30 day challenge update

Today I wanted to share a few yummy recipes with you and also let you know how my challenge is going. I'm not going to lie, I have never felt better in my life. All the intense stomach problems and cravings for sugar have gone away. I still get occasional stomach upset, but I think it's normal with all the veggies I eat. I thought it would be so hard to stay away from gluten, dairy, and sugar. It has been completely opposite. I encourage all of you reading my blog to try it! Just for 1-2 weeks. The first few days are rough and you feel exhausted and have a lot of cravings, but after that it is so easy! Anyways...Here is a few recipes I would like to share with you. 

HEALTHY CREAMY TOMATO SOUP

I paired up this soup with some panini turkey sandwiches for my husband and mom, and I added quinoa and butternut squash to mine to make it more of a complete meal. 

1 (12 oz) Cans diced tomatoes, with basil garlic and oregano

1 (12 oz) Cans crushed tomatoes, with basil garlic and oregano

3/4 cups Celery, chopped

3/4 cup Carrots, chopped

1/2 cup White onion, chopped fine

2 cups Chicken broth

1 cup Almond milk, or skim milk (or milk of choice)

1/2 tsp Dried oregano

1/2 tsp Dried basil

1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Optional: Salt, pepper, and stevia (for a bit of sweetness) to taste

METHOD:

Place everything (except for the milk, dried spices, and parmesan cheese) in a large pot and cook on med high 30 min covered, then turn heat down to low and cook an additional 15 minutes, or until veggies are tender and soup is thickened up to your liking. You can puree half the soup in a blender if you do not want it as chunky. 

Turn heat off, and while soup is still hot, add milk, parmesan cheese, and dried spices. Stir to combine everything, and serve warm!

Calories: 103 Calories per Cup

Nutrient Breakdown: 8 g Carbohydrates, 2 g Fiber, 8 g Protein, 6 g Fat, 3 g Sugar

COCONUT FLAX PANCAKES

2T coconut flour

2T flax

4 egg whites

3-4T almond milk

1 Tbsp vanilla protein

1/2t baking powder

1/2t cinnamon

Stevia

Whip the eggs together in blender until fluffy.

Add in all of the other ingredients and blend for ~30sec.

Pour into a greased pan heated to med-low.

Cook + flip + cook + serve!

Top with pb and bananas, or you could also blend in a little frozen fruit for flavor + sweetness [cherries, bananas, strawbs, blueberries, etc].

I topped mine with PB and bananas! Yum! They are extra filling. I only ate 1 1/2 half and saved the rest for later. I found this recipe off of "Body of a Mother" Blog. Her recipes are always so yummy!

Quinoa Crunch

Makes 1 1/2 - 2 cups

Enjoy this healthy snack by the handful or sprinkled over fresh fruit, applesauce, or smoothies for some added crunch. For extra sweetness, stir 1/2 cup raisins or other dried fruit into the mixture upon removing it from the oven.

1/2 cup quinoa, covered with water and soaked at room temperature for 5-6 hours

1/2 cup raw walnuts, pecans, or almonds, chopped

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

15 drops liquid stevia

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Drain the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer. Rinse well and drain again, pressing on the grains with the back of a spoon to remove as much water as possible. Transfer the drained quinoa to a mixing bowl and stir in the walnuts, coconut, cinnamon, and salt.

In a small bowl, combine the applesauce, flaxseed, and stevia. Stir the applesauce mixture into the quinoa mixture to thoroughly combine. Spread the mixture out evenly on the baking sheet.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until golden brown and crunchy. Cool completely on the baking sheet. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

I found this recipe of "Daily Bites" Blog. I stole her picture as well. It was the perfect amount of sweetness and crunch. It would be delicious on yogurt-if I could eat it :( or on fruit with some almond milk. It is delicious! Even my husband liked it and put some on his yogurt!

Enjoy the recipes! More to come!

Love, Stephanie