You’d have to be living under a rock these days to not be aware of the movement and trend towards eating more fresh foods and less processed “empty” foods. It’s time to eliminate the “bad guys”…the ones linked to degenerative diseases and weight gain and that includes all those “bad carbs” (you know, all that white flour and white sugar that is prevalent in processed foods) as well as “bad fats”…the saturated and trans fats along with all those chemicals and preservatives that find their way into our food, onto the grocery shelves and into our bodies.
Eating raw is your ticket to health…it is not just another diet, it is truly a lifestyle change toward better health and well-being. Eating raw means we are not only substituting the “bad stuff” with healthy stuff but we no longer need to bake (heat destroys so much nutrition…enzymes etc.). But how can we “eat raw” and still satisfy our “sweet tooth?” Is there a way we can “go raw” and still treat ourselves to delicious desserts and treats?
Just as there is an endless variety of ways to “eat raw” in your regular meals…there are endless variety of ways to prepare incredibly healthy raw desserts and snacks. All those cakes, pies, cookies, creamy desserts, ice creams and candies can be reformulated to a healthy version and I promise they will taste as good as or even better than your traditional ones.
You’ll be replacing your white flour with ground nuts, your sugar with healthy dried fruits and avocados and coconut oil replace your cream, butter and eggs.
Here’s a few recipes for you to try on your friends and loved ones and with Valentine’s Day around the corner what better time to treat those you love to something that’s really from your “heart.” (These are all gluten free too!)
If you’ve been eating healthy for a while now you are likely aware of the awesome nutrition that Chia Seeds provide but I bet you didn’t know you could use them on your own home-made ice-cream.
Chia Seed Ice Cream
¼ cup chia seeds (soaked in ½ cup water for 5 minutes)
½ cup cashews
½ cup almond, rice or any other milk
Handful of frozen banana slices
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
This is the basic mix. You can add any of the following or dream up some healthy additions yourself.
¼ – ½ cup coconut butter (warmed until liquid)
½ cup desiccated coconut
Handful of frozen berries
1 tablespoon of any nut butter
1 scoop protein powder or some ‘greens’ powder
Place cashews in blender and blend till finely chopped.
Add chia/water mixture and all other ingredients and blend until well combined.
Let sit in the fridge for about 15 minutes, if you want it to be ice cream let it sit in the freezer for 20 minutes. You can also just eat it right away, but it will set-up nicer and be more pudding (or ice cream like) if you wait a bit.
And for all you chocolate lovers here’s a dynamite Chocolate Cupcakes that your whole family will love!
Chocolate Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting
Base:
1½ cups walnuts
1 cup dates (soaked 30 minutes and drained)
½ cup coconut oil (warmly until liquid)
½ cup cocoa or cacao powder
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
Place walnuts and dates into food processor and blend until a sticky dough is formed. Add cocoa, coconut oil and vanilla and process again until well combined. Press mixture into silicone cupcake molds and place in fridge to firm up.
Frosting:
1½ cups desiccated (or fresh) coconut
¼ cup honey
½ cup coconut oil (warmed until liquid)
1 teaspoon vanilla mint or peppermint essence water as needed
Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until a dough like paste is formed adding a little water a tablespoon at time to allow mixture to become thick and creamy. Place frosting in fridge for a few hours to firm up or in freezer for an hour then place on top of chocolate base and decorate with coconut flakes.
You don’t have to limit your choices to just these two awesome desserts…inside “50 Healthy Raw Desserts” Volume One and Two you’ll find other great choices sure to please the palate of everyone. That’s a total of 100 Healthy Raw Desserts!”
