A healthy meal, complete with dessert, that even your kids will be sure to enjoy! Look for the full article to be featured by Advanced Healthcare Network.
Better Brownies
A tasty rich, flourless treat with protein and fiber. This treat uses the natural sweetness of fruits, cocoa and nuts to make a healthy treat without any harmful chemicals that our body reacts to like poison. These brownies are also gluten free, due to the rising number of individuals who show a mild or severe gluten intolerance we avoid gluten containing ingredients as much as possible.
Cook time – 30 minutes
Number of servings – 4
Serving size – ½ cup
Difficulty – normal
Ingredients:
½ cup sliced almonds (provides heart healthy fats)
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (a rich flavor that has no added sugars)
¼ cup agave nectar or honey (a natural sugar that is rich in immune system boosting antioxidants).
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup packed pitted dates (provides a chewy texture and sweetness, along with Iron, fiber and potassium)
¼ cup almond milk (a dairy alternative to those who suffer from lactose allergies)
2 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8 inch square pan with foil and coat lightly with oil.
- In a food processor, blend almonds, cocoa, chocolate, baking soda and salt until ground. Pulse in dates, agave nectar, almond milk, oil and vanilla until a smooth paste forms.
- Beat egg whites until medium peaks form. Stir in 1/3 of almond mixture, then fold in remaining mixture. Spread in baking pan.
- Bake until a toothpick comes out almost clean, about 30 minutes.
Healthy Chinese Orange Chicken
This is a healthy spin on traditional Orange Chicken from your local Chinese restaurant. This is not fried and is lower in sodium but is still packed with flavor.
Servings Size- 4oz chicken
Difficulty- Medium
Ingredients:
2 lbs. or 32oz. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (boneless skinless chicken breast is the leanest cut of chicken making it the most heart healthy)
8 oz. broccoli florets (fresh or frozen) (broccoli is cruciferous vegetable, it natural detoxes our body helping reduce our risk for certain cancers, it is also rich in vitamin A and K which help rebuild vitamin D stores)
1 bunch fresh green onions chopped
2 tbs. toasted sesame seeds
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil (olive oil is a heart healthy fat)
Orange Chicken Sauce
½ c orange juice
¼ c pure honey
1/3 c lite soy sauce (reduced sodium which makes this more friendly for blood pressure and heart disease)
3 tbs. corn starch
The zest of an entire orange
Dash of crushed pepper
1 tsp. ground ginger (a powerful antioxidant that help reduce inflammation and boost immune system)
3 cloves of garlic chopped (another powerful antioxidant that improves heart health)
Directions:
- Cut chicken breast into cubes and cook both chicken and broccoli in olive oil until cooked through.
- Add Orange Chicken sauce, bring to a boil, reduce heat and serve over quinoa, rice, or noodles, quinoa, brown rice or wheat noodles are a great source of fiber making them an excellent choice over traditional white starchy options. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and green onions.
To learn more about the health benefits of foods, play education games, recipes, and stories download the FREE app Green Box Heroes.