Banana Bread Smoothie Recipe

It's no secret I love to start my day with a healthy, decadent-flavored smoothie.

Photo credit: Morguefile

I often sip on a Chocolate-Covered Banana Smoothie or Raspberry-Banana Smoothie.

Hey, who says breakfast can't be good for me and delicious?

Today I came up with an oh so tasty treat! Fall is in the air and I've been wanting to make up a loaf of banana bread. Or, maybe pumpkin bread. Anyway, since I haven't had time yet, I adapted the flavor into a smoothie. Enjoy!

Banana Bread Smoothie 

1 serving (approx. 300 calories)

• 1 cup soy milk (I used 8th Continent Soy Milk, Original)
• 1 large banana, cut into chunks
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup dry quick oats

1. Place the milk, banana and honey in the blender.
2. Top with the oats and cinnamon.
3. Combine until creamy, pour and enjoy!

*Note: If you are using a small, single-serve blender, invert the layering of the ingredients, so the oats aren't the first ingredient to touch the blender blades.

Do you have a favorite morning go-to smoothie recipe? Tell me about it in the comments below!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

PS: You can find me on Facebook and Twitter for more delicious ideas!

Does the Egg + Banana Pancake Recipe Really Work?

I know I'm not the only one who looks at foodie memes on Facebook and Pinterest wondering if they really work.

The perfect, low-calorie, gluten-free pancakes using only two ingredients sure caught my eye.

They look delicious. But, are they?

I put the pancake recipe to a test. 

If you haven't seen this meme, the picture claims that mixing one large egg and one banana together into a batter and pan frying it makes pancakes. Wow!

So, I made this for dinner last night. After all, the recipe uses two whole foods as ingredients! Here's my take on this recipe.

1. Texture: I used a very ripe banana, so the batter came out thick and very similar to pancake batter. The cooked pancakes were very moist. They reminded me of a dense omelet, not pancakes.
2. Taste: They tasted good -- if you like banana pancakes. I think they'd make a good side dish with breakfast, but not as the main entree. The banana flavor is pretty dominant.
3. Ease: This was super easy to make since there's no measuring or pancake mix to spill. But, they did seem to take a little longer to cook than traditional pancakes. Turn the heat to just below medium and don't flip them until the edges start to look a little dry. (The tops don't bubble like pancakes.)
4. Calories: One banana, one large egg, 1/8 cup of real maple syrup and 1 tablespoon of real butter for frying and topping come out to roughly 380 calories.

Overall, I thought these were pretty good. Will they be my new go-to pancakes? No. But, will I make them again? Probably. They're simple and taste pretty darn good!

So, have you tried this simple "pancake" recipe? What did you think?

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

Easy Vegan Green Smoothie Recipe

The hubby and I have been sipping on smoothies for months now. They make a quick meal on the go, plus they're full of vitamins and minerals.

You really can't go wrong with fresh fruit and vegetables in your glass, you know?

So this past weekend I created a new green smoothie for myself. I'm not a huge fan of the green drinks that taste like grass, so this was a nice change. Often I add a handful of spinach to my smoothies, and it's simply too flavorful. So, now I'm experimenting with baby kale. If you're not a fan of grass-flavored smoothies, try this!

Spinach-Free Green Smoothie

• 3 cups baby kale
• 1 cup green seedless grapes, frozen
• 1 banana, frozen
• 2 cups almond milk*

Mix all ingredients in a blender until they're creamy and smooth. Serve in a tall glass. I use a beer mug and tall straw for fun.

*Note: You can use any type of milk in this recipe. I can't digest cow milk very well, so my choice this week was Almond Breeze flavored with a hint of honey. The extra sweetness makes this smoothie taste even better! Next time I plan to try vanilla-flavored almond milk.

What's your favorite green smoothie recipe? Please share in the comments below.

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

It's Almost Ice Cream...

I'm a sucker for a big bowl of ice cream. I love the cool, creamy dessert so much so, it decided to start hanging out around my midsection daily! Well, I've had to put a stop to that.

Image Credit: SXC

I've started snacking on a treat that's close enough to ice cream for me: frozen bananas!

If you've ever made a fruit smoothie, you know frozen bananas blend into a creamy delicious texture. Here's a simple recipe from cooking guru Rachael Ray for banana ice cream using nothing but frozen bananas and milk.

Have you ever made banana ice cream? Tell me about it in the comments below!

Note: Today's post is part of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. Each day during the month of April I'll highlight a letter of the alphabet with a healthy snack idea. Today is day "B". Stop back tomorrow for another delicious tip!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

7 Guilt-Free Munchies for Snack Time

Nuts! Photo: SXC

I have the hardest time sticking to a healthy diet when I've got the munchies. I tend to grab whatever is close without thinking about how good (or bad!) it really is for me.

Over the weekend I fell off the healthy-eating cart at a birthday party and ate several handfuls of potato chips. They were greasy, salty--and delicious. Darn it.

OK, to keep me on track, and give you a few ideas, here's seven munchies that won't make you feel guilty later. Remember, the key to any snack is also moderation!

1. Roasted, unsalted nuts. My favorites are almonds and pistachios.
2. A sliced apple topped with natural peanut or almond butter.
3. A banana smoothie. Blend frozen banana slices and soy milk in the blender and sip!
4. Dried fruits processed without sugar. Try raisins, cranberries, papaya or banana chips.
5. A hard-boiled egg.
6. Low-sodium string cheese. Check out the new, weird cheddar/mozzarella twists!
7. Whole-grain pita chips and hummus.

What are your go-to munchies?

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

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Healthy Chocolate Treat

Photo by Alvimann, Morguefile.com

I crave chocolate-- a lot. Instead of reaching for a high calorie, preservative filled candy bar, my new addiction is a "chocolate-covered banana" smoothie! This sweet treat came about one morning when I realized I was out of vanilla soy milk and rice milk. Hey, chocolate for breakfast is ok, right?

Chocolate-Covered Banana Smoothie

2 1/2 cups of organic chocolate soy milk

2 peeled bananas, broken into chunks

1 cup ice cubes

Place bananas and milk in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Add ice cubes and blend until no ice chunks remain.

Pour into a tall glass and enjoy!

Until next time,

Choose Healthy!

Angela

Whole Foods Living

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