Snacks & Smoothies

How in the world do you stay healthy and get enough food and nutrients on a limited diet??? I'm not exactly sure yet.  That is just one of the many issues I'm dealing with on this food allergy journey I'm on.  Sometimes, if I'm not prepared with an arsenal of snacks that will give me energy and sustain me (especially with my stressful job), I will cave under pressure.  I mean, absolutely CAVE....like, eat pizza.  or a regular cookie.  Or whatever else is around me.  This is not acceptable, because I feel the affects of these foods for at least 3 days, sometimes up to 1 week (skin rashes, body aches, cold/nasal allergy symptoms, extreme fatigue...etc.) .  So, what do I do to combat this? Well, I'm not sure.

But, I bought a new cook book, Raw Energy by Stephanie Tourles, that has tons of snack, smoothie, nut milk, bar, trail mix, and "candy" recipes that I can't wait to try out, all of which are vegan, raw, and (mostly) gluten free! My hope is, that with snack foods readily available in my home and at work, I will always have something to grab when I'm feeling hungry or need an energy boost.

Here's a smoothie my husband and I had today for an afternoon snack - It's technically a "green" smoothie, but the blueberries turn it purple. It's best to eat leafy greens raw, in order to get all of their nutrients.  But, its tough to eat raw greens, especially if you don't really have a taste for them. I couldn't even taste the kale in this smoothie (and neither could my husband, who is much more discerning than me when it comes to food taste). Its also very healthy and sustaining!

Blueberry-Banana-Kale "green" (PURPLE!!) Smoothie

1 1/2 cups milk alternative (I used almond.  This smoothie is very thick, almost like a shake, so if you desire a more liquid consistency, use water instead.)
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 frozen banana
2 Tablespoons nut butter (I used peanut butter)
1 Tablespoon honey
roughly 1 cup kale leaves, washed and de-stemmed. 


Add all ingredients to a blender, and blend until smooth.  I had to stir a couple of times to make sure all of the kale was blended.  


Pour into glasses, and enjoy! Makes about 2 servings.  


*Ashley*