Wendy

Walnut Oatmeal Banana Bread

May 9, 2017 by Wendy 11 Comments

Tired of smoothies or cereal for breakfast? Well, today we’re switching things up with this sweet, warm Walnut Oatmeal Banana Bread.

When paired with a hard-boiled egg, yogurt, or some nut butter, it becomes a well-rounded and satisfying breakfast. Now you can have your cake (or I guess, banana bread) and eat it too.

Let’s get to baking. Begin by preheating the oven to 350F. In a bowl, mix the oat flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, and baking soda together and then add the wet ingredients to the bowl: 2 ripe bananas, vanilla extract, coconut oil, and almond milk. Using a hand mixer, mix everything together until a consistent texture has been reached. If you don’t have a hand mixer, alternatively you can blend the 2 bananas, vanilla extract, coconut oil and almond milk together, and then add the dry ingredients and continue blending until a consistent texture is reached.

Pour the batter into a mini loaf pan, top with the chopped walnuts, and slice your remaining banana in half, lengthwise. Next, press the banana halves into the top of the batter, and pop into the oven for about 50 minutes. Once the banana bread has cooled, portion the loaf into 6 slices. You can store this bread in the refrigerator for up to 1 week (hello meal prep). Just make sure you store it in an air-tight container.

Have other healthy breakfast swaps you love? Drop a line in the comments below!

Walnut Oatmeal Banana Bread

Servings: 3

Ingredients

1½ cups oat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
¾ teaspoon baking soda
3 very ripe bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons almond milk
¼ cup walnuts, chopped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F
In a bowl, mix the oat flour, cinnamon, brown sugar, and baking soda together
Then add the wet ingredients to the bowl- 2 ripe bananas, vanilla extract, coconut oil, and almond milk
Using a hand mixer, mix everything together until a consistent texture has been reached
If you don’t have a hand mixer, alternatively you can blend the 2 bananas, vanilla extract, coconut oil and almond milk together, and then add the dry ingredients and continue blending until a consistent texture is reached
Pour the batter into a mini loaf pan, top with the chopped walnuts, and slice your remaining banana in half, lengthwise
Press the banana halves into the top of the batter, and pop into the oven for 50 minutes
Once the banana bread has cooled, portion the loaf into 6 slices
You can store this bread in the refrigerator for up to 1 week!
Pair it with yogurt, nut butter spread, or an egg for a complete and satisfying breakfast!

Recipe Notes

Yields 3 servings, 1 serving is 2 slices

Dietitian Spotlight: Kendra Tolbert

May 3, 2017 by Wendy Leave a Comment

Tell us a bit about yourself and Live Fertile

Hi there! I’m Kendra, a registered dietitian and aromatherapist obsessed with all things nutrition, women’s health, enjoyable movement, and aromatherapy.

Live Fertile is an extension of those passions. It’s for women (though the fellas are welcome to visit as well) who want to learn more about wellness, fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum healing.

What’s your favorite part about being a dietitian?

My favorite thing about being a dietitian is the ability to integrate all the things I love into the work I do. I’ve always loved science, food, dance, integrative health, and women’s health.

As a dietitian, I don’t have to choose just one thing — I can blend them together and create something unique I truly enjoy that helps folks.

Describe what your typical week looks like

Though most of my time goes to reading and writing, each week does look slightly different. For the last two and a half, maybe three years, I’ve been obsessed with tracking my period and understanding how hormone shifts affect my energy level and focus. It has really helped me figure out what to give my attention to from week to week.

For example, some weeks I’m a bit more introspective, while other weeks I’m more outgoing and energetic. The introspective times are great for brainstorming new ideas and writing more personal posts and articles. And the more outgoing times are when I try to do a bit more social media or reach out for collaborations.

Last year, I needed a change, so I left my community nutrition job and moved to a new city to build a business around women’s health. Now, I do all my work remotely. Whether it’s writing for other sites, writing posts for my blog, finding clients for my new online practice, or networking with other RDs and health care providers, all I need is my phone and my laptop.

How do you balance work and personal?

The pomodoro timer has been a godsend! It’s a timer that goes off every 25 minutes to remind you to take a break. The first three times it goes off you take a 5 minute break, then the fourth time you take a 15-30 minute break. It helps me remember to look up from the screen, enjoy a cup of tea, and move a bit (it’s the perfect time to body roll).

Signing up for a series of yoga or dance classes helps me stay active. With drop in classes, I’m prone to prioritizing other things and put off going to class. Scheduled, prepaid series of classes help me stay consistent. Belly dance has my heart right now!

And this one may sound a little silly but it really works. I sprinkle words like “breathe”, “have fun”, or “shimmy” throughout my to-do lists. It adds a little whimsy to my day and reminds me there’s more to life than productivity and getting stuff done.

What are three foods you can’t live without?

Oh, that’s tough! Just three? Ok, I’m going to go with:

Tea (does tea count as a food? I’m totally counting it),
Sweet potatoes, and…
Eggs

Kendra, thank you so much for contributing to our Dietitian Spotlight section! You can learn more about Kendra, and all the great work she’s doing here:

Live Fertile | Pinterest | Instagram | Facebook

White Bean Pesto Salad

April 26, 2017 by Wendy 4 Comments

This week we’re bringing you this deliciously fresh Creamy White Bean Pesto Arugula Salad. Any white bean lovers in the house? I love incorporating them into recipes that call for a creamy texture, like mashed potatoes, lasagna filling, gravies, and more. I used small white beans to make a creamy pesto sauce that gets massaged into the greens. Small white beans are a good source of folate and vitamin B1, as well as the minerals manganese and iron. They also come packed with protein and fiber, which makes for a satisfying and light meal.

Beans are one of my favorite foods because they’re so flexible in the kitchen, and this is the perfect example of that. Some other ways I love using white beans include in soups, stews, bean spreads, and more.

Let’s get started on our recipe! We’ll start by roasting our bulb of garlic. Preheat the oven to 400F. Using your hands, remove the outer layers of the garlic bulb, but leave the skins of each clove on. Then cut 1/2″ from the top of the bulb, leaving the cloves exposed. Place it on a sheet of aluminum foil, drizzle 1 teaspoon of olive oil, wrap it up with the aluminum, and bake for 25-30 minutes. While that’s happening, add the basil, white beans, and water to a blender. Once the garlic cloves are done roasting, allow to cool, and remove them from the skins. They should be soft and browned.

Add those to the blender as well, and blend until you have a creamy puree. Add the arugula to a large bowl, and pour the puree in. Massage into the arugula, and top with sun dried tomatoes and black pepper. Enjoy with a loved one or save some for later!

Creamy White Bean Pesto Arugula Salad

Servings: 2

Ingredients

1 bulb garlic
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup basil leaves
1 cup small white beans, cooked
1/4 cup water
Salt, to taste
4 cups arugula
4 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes
Ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400F
Using your hands, remove the outer layers of the garlic bulb, but leave the skins of each clove on
Then cut 1/2" from the top of the bulb, leaving the cloves exposed
Place it on a sheet of aluminum foil, drizzle 1 teaspoon of olive oil, wrap it up with the aluminum, and bake for 25-30 minutes
While that's happening, add the basil, white beans, and water to a blender. Once the garlic cloves are done roasting, allow to cool, and remove them from the skins. They should be soft and browned
Add those to the blender as well, and blend until you have a creamy puree
Add the arugula to a large bowl, and pour the puree in. Massage into the arugula, and top with sun dried tomatoes and black pepper. Enjoy!

Smart Hacks To Reduce Food Waste At Home

April 21, 2017 by Wendy Leave a Comment

As many of you may already know, April 22 is Earth Day and we’re here to talk to you about reducing your food waste at home. As registered dietitians, we proudly support sustainable lifestyles and habits that help our planet. Nutrition and the Earth may not appear to be correlated at a glance, but when looking at it further it is clear that they are completely intertwined! We need the Earth to grow the foods that adequately nourish our bods.

In the US, we are consuming more food, and wasting more food. There are many reasons for this, some of which include overproduction, perfectionism in how we want our food to look (shoutout to the imperfect carrots and bruised apples!), and improper storage. As the population continues to grow, one of the major questions facing our world is how we are going to feed all of these people? Rather than looking to new methods and resources for food production, it’s important that we do our due diligence to reduce food waste. One of the best ways to make an impact starts in the home!

So how do we make this happen? There are a number of steps we can take in our personal lives that will make an impact on food waste throughout our country and, in turn, throughout our world.

Meal Planning: Create a meal plan for the week and a grocery list that coincides with the plan. When you go to the grocery store, stick to the list. This prevents you from over-purchasing foods that you do not need and will not use. When you meal plan, you utilize the food you buy, therefore reducing foods wasted. Make sure to check your inventory to see what you already have and build meals based on ingredients that are already there.
Properly Store Foods: Properly storing foods preserves the shelf life on them so you aren’t ditching foods that go bad. Invest in airtight containers to keep foods. Store packaged foods according to the package directions. Make sure your refrigerator is 40F or below. For specific fruit and vegetable storage, check out this great guide here.
Freeze Foods: Freeze foods that you know you won’t use all of before it goes bad. You can freeze almost anything. Make leftovers to freeze, freeze chopped fruits or select vegetables, packaged breads, cheese, and even milk!
Smaller Portions: Serve smaller portions so that you only eat what you need. You can always go back for seconds rather than throwing out when you took too much. Pack the leftovers and enjoy them the next day!
Check Expiration Dates: Many of us often forget to check the expiration dates on food items, but regularly checking the date can save us an immense amount of food. Be sure to check cans, labels, and packages for dates and those with that expire sooner should be moved to a more visible area so you remember to use those products first.
Repurpose Food Scraps: Don’t put those food scraps to waste! Use leftover veggies for vegetable stocks, almond meal for baking, or over ripened fruit for desserts and smoothies. One of our favorite things to do is use up leftover carrot tops, onion skins, kale stems, and other vegetable scraps for making soup stock.
Declutter the Fridge: In a cluttered refrigerator, many items get shoved to the back and you find them much later in a not-so-pleasant state. Be sure to organize the fridge so that you can see what you actually have. Commit to cleaning out the fridge twice a month.
FoodKeeper App: This app can also help you use food when it is at its peak quality, thus reducing waste. Check out the free app here.

For more information on other aspects for sustainable eating, listen to our podcast episode here. What ways do you try to reduce food waste? Let us know your tips and tricks in the comments below! xoxo

Warm & Cozy Blueberry Crumble

April 19, 2017 by Wendy 7 Comments

2017 has been a great year for us.

From our Plant-Powered 28-Day Cookbook to our upcoming wellness retreat and Bali (!!), our motto this year has been bigger and better. We’re trying to hit the masses with our plant-powered message, and reach as many people as possible.

Which bring us to our next big announcement. We have officially become spokespeople for the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council. (Cue inner screams!).

If you’ve followed our blog at all, you know that we absolutely love blueberries, and we frequently enjoy them in our smoothies, salads or just for an easy snack on the go. As part of the “Blue Crew,” we will be developing a 6-part series of healthy blueberry recipes that are literally knock-your-socks-off delicious. Each recipe with also be in the video format, which means you should subscribe to our Youtube channel, if you haven’t already. We’ll be kicking this series off with this Warm Cozy Blueberry Crumble Recipe.

You guys, we’ve made a lot of recipes over the years (216 to be exact), and this is one of our absolute favorites. One of the best parts of this recipe is that we are preparing it in individual portion sizes, so it’s perfect to bring to a potluck or party. And let’s face it, this helps with portion control too. This recipe is so good you might find yourself licking the dish after you are done. So it helps to know where one portion ends and another begins.

Just in case you weren’t familiar with how nutritious blueberries are, we’re going to give you some of the health highlights. One serving has about 25% of your vitamin C needs for the day, which studies suggest may help to strengthen your immunity. They are also a good source of fiber, which may help you feel full and satisfied.

Okay, ready to get started with this recipe?

Preheat the oven to 350F. Mix the blueberries with lemon juice and vanilla extract in a large bowl then set aside. In a separate bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together (brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch). Once they are mixed, evenly coat blueberries with mixture. Set aside. Now it’s time for the crumble ingredients. You’ll need a food processor handy for this part. Start by combining the flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse a few times until it is evenly mixed. Here’s where we are going to add the diced butter (still cold). Pulse until the butter gets crumbly (hence the crumble effect). It should be pea sized in diameter. Remove the crumbly mix from the food processor and place in a large bowl; mix in the oatmeal with your hands.

Now it’s time for the fun part, line up 6 mini baking dishes (we have this set, but any variation will do). Evenly spread the blueberry mixture into each baking dish, then add 1-2 tablespoons of crumble on top of each dish. Add the dishes to a baking sheet and place in the oven for about 35 minutes or until the blueberries are bubbly and the crumble has browned. Remove from the oven and top with a few chopped almonds and a tablespoon of unsweetened whipped cream (or coconut cream). Enjoy!

Share with us in the comments below your favorite ways to incorporate blueberries in the kitchen! And be sure to stay tuned for the upcoming video recipes we have for you!

2 from 1 vote

Warm and Cozy Blueberry Crumble

Ingredients

For the filling

3 cups of fresh blueberries
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of cornstarch

For the crumble

½ cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 pinch of salt
½ stick of cold butter, diced (or 4 tablespoons of smart balance for a vegan option)
¼ cup quick-cooking oats
Optional: For toppings
Chopped almonds
Coconut whipped cream

Special Equipment

6 mini baking dishes
Food processor

Instructions

First things first, we’ll start off by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix blueberries with lemon juice and vanilla extract in a large bowl then set aside. In a separate bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together (brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cornstarch). Once they are mixed, evenly coat blueberries with mixture. Set aside.
Now it’s time for the crumble ingredients. You’ll need a food processor handy for this part. Start by combining the flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse a few times until it is evenly mixed. Here’s where we are going to add the diced butter (still cold). Pulse until the butter gets crumbly (hence the crumble effect). It should be pea sized in diameter. Remove the crumbly mix from the food processor and place in a large bowl; mix in the oatmeal with your hands.
Now it’s time for the fun part, line up 6 mini baking dishes (we have this set, but any variation will do). Evenly spread the blueberry mixture into each baking dish, then add 1-2 tablespoons of crumble on top of each dish. Add the dishes to a baking sheet and place in the oven for about 35 minutes or until the blueberries are bubbly and the crumble has browned.
Remove from the oven and top with a few slivered almonds and a tablespoon of unsweetened whipped cream (or coconut cream). Enjoy!

Disclosure: This post was made in partnership with the US Highbush Blueberry Council. Thank you for supporting the growth of Food Heaven!

Naturally Flavored Water 3 Ways

April 11, 2017 by Wendy 2 Comments

Spring has officially sprung! These Naturally Flavored Water recipes slay the beverage game and are perfect for your blooming brunch. They embody the fresh and fun colors of spring.

The recipes we’re featuring today are fresh, simple, and zesty. Some of the ingredients we’re using include grapefruit, blackberries, sage, cucumber, rosemary, and more. The subtle flavors in naturally flavored water are a great way to switch things up, and get excited about drinking more water.

And speaking about drinking more water, we just did an article on 10 Easy Ways to Drink More Water. Many clients we work with struggle to meet the recommended amount of water for their needs for a wide variety of reasons. In this article, we offer some of our most effective hydration tips, and one of them include doing exactly what we are doing for these recipes…naturally infusing your water! Check it out for more ideas on ways to increase your water intake.

Now, let’s get started on these beauties. Add the ingredients for each flavored water to a one quart jar or container. The trick to releasing more flavor is to squeeze ingredients like grapefruit and lime into the jar first and then add them in. For ingredients like blackberries, you can muddle with a spoon in the jar or puncture with a fork to release color and flavor. Once all your ingredients are in, pour in the water, and refrigerate overnight for maximum flavor. You’re all done!

Are you giving these a try? Let us know how they come out for you. Also let us know in the comments below what your favorite water infusions are!

Naturally Flavored Water 3 Ways

Ingredients

1. Cinnamon Apple

4 cinnamon sticks
1 small green apple, sliced in wedges

2. Cucumber Rosemary Grapefruit

1/2 medium cucumber
2 sprigs of rosemary
1/2 small grapefruit, sliced in rounds

3. Blackberry Sage

1/2 cup blackberries
3-4 sage leaves
1/2 lime, sliced in rounds

Instructions

Add the ingredients for each flavored water to a 1 quart jar or container
To release more flavor, you can squeeze ingredients like grapefruit and lime into the jar first and then add in
For ingredients like blackberries, you can muddle with a spoon in the jar or puncture with a fork to release color and flavor
Once all your ingredients are in, pour in the water, and refrigerate overnight for maximum flavor. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

The lime skins from the Blackberry Sage water adds a unique bitterness. If you're not a fan of bitter, we recommend you simply squeeze the lime in vs adding the sliced limes!