simple

Breakfast, Desserts, Recipes, Snacks, Vegetarian

Cherry Chia Parfait

Sooo I’ve been super obsessed with my Cherry Chia Jam over the past few days. So obsessed that I have been eating it plain as a Jell-o-ish snack after my workout, on my toast, and now in a parfait! Since my one serving of fruit (1 cup of cherries), and one serving of plant based fat (1 Tbsp of chia seeds) have been taken care of, all I needed to complete my breakfast was a serving of whole-grain and protein, so I opted for some oats and plain Greek yogurt! I enjoyed the flavor combination of ripe cherries & tart Greek yogurt and the chewy texture of the oats. It was both refreshing and filling and just what I needed on this hot day! I will definitely be making this more often! Maybe with some mango Chia Jam? I’m sure that will be happening sometime soon!

As I was in the checkout line at Sprout’s Farmers Market the other day, a woman behind me was trying to convince her friend to buy chia seeds and I could’t help but eavesdrop and awkwardly join their conversation with some chia recipes haha She told me that she puts chia seeds in her tea as a tapioca/boba substitute! GENIUS! So happy I talk to strangers in grocery store lines! I need to try that!

I just love those little seeds! Aren’t they so much fun?


Cherry Chia Parfait
Serves 1

1 cup Cherry Chia Jam
1/4 cup rolled oats
6oz plain nonfat Greek yogurt

Prepare the Cherry Chia Jam to original instructions and refrigerate for at least one hour before adding to the parfait. In a glass jar or cup, layer half of the yogurt along the bottom, followed by half of the oats, and half of the Cherry Chia Jam. Repeat until all of your ingredients have been layered in the jar. Enjoy cold.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: cherries (from jam)
Whole Grain: rolled oats
Protein: plain nonfat Greek Yogurt
Plant Based Fat: chia seeds (from jam)

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Raw, Recipes, Snacks, Toast Tuesdays, Treats, Vegan, Vegetarian

Cherry Chia Jam

Happy Toast Tuesday!
I decided to change things up a weeee bit for this week’s Toast Tuesday by posting a toast related recipe! This recipe if from one of my favorite blogs: Eating Bird Food! Brittany has some really fantastic healthy recipes and she is basically a chia genius. She is super creative with her recipes & ingredients and gives the term “bird food” a whole need meaning!

Brittany’s Easy Chia Seed Jam used strawberries, but since I am allergic to berries (with the exception of raspberries), I decided to go for cherries. It can be really tricky to find yummy jams and jellies other than orange marmalade and grape, so once I saw Brittany’s super simple recipe I was pumped to make my own! You will not believe how easy this recipe is. Only three steps stand between you and some fresh homemade jam! It is so delish, you could actually enjoy this jam as a vegan Jello-O snack which counts as 1 serving of fruit, and one serving of plant based fat!


Cherry Chia Jam
Makes about 1 cup of jam

1 cup black cherries (I used frozen pitted)
1 Tbsp chia seeds
1 Tbsp water

Defrost the cherries under warm water until thawed and remove pits if necessary. Place the cherries and 1 Tbsp of water in a blender and pulse until cherries are mashed, but not completely pureéd. Transfer the mashed cherries to a jar and stir in the chia seeds. Refrigerate for about 60 minutes until chia seeds expand and turn the content into a thick jam.

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Restaurant Hop, Tips

Restaurant Hop: Panera Bread

Hi Everybunny!

Thank you so much for your support about my thyroid health dilemma that I mentioned yesterday! I really appreciate all of the positive comments, vibes and stories from readers who have dealt with similar healthy issues. You guys are the best!

Today I am starting a new little feature for my blog! One of my brilliant little bunnies Lidia commented on a post with a fabulous question which turned into an awesome idea: RFFBT Restaurant Hop!

“I was wondering, is there anyway you could do a post about some healthy but tasty foods to eat when necessity dictates eating out?” –Lidia

I love hopping around to different restaurants and trying different foods, but I can say that one year ago, it was a very different story. It can be so hard to go out to eat while you are trying to lose weight and stick with your specific eating/diet plan. When I was about halfway through my weight loss journey, I was so obsessed with getting to my goal that I cut myself off all social events that included eating. I stopped going to my friend’s birthdays and started avoiding any sort of social situation that centered around restaurants and food. My obsession with dieting and my all or nothing mentality led to a pattern of disordered eating, which I still struggle with today. I remember going to a restaurant with my friend in Houston and I had so much anxiety over the entire dining situation (what should I order? Is everyone going to watch me eat?, Will the waiter judge me if I have a super complicated order? What if I give in to the bread basked and “ruin” all of my hard work?) that I started crying while reading the menu and had to leave. It was a terrible feeling and it seems so ridiculous when I think back on these moments, but to me, going out to restaurants was harder than final exams in college. It took me a lot of time to get through my fear of dining at restaurants, but I learned to use my Rabbit Food Pyramid guidelines at restaurants to help me make better choices and stay on track.

I really loved Lidia’s idea because I (obviously) know how challenging it can be to make healthy choices at a restaurant, so I want to give you guys some ideas of meals that you can order at popular chain restaurants so you can enjoy the experience and be stress free when it comes to deciding what to order!

My first RFFMBT Restaurant Hop location is: Panera Bread!
Panera has tons of locations and some great menu items, and with a few tweaks, you can have a perfectly balanced RFFMBT friendly meal!

Here is what I had at Panera last night!

My Order: 1 full Fuji Apple Chicken Salad, no chicken, no pecans, dressing on the side and a whole-wheat baguette. THAT WAS EASY! Now let me show you the breakdown!

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: mixed field greens, romaine, red onions, vine-ripened tomatoes, and apple chips
Whole Grain: ½ whole-wheat baguette
Protein: Gorgonzola cheese
Plant Based Fat: 1 spoonful (eyeball 1 Tbsp) of white balsamic Fuji apple vinaigrette (made with olive oil)

For an even more detailed description of my swaps, let me break it down a little more for you:

The original Fuji Apple Chicken Salad comes with:
All-natural, antibiotic-free chicken, mixed field greens, romaine lettuce, vine-ripened tomatoes, red onions, pecans, Gorgonzola, apple chips & white balsamic apple vinaigrette. A side of potato chips, 1 apple, regular baguette or whole-wheat baguette.

If you look at the ingredients, they list 2 proteins (chicken and gorgonzola) and two plant based fats (pecans and white balsamic – contains olive oil). Now, take your pick between what you would like as your protein: chicken or Gorgonzola? Since I am mainly vegetarian I opted for the Gorgonzola cheese for my protein serving. Next, choose your plant based fat: Would you like pecans, or white balsamic dressing? Since they don’t have a fat free dressing option (such as plain balsamic vinegar) I opted to keep the dressing and leave the pecans behind. When adding your dressing, note the amount that they provide you with. Restaurants usually load healthy salads with calorie/fat bombs of dressing which make some salads just as fattening as a cheeseburger. Try to eyeball 1 Tbs of dressing for your salad or dip your fork full of salad into the dressing to avoid too much plant based fat. Also note the size of your whole-wheat baguette. Panera tends to be very generous with their baguette portions, after all it is called Panera BREAD! I usually cut my baguette in half and give the rest to a friend or box it up right away so I am not tempted.

I know that some people look for the nutritional information (calories, carb, fat, etc.), but I have found that counting calories is just not a great match for me and my past all or nothing eating style. If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know that I stick to balanced portions from the 4 food groups in order to stay on track. If you need the nutritional value for this meal, you could always use the Nutrition Calculator on Panera’s official website.

For more tips on dining out, read my RFFMBT Dining Out Guide!
I cannot wait for my next Restaurant Hop! Suggestions for future restaurants are welcome!

| 46 Comments
Breakfast, Desserts, Recipes, Snacks, Toast Tuesdays, Vegetarian

Apple Walnut Toast

Hello Helloooo!
I had the BEST breakfast this morning! Of course it was toast in honor of Toast Tuesday!

Today I did my first official guest post for a blog called Wonder Forest! The author, Dana is a very stylish and extremely talented blogger, graphic artist, and entrepreneur from Ontario, Canada! She owns an adorable shop called Wonder Forest and is also a co-owner of another called Fawn & Flora!

Make sure to stop by and checkout my healthy recipe for: Campfire Kisses! Caution, you will spend hours on her gorgeous blog… Sophisticated combinations of color, typography, and imagery ahead!

Nowww back to some delicious toast! My palette has been craving all sorts of crazy flavor combinations, so I have been experimenting with tons of different food pairings. It’s fun to discover new favorites and change up the good ol’ day breakfast routine!


Apple Walnut Toast
serves 1

1 slice whole-grain toast
1 fuji apple
2 Tbsp nonfat cream cheese
2 Tbsp walnuts
cinnamon to taste

Toast the bread and slice the apple. Spread the toast evenly with cream cheese and top with apple slices and walnuts. Sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon to taste!

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: apple
Whole Grain: bread
Protein: nonfat cream cheese
Plant Based Fat: walnuts

 

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Lunch, Raw, Recipes, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian

Summer Salad

I hope that everyone had a nice holiday weekend! It is getting hot hot hot in Los Angeles, and I couldn’t think of anything more refreshing than a cold fruit salad with a twist! Instead of the usual all-fruit salad, how about combining some other plant based components of protein, whole-grain, and fat to complete your meal!

Hold the dressing… This salad consists of 4 different flavors that perfectly compliment each other to make a tart yet sweet and refreshing dish, so there is no need for anything else. I’m so hooked, I could probably have this every single day!

P.S. If you are trying to incorporate vegetarian or vegan meals into your diet, this is a great easy option for meatless mondays. On a high note, this salad is boyfriend approved and my sister went back for seconds haha

Summer Salad
Serves 1

1 medium grapefruit
1/2 cup chilled unshelled edamame
1/2 cup chilled corn
1/4 medium avocado

Remove the skin of the grapefruit by cutting with a knife between the rind and flesh. Once the outer skin and pith has been removed, separate segments of the grapefruit and remove all of the membrane, pulp, and seeds so only the grapefruit flesh remains exposed. Chop the segments into smaller cubed pieces. Remove 1/4 avocado meat from it’s skin and cut into cubes. Add the chilled corn (rinsed and strained) and edamame  to the grapefruit and avocado and gently toss. Serve chilled.

The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: grapefruit
Whole Grain: corn
Protein: edamame
Plant Based Fat: avocado

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