What is better than a brownie? A healthier, PUMPKIN based brownie, of course!

Today’s Tasty Tuesday embodies our fall favorite (hello pumpkin) but shows how versatile and yummy  pumpkin really is.

Adding pumpkin to a baked good is great as it adds extra nutrients, subtracts the eggs (great if vegan diet), and equals a cake-like/rich/thick outcome!

We love that pumpkin is in season and plan on using it everything we can. Let us know how you use pumpkin! Even if it’s just as home decor 🙂

 

Another thing we love about Fall… pumpkin. everything. This Tasty Tuesday, we have No-Bake Pumpkin Bites! Woo hoo!

Pumpkin is actually pretty nutritious; it’s high in Vitamin A and C, as well as full of fiber!

The weather may be cooling down, but that just means it’s time for all the soup! We have a delicious homemade soup – Chicken Enchilada Soup – recipe today that only takes 30 minutes.
We know things are crazy right now and we are more busy than ever at home, so we want to be sure we are providing nutritious recipes that don’t take long.
Soup is an excellent staple to have because you can add anything extra or customize it to your liking. Plus, you can make it in large quantities and freeze it for a long time 🙂

Today’s Tasty Tuesday is terrific: TOAST!

Toast is typically thought to be bread, butter, peanut butter; overall nothing exciting. However, you can dress up your toast in SO many ways. One of the ways we are highlighting today includes fruit. More specifically, some of the best fruit for you in terms of nutrients. Berries are packed with all types of vitamins, some have even been shown to slow down growth/duplication of cancerous cells. Let us know how YOU dress up your toast!

Ingredients:

• whole wheat bread
• low fat plain cream cheese
• fresh basil
• blackberries, sliced
• raspberries, sliced
• strawberries, sliced
• Optional: any type of fruit would be great with this!

Directions:

• Toast your whole wheat bread, then spread a layer of the low-fat cream cheese on top.
• Add the fruit, then the basil leaves, and enjoy!
• Best enjoyed warm 🙂

Hummus quesadillas? Why have we never thought of this before!

An excellent snack or quick lunch for you and your family, with the ability to be customized as you please. This is also an awesome dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegetarian option for those with diet restrictions.

We love this recipe because it allows families to include sneaky veggies- see below for our recommendations. **Don’t forget to try for at least 5 servings of veggies per day!** Not only is hummus a protein-rich food, but when it is warmed up, it takes on an almost cheese-esc consistency, which is sure to please even the pickiest of eaters!

Ingredients:

– 8-inch whole grain tortilla (or gluten-free tortilla for gluten-free quesadillas)
– ¼ to ⅓ cup hummus of choice (Roasted Red Pepper is one of our favorites and seems to go with any topping)
– Fillings of your choice (We love a handful of sauteed spinach in olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, and some thinly sliced onions, but you can also do sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, broccoli…)
– Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
– Optional, for serving: additional hummus, hot sauce, pesto, etc

Directions:

• Spread hummus generously over your tortilla. Lightly cover one-half of the tortilla with fillings of your choice. Fold the blank half over to create a half-moon shape. Repeat if you’d like to make more than one quesadilla; you can cook up to two at a time in the same skillet.
  
• Warm a medium skillet over medium heat. Place the folded quesadilla(s) in the pan. Let the bottom sides warm up for a minute or two, then carefully flip. Brush the warm sides lightly with olive oil and let them cook in the pan for another minute or two. Carefully flip once again, brush the new top side lightly with olive oil, and cook until the bottom is lightly golden and crisp. Carefully flip and cook until that side is lightly golden and crisp.
  
• Transfer the quesadilla(s) to a cutting board and let them rest for a couple of minutes. Then, use a sharp chef’s knife or pizza cutter to slice each quesadilla into three wedges. Serve immediately. I enjoyed mine as-is, but you might like some additional hummus on the side, or perhaps some hot sauce or a dab of pesto.
• Recipe adapted from: Cookie and Kate

Is there anything better than a soft pretzel? Nope. We don’t think so.

So thank gosh we found a healthier alternative to the typical ones drenched in oil and full of artificial ingredients. We love that we can share classic recipes with you all that include little tweaks to make them that much healthier. These are great snacks to pack in your kiddos lunch or to enjoy at home!

Please share with us what you do to your recipes to make the healthier version!

One of the hardest things to find that is still healthy is snack foods. Often times we reach for what is convenient- chips, store bought granola bars, crackers, cookies… you name it. One way to combat unhealthy snacks is by pre making some HEALTHY snacks!
Today’s watermelon skewers can be pre-made and grabbed quickly on the go! (Plus it’s only 4 ingredients  )
Watermelon is one the most hydrating foods and has been shown to decrease risk of prostate cancers. Feta cheese is an awesome source of calcium which is good for bones, and of course blue berries are super high in manganese and Vitamin C- all helpful in helping the body repair and continue to grow healthy and strong!

Check out the recipe above!

Did someone say cake batter balls? Yep, we did. And they’re just 5 ingredients AND healthy!

We love dessert at the BCFF, so anytime we find a healthier recipe we cannot wait to share it with you all. We highly encourage dessert, but also highly encourage balance. You can have dessert but also still make sure you are getting at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies each day. Obesity is one of the leading causes of cancer in the United States, so it is important to maintain a healthy weight.

Check out the recipe in the PDF above.

Tasty Tuesday- 5 Ingredients or Less Series 🥳

Today’s recipe is a classic: peanut butter granola bars! A healthier take on the classic Chewy bar so you can feel confident that you are giving your kiddos (or having for yourself) a good, quality snack. We encourage making these as opposed to buying them at the store due the difference in ingredients.

Store bought bars tend to have a ton of chemicals and preservatives in them, where as this recipe calls for 5 staple ingredients you probably already have! Not to mention the difference in calories, sugar, and sodium- all things you can control when you make it yourself!!!!!

Check out the recipe in the PDF image above!

Another recipe with 5 ingredients or less coming at ya!
Today’s Tasty Tuesday is homemade Vanilla Almond Milk 😋
Perfect to in coffee, smoothies, with cereal, or just to drink plain!
The benefit(s) of almond milk is that it is of course good for those who don’t process dairy products well, and it is typically lower in artificial sugars than regular cow’s milk is. In fact, this recipe is completely free of artificial sugars!
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Ingredients:
2 cups raw unsalted almonds, soaked overnight in enough water to cover the almonds
6 cups water
3 fresh Medjool dates, pitted
2 teaspoons good quality pure vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt

Directions:
– Drain and rinse the almonds, discarding the soaking water. Rinse.
– In a high speed blender, combine the rinsed almonds, fresh water, dates, vanilla and a pinch of sea salt. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes.
– Strain using a nut bag or clean tea towel, squeezing all the liquid into a large clean bowl. Transfer to a glass bottle and refrigerate.
– Will keep, refrigerated, about a week. Shake to combine before using.