Healthy Guilt Free Banana Loaf that Actually Tastes Great!

Posted in Breakfast, Vegan Baking by Vegan Mommy Dee

Hi everyone! Hope all is well with you all. It’s still quite cold and damp in my neck of the woods. The rain and dampness has made me crave comforting baked goods so I’ve been revamping my banana bread. It’s just a cold, cold Spring!

I’ve enjoyed baking and creating lots of cozy meals lately. It’s all about the comfort meals this time of year. I have so many recipes to share with you all this year and I’m hoping to get them posted soon. I’ve been recipe testing and trying my best to create healthy versions of my favourite meals. Many of them have been a huge success but a few still need to be tweaked a tad.

I’ve recreated my original banana bread and made it as healthy as possible without sacrificing the taste of this epic treat. I’m so very happy with the result! This is the most often made treat at my house. It’s easy to make, includes staple ingredients that pretty much everyone has on hand and it’s guilt free. It’s healthy and delicious! No need to have any guilt about indulging in this banana bread. You’re fueling your body with nutritious ingredients instead of the typical store bought version that’s full of sugar and fat.

I also love using this recipe for mini muffins and mini loafs. Just bake them for a shorter period of time. I love how versatile this recipe is.

I really tried to break this recipe down to minimal ingredients so that everyone can feel like they can make it easily. It doesn’t matter what your skill level is in the kitchen either. This recipe is so easy that anyone can make it, and end up with a perfect snack. I also like to create meals that children can make as well. My son is usually my assistant in the kitchen. I want him to learn the importance of making home cooked meals and desserts. My recipes are easy enough for him to help me with and learn some skills. If you have little ones too, then you can definitely make this recipe with them!

My recipe is less calorie rich than my original version. I decided to eliminate the nuts and oil to save on calories. I realized that they were honestly unnecessary ingredients in the recipe. Any type of oil is still refined and not healthy by any means. It provides no nutritional benefits and makes baked goods very calorie rich. I know the hype right now is eat all the fat you can because it’s said to be healthy for us in our diet. The reality is, it’s not. Yes we need some fat in our diet but it really should be from the whole food source such a yummy avocado.

I will add my video version of this recipe below. I know a lot of you enjoy watching the recipe video on my YouTube channel. Thank you for the continued support on my channel. I really appreciate it. If you haven’t already Subscribed to my channel then please consider doing so if you enjoy health and wellness videos. I make healthy yet satisfying meals on my channel and provide wellness tips as well.

Ok so let’s get to the good part …

Here is probably one of my most favourite recipes that I’ve ever created! I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Healthy Guilt Free Banana Bread

Dry Ingredients:

2 cups of oat flour

1 cup of oats

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1/4 cup hemp hearts (optional)

2 Tbsp. Ground Flax

Optional : 1/4 – 1/3 cup Vegan Chocolate chips/chocolate chunks or cacao nibs

Wet Ingredients:

6 Tbsp. Warm Water

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 of a cup of plant-based milk

3 regular sized spotty bananas, mashed

1/3 of a cup of sugar. I use coconut sugar, brown sugar, or maple sugar.

* Preheat oven to 350 F *

Method:

1. In a large bowl place 2 cups of oat flour and 1 cup of oats. Next add in 1 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/3 cup sugar of choice. Combine well. Toss in the 1/4 cup of hemp hearts if you are using them in your banana loaf.

2. Add 2 tablespoons of flax meal to a small bowl with 6 tablespoons of warm water. Mix well and allow to thicken up

3. In another large bowl mash three spotty bananas well. Add in 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and the 1/2 cup of plant-based milk. Mix well.

4. Add the flax egg into the wet ingredients. I use a fork to mix it well.

5. Next add the wet ingredients into the dry and combine everything very well.

6. Transfer your batter into your baking dishes or loaf pans. Bake at 350° for approximately 40 to 50 minutes.

ENJOY! 💛

Let me know if you try my recipe out in the comments below! Have a wonderful week everyone!

Health, Joy & Positive Vibes,

27Feb2021

2 ingredient Potato & Veggie Patties

Posted in Lunch/Dinner by Vegan Mommy Dee

Who needs a recipe that can be made super fast but will still help you stick to your wellness goals? Fast food can definitely be made with a healthy twist if you put some thought behind it.

I love making Potato and Veggie patties because they taste super delicious and keep me on track with my health and wellness goals. I also love how I can use the same mixture to make a variety of things too. I make patties and veggie bites using the same simple mixture. I love easy recipes like this that can provide us with many different meal options. Let’s face it if we don’t have a variety of quick recipes then we will seek unhealthy alternatives.

Easy Potato & Veggie Patties with Hot Sauce

Super simple & delicious Potato & Veggie Patties

The number one excuse people make for not eating healthy is that they don’t have time to cook.

I just don’t agree with that because I can cook up a healthy meal using just a few ingredients on a normal basis. In the time it takes you to order food and get it picked up or delivered you can make a healthy meal at home. It doesn’t take much effort to cook up potatoes, rice, open a can of beans or legumes and whatever veggies you have on hand. Frozen or canned veggies are wonderful to have at home because they cook up really fast. I feel like these types of convience foods are extremely helpful in order to keep us on a track with our wellness goals.

I use my instant pot to cook up most of my meals because I’m short on time. You can make pretty much anything in this amazing small appliance quickly. I love to fill up my instant pot with healthy starches like potatoes or rice. Having it pre-made gives me the opportunity to make a meal super fast. I also love having precooked potatoes in the fridge so you just have to grab them and reheat them when you get hungry. Rice can also be frozen which I find very helpful when I know it’s going to be a super busy day.

Having time saving hacks will prevent you from going out and buying terrible junky foods. Being prepared will help you stay successful and on the right track.

POTATO & VEGGIE PATTIES

Ingredients:
– 4-5 lbs of potatoes
– 4-5 cups of veggies (I used frozen veggies, my favorite is brocolli and green beans)
– seasonings of choice (optional)

1. I cook my potatoes in my 6 quart Instant Pot (about 4-5 lbs of potatoes) for 20 minutes and allow it to naturally release. You can also cook potatoes in a regular pot on the stove if you don’t have an Instant Pot.

2. Cook up 5-6 cups of frozen mixed veggies on a frying pan using water or broth to saute them.

3. Add the potatoes into a large mixing bowl and mash them up. Depending on the size of the bowl, you may need to do this in batches.

4. Add in the cooked veggies and mix well.

5. Add in any optional seasonings or spices of choice.

6. Shape into patties and pop them into the air-fryer to cook up. You can also use the oven if you don’t have a air-fryer available to you.

I cook mine at 350 F for 14 minutes, flipping them half way. Adjust the timing according to the size of patty you make.

I dip mine in sugar free ketchup most of the time. I also like to make veggie burgers using this recipe too.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. I’d love it if you could tag me on IG @VeganMommyDee if you make the recipe.

Health, Joy & Positive Vibes,

Debbie

~VeganMommyDee~

4Aug2020

Veggie Garden Love

Posted in Uncategorized by Vegan Mommy Dee

I’m enjoying my veggie garden and it’s abundance this year more than ever. With COVID-19 happening I still only shop when necessary. I love being able to grow my own veggies so I don’t have to buy as much produce at the grocery store. Being able to just walk outside and pick my own veggies is the best feeling ever!

I also love how fresh my home grown produce is. Honestly it even tastes better! Currently I’m obsessed about how my Green peppers taste. I feel so grateful to be able to grow these healthy foods. I feel so energetic and happy during this time of year. It’s probably because of a combination of things I’m sure. I eat even healthier, fresher and more organic food than other times of year for starters. I feel way more active as I’m busy gardening and taking a couple long walks daily. The amount of vitamin D I’m also getting daily makes a huge difference in my wellness.

Continue reading →

6May2017

Little Changes, Big Leaps

Posted in Health & Fitness by Vegan Mommy Dee

I’ve had a long health and fitness journey and I’ve pretty much hit every obstacle along the way. My journey still continues as I get closer to my goals and these goals have actually changed along the way. As I’ve accomplished one goal, I’ve set another to strive for. I think I’ve been successful because I’ve always set small goals along the way or implemented small changes in my diet or lifestyle. I’ve found that making small changes are easier to stick to. Once you make these changes and stick to them, this is where habits are made. This is a biggie! Those new healthy habits make a huge impact on your overall health and wellbeing. Not eating past 8 pm for example might be a health change you want to implement but soon that becomes a habit and you no longer feel the need to eat late at night. For me it was making sure I was drinking enough water. That was a huge health change for me. Once I got into that habit I gained energy, cleared my mind and I actually lost some weight as well. Making too many changes all at once or implementing too many restrictions at once will overwhelm you and frustration will cause you to abandon these goals. Smaller more attainable goals will almost always lead you to success.

Ok, so where do you begin if your starting your health journey?

In my opinion these are the staples to keep in mind …

Eat Clean
Stay Hydrated
Exercise Daily

I swear to you that this is the recipe for success! Even if you have very little time in your day, these are manageable goals to set and achieve. So lets break this down a bit so you can see how easy this is.

Eating Clean means that everything that you put in your mouth is going to benefit your body in some way. Will it nurture your body? Will it give you energy? Will it keep you feeling full long so you’re not tempted to hit that local fast food joint? Eat whole foods, fresh foods, foods that DO NOT come from a bloody box! Eat loads and loads of veggies and good quality proteins. Consume good fats like avocado, natural peanut butter and use coconut oil for cooking. I also prefer to consume brown, wild rice and quinoa vs white rice. I just want to provide my body with all the extra nutrients that I can. I don’t like empty calories. Every calorie will be provided to me from quality sources.

Staying hydrated is so vital for our over all health and wellbeing. Drink loads of water! I drink 3 L a day and if I drink less I feel like my mind is in a haze and the energy has been sucked out of me. The more active you are, the more water you need. Replenish what you’ve lost. I fill up a huge water bottle that holds almost 2L of water. I refill it when needed and its a reminder for me because its kept in view. I also keep another bottle that’s always filled on the kitchen table to remind my kids to keep drinking water throughout the day. Sometimes if it’s not in your face, your not going to remember to drink it. Another great way to make sure you remember to stay hydrated is set alarms on your cell phone. That’s a great tool, use it! I would say don’t drink less than 1 1/2 – 2 L per day for optimal health.

Here’s a big one that freaks people out. Exercise daily! That doesn’t mean full-blown workouts daily but any physical activity you can accomplish. It would be optimal to get to the point that you can complete a workout a day, even if it’s a short one. Baby steps though. Work up to that point. Even long walks are an awesome way to stay active and connect you to nature. That’s a WIN-WIN in my books! I’ve been known to take two-hour walks with the baby and I feel fantastic after!

If I can implement these small health choices into my life, then you can totally do it too! I’m a mother of 5 and my days are crazy busy. I’m busy with bringing the kids to their Girl Guide & Brownie meetings, swim class, and everything else that comes up in our hectic life. Somehow, in someway you have to try to make the time. Even if it’s an intense 10 minute workout, get it done. Your body will thank you!

Just remember I’m here to cheer you on & support you along your journey! Message me or follow me on my other social media sites. Instagram is the best place to connect with me. My handle is VeganMommyDee. 🙂

november-2016-183

8Mar2014

Eat Healthy, Be Healthy!

Posted in Health & Fitness by Vegan Mommy Dee

Health

Eat Healthy, Be Healthy!!! Everyday we make choices about our food, so make health conscious ones! Don’t make choices that are going to leave you guilt ridden. Even the most popular comfort foods can be made in healthier ways. I’ve made delicious healthy mac & “cheese” and pot pies which people love! They couldn’t believe they were vegan and healthy because they tasted so good. This is why I keep trying to tell people that healthy CAN taste good! Actually it can taste pretty darn amazing!

I’ve noticed that people can do pretty well making good food choices for meals for the most part but find it very difficult to snack healthy. One of the biggest lessons I leaned on my weight loss journey was to swap unhealthy snacks with healthy ones. If you’re a chip lover try eating homemade sweet potato chips or making yummy kale chips as an alternative. They are so tasty and guilt free! Even my teen has grown to love them and makes them at my house! If your more of a sweet tooth then swap things like sugar loaded ice cream with a healthy homemade version. Process frozen bananas and peaches or mango, freeze in a container for 10-15 minutes to set. How simple is that? Anyone can make it! When your on the run and busy carry nuts and seeds with you or fresh fruit. Everyone who knows me is totally used to me pulling out healthy snacks from my purse when I’m hungry. If you’re not prepared then you will be tempted to pick unhealthy food choices, so be prepared!

I wasn’t always a healthy individual and for most of my life I made poor food choices. I went from being the over weight child to a teen with an eating disorder and I was down to a size 1/2. After having all my children I then ended up very over weight and feeling horrible. I had a very significant amount of weight to lose in order to feel healthy! In 2009 I started to make little small improvements to my diet and becoming a little active. In 2010 I became more active and started walking a lot. Yes walking! So simple right? It was so effective though and the weight started coming off finally and people around me were noticing! By 2013 I lost about 80 lbs and I never dreamed I could accomplish that but I did. Am I done with my health journey? Nope. I have a little more weight to shed but I’m now focused on toning and becoming stronger everyday. So to anyone out there struggling to shed some weight … you can do it! If I can so can you! Keep going! Keep trying! Rome wasn’t built in a day and your weight isn’t gonna come off over night either. Be patient with the process, make healthy food choices and be consistent with your workouts and it will happen!

~ Debbie ~

11Apr2013

Banana Vegan Chip Muffins

Posted in Breakfast, Vegan Baking by Vegan Mommy Dee

My kids LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Banana Vegan Chip Muffins!!! I have many recipes that I use but this recipe is their favourite one! It’s very fast to make and they taste super yummy and moist. It’s loaded with ground flax seeds (flaxmeal) and even my very picky 6-year-old gives these muffins the thumbs up. By the way she doesn’t even like bananas and eats these muffins! I make these muffins and almost all my baking period with brown rice flour. It has many health benefits such as its rich in fiber, manganese, selenium, zinc, calcium and B vitamins. I also add healthy oats to these muffins but it would work with wheat germ as well. These muffins are made so often that when we don’t have them the kids ask me “mommy where are the muffins???” LOL I’ve also made them without the vegan chocolate chips and they are still super good! I add in the chips to make the kids happy! I do however sometimes only add in 1/4 cup of them instead of the 1/3 cup and they actually notice! Then they ask me why there are less vegan chips in the batch of muffins when that happens. Sheesh! This is why I put 1/3 cup in the recipe below! I also added a picture of them cooling off on the wire baking rack but sadly it’s not the greatest picture. Oh well you get the idea …

Yummy Banana Vegan Chip Muffins!

Banana Vegan Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

3 Bananas, mashed
1/4 cup coconut oil or oil of choice
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 TBSP ground flax (flaxmeal)
6 TBSP water
1/2 cup oats or wheat germ
1/4 cup sucanat sugar or other sugar of choice
1 cup brown rice flour
2 tsp aluminum free baking powder
3/4 cup almond milk (I use unsweetened)
1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips

Tools:

2 muffin tins
paper muffin liners
2 medium-sized bowls

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 F
Place 3 TBSP of flaxmeal in a small bowl add add the 6 TBSP water to it. Mix well and set aside for a few minutes.
With a fork mash 3 ripe bananas in a medium-sized bowl.
add 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup sugar to banana mixture. You can add more sugar if you like sweeter muffins but I think 1/4 cup is enough for us.
In another medium-sized bowl add the 3/4 cup brown rice flour and oats.
Add the baking powder to the flour mixture and combine well.
Add the flaxmeal mixture into the wet ingredients and mix well.
Next add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Now add the 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk. Combine.
Toss in the vegan chips and give it another mix.
Line 1 12 muffin baking tin with paper liners and fill them half way for medium-sized muffins. Grab another muffin tin and place 4 more paper liners in it. Fill those suckers up too! You could also just do 12 larger muffins and bake them for 25-27 minutes. We prefer medium-sized muffins however.
Pop them into a 400 F oven for 23-25 minutes.

Once they are baked I let them cool off inside the tins for about 5 minutes. Then I transfer them to a wire baking rack and let them cool completely before placing them into a air tight container.

*Makes 16 medium-sized muffins or 12 large muffins*

Enjoy! 🙂

28Mar2013

Healthy Oat Bars

Posted in Vegan Baking by Vegan Mommy Dee

Here is my favourite recipe for healthy oat bars! I love this recipe that I came up with because it’s made with healthy dates and prunes. Dates have iron, calcium and fiber in them as well as countless other healthy benefits. Prunes also have fiber in them as well as vitamin C, A, K and they are said to be a good anti colorectal cancer food choice. I really like how the dates and prunes act as a sweetening agent in the recipe! I’ve added the option of adding pure maple syrup to them as well if desired. I’ve made them with and without the maple syrup and both ways taste really good to me. The maple syrup adds a bit of extra sweetness and of course a tasty kick to the bars though. I love oat bars because they are easy to make and can be a great snack to eat on the go! Another bonus is that this recipe is flour free too!

|**The bars do have almonds in them but you can make them nut free if allergies are a concern. **

Healthy Oat Bars

Ingredients:

2 Cups Gluten Free Oats
1 TBSP Cinnamon
3/4 Cup Cranberries or other dried sulfate free fruit of choice
3 TBSP Flaxmeal
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
1/2 tsp – 1 tsp vanilla extract
2 TBSP Pure Maple Syrup (optional)
12 Dates (I soak mine over night to make them easier
6 Prunes
1/3 cup warm water
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds or you can substitute another seed

You will also need these simple items …

Food Prosser or high-powered blender
You will need a baking pan. Depth will depend on how thick you want your bars to be.
Parchment paper to line your baking dish or coconut oil to oil your dish with.

Method:

Preheat oven to 350
In a food processor add the dates and prunes
Add 1/3 cup warm water into the food processor and process until smooth. Add more water if needed until it’s well combined. Also add the vanilla extract and combine all ingredients well.
In a large bowl add the oats, cinnamon, pumpkin seeds and flaxmeal.
Add the cranberries or other dry fruit of choice & finely chopped almonds to dry mixture. Combine well.
Add the date & prune mixture into the dry ingredients. Make sure to mix everything up well.
If you’re adding in the maple syrup then toss it in now and combine well.
Line your baking pan with parchment paper or oil it well
Add the mixture to the baking pan and even it out well.
Bake for 3o minutes

*Let rest until cooled off before cutting into bars*

Enjoy them! I know I do & they don’t last long at all! 🙂

4Mar2013

Blueberry Quinoa cake

Posted in Breakfast, Vegan Baking by Vegan Mommy Dee

I’ve been on a bit of an organic blueberry kick lately! It seems that somehow I’m always throwing blueberries into my baking these days! These antioxidant rich berries have so many health benefits so I feel good about incorporating them into my baked goods. They also help to boost your immune system which is especially important to me during these wretched winter months. [insert rant] … Yes I HATE WINTER with a bloody passion! Stupid cold never-ending months of torture!

Ok I’m done now. 🙂

As I was saying blueberries have many health benefits such as aiding in heart health, brain function, helps reduce belly fat, helps with constipation and digestion and they are known for being natures anti-depressant!

This recipe is super easy as are all my recipes. I’m a mom of three and I don’t have the time to make fussy recipes! I’m also a strong believer in the fact that less is more when preparing food! This blueberry quinoa cake is also great for breakfast despite the fact that I’m calling it “cake”. Another added bonus is that it is flour free, so our waistlines are thanking us!

BLUEBERRY QUINOA CAKE

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup organic blueberries
1 cup quinoa flakes
1 cup almond or soy milk
1 heaping TBSP of cinnamon
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup or agave
3 heaping TBSP of ground flax seeds (flaxmeal)
handful of chopped nuts of choice or raw pumpkin seeds

Method:

In a medium-sized baking dish combine quinoa flakes and cinnamon
Add the flaxmeal and blueberries, mix
Next add the melted coconut oil and the maple syrup or agave. Combine well.
Throw in a handful of chopped nuts or my favourite raw pumpkin seeds
Add the milk and give it one last mix to combine all the ingredients well.

*Pop it into the oven at 350 F for 35-40 minutes. Let it cool for a while so it can set properly and you can slice it up.

NOTE: If you want your cake to take on more of a bright purple colour instead of having all the blueberries in tact like mine in the pictures you can give it a mix at the 20 minutes mark. The blueberries will be super soft and will release their beautiful bright colour into your cake. I’ve made it both ways and either way it’s yummy!

Enjoy!

Healthy protein & omega rich cake. Flour free!

Healthy & simple blueberry & quinoa cake!

25Jun2012

Healthy Chia Seed Pudding!

Posted in Vegan Baking by Vegan Mommy Dee

I’ve falllen in love with this easy to make and healthy pudding! I like to top it with fresh strawberries or blueberries. It looks so pretty and tastes yummy!

Chia Pudding

3/4 cup organic chia seeds
2 cups almond milk
1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
just a pinch of Himalayan salt
1 tsp of cinnamon

Combine the above ingredients in a large bowl or glass Tupperware. Mix it up for a couple minutes until it starts to thicken up. Give it a good stir every 10 minutes for about an hour. Pop it into the fridge overnight so it thickens up to the pudding consistency we’re looking for. When your ready to serve it place the desired amount into serving dishes and top with some healthy fruit!

* Makes 4-6 servings *