Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Pepperoni – Spiced Tofu Protein (Anti-Inflammatory)

Pepperoni made from tofu is plant-based and a healthy protein snack or topping-add to your pizza without guilt. Below, it’s the new pepperoni 🍕

And even further below is how to make this liked (or disliked) food (depending on the taster), a regular part of your healthy food meal prep for grab-and-go protein. Or add to pizza food.

Unlike regular cured meat-based pepperoni that’s hands-down liked, tofu is a healthy topping sub on pizza. Regular pepperoni is high in saturated fat, sodium and acidity.

But tofu is the opposite. It’s lean. low-sodium, and considered an alkaline food.

If you experience heartburn often from certain foods, tofu pepperoni could be one protein substitution answer.

It’s also a one big block full of calcium, iron, and fiber.

…So when it’s put that way, maybe worth a go?

And maybe help sway your tofu decision in your upcoming grocery trip. Or may open your eyes to make you look at tofu in a new light.

Plus, if saving grocery money matters to you, tofu could be a good protein savings.

Tofu disguised as pepperoni could be the idea to give the creamy protein block a needed new identity (for you). If you can get your mind to agree to the tofu look and taste as similar… or at least agreeable with enough salt and spice tastes added, then you get all its benefits.

And if you’re not too familiar with tofu (or never tried the food before)…

Tofu is the Japanese name.

The other common names are bean curd or soybean curd.

It’s a soy food. You can also find soy in edamame and soy milk where you may know other soy ingredients.

But unlike those soybean products, tofu is easy to find. Today you can find it in most mass grocery stores.

It’s usually in a white container that the protein spongy-looking block looks like it would fit in, and what you find when you get inside the no-mistake-it’s-tofu packaging.

But tofu won’t end up looking like a spongy block after you crumble up the tofu protein. That’s also a legume.

Because it’s soy, it’s a legume.

Legumes are the larger plant-based food category.

It’s a broader category of plant-based foods that gives you a healthy food variety to choose from and additional fiber to add to your diet.

But usually you just call out the food name instead of legumes. Like beans, peanuts, and peas.

And if that’s what you’d like to add more of in your diet, maybe try a 15-bean turmeric soup…

With all the variety out there and plant-forward foods growing abundantly outside, it’s easy to see why natural foods is a forward path to food sustainability.

…And is great for those who don’t eat meat, and for those who do.

Plant-based tofu pepperoni can be the first thing you reach for when you’re hangry for a snack or wondering what to eat.

Spiced up, tofu pepperoni can have similar tastes to meat pepperoni.

Easy-to-find spice powders like paprika and chili powder give a closer-to-pepperoni reddish color.

You can add sharp and punchy spices flavors like fresh garlic powder and cumin. Plus, salt balances well with oregano for an herb-y taste.

Oregano is one of the healthiest antioxidant herb spices on our planet. It has a sweet peppery note and goes well with any savory Italian dish or red tomato sauce.

To make the tofu pepperoni:

From a standard 3″x4″tofu block (14 oz) that comes in a common tofu plastic container found in grocery stores, cut the tofu into 3 long rectangle pieces so then you have 3-3″x 4″ rectangles. A regular bread knife works well for this task as tofu is soft and smooth like butter.

From there, you can cut out the round pepperoni shapes. Since the tofu rectangle is about 3″x 4″, a round cookie cutter about 1-1/2″ (4 cm) works well. I didn’t have a round cookie cutter that size (and you probably don’t either), but I found a 1-1/2″ round spice container top worked perfectly. So look around your pantry and kitchen. A small juice glass could even work.

If you have perfect cuttings, then you can cut out 12 pepperoni that you can then cut again each pepperoni round in half (because they’ll be thick). I like to do it this way because it’s easier to cut smaller flimsy tofu pieces. But you do you!

So you’ll end up with 24 pepperoni plus tofu scraps that you can make into a tofu scramble 🥣 or tofu scrap (a new dish?). 💭

Then, make a spice dip. Add in all the spices you’ll be using with a little water (as the glue), and dip each tofu pepperoni in.

Dust with additional red paprika. I find a tea infuser works for this step because the small, even holes lightly dusts just enough for the reddish color effect (without adding too much of the spice).

Do this with all the pepperoni round slices.

In the process, I found I lost a few because tofu is soft and more delicate to work with. I forgot they weren’t hardy like meat.

Those broken ones went to the edible tofu scrap pile that will also get cooked up.

And in your sautée pan, cook tofu pepperoni rounds for about 15 minutes total, gently flipping over once, about halfway through.

Then they’re ready for eat-alone snacks and on pizzas. They will stay good in the fridge for 3-5 days (and you can also freeze them for longer).

On pizzas, since the tofu is already cooked, you can add them as pepperoni toppings during the last 5 minutes in home pizza oven baking.

And if you want to accompany the tofu rounds with more plant-based eating, you could add herbs and microgreens and make a salad. 🌱

Tofu Pepperoni (Protein and Plant-Based)

This is a way to substitute pepperoni on your pizza or for better protein snacking.

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

1 container tofu
1 Tbsp paprika (plus more for sprinkling)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder (of 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper for heat)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin (optional)
1 tsp turmeric (will add a light orange color)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sumac (optional)
1 tsp salt
water

Instructions

Mix dry ingredients in a separate shallow bowl..
Cut wet tofu block into 3 (3"x4") rectangles. Cut round tofu pepperoni shapes using a round cookie cutter (or a round kitchen item like a round spice lid top for the tofu pepperoni round size you desire). Cut tofu rounds if thicker than 1/4".
Mix spices with a small amount of water (about 1/2 the spice amount). Dip each tofu pepperoni round side in the spiced-water.
Evenly sprinkle additional paprika (for red color) on each tofu pepperoni round. Tip: use a tea infuser with small evenly-spaced holes to maximize pepperoni color effect but not adding too much additional paprika.
On the stovetop, cook tofu pepperoni on medium heat in a skillet for a total of 15 minutes, about 7 minutes on each side (flipping tofu pepperoni rounds once)
Use as a topping to pizza that can be baked in near the end or enjoy the tofu pepperoni as eat-alone snacks. They will last for 3-5 days in the cool part of the refrigerator.

Share this

Fig Bar – Low-Sugar Baked

Fig bar tastes is a good sweet snack for low-sugar healthy options. These are healthy baked even though they look like fried desserts.

And the wholesome figgy tastes are a reason for celebration in the season you’re in.

When I was growing up, Fig Newton cookies were my healthy go-to choice as a cross between an obvious sugared cookie, and a healthy snack cookie bar concept that didn’t yet exist in my young world.

When you’re a kid, you’re barely aware of good vs. bad, but you know cavities are bad and dodging them is good as verified by the dentist.

Back then, my little hands didn’t think grabbing and stuffing my mouth with a wholesome fig bar could fall in either a good or bad zone.

Fast forward decades later to a new century and a quarter century later (that’s today), and I’ve parted ways with most packaged daily sweets. The hardest part was weaning myself off a crispy nutrition or oatmeal breakfast bars that often are loaded with hidden sugar that I used to supplement sugar with.

Today, if I had a teaspoon of honey a day, that’s sometimes enough. My younger self would’ve never believed.

So I would’ve never seen that coming and parting the Red Sea was more believable to me.

But life is surprising and healthy changes gradually happen and you notice when you look back, and realize you’re happier with your changes.

And in case you think I’m a healthy food snob, I’m not at all… I’m not one to judge others if they’re enjoying themselves, especially since I’ve been there. We all have choice.

If you want to protect your body, that’s a healthy choice. And that was my choice. To replace, I use my tasting background (in catering) and healthy eating experiences.

While a banana a day can be boring, adding peanut butter or switching fruits is a game changer.

And finding healthy duos like cacao and unsweetened coconut, or fig and cinnamon can be enough. The flavor pair gives a tasty bite.

You don’t need that much addictive sugar unless you keep eating gobs of it, and then you need to keep the cycle going to keep your taste buds happy.

That was me too. 😊

And you can start with making low-sugar desserts like a homemade fig bar with wholesome ingredients you and I grew up with, and can easily source.

When you buy food ingredients that include sugar, the trick is to not use the whole jar. And look to avoid high fructose corn syrup. You’ll find the healthy jars aren’t that much more pricey if you look around a minute or two.

For flour, whole wheat flour and gluten-free flours like almond flour or coconut flour that you won’t know is there, is a good mix.

When you add fig jam, the taste masks coconut tastes if that’s what you want. Or it complements the refined coconut flavors.

…And these healthy bars stack nicely to make a festive plate too! They ooze with fig.

So, how do you make this fig bar?

The easy way is to roll out a rectangle to about 1/4″ thick and spread a thin layer of jam.

Then fold in the two outer sides to the center, so now you have two folded tops. It’s like easy origami. 🪅

And then cut the dough in the middle with a pizza roller or kitchen knife. It almost looks like a burrito… and it’s a fig one.

Then cut into smaller bar rectangles like shown here…

Most people cut after baking and letting the bake cool.

My tip is to cut before baking, so you lose no crumbs and get an even bake.

Look at the back side shown here ⬇. It’s golden brown on the shorter edges too. If you were to cut after baking, you would lose that additional tasty browning definition. It’s a subtle enhancement.

Bake at 350°F for about 15-20 minutes. Or until golden brown.

Some common fig bar recipe questions:

What could I substitute for whole wheat flour?

You could substitute old-fashioned or rolled oats! To get a smoothie fig bar, you should use a food processor to make or grind into smaller, fine oats.

What type of honey should I use?

Organic and raw honey is recommended as healthy. You can use a common clover honey, Manuka, or orange blossom (that has a citrusy taste). My favorite to use is wildflower honey that’s sweet with a hint of floral, and works well in baking.

What can I use besides butter?

You can use coconut oil, a neutral olive oil, or even natural peanut butter.

Should I keep the bake in the oven slightly longer for a deeper brown?

It is better to under bake these then over bake as they can get too crisp (instead of a softer bite). Take a look at them in the oven at around the 15 minute mark. You can also flip the bars topside down to give a more even bake and make golden tops.

Also don’t roll the fig bar dough too thin, as then you can get crackers. If you want thinner fig bars, lower the oven temperature from 350°F/180°C to about 250°F/121°C.

If you like this, you may like to make a low-sugar graham cracker too for craving a sweet tooth or just for a ‘lil nostalgia.

Fig Bar Cookie - Low-Sugar

These are low-sugar bars that you can enjoy without all the sugar.

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

1 cup almond or coconut flour (gluten-free)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 egg white
fig jam
1 tsp raw honey
1 Tbsp melted butter

Instructions

Combine the ingredients to make the dough.
Roll out the dough and add a think layer of fig jam.
Fold the left and right end inward to meet at the center (like origami). Take a knife or roller and go down the vertical center. Then roll or cut horizontal/perpendicular to make rectangles.
Bake at 350°F/180°C for about 20 minutes or until soft baked. Do not over bake. The jam will be ready to eat, oozing out some!

Share this

Let In Some New Light ✨

Letting in light in your life is a bright way to your future (and to let go of the holding back past).

Someone needed that.

…I know I did.

On my life journey, letting go was not a natural skill of mine.

Even through my 30s, I let my mind embellish on the past.

For better or worse.

Better is good past and happy memories that are meant to be kept and linger on. Because happy thoughts make a happy day.

And good is good, so don’t mess with good.

…But some days, I would let my ego run circles around me, ruminating in sour thoughts.

That’s what most of us do unknowingly, until we catch on and decide to exercise our healthy mind’s power.

When struck, rumination sometimes used to take up hours if I was lucky, possibly a whole day, or rob my entire weekend while I kinda did something else.

These days, I snap out and decide to change thoughts much faster, sometimes within nanoseconds with mind self-awareness.

That btw I was never taught. And most likely, you were never taught.

But one day (where I can’t pinpoint the exact day or year), it happened.

It was a gradual light bulb that turned on in me.💡

It started with self-reflection and self-awareness.

And that’s where any of us can begin.

But realize there are different kinds of self-awareness.

The most common type that made its pin drop on the map (and hopefully is part of you and your practices 📍🗺️), is the self-awareness kind where you know how you come across to others in work, personal relationships, and encounters with strangers.

It’s when you’re not just doing or saying whatever is on your mind.

…A very important skill to have in better relationships.

Because being thoughtful and thinking-before-acting in safe environments breeds kindness, humility, and all the good qualities that people want to be around, and especially for employers seeking new employees that customer face.

It separates us from animals that act on instincts in any surrounding.

And self-awareness is one quality described in the hospitality quotient (soft skills) that Shake Shack’s owner Danny Meyer came up with for businesses looking for their next employees.

One that I can personally relate to having managed hundreds of events in several DC restaurants.

And maybe you waited tables or worked in customer service which I think is one of the best training grounds for prioritizing demands quick on your feet.

So that’s one type of common self-awareness.

Then there’s another kind, the (deeper) thought-mind self-awareness, that helps you out the most. And helps others secondarily.

It’s a must-have skill for those who want to improve personal and life development.

This is where you catch all your thoughts.

And kinda like when you’re reading a nonfiction book and you’re aware of your thoughts about what you think of what you’re reading. You know if you’re being judgmental or if what you’re reading is helpful to you.

You’re forming thoughts about new thoughts coming in.

And similarly when you’re not reading, thoughts like this enter throughout your day, invited in or not.

Most thoughts are either loving or fear-based and unloving.

…Positive or negative themes.

…Helpful or not helpful.

And your thought-mind self-awareness (quotient) I’m describing here is determined by whether you can quickly label the thought as black-or-white (and not leave as gray-fuzzy), as an Observer with a capital O for an important role in life.

Like when you set filters in your inbox to decide if certain emails are worth ruminating or elaborating on.

Negative and unloving past thoughts (like junk messages) are usually not worth your time because they are time hogs and reel you down emotionally… unless they help you noodle something out to your next growth step.

Worry is another thought category. It’s another way to ruminate especially if it’s a go-to habit. But incessant worry is unhelpful and unnecessary.

Instead getting to the root of worry thoughts help you problem solve and come up with better answers.

And after you’re aware why you’re worrying and have come up with a few ideas on how to handle the situation (you’re worrying about or that could arise), you’re best to let it go, pray it off, and change your thoughts.

This is one way to exercise your power of healthy mind self-awareness… and so that you can get to the higher thoughts that lead to bigger dreams you want to manifest in YOUR life.

…And also so that you can be healthy, whole, and thriving,

And as you learn to better let go of unproductive thoughts that don’t serve you today and bad parts of the past that the younger brain recorded, REWRITE your ruminating thought endings as they enter.

Give those fuzzy past situations a happy and successful ending.

That lightens your load.

Like, you got an “A” and not a “D” on the project, or you turned your knots in the stomach into challenging yourself into an experience that made you into a better you today.

Let in the light to replace what you’re letting go. This allows fresh, new, and healthy ideas to birth… and old, tired ways to die.

But hold on, it’s not so easy… your ego doesn’t want those sad thoughts to die, so it will keep finding ways to drudge up past thoughts and make it stick to you like wet plastic wrap.

Be aware of your ego, and l’ego!

You have to be super intentional and aware to peel off ego’s thought and ways and disassociate, or else the same wrap just comes clinging again.

So when that negative thought situation arises, write down what you did to change your thought (because the ego doesn’t want you to remember that you already crossed that small win finish-line before).

Unaware, a similar thought will show up again in a different situation and sour your day… unless you consciously are aware to stop it again.

Connect the dots in wonderment. Don’t leave it as an open puzzle.

That’s the way to wholeness and getting a light waterfall of a-ha answers.

If you can get to the place of changing your subconscious ego thoughts (and head in a quicker-than-before direction 📈) to a new replacement thought despite the stubborn thought trying to edge back in at every curve, then you know you’ve got this!

You get this.

And if you’re being humble like me here, you can practice on all the other dissimilar thoughts that try to derail your life.

Like thoughts that try to make you more busy (and important that ego loves)…

One way to test yourself is how you interact with strangers.

I meet a lot of interesting people on my journey these days.

And where my younger self would’ve kept on going and stayed busy on my task list, I now (wisely better) stop and converse.

I can spend untimed minutes talking with new people, when edging in 20 minutes used to be impossible.

The metro city culture where I came from, local people just don’t do that.

They’re self-absorbed and quick in every turn and way. They run circles around people and they’re also movers and shakers helping our world move in other ways.

If you slow them down, they think you’re retired or from the South.

The value isn’t placed in slowing down. It’s encouraged to walk away and get ahead.

It’s rude, but accepted.

But that’s not a good way to get the most out of this life.

In a slower living, mind-aware way, that’s how you learn to let light in and grow.

That’s where the healthy good is in life.

Because if you gain wisdom and listen to people who have slowed down, they take time to give good words to you.

And if you let in the new information, that helps you grow.

Good people strangers speak wisdom, share valuable tips, and sometimes even help you see sides of yourself that’s eye-opening.

They don’t know you, but they can say profound things to you that make an impact on your future if you think about it from your past encounters.

In-person, you can make no mistake that face-to-face, from being-to-being, the message is for you.

Their words somehow swirl their way in your mind later in the day as the way the Universe can speak visually and audibly to you. Through people’s faces that will later fade in memory.

Soothsayers birth new ideas in and for you. And you probably do the same for others without knowing it.

And unlike people you know, in these good chance encounters, there is no motive from the stranger as it’s as surprising of a meeting for you as it is for them.

Most likely you’ll never see this person or people again.

Here they are and poof! there they go. And there you go.

Out into your rest of the day and life.

Where today and daily you choose to purposefully listen to specific outside people in our world, media, or from podcasts.

…When well-paid speakers often share stories about lessons they learned from strangers they met on the plane or out and about everyday life.

The kind I just described to you.

Most of us are looking to learn and be influenced…

To be more knowledgeable, grow as a person, and be better in how each of us define.

And with those intentions, thought-mind awareness can be part of that self-improvement and personal self-development process.

If you fully adopt a thought awareness mindset, you won’t just drift into your busy world and wonder years later where your life went.

Because shifts are happening daily all around us without our consent. The tectonic plates are even shifting under our feet now and likely wherever you are, as I wisely learned from a traveler I met and stopped to exchange ideas with.

So maybe for an intentionally better year this year, challenge yourself with a mindset shift and a determination to be thought-mind self-aware, to let go and let in some new light. ✨

I’m rooting for you! 🎉

Share this

Ceviche – Healthy Shrimp Protein Appetizer

Ceviche is a great shrimp and protein appetizer (or shrimp salad). It’s a healthy snack (or meal) that also brightens a table.

Decorating food tables with food is something I know about having planned hundreds of parties at Mediterranean cuisine restaurants.

And my humble start began creating catered events in American hotels, so making food at home brings it all full circle.

I have history with ceviche that was a hip trend in my catering days that went along with tapas (small plates).

I remember the Spanish restaurant I was at had a menu as big as Cheesecake Factory’s menu (without all the ad pages 😊).

And while I didn’t see ceviche on the menu often, Rosa Mexicano at National Harbor in the DC area was my go-to.

They crushed ripe avocados at your table to make fresh guacamole.

And what’s more exciting than fresh foods… that you can make yourself at home for very little cost! Tasty fresh guac is only a few fresh ingredients.

Avocados are the star and waiting for them to ripen faster is the hardest part if there is any. You can leave at warmer room temperatures on those efforts.

And also place next to other ripe fruit and/or a closed brown paper bag to speed up.

The beauty is perfectly fresh soft/ripe avocado has a short shelf-life of a day or two. A lot like cilantro.

For guacamole with a bite and for your ceviche, you want to use fresh cilantro. If you don’t like cilantro as some don’t, you can use fresh dill or parsley.

And for an unforgettable ceviche, you can lean on the trifecta ingredient effect of: red onions, cilantro (or fresh culinary herb), and lime juice.

If you finely chop the onions, they will be a delight in the melange.

Then you can add supporting healthy food ingredients and enhanced flavors. Like radishes, oranges, and tarragon herb spice added.

This is not a wimpy ceviche.

It’s for foodie tastes, and Chipotle healthy food sensibilities.

And saving the best for last: the protein seafood item.

Seafood is healthy lean protein with zinc that impacts immunity and metabolism, and Omega 3s for optimizing the health of vital organs (heart, brain, and eye health).

It’s an anti-inflammatory category of foods.

You can store seafood (and fish) in the freezer until you’re ready to use.

Shrimp can be one of those staple freezer bags.

One you can bring out anytime and cook up to enjoy with homemade shrimp cocktail sauce (no ketchup). Squid and Old Bay scallops are also a favorite you can pair with your ceviche.

I’m biased about the Old Bay seafood spice blend because I’m from that Delmarva area that douses Old Bay (that’s not an Old Spice deodorant) on everything savory. It’s in the water’s air. And I even douse on my ceviche.

To reel in the ocean-y ceviche appetizer to green land, I added asparagus spears and cilantro stalks. It’s now a salad.

And I made additional ceviche salad with oranges so it’s a tropical salad. Notice the salt rim that’s just too martini glass good.

Ready to make this?

Ceviche with shrimp served in a martini glass.

Ceviche - Shrimp Healthy Protein Meal

This is a healthy light protein filled appetizer, meal, or snack you can enjoy year round with your favorite ingredients. You can share this or enjoy this for yourself!

Course Appetizer

Servings 1 person

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

1 dozen shrimp (or seafood of choice)
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
10-12 leaves cilantro, finely chopped
2 tsp lime juice (add more as desired)
1 tsp orange juice from a whole orange
1 wedge small orange wedges
2 tsp sweet bell pepper or pimento pepper
2-3 radishes, minced (optional)
1 avocado, small pieces (zhugh on top)
tarragon herb spice (zhugh on shrimp)
salt (for glass rim)

Instructions

Cook the shrimp (or seafoods of choice).
In a bowl, toss onions, cilantros, peppers, radishes, and oranges like a salad with the juices. Let the juice marinade in the salad for a few minutes..
Then add salad to a martini or other presentation glass/bowl/vessel. Add salt to the rim (optional)
Using a spoon, add small avocado pieces on top. Add shrimp. Sprinkle tarragon on top. Share and enjoy!

Share this

Pear Strawberry Smoothie + Healthy New Year 🎉

Pear strawberry pair for a delicious and healthy smoothie. And I’m always looking for a new smoothie taste… you too?

This pear-straw amuse bouche is a great easy way to kick off healthy, brightening intentions for a blessed new year… after a holiday partridge in a pear tree.

Strawberry or strawberry lemonade is a great summer drink, but in the cool months, I found a strawberry pear-pair is a great sweet one.

The tastes seasonally complement. And you don’t need to add any more sweetness.

Because the juicy pear does the trick. 🍐 Not a prickly pear (cactus) but a regular sweet pear like a Bartlett pear. Anjou and Bosc are also common pears.

…And there’s just a ‘lil prep work that’s worth waiting for.

Like a few weeks after you buy (or pick) your pears.

As the pears ripen to a softness at room temps, you can squeeze the pear juice out. You can speed things up by putting pears near other ripe fruit (like a banana or apple), and even better put in a closed brown paper bag.

A soft pear looks the same on the outside, but inside it’s so soft that you don’t need a knife to pierce in.

You can push into the pear flesh and make pear sauce (like applesauce) if you wanted to.

And it’ll look like (and have the consistency) of juicy mashed potatoes.

That’s when it’s ripely good for a pear strawberry smoothie.🧉

Where you decide to add frozen (or fresh) strawberries.

Strawberry is the new banana in this smoothie.

Like the one here zhughed with shredded coconut… oui?

For the smoothie consistency, if you don’t have bananas around, are tired of them, or just never liked the taste of bananas, then the soft textures from frozen strawberries brought to room temps will do the trick.

Pull them out a day or two beforehand, so they can cold thaw in the fridge into useable mushy smoothie strawberries.

Then fire up your Magic Bullet, blending up your smoothie nice and smooth… and bottoms up!

So refreshing and sweet.

Spices also can enhance the pear tastes, and help remind you and I of the season we’re in… like winter, and if you’re feeling Kapha, ginger anti-inflammatory spice add a punchy but mild flavor.

And pinches of cinnamon for any Vata anxiety.

As someone who lives anti-inflammatory year-round, pears are full of fiber and are a low glycemic index food.

And strawberry is a superfood that has more Vitamin C than oranges!

So you’re doing a world of good by having a pear strawberry smoothie in your day.

Fruit, as in seeing what yields, is what keeps us going and growing and a smoothie can be the metaphor.

With a new year, we can use juicy winter fruit as a healthy symbol for what’s ahead.

I like seeing fruit in trees as a visual.

Bright berries are especially inspiring because you can find them out in nature even in the winter. Nature is not all dormant.

And fruit is abundant… and seasonal.

Fruit is a good metaphor for abundance. And what we all want is not just enough, or enough in the new year.

We want more than enough.

Because in overflow, we can give more to the world.

And by leaning into nature’s fruits, we can bring a little abundance into our daily smoothie drink.

For dominant Vatas (who love variety), seasons pose a garden backdrop of sweet fruits that help define what’s available and fresh to eat.

They show up in your kitchen and smoothie up!

And when you’re out and about…

Instead of reaching for a beverage, you can use a juicy apple (or in-season pears) to quench your thirst.

Apples and carrots are winter in-season healthy foods, and with the abundance, you can amp up in a apple-carrot smoothie with coconut tastes.

Or eat them raw if you don’t want to stop for restroom breaks.

Fruit also act as a mouth-teeth cleaner.So bringing a fruit snack with you in your travels make healthy sense all around.

And if you’re a hiker like me, they weigh little on the back.

They make for a happy and healthy snack break.

And if eating healthy today (with a healthy weight) and less sweets is your new year intention… and you have a natural daily sweet tooth craving, you can pair this pear-straw smoothie with a low-sugar berry shortbread cookie (no-bake), no-bake matcha cookie, low-sugar fruit pastry tart, gingerbread cookie, or low-sugar cinnamon donut and other low-sugar recipes.

Share this