because it is made by bees, but since it does not actually contain any animal product, I still incorporate it in some of my vegan recipes. If you do not feel that honey works into your diet, you could try an alternative like agave or maple syrup! I have not experimented with these sweet alternatives, but I would love to hear if anyone tries!

Question: Do you think that honey should be considered vegan or not?

These muffins are like a little burst of sunshine. They have a warm, mildly sweet flavor with a punch of citrus. Perfect with a cup of tea or coffee in the morning! Sunburst Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup almond flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup finely grated carrots
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 6 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine ground flaxseed with water. Set aside and stir occasionally until it forms into a sticky/gooey texture (like an egg). In a mixing bowl, combine and mix all dry ingredients (whole-wheat flour, almond flour, oats, baking powder, salt, and turmeric). In a separate mixing bowl, combine all wet ingredients (orange juice, applesauce, honey, grated carrots) along with the golden raisins, and the flaxseed mixture. Line a muffin pan with 12 muffin/cupcake liners. Carefully pour the batter into the liners. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

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Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegetarian

Black Bean Fajita Tacos

When I think of Mexican food, a few words come to mind: greasy, fat, oil, salty, and fried.

It’s easy to classify Mexican food as unhealthy because of the way it is often prepared, but not all Mexican food has to be bad for your waistline.
I’ve swapped the oil and salt for healthier alternatives such as:
Oil : low sodium vegetable broth
Salt : No-Salt added seasonings & beans
Fried taco shells : soft whole corn tortillas

Question: Have you even seen how much sodium is in a can of black beans?
There is up to 550mg of sodium per serving in some brands. Even labels that read “low-sodium” can be completely misleading, adding up to 400mg of sodium per serving! Make sure to take an extra 30 seconds to read the nutrition labels and pay close attention to the sodium content and servings!


Black Bean Fajita Tacos
Serves 1

2 whole corn soft taco sized tortillas
1 cup green bell pepper
1 cup onion
1/2 cup no salt added black beans (I use 365 Organic)
1/4 cup low sodium vegetable broth (I use Pacific)
1/4 Hass avocado
1/4 small jalapeño
lime juice – to taste
garlic powder – to taste
Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime seasoning (no-salt added) – to taste

Pour the vegetable broth in a pan over medium-high heat. Chop bell pepper and onion into long strips and add to the pan. Sprinkle with garlic powder and Fiesta Lime seasoning. While the vegetables are cooking, cut the avocado and remove 1/4 of the “meat.” Finely chop the jalapeño and combine with 1/4 avocado in a small bowl. Add lime juice and mix until desired taste is reached. Set the guacamole aside. Place the beans in a microwave safe bowl. Cover and heat in the microwave for 2 minutes. Stir the vegetables until broth has been absorbed and veggies are tender. Heat the corn tortillas in a microwave for 20 seconds. Transfer the warm tortillas to a plate and then add the vegetables, beans, and top with fresh guacamole.


The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: bell pepper & onions
Whole Grain: whole corn tortillas
Protein: beans
Plant Based Fat: avocado
Free Extras: jalapeño, garlic powder, lime juice, vegetable broth, fiesta lime seasoning.

Now Sam and I are off for a run!
Did you get your exercise in this morning? 

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Breakfast, Desserts, Lunch, Recipes, Snacks, Treats, Vegan, Vegetarian

Gargantuan Green Giant

Prepare yourselves for the greenest green smoothie ever:
THE GARGANTUAN GREEN GIANT!

I was really craving ice cream the other night so instead of giving in, I started experimenting in the kitchen. I pulled out all of my favorite ingredients at the moment and decided to combine them into a smoothie. It turned out soooo creamy and actually tasted like a sugar cookie. Strange how those things work, right? Use healthy ingredients… end up with a creamy melty sweet treat! I love when that happens! Although I had this for dessert, I would probably have it for a meal because it has a great balance of whole grains, produce, and healthy fat. All you need is some protein powder and you would be good to go! The smoothie ended up being pretty big, so I told myself that I would only have half and save the rest for later. Well, that didn’t happen… and then I ended up wide awake pinning things on Pinterest! You guys are going to love this one! It’s a huge energy booster and so healthy, yet extremely delicious! Plus it is really hearty and filling, you won’t be hungry again for hours.

The ingredient list may look overwhelming and long, but everything can be found at Whole Foods or your local health food store. To get more organized and make the process faster, get out all of the measuring cups and ingredients and put them on the counter before you begin. This way everything will be easily accessible and ready to scoop and blend!

Gargantuan Green Giant
Serves 1

3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 cups fresh spinach
1 frozen banana
1/4 cup rolled oats
2 Tbsp almonds
2 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 Tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp Spirulina powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
6 drops liquid stevia or other natural sweetener
6 ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in a high powered blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy cold.
Note: If you do not have a high powered blender such as Vitamix or Blendtec, start by blending the hard ingredients (i.e. almonds, oats, and spinach) with the almond milk to ensure they are thoroughly blended. Then gradually add the other ingredients. You could use a Tbsp more of almond milk or water to get the blender running smoothly because this smoothie is rather thick.
Side Note: If your blender cannot handle almonds at all, substitute for 1 Tbsp of unsalted almond butter.

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