Overnight oats have had their moment in the spotlight, but it’s for very good reason. They’re cheap, easy, nutritious, portable, and adjustable to accommodate just about any dietary need (except those who need to omit oats). Unfortunately, many of the overnight oats recipes I’ve seen are overly sweetened and unnecessarily complicated. The recipe below is a simplified version that removes the extra sugar and lets the flavors from the pure ingredients stand on their own.
This salad is my go-to lunch right now. It’s packed with delicious flavors, textures, and nutrients to power you through the afternoon with tons of energy and no afternoon slump. I often pair it with a super simple fruit and kefir smoothie for a little extra protein and probiotics.
One of the most important things we can do to improve our diets is to improve the quality of our food sources. While I don’t believe rice is inherently “bad”, the vast majority of people in developed countries consume far too many simple carbohydrates, especially sugar. One way to reduce the amount of carbohydrates while increasing fiber, and many other important vitamins and minerals in our diets is to replace them with vegetables.
The lowly parsnip is an often overlooked, but delicious root vegetable. Parsnips are lower in starch than potatoes and are naturally sweet, so they make an outstanding purée. Because they are high in both insoluble and soluble fiber, parsnips are excellent for overall digestive health. Parsnips (and other root vegetables such as sweet potatoes, yams, beets, jicama, and carrots) have a high content of a particular type of soluble fiber called inulin.
This bright green smoothie is a gut-health boosting beverage that’s kid-approved! The cultured coconut water and kefir both contain beneficial bacteria and the kefir contains great protein, the banana is an outstanding prebiotic (fuel for healthy gut bacteria), the kale is full of vitamins, minerals (Vitamins K, A, C, B6 and manganese and copper), and fiber, and the coconut and avocado both provide nourishing fats.
