Asian Carrot Slaw

     With the weather warming up, I have been craving lots of fresh fruit and vegetables! In the winter months, we tend to fall into a habit of eating a lot of cooked meals, which is fine because the fresh produce you can find usually isn't so great! But, when the warmer months finally get here, its important and nice to start eating more fresh foods!

     I love carrots, raw or cooked, and they are a great source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Potassium! So, eating lots of carrots should be a no-brainer right? But eating just plain carrots all the time can get boring! Why not eat this delicious Asian Carrot Slaw to get in your carrots for the day? Its simple, flavorful, refreshing and super healthy! What more could you want?

    This recipe is Vegan, Low Fat, Oil Free, Refined Sugar Free, and Gluten Free! All the more reason to love this recipe! I know, once you try it, you'll be making it over and over again! Its perfect as a side dish, in tacos or burritos, on top of salads, in sandwiches, or in asian noodle salads! I can see it on the table at a picnic or outdoor party!

Ingredients:

3-4 Carrots, grated ( about 2 1/2 cups)
3-4 TBS Soy Sauce ( for Gluten Free, use a Gluten Free Soy Sauce)
2 TBS Seasame Seeds
1 tsp Salt
Pinch of Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Ground Ginger

Wash and peel your carrots. I used organic carrots, so I didn't feel the need to peel them! I grated my carrots by hand with a grater, but a food processor would make the process a bit faster!

Add them to a bowl along with the soy sauce, salt and pepper, ground ginger and seasame seeds. Mix well until everything is combined. Make sure the seasame seeds get mixed in well, they have a habit of clumping up on me!

And thats it! Can you believe how simple and easy that was? The hardest part was the carrots, but you do get in an arm workout! I suggest tasting the slaw to check the salt and pepper levels. Some might want it a bit spicier and some not so much!

 

You can eat it right away or store it in the fridge for a few days. The soy sauce might darken the carrots a bit, but don't let that worry you! Also, the salt might make the carrots juice a bit, so you might want to pour that off( if it happens) before serving!

The saltiness of the soy, the spice of the ginger and the nutiness of the seasame seeds all go so well together! Its like eating a flavor explosion! Its so refreshing and delicious, I know you will enjoy it! I really hope you try this recipe and experience it for yourself!

If you enjoyed this recipe, please share it with your friends and family! Also, you can share it on social media to reach even more people!

You can follow the blog via email, Google, Twitter @ SpinachisGood, Tumblr @ justrunningforfood, and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett. I look forward to conntecting with you!

I post every Friday!

Stay Healthy, Happy and Laughing!
H. Banana

5 Life Changing Podcasts

     A couple of weeks ago, I suddenly found myself with a running injury! I don't know how it happened, or even if it was related to running at all, but it was there and pretty painful. Dealing with an injury was the last thing I wanted to do! I had just started some speed-training to get faster times on short distances, and here I was with an injury! Of course, its not uncommon for runners to get injuries, I just didn't think it would happen to me so early in my running career. I saw a chiropractor and he was able to help some, but I soon realized I was just going to have to give it time to heal on its own. So, since I wouldn't run, and I still wanted to get some exercise, what was I to do? Thankfully, my Dad had set up an elliptical in our garage, so I began to use that for my workouts. It wasn't the same as running, but it kept me active and it was easy on my injured leg.

     So, what is my point in telling you all this? I am telling you this because it has lead me to discover something wonderful! Something I had heard about, but never saw myself getting into. Let me explain.... When I run, I usually find a something to watch like a cooking show, documentary or something like that. But, on the elliptical, to know where I was calorie and heart-rate wise, I needed to look at my phone screen, so I couldn't watch anything. I had to listen to something. Music worked sometimes, but I wanted something that would get my mind off the workout. And that lead me to......PODCASTS!

     Podcast are basically a recording of someone talking about something. Topics range from health and wellness to comedy and cooking shows. What ever interests you, you will find at least one podcast on it! They are easy to listen to, and for me, they were perfect for workouts!
Even though I have only been listening to podcasts for a few weeks, I have already found some favorites! I want to share those with you today!

#1 The Raw Food Podcast by The Rawtarian
Don't let the name fool you or turn you away! Yes, this is a podcast about veganism and raw foodism, but thats not all. What I love so much about this podcast is how motivational, inspirational and just pleasant it is to listen to. Not only are there episodes on veganism and raw foods, there are also episodes on basic health, nutrition information, and also some recipes too! Vegan or not, Raw Foodist or not, I encourge you to check this one out! The Rawtarian .

#2 The Running Lifestyle Show
So this one might not have been the best thing to get my mind off the fact that I couldn't run, but I love it anyways! The episodes are full of helpful information, motivation for all runners, both beginner and long-time runners! There are lots of interveiws with various differnt types of people from doctors, race directors, other runners, and a few others! If you are a runner or you are thinking about running, this is a must listen to podcast! And even if you don't run, its still a great podcast to listen to for health and wellness information and inspiration! The Running Lifestyle

#3 Food for Thought
This is another vegan podcast, but that doesn't mean nonvegans won't benefit from listening to it. It is full of tips and tricks on how to live a healthier and happier life! There are episodes with interveiws, tips and tricks, traveling, and so much more! The host is also very easy to listen to, and is in no way judgemental! This podcast is all about healty living, no matter how you want to do it! Food for Thought Podcast

#4 The Good Life Project
This podcast is so uplifting and inspirational! It is all about living a better, happier and more productive life! There are episodes full of helpful tips, inspriration stories, and just plain motivaton! If you are in need of some inspritaion or motivation, look no further! Where ever you are in life, this is a podcast you don't want to be with out! The Good Life Project.

#5 The Daily Boost
This  one is alot like the Good Life Project, becasue it is all about happiness, positivity, and life boosting! They are shorter episodes, so easier for those that don't have alot of time! Each episode is full of motivation and helpful tips to make your life happier, more productive, and just over all better! Every one has 10 or 15 minutes to listen to one of these episodes, and their life will be better for it! Daily Boost Podcast

So, those are just 5 of the thousands of podcasts out there for you to discover! I hope you check out the ones I have shared, but also find your own favorite podcasts! There are so many topics to choose from! From crafts, cooking and comedy to classes on anything, there is something for everyone!

I listen to podcasts through the Podcast app on my Iphone, but most podcasts will have a website with there episodes linked there as well!

I hope you enjoyed this blog post today! If you enjoyed it or found it helpful, please share it with your friends and family!

You can follow the blog via email, Google, Twitter @ SpinachisGood, Tumblr @ justrunningonfood, and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunket.

I post every Friday!

Stay Healthy, Happy and Laughing!

H. Banana

10 Ways to Become Healthier this Spring

    Spring has sprung and with it comes life, color and warm weather! There are many reasons to love the Spring time and so many ways to enjoy everything that Spring means! Spring is also a great time to do some Spring Cleaning in your house, diet and lifestyle!

     Spring always gets me motivated to get my healthy lifestyle back on track. Sometimes our healthy efforts fall away during those cold winter months when the last thing you want is a workout or a cold smoothie! Getting back on track in the Spring is a great way to feel and look your best for the warmer months to come!

I wrote a 3 part series of blog post last year all about Getting Ready for Spring and I hope you will check out those post after you read this one! This post is going to be easy changes you can make to your life to help get your healthy lifestyle back on track!

1. Get Moving!
We've all heard it before, but thats becasue it really is so important! Exercise is so key to having a healthy body now and in the future! It has so many benefits that you should never leave it out of your day! Get up, stretch, go for a quick walk or just walk in place for a few minutes. Even the smallest amount of exercise is enough to keep your body in tip-top shape!

2. Smoothies!
I love smoothies and smoothie bowls, but I have a hard time eating them in the winter months! I love getting back into them in the Spring and Summer! They are so good for quick meals or snacks and are a great way to get tons of nutrients into your diet! You can pack so much health into a smoothie its crazy! Try adding leafy greens, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and even herbs to your smoothies to add extra health benefits!

3. Sunshine!
During the cold months we tend to spend alot of time indoors, away from the sun. When Spring finally shows up, its important to spend time soaking up the sun's rays! We gain some much needed vitamin D from just a few minutes out in the sunshine! Just make sure to wear some sunscreen so you don't get burned!

4. Raw Foods
You might have heard about the Raw Food movement. Its getting pretty popular, and for good reasons! Raw fruits and veggies have a lot of nutrients that are lost in the cooking process. While cooked fruits and vegetables still have plently of health benefits, the raw versions have even more! In the winter its hard to find good quality fresh produce, so we tend to go for the cooked versions. Now that the weather is warming up, make sure to add lots of fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet!

5. Ditch the Packaged Foods!
This one doesn't apply just to the Spring time, but its a good way to have a healthy diet all year long! Processed and packaged foods contain alot of added things that we don't need in our diet. While some are healthier than others, its always best to stay away from anything that comes in a box or package! Not only to most of them contain added sugars, chemicals and additives, the packages fill up the land-fills! Its better for you and for the planet if we stick to homemade over packaged foods!

6. Stretch!
While exercise is imporant, stretching is also important! Its important to stretch before you exercise because you need to warm up and loosen up your muscles. This will prevent you from hurting or pulling a muscle. Stretching after a workout helps you to cool down and relax your muscles. A full workout of stretching, like Yoga, is also really good for a low-impact way to keep your body active! Next time you go for a workout, make sure you add in a few minutes of streching before and after for a healthy body over all!

7. Essential Oils
Some people don't use essential oils and some do. Those who do know the wonderful benefits of the oils. I have a blog post about essential oils that goes into more depth on how and why to use them. Adding just a few of the oils into your daily life can have a huge impact of your day to day health, mood and happiness!

8. Sleep!
Getting sleep is important all year round, and most people don't get enough of it! Sleep allows our bodies to rest, heal and cleanse and when we don't get enough sleep, our bodies don't do enough resting, healing or cleansing. Aim for at least 8 hours of sleep each night, or take a nap during the day to give your body the much needed rest it deserves!

9. Get in the Kitchen!
Its easy for those with a busy lifestlye to fall into the habit of eating packaged, processed, and pre-made foods. While this might save time, it doesn't make for a healthy diet. Like I said before, most packaged foods contain things you do not want in your body, so its imporant to stay away from them as much as possible! Meal prepping is a great way for you to have healthy meals in a flash! Also, cooking and baking your own food for you and your family is so much fun and rewarding!

10. Eat!
I know it might sound strange, but one of the best ways to keep your body healthy is to eat! Eat enough of the healthy foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables and nuts and you will find yourself in the best state of health you have ever been in! Too many people under eat or starve themselves in the hopes of gaining the perfect body! The 'perfect body' is a body that is healthy from a diet rich in the healthy foods and has plenty of exercise!

I hope these 10 ideas are helpful to you! I suggest you pick one thing a week to work on, and after just a few short weeks you will have a super healthy lifestlye! Each one of these points are important, so don't skip or over look one because you don't think they apply to you! Everyone can have a healthy lifestyle, even you!


Sharing these tips and tricks with your family and friends will help our world become a little healthier each day! Taking care of our bodies is an important job, one that shouldn't be taken lightly!

You can follow the blog via email, Google, Twitter @ SpinachisGood, Tumblr @ justrunningforfood and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett!

I post every Friday!

Stay Healthy, Happy and Laughing!

H. Banana

Easter Morning Glory Muffins

     Easter is just around the corner, which means that it is slowly becoming Spring time! I love the Spring season and all the life and beauty it brings! To help celebrate the Easter Holiday, I wanted to make something that was both delicious and healthy! These Morning Glory Muffins are just that!

     These muffins are both delicious and nutritious! They are full of fruit and vegetables to help your day get started off right! The oil and eggs( found in most muffin recipes) is recplaced with apple-sauce to create a lighter, yet moist muffin! In addition to being super yummy, these muffins are both Vegan and Oil-Free, making them the perfect breakfast, snack or dessert!

Ingredients:

2 cups Flour
1 TBS Baking Powder
2 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Ground Ginger
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Brown Sugar ( or Maple Syrup and use less Apple Sauce)
1 1/2 cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
1/2 Raisins
1 cup Crushed Pineapple
1 cup Grated Carrot
Oats and extra Brown Sugar for a topping(optional)

First, whisk together the dry ingredients- Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Cinnamon, Ginger, Salt and Coconut.

 

In a differnt bowl, mix together the wet ingredients- Brown Sugar, Apple Sauce, Vanilla, Pineapple, and Grated Carrot.

Then, add the wet mix into the dry mix along with the raisins.

Mix it to combine but make sure not to over mix. It should be a fairly stiff batter, but not a dough!

Preheat the oven to 400 F and line or grease a muffin tray. I used parchment paper and made my own liners, but store bought ones will work fine too! Also, Coconut Oil or Vegetable oil is great to grease with.
Fill the tins a little over half way full and top with a sprinkle of brown sugar and oats.

Bake for 20 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean.

 

Your house will smell amazing and you'll be craving a muffin by now! Thank goodness you have a whole tray full to eat!
 Let the muffins cool for a few minutes before removing them and letting them cool completely on a wire rack.

     These muffins are perfect for Easter Morning or any morning out of the year! They are also great to pack in lunches, have as a snack, or even as a dessert with a cup of coffee or tea! The coconut, carrot and pineapple pair together so well and make these muffins super moist and delicious! Also, its added healthy-ness!

     I hope you enjoy this recipe! Oil Free and Vegan recipes are hard to come by, so when you find a good one, you'll want to hold on to it! Its also a good idea to share those recipes with your friends and family! Please do so with this one too!

You can follow the blog via email, Google, Twitter @ SpinachisGood, Tumblr @ justrunningforfood, and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett.

I post every Friday!

Happy Easter!
H. Banana

Vegan Eggs? Easy Egg Subsitutes!

      Eggs pop up everywhere! They are listed in the ingredients list in everything from breads and baked goods to candy bars and packaged snacks. As a vegan, it can be hard to find things that don't have eggs in them, as well as finding recipes that don't use eggs!

     But, how do Vegans and those who wish to go without eggs, live without eggs? Well, its actually pretty simple. There are tons of egg-substitutes out there from natural to more processed. Thankfully, it is becoming easier and easier to find things that are egg-free!

     What if you aren't a vegan or you don't have an allergy to eggs? Wouldn't baking and cooking be so much easier if you could just use eggs? Well, there are alot of perks to not using eggs in your baking and cooking, and to me its totally worth it and even better!

Reasons to Go Egg-Free

1. Eggs are fairly high in cholesterol, so removing them or at least limiting them will help to lower high cholesterol!

2. Consuming raw eggs can be dangerous, but raw cake and cookie batter is just too good to give up! Well, when you use an egg-subsitute, you can eat all the raw batter you want!

3.  Most eggs come from hens that are fed feed that is full of hormones and other scary things, as well as living in tiny cages. Using egg-substitutes is a great way to not support that!

4. Many egg substitutes can add flavor to a dish and make it taste better!

5. Most egg replacers are lower in calorie to an egg, so using a replacer can lower the overall calories of your dish!

There are many more great reasons not to eat eggs, but these are just a few of the main ones. If you want to know more about why not to use eggs, you can easily find them on various websites and blogs!

Egg Subsitutes

     So, now we know why not to use eggs, but what do we use instead? How do we make breads, pancakes, muffins, and scrambles without using eggs? Here are a few simple ways to go egg-free!

1. There are alot of natural ways to replace eggs in your baking and cooking!

1 TBS Ground Flax Seed + 3 TBS Water = 1 egg

 

1 TBS Chia Seeds+ 1/3 cup Water = 1 egg

 

1/2 mashed Banana = 1 egg

 

1/4 cup unsweetened Apple Sauce = 1 egg

 

3 TBSP Peanut Butter = 1 egg

 

2 TBS Water + 1 TBSP Oil + 2 tsp Baking Powder = 1 egg ( used for leavening in baked goods only)

 

1/4 cup Canned Pureed Pumpkin or Squash = 1 eggs

 

2 TBS Tomato Paste = 1 egg

 

2 TBS Potato Starch = 1 egg ( thickening sauces and soups)

 

( These Pumpkin Muffins are Egg Free!)

 

 

2. There are also some great processed egg replacers out there!



 

Brands like NeatEgg or Egg Replacer are some of the more mainstream brands, but there are alot more out there!

 

Tofu is also used alot for savory egg replacers as well as sweet ones.

 

Tofu is also used to make egg-free scrambles and omelets as well as things like puddings

 and custards.

Vegan Yogurts are also great to use in place of eggs in various recipes.

 

Vegetable or Oilve Oil can be used in baking as an egg replacement. 1/4 cup = 1 egg

 

( These Brownies are Egg Free!)

 

So, as you can see, replacing eggs is as simple as not buying them or using them. You can have everything you have now, just without the eggs! Even scrambles, omelets and custards! If you choose to go egg-free, or try out a few of the egg-replacements, you're cooking and baking will never be the same!

 

I hope this post as been helpful to you! I encourage you to try at least one recipe that uses an egg subsitute as see the amazing-ness of it!

 

Please share this post and my blog with your friends and family!

 

You can follow the blog via email, Google, Twitter @ SpinachisGood, Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett, and on Tumblr @ justrunningforfood.

 

I post every Friday!

 

Stay Healthy, Happy, and Laughing!

 

H. Banana



St. Patrick's Hummus

   St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner, and while its not a huge holiday, it's still a fun one to celebrate! Everything has been turning green for weeks in preparation for this Irish holiday! So, I started racking my brain to figure out what I could make that was healthy, delicious and GREEN!

What I decided to make and share with you guys, is some amazing St. Patrick's Day Hummus! I know, its not a traditional Irish food or even inspired my typical Irish flavors, but it is green and it is delicious! I think St. Patrick would approve and I hope you do too!

    To make this hummus, I started with a standard hummus recipe and began to add my own spin on it! To lighten the recipe up, I took out the massive amounts of olive oil and tahini paste that normal recipes use, and just used a little of the chickpea water (sometimes called aquafaba) for the liquid. To make this hummus the festive color green, I used some baby spinach! Not only does this add amazing color, but also an extra boost of protein! What more is there to love? Oh yeah, it's also Vegan, Gluten Free, fairly Low Fat, and a perfect healthy snack for anytime of the year!

Ingredients:
1 can of Chickpeas
2 TBS minced Garlic or 2 tsp of Garlic Powder
2 tsp Ground Cumin
2 TBS Lemon Juice
1 cup Fresh Spinach ( you could also use Kale, Arugula or any other dark leafy green you want)
(Optional) 1-2 tsp Tahini ( ground sesame seeds)
Salt to taste

Drain your chickpeas, BUT KEEP THE LIQUID. What you don't use in the recipe you can save for a later use. This liquid is called aquafaba and can me used to make vegan frostings, marshmallow fluff, sponge cakes and so much more!
Add everything to a blender or food processor EXPECT THE SPINACH.

Blend until everything is incorporated and fairly smooth. Taste and adjust any flavors if needed. If needed, add in some of the chickpea water to make things blend easier.

 

You could leave it as is and you will still have a delicious hummus, but in the spirit of St. Patty's Day, lets make it green!

 

Add your spinach to the blender and blend until smooth.

 

 

Isn't is pretty? Its so much fun to eat things that are fun colors! Taste the hummus and make sure it is to your liking. You might need to adjust the seasonings a bit to make it perfect!

 

Then, transfer your fresh homemade hummus to a dish or container.

 

 

Chill in the fridge for a few hours before serving.

 

Now you have some beautiful and delicious green hummus that St. Patrick himself would be proud of! This hummus is perfect for a St. Patrick's Day party or for a festive touch to your lunch and dinner!

 

Hummus has become a staple food in our house. We love to eat it with pita chips, carrot sticks, slices of cucumber and bell pepper, and crackers. Its also really yummy spead on toast, used in place of mayo on your sandwiches and veggie burgers, or in wraps to add delicious flavor and extra protein!

 

 

 

I hope you enjoy this recipe for hummus! I am sure you will love it as much as I do! Whether you make it in celeration of St. Patrick's Day, or just for fun, this is a recipe you won't want to miss out on!

 

Please share this recipe and my blog with your friends and family to helpe everyone live a healthier and happier life!

 

You can follow the blog vie email, Google, Twitter @ SpinachisGood, Tumblr @ justrunningforfood, and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett.

 

I post every Friday!

 

Stay Healthy, Happy and Laughing!

 

H. Banana

Fudgy Mug Brownie

       Greetings! My name is Emma. I'm Hannah's younger sister. She has given me the privlege of guest writing a blog post! I'm super excited to write this! This week's post is on a gooey, fudgy mug brownie to die for!

I developed the recipe for this vegan and gluten free brownie one afternoon when I had a craving for something sweet. I went into our pantry, grabbed some ingredients, and started putting a little bit of this and that into a mug. The finish product was amazing!

 

Heavenly!!!

 

 

Fudgy goodness!

 

Okay, enough chattering, you need to know how you can make this and put it in your belly!

 

 

 

 

 

Fudgy Mug Brownie

(Note: This recipe is vegan and gluten free, so everyone can enjoy!)

 

Step one: add the following ingredients listed to a mediem sized coffee mug.

 

1 &1/2 TBS of cocoa powder

1 tiny pinch of salt

1/4 TSP of baking powder

2 TBS of almond flour

1 TBS of sugar

mix

Step two:  Add wet ingredients to dry.

 

1 heaping TSP of creamy peanut butter

1-2 splashes of vanilla unsweetened almond milk

1 tiny splash of vanilla extract

 

Mix until well combined.

 

Step three: Mirowave for 30 seconds, or until done. ( Note: Cook time may vary, depending on the strengh of your mirowave, also note that it is very easy to over bake this brownie, so be careful!)

 

Step four: Let the brownie cool slightly, and devour!

( opptionaly: add a tiny spoonful of peanut butter to top it off.)

 

 

 

There you go folks, your fudgy mug brownie! I hope you enjoy this brownie as much as I did, and I'm pretty confident  you'll love it too! Be sure to leave a comment below if you tried this recipe or not, and share it with your friends!

 

 

If you enjoyed this post, please share it and this blog with your friends and family so that everyone can enjoy recipes like this one!

 

You can follow the blog via email, Google, Twitter @ SpinachisGood, Tumblr @ justrunningforfood, and on Pinterest @ Hannah Plunkett.

 

New Post every Friday!

 

Enjoy this delicious recipe and I'll see you later!- Emma

 

Stay Healthy , Happy and Laughing

 

H. Banana