Clean & Delicious with Dani Spies
Fuel your body. Feed your life!
If you have been wanting an easy, healthy, grab-n-go breakfast that the whole family will love, look no further! These simple Banana Oatmeal Muffin Cups are just that (and then some!).
I love topping them with chocolate chips, but you can really use any topping or stir in you love. Literally ANYthing you would stir into your oatmeal will work in the muffin cups. Just think of them as a bowl of oats on the go.
Banana Bread is a constant favorite in our house. Actually, we get excited about banana ANYthing and always have at least half a dozen bananas on the counter on any given day.
This bread uses lots of bananas (the recipe calls for 12 ounces ISH but honestly, the more banana the better) and only one cup of white whole wheat flour which is what creates a super moist bread with lots of banana flavor.
We like to bake it in this 9×9 ceramic dish but you can also use a loaf pan, you may just need to cook it for an extra 5 minutes or so.
If you want to create a bit of an icing for this bread, mix a couple drops of stevia (or a tablespoon or two of maple syrup) with some plain greek yogurt and a few dashes of cinnamon. It’s super yummy and makes it even more delicious.
If you are looking for a super easy (and delicious), grab-and-go breakfast option this recipe is for you!
Simply made of oats, bananas and chocolate chips these yummy cookies are like eating a bowl of oatmeal, only in cookie form.
They also make great after school snacks and are perfect for lunch boxes so I plan on making a double batch this weekend so I have them ready for my kids first week back to school.
What do you like to keep on hand for times when schedules and routines are back in full effect?
[Read more…] about 3-Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
Scroll down to watch the step-by-step video.
If you like a good muffin, then we should be friends.
Isn’t a mutual love of muffins reason enough to be friends?
So glad we agree!
These Chunky Monkey Muffins could also be called Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Muffins, but Chunky Monkey is way more fun to say.
The base of this recipe is the peanut butter, eggs and coconut flour (so it’s 100% grain + gluten free).
They’re super easy to make and are just dreamy with a great cup of coffee.
I’m hoping someone makes these for me on Mother’s Day (hint: to any family members who may be reading this – lol! – as if).
If you don’t believe that they are crazy easy to make, you can see for yourself. (oh. and enjoy!!).
Yield: 12 muffins
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Watch the video HERE.
Even though we are coming close to the cooler weather, we are still hitting the 90’s here on the east coast, so I wanted to share one more frozen treat before summer is gone.
These little Banana and Berry Yogurt Cups are a really fun and easy way to make a healthy frozen treat for you and/or your little ones. I mashed up a ripe banana to sweeten up my yogurt and then added in some blueberries, strawberries and pistachios.
You can easily make these your own buy adding your favorite fruits, nuts and seeds!
Be sure to watch the video to see the step-by-step.
Remember those Baked Banana Crepes from earlier in the week? Well they’re back in this video and this time I’m taking them to the next level.
I double the serving size, smear the center with crunchy almond butter, roll them into logs, and then slice them into pinwheels.
Now you can certainly make these for breakfast and enjoy right away but what I love most about this recipe is that it’s an easy make-ahead meal/snack that you can take on the go.
I like to pop a few pinwheels in some type of airtight container or baggie and bring them on the road, this way when I’m picking kids up from school and then heading straight out to activities I know I have a delicious, healthy snack to look forward to that will prevent me from falling victim to the lack of nutritious convenience food out there.
Plus my kids LOVE them too, which is why I like to double up on the serving size when I’m making these.
You can certainly change up the fillings as well. I’m thinking cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, Nutella, or peanut butter would all be delicious options as well but I would love to hear your thoughts on this.
What do you think would be delicious stuffed inside these crepes?
[Read more…] about Banana Crepe & Almond Butter Pinwheels (Video)
This is one of the most amazing little culinary tricks that I’ve learned yet. Simply genius.
You’re never gonna believe this BUT if you take a frozen banana and pop it into the food processor (or blender) you will end up with thick, rich, creamy banana ice cream.
And I’m not talking well-sorta-kinda-could-pass as banana ice cream, I’m talking ‘it is seriously just as good if not better than the real deal’. It’s just crazy. Pure insanity.
BUT before I continue to swoon, I just have to give some props to Jenna over at Eat, Live, Run. This is where I first discovered this brilliant idea (thanks for sharing Jenna!).
Back to my swooning…
I’ve always adored the frozen banana.
Frozen bananas topped with almond butter, stirred into yogurt, and dipped in chocolate are just a few of my favorites BUT NEVER in my wildest dreams did I know that the frozen banana was capable of this!! It actually morphs into ice-cream all by its self!
You could pop the banana in the blender (or processor), whirl it up and call it a day BUT I found that I enjoyed adding a splash of milk to it, just to thin it out a bit (which just goes to show you how creamy it is!). I used unsweetened vanilla soy milk – SO GOOD.
Beng and I actually had some frozen yogurt leftover in the fridge from our Friday night stroll w/ Katie (oh, how our weekend activities have changed since having a new born baby!) and so we decided to do a little side-by-side taste test (I love taste tests).
Now granted, the frozen yogurt was vanilla and chocolate and NOT banana flavor BUT Beng and I both agreed that the frozen banana ice-cream was way better than the yogurt. It’s just so rich and creamy… not to mention eating it along side the frozen yogurt made the yogurt taste especially “fake”.
Whenever I come across an idea like this it makes me think of how there are SO many nutritious alternatives to the traditional classics out there. Like making brownies out of almonds OR cheese cake out of tofu. I don’t know about you guys, but if I can find a way to incorporate more of the nutritious stuff without sacrificing taste or dancing with deprivation, I’m all in.
I think it’s just a matter of the times… people don’t cook like they used to. For example, we just don’t have the time that people had fifty years ago SO we learn to cook faster, right?
SO I say, why not learn to cook smarter too. If you can sub out a “not-so-great” ingredient with a “super-nutritious” ingredient without sacrificing flavor, then why not?!
I guess it’s just a matter of leaning some more modern techniques in the kitchen… don’t you think?
Maybe I should change the title of this post to “Modern Day Banana Ice Cream”…
Anyhow.
I don’t often ask my readers for a favor BUT tonight I am begging you… please make sure to pop some bananas into your freezer ASAP so you can make this insanely, deeelicious treat very, very soon!!
Yield: 2 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
If my daughter could drink all of her meals, she would be a happy camper. Especially if she could drink them in the in form of SMOODIES (as she would say).
These are hands down Katie’s favorite way to ingest food and great tool for her Mommy to load her up with nutrient-dense fruits and veggies!
And surprisingly enough, she doesn’t even care what color they are!
I mean, c’mon… look at that Green Smoodie, not exactly palate appealing but she doesn’t seem to mind one bit. As long as it’s cold, creamy, and sweet (which it is thanks to the frozen fruits) Katie is all in!
Just take a look for yourself, she couldn’t be any happier with her army green drink:
(*Side note to all Mommies out there: if you don’t want your child to have elmo stamped on their daily apparel DO NOT buy any articles of clothing with Elmo on them. She will find these dingy elmo p.j.’s where ever they live, clean or dirty, every night of the week!)
Smoothies are a great meal for kids (and Mommies & Daddies) b/c you can load them up with tons of fresh fruit and veggies and they still manage to taste like ice-cream. Only instead of a nutrient-void, calorie-dense, cup of sugar and cream, you get to enjoy a Clean & Delish, nutrient-rich, feel good meal (or snack).
Not to mention that the kids LOVE to help! I usually pull out the ingredients and let Katie pop them into the blender herself. A GREAT way to get the kids cooking and CONNECTED to their food!
And just look how pretty everything looks before it gets blended (I just love that):
And we haven’t even touched upon how eating a nutrient dense diet keeps us looking super young! I mean, check this out; Katie will be two in June and I swear she doesn’t look a day over 18 months! Wouldn’t you agree?
So tell me… what’s your fave morning smoothie combo? Do you have a concoction that you stick to or do you simply blend up whatever you have on hand? Inquiring Mommies wanna know.
Yield: 1 serving
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
When I make this recipe for Katie I use whole raw milk which is higher in calories in fat. If you want to lighten it for yourself swap in some almond milk or low fat cows milk.
Place everything into your blender and blend until you have a thick and creamy smoothie. Enjoy!
Calories: 365; Total Fat: 9.8g; Saturated Fat: 5.2g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Carbohydrate: 62.9g; Dietary Fiber: 9.5; Sugars: 40.2g; Protein: 11.4g
She figured out how to get out of her bouncy chair in about three seconds flat (well all but that on leg she never seemed able to shake loose).
Slipping 80% of her body out her bouncy seat I could deal with, I mean, it wasn’t like she was going to get anywhere. So this little maneuver didn’t really pose a problem for either of us (doesn’t she seems oddly content hanging out of her chair like that?).
BUT then she started to do things like this:
Getting caught underneath things like chairs and coffee tables. And while this wouldn’t pose a problem for you or I, we have to remember that Katie was still learning her boundaries so I had to be available for lots of “ouch, I didn’t realize I had to duck to avoid the top of the wooden chair” and “Waaaahhhh, getting stuck under the coffee table is really frustrating” hugs and kisses.
But as you can see… still managed to snap a photo here and there.
And then suddenly she seemed to be getting the hang of things.
A little less bumping, a little less bruising and a lot more cruising (yes! Katie started walking nearly two months ago!). So naturally I assumed I would have a bit more time on my hands, right?
WRONG!
Because with more mobility and “know-how” Katie started do things like this:
AND THIS:
Because really, who needs toys when you can play with Mommy’s tampons???
Clearly Katie had LOTS of energy and was finding very creative ways of using it.
So, I got to thinking.
What do I do when I have too much energy and need to unwind a bit (because surely an 11 month old baby could use a little unwinding, no?)
Why, I take a nice warm bath. Hmmmmm, maybe a nice warm bath would do the trick. I could seep some of the energy out of her body and get her to a place where she might just want to sit back, relax, and just chill.
Then I would surely have the time to sit down and post a KidBite.
Right?
Well, not exactly!!
Take a close look at Katie’s eyes in this picture:
She is clearly NOT feeling sleepy or relaxed.
It’s as if the bath water charged her up and she came out with a little more crazy then she went in with!
Let’s just say that our bath did NOT result in Mommy’s maxin’ and relaxin’ visualization!
Perhaps I should make a vision board plastered with sleepy babies!
Look, I get it… babies have a lot of energy, but is it so wrong of me to day dream about Katie taking a little more down time during the day (did I mention she is NOT a long napper?)
See, here’s the kicker.
I know she is capable of maxin’ and relaxin’ when she feels like it.
I mean, just take a look at her in Palm Springs.
Clearly, she is able to chill when she feels like it!
IS it really too much to ask of her to just give me a little bit more of THIS Katie at home??
Maybe I should let her wear her sunglasses in the house… perhaps that will do the trick!
ANYHOW… Somehow we finally managed to make a smoothie, remember the recipe, and snap a few photo.
Katie LOVES anything that is cold and creamy so we make a lot of smoothies these days.
She always gives me this serious look when she first tries a new flavor, sorta like she is deciding whether or not it’s worth another bite.
But after a few bites I almost always get her seal of approval:
of nutritious ingredients! This one was fairly basic; pineapple, banana, & soy milk, but you can easily sneak in some leafy greens, nice dark berries, and even green superfood powder!And the best part is that I can make a double serving and feed us both at the same time. Often times I’ll add a little protein powder to mine, especially if it is after a morning workout.
What about you guys?
Do your little ones like smoothies? Do YOU? What are some of your favorite combos?
Yield: 1 serving
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Put the milk, banana, and pineapple in a blender, and blend until you have a thick and creamy smoothie.
If your smoothie is a tad too thick add a little extra soy milk or some water. Enjoy!
Nutrients for entire recipe; Calories: 287; Fat: 4.7g; Protein: 10.8g; Carb: 53.6g; Fiber: 4.3g
As I’ve mentioned in the past, eating healthy does not need to be complicated.
And contrary to popular belief, it does not take any longer to prepare a nutritious meal than it does any other type of meal.
The bottom line is this:
Preparing meals – whether nutritious or not – takes time.
Lord knows I am the first one on line when it comes to learning a new short cut in the kitchen, but that doesn’t change the simple fact that whether you are making a 30-minute meal, an all day Sunday feast or a 2-minute Banana Split Breakfast Bite, you first have to make the decision to take the time to do so.
This morning, when I got home from the gym, Katie was taking an unusually early nap on her Daddy’s chest so I decided to take the time to make some Banana Split Breakfast Bites.
Walk with me…
Almond butter slathered between two fat banana slices, bathed in thick, creamy, Greek yogurt, and then rolled in sweet, crunchy granola. OMG – I have to tell you guys, when you pop one of these into your mouth it’s like a party, a hug, and some new shoes all at the same time!
And while I had a bit of extra time to put a little extra TLC into breakfast this morning you could accomplish the same outcome with even less time yet.
The only difference is that instead of Banana Bites you would be making a Banana Bowl:
And while the bowl takes less time, you still have to take the time to make it.
Just know that if you opt for the bowl you need to be sure to get a little bit of everything on your spoon for each bite (which takes time), this way you can still experience the glory of the Banana Bite in just a little less time.
Yield: 1 serving
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Place yogurt and granola into small shallow bowls and set aside.
Slice the banana into nice thin slices. Then put a small dollop of almond butter on one banana slice and place another on top to make a banana butter sandwich.
Then dip the banana butter sandwich into the yogurt and then roll it around in the granola. Repeat these simple steps with the rest of your banana slices.
Sit down with a cup of coffee and pop them into your mouth… slowly… one at a time. Holy yum!
Serves one.
Nutrients Per Serving: Calories: 364; Total Fat: 20.9g; Saturated Fat: 1.6g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 28mg; Carbohydrate: 36.2 g; Dietary Fiber: 6.3g; Sugars: 17.5g; Protein: 15.4g
Unlike the self-proclaimed life of Denise Richards, eating well does NOT need to be complicated. Sure we can complicate it if we want to and more often than not we do, but the truth is that it doesn’t have to be that way.
A few simple ways of over simplifying healthy eating:
1. Base your diet on veggies, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats.
2. Stick to whole, real, unprocessed foods most of the time.
3. Eat foods that are closest to their natural state.
If we all could slow down, stop counting calories, listen to our bodies, and apply these simple tips, we’d be headed well in the right direction. (Why do we like to make things so complicated, anyhow?!)
It seems that fast foods on the go is something everyone is looking for these days. What are good snack choices when we’re on the run or stuck at the office? This is probably the number one question that I get from my clients these days. So I share with you one of my favorite options… A good old-fashioned whole grain piece of bread with some natural peanut butter (or any nut butter) and banana. I mean really, it doesn’t get much “less-complicated” then that.
Top 10 reasons why the Peanut Butter Banana Sandwich is the perfect on the go snack:
1. It takes all of sixty seconds to make
2. It works for breakfast, lunch or snack time
3. It travels well (it can be left in the car a few hours and still be d’lishes)
4. It’s a great partner for an afternoon skim latte
5. You can easily leave a loaf of whole grain bread and a jar of natural peanut butter at the office so you’re never caught face to face on an empty stomach staring down the vending machines
6. It’s a great balance of carbs, protein and fat that gives you lots of energy
7. It’s an all natural, real food snack or mini-meal
8. It will hold you over longer than any of the kicked-up candy bars we like to call “energy” bars
9. It’s supplies a great dose of fiber (5.5 g… and you know how I feel about fiber)
10. It’s G-damn d’lishes!
See… so easy, so d’lishes, so nutritious and so NOT complicated. A fast snack food that we can all feel good about eating!
The only things to keep in mind when building your sandwich are that:
A. You are using a good, whole grain bread (Ezekiel is my hands down favorite bread, but by all means use what you love).
B. You use an all-natural nut butter. So, if you are using peanut butter the ingredients should only list peanuts and maybe salt… but that’s it. So no Jiffy or Skippy peanut butter allowed.
Since simple snack ideas seem to be a much-desired topic these days, I’ll be posting some more from now on but in the mean time… what are some of your favorite go-to-quick-whole-food snacks? Any new ideas out there??
Yield: Serves 1
Seriously... do I really have to tell you what to do here?!
Calories: 235; Total Fat: 9g; Saturated Fat: 1.6g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 80mg; Carbohydrate: 31g; Dietary Fiber: 5.5g; Sugars: 7.6g; Protein: 8.5g
As a Health Counselor and Food Coach I find that many of my clients are more interested in clean, simple, and d’lishes ideas than they are actual recipes. It’s not they don’t enjoy the recipes, it’s just that for most, a normal, busy work week just doesn’t allow the time for them.
The less ingredients and the fewer step involved the better!! We’re talkin’, “Clean, Simple-ER, and D’lishes! So I decided to start a category I call, “Stupid Simple”, and truthfully speaking these are the meals that I eat 80% of the time.
This breakfast/snack/mini-meal idea is one of the many ways I like to eat yogurt. And just like oatmeal or smoothies there are about 101 different ways you could make this. Sometimes it’s more about a fresh perspective on a simple stand-by than it is an original, involved recipe or idea!
Just take my Fruit and Flax Smoothie post for instance. You guys gave me a weeks worth of smoothie ideas that I would have NEVER come up with on my own. Really, it’s just about thinking outside the box!! (Top notch chef I may not be. A girl that loves to come up with simple, d’lishes ways to use nutritious ingredients, I am!)
If you haven’t tried the plain, fat-free, Greek style yogurt yet, you really should. It’s super rich and creamy and doesn’t come with all the added sugars that fruit flavored yogurts come with. (I promise, I don’t care how much added fruit or sugar you decide to add to your yogurt, chances are you will never use as much sugar as the manufacturer would… so remember, always buy plain and ditty it up yourself!)
Oh, and the frozen banana… I’m addicted!! Literally just peel and cut a banana in half then pop it in the freezer unti it’s frozen… SO GOOD!! You can eat them mixed into yogurt, cottage cheese, smoothies, with peanut butter… whatever floats your boat, I promise the frozen banana does not dissapoint!
So c’mon, I can’t be the only one enjoying “assembly-only” meals these days! What kind of “Stupid Simple” dishes do you find yourself turning to? Feel free to share them in the comments, afterall, we could all use some clean, simpl-ER and D’lishes ideas!
Yield: Serves 1
Top yogurt with banana, cacao, almonds, honey, and cinnamon.
Give it all a stir and enjoy!
Calories: 224; Total Fat: 7.4g; Saturated Fat: 1.1g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 55mg; Carbohydrate: 24.3g; Dietary Fiber: 4g; Sugars: 14.2g; Protein: 15.9g
For those of you that receive my newsletter, this Fruit and Flax Smoothie is old news. This is the smoothie that was the featured this June as the recipe of the month. (what can I say, I’ve been a busy girl… notice there were no new videos this month?? Let’s just say I’ve fallen a little behind schedule, but I promise… they will be back;)).
Smoothies are one of the simplest and most nutritious meals/snacks you can make and as far as flavors go, well, the possibilities are endless.
I very rarely find myself making the same smoothie twice. I usually just grab whatever fruits I have on hand (or in the freezer) and have at it. The basic components of my favorite type of smoothie consists of fruit (any type, frozen or fresh), milk or yogurt of some sort (this could be soy, almond, cow, etc…. whatever you like, they all work; you could even add juice, but I like the creaminess you get from a little milk or yogurt), some type of healthy kick (in this case it was flax, sometimes I’ll add some nuts or wheat germ…just a little something to give it that “super-food” value), and finally a bit of water or/and ice depending on whether or not you use frozen fruit (if you use frozen fruit you may not need any ice).
Smoothies are a fun way to play and experiment in the kitchen. If you find yourself being a little hesitant when it comes to exploring in the kitchen, smoothies are a great place to let your hair down and get a little crazy.
A recipe will only take you so far… so don’t hesitate to steer off track a little and add your own twists and turns. A good general rule to follow in the kitchen is this; “If you think it will taste good, it probably will”, so trust your instincts and get smoothie crazy!!
I’d love to hear some of your favorite smoothie creations… so tell me, what’s your favorite smoothie?
Mix in blender until blended and serve!
Note: You can add other ingredients for added nutrition such as a spoon full of bee pollen, coconut oil, flax seed oil, or a scoop of protein powder.
Calories: 216; Total Fat: 4.8g; Saturated Fat: 0.3g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 17mg; Carbohydrate: 37.8g; Dietary Fiber: 8.6g; Sugars: 21.2g; Protein: 7.2g
Oh, where to begin?! This is simplicity at it’s best!!
Banana. Peanut butter. Cacao Nibs. Goji Berries. That’s it!
Goji berries and Cacao nibs are considered “power foods” but I sometimes find it hard to include them into my diet (unless I’m snacking right out of the bag and you can only image where that can lead). I find the easiest way to enjoy them are sprinkled on top of things like my Banana Boat, cereal, oatmeal, or thrown into a smoothie.
So this is not exactly a recipe just a quick and simple snack/mini-meal idea that is packed with energy! It’s actually the perfect pre-workout snack (it would be a good post-workout snack too). I usually make this in the morning before I go to the gym, I eat half and my husband eats half. It’s the perfect little something to get me through my workout and it’s delicious!
Yield: Serves 2
Slice your banana in half lengthwise and spread a tbsp of peanut butter on each side. Top with Gojis and Cacao Nibs... enjoy!
Calories: 176; Total Fat: 9.9; Saturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 26mg; Carbohydrate: 17.5g; Dietary Fiber: 3.5g; Sugars: 8.4g; Protein 5.6g
New Quinoa recipe number two… Quinoa Porridge!
I’ve made this recipe a few times in the past but was recently reminded of it when I saw this post over at Closet Cooking (I love that site, Kevin is always trying something new).
This meal is very much like having oatmeal for breakfast… it’s hot, hearty, and d’lishes PLUS it packs a little extra punch of protein which will helps to give this meal some staying power. I mean really, what’s worse than eating breakfast and then being hungry an hour later?!
This is another one of those, “take-the-idea-and-then-make-it-your-own” recipes. I opted for maple syrup, Goji berries and walnuts but remember to adjust all my recipes (actually ALL recipes) to your liking… add some more milk, play with the sweetners, mix up the fruit and swap the nuts… GO CRAZY! I prefer crazy people anyhow… sane gets boring.
There are no rules here… okay maybe just one… okay two: Keep it simple and make it D’lishes!
Let me know what you guys think… Enjoy!
Yield: Serves 1
Combine quinoa, milk, honey and Goji berries in a small saucepan and place over a medium low heat. Once the mixture comes to a boil, turn it down to a simmer and allow it to cook for about five minutes or so or until the porridge has thickened a bit and is heated through.
Stir in walnuts and bananas and top with cinnamon and nutmeg… Enjoy!
Calories: 388 Fat: 8.5g Saturated Fat: .5g Carbs: 65g Fiber: 6.7g Protein: 14g
What can I say, the cool, crisp air really gets me in the mood for baking!
I have to be careful though, because unlike so many talented bakers out there, I have a hard time keeping my fingers out of the batter, or resisting anything that is fresh baked out the oven!
Ever notice how easily half a tray of brownies can go down?? It never fails to surprise me.
I try to come up with recipes that allow me to curb my cravings to bake without getting myself into too much trouble. Eating half a tray of banana oat muffins just isn’t the same as ooey, gooey, brownies or fresh baked peanut butter cookies.
These muffins are packed with goodness; whole wheat flour, bananas, goji berries, and walnuts. I find it really easy to sneak nutritious ingredients into baked goods, which I really like because it’s like “killing two birds with one stone.” I get to eat well, and I get to enjoy some fresh baked comfort food, what’s not to like about that?
Try individually wrapping each muffin in plastic wrap and popping them in the freezer. Then the next time you want a fresh baked muffin, just pop one in the microwave for 30 seconds or so and enjoy!
