Hemp Seed Kale Chips

My 93 year-old grandfather eating his first kale chip and loving it.
Corona Beer in koozy, not Phase 1 compliant. ;)

Are you in Phase 1 and looking for family weekend crowd pleaser? These will do the trick. There are tons of kale chip variations floating around the web but this one is a favorite for us because it uses Hemp Seed Butter - makes the chips especially satiating. But you can easily make them with Kale, olive oil, salt and a sprinkling of hemp seeds if you like. The trick is to be sure the kale is washed and thoroughly dried before putting in the oven and cook till they're browning on the edges for max crunch factor. 

*Update: Both Greenling and Whole Foods now offer pre-washed and chopped kale making this recipe even more of a snap! 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 head of kale, rinsed and thoroughly dried (or else chips will not crisp up)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
• Hemp Seed Butter or Tahini 
• Himalayan Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roughly chop kale. Lay kale in a single layer on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Spread several dollops of hemp seed butter with the back of a spoon throughout the chips (it's okay if it's not entirely even). Roast chips in oven until crisp, about 10-15 minutes. Keep a good eye on the chips near the end as they can quickly go from crispy to burnt. Salt to taste as soon as you remove from oven. 

Organic Sunbutter

What’s a favorite sandwich spread that’s creamy and pairs with Jelly? Peanut Butter? We’ve got something even better in store for you.

Organic Sunbutter! Our clients have road tested it and given it a major thumbs up. It’s deliciously reminiscent of your favorite treat growing up, but free of the allergenic and moldy effects of peanuts. Slather it on a banana. Dip your celery stalks in it. Coat one of your favorite seed cracker treats. 

In Austin? Find it at People's RX South Location in the LoveLife Method section along with a selection of compliant snacks.

Hot Love DIPS

If you could be any punctuation mark, what would you be? A “....”? A “?”. A “.”. Someone aptly explained our partner Katie Visco of Hot Love Soups, as a big Exclamation Point! We would add exclamation points!!!

Her spirit defies characterizing in words. But when we tell you that she ran across the country at 18 years old, inspiring others to live their passions and create their dreams, you will have an inkling. We are grateful to get to work with her and our clients adore her.
Chef Katie creates compliant LoveLife Method soups, exclusively for LoveLife Method clients and she peddles them over to clients homes on their first day of the program. Her latest incarnation has us all doing back flips. Citrus-free, 100% compliant bean dips! Katie came up with these oh-so-tasty delights when she herself went on her own food journey, completing The Love Cleanse last month. Read more about her inspiring experience here.

Olive Hummus and Mint Basil Green Goddess Hummus are so good that you’ll want to devour a tub every day while also adding a new BFF.
We love you Katie!

Alpine Avocado Vinaigrette

Over the past four years, we've scoured the grocery stores in search of a compliant salad dressing that we could recommend for our programs. It had to be free of preservatives, junk oils, possible inflammatory ingredients and sugars. A seeming conundrum, nothing presented itself. Until now. 

We are thrilled to add a creamy, tasty, truly healthy salad dressing to our programs. Alpine Avocado Salad Dressing, is prepared from real ingredients – avocado, garlic, green onion, 100% extra virgin olive oil, rice wine vinegar.

Soon to be found at People’s Pharmacy in The Love Cleanse section and available for delivery by Greenling Organics.

Toasted Hemp Seeds from Happy Hemp

Hemp hemp hooray! Last month we brought you a snack that is all the rage – Hemp Hearts: the meat of the hemp seed absent the shell.

But did you know, that we have our own Hemp Pioneer right here in Austin, Tx? Happy Hempster, Tara Miko, has created a Toasted Hemp Seed with both the meat and shell intact, creating a taste and crunch reminiscent of a traditional chip but with the nutrition and health benefits of a super food.

These toasted seeds contain all the essential fatty acids, all 20 aminos acids, high minerals, 12 g protein and 15 g fiber!

Owner Tara Miko includes healthy recipes for all diets on her Happy Hemp blog. Additionally, Happy Hemp has launched a YouTube channel that takes viewers step-by-step on how to cook with Happy Hemp. Happy Hemp is available at the SFC’s Downtown Farmers’ Market, Sunset Valley Farmers’ Market, Peoples RX, Wheatsville Co-op and nationwide online at www.happy-hemp.com

Hemp Hearts

Tiny and chewy flecks of hemp seeds robust with protein, these little hearts are a far cry from the sugar laden ones that whisper sweet nothings (apt given the empty calories) at Valentines Day. Great for sprinkling on a salad, topping Greek yogurt or eating right out of your hand. An extra gold star for this snack - Manitoba only uses non-GMO sourced seeds. Be on the lookout for the green bag, they’re the organic variety. Carried at Whole Foods, Central Market and Sprouts locations. 

Snack of the Month: Lydia's Sunflower Seed 'Bread'

Have a hankering for bread, sans its effects? Lydias to the rescue. A delicious replica of homemade rye bread, Lydia's version is made up of dehydrated seeds and chock full of nutrients and protein. Slather on some avocado for a crunchy snack, or follow their directions for rehydration to make a sandwich for a serious mid-afternoon cravings buster!


Can be purchased online here.

Tahini Kale Chips

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Whole Head of Kale, Mustard Greens or a bag of mixed Braising Green
• Olive Oil
• Himalayan Salt
• Smoked Paprika*
• Tahini

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to bake 375 degrees. Chop off stems of greens you are using. If using whole head of kale, quarter it.

Rinse well in salad spinner, make sure they are completely dry or chips will be soggy.

In large bowl toss with olive oil, salt and paprika*.

Lay out flat greens on a cookie sheet - not too many on top of each other or they will not crisp up. Add a small dollop of Tahini to each chip.

Bake until crispy. 

*** Omit paprika if you are sensitive to nightshades or haven't yet tested.

More Seed Crackers: We Just Can't Get Enough

We are obsessed with seed crackers! Why? Because they provide an easy, delicious on-the-go protein boost that helps banish cravings. Generally they're also soaked and sprouted which makes them much more digestible.

Mauk Family Farms creates some tasty and affordable Seed Crusts and we love them so much, they will be a staple in our future kits and programs. Last month we told you about their Mineral Seed Crusts. An even tastier variation of these is their Raw Wheat Free Crusts. Spread it with your favorite hummus or avocado and prepare to feast. For those avoiding nightshades, you’ll want to opt instead for the Mineral Seed Crust, which is nightshade-free.

Cooling Summertime Smoothie

News flash: it's hot outside, real hot. So hot, in fact, that we were inspired to throw the most cooling ingredients we could think of in the blender for a smoothie that's guaranteed to take your core temp down a degree or two. Cucumbers, two types of melons and mint come together to create an amazingly refreshing summertime snack. We also tossed in a handful of spinach (we can't help ourselves) to balance out some of the fruit sugars; with the watermelon and cantelope flavors you won't be able to taste the greens - dare we say it's even kid friendly? 

If you're sensitive to food combining principles you may choose to pair this smoothie with a few of your favorite nuts or a raw protein snack. We think this blend could also make an awesome base for some homemade frozen fruit bars - can you get much cooler than that?

INGREDIENTS
Makes 1 smoothie

• 1/2 cup watermelon
• 1/2 cup cantalope (throw the seeds in, too! They help lend a creaminess to this non-dairy smoothie)
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled
• Small handful of spinach
• 2-3 mint leaves

Place all ingredients in blender and pulse blend until mixture achieves desired consistency. For frozen fruit bars, leaving a little texture in the mix or adding in a handful of chopped melon would be spot on.

Raw Mineral Crusts

We are so in love with these Raw Mineral Seed Crusts from Mauk Family Farms that we’re considering purchasing them in bulk and making them a part of our client kits! A crisp, nutty flavor with a hint of caramelized sweetness will have you hooked. Soaked, sprouted, and dehydrated at low temperatures, your body will soak these up as much as your taste buds. Dip into Out to Lunch Black Bean Dip or your personal favorite hummus. Great by itself, on the run, and in between meetings. Or slather your favorite tomato sauce on top for a raw pizza crust. Mmmmmineral rich and scrumptious!

Garden Herb Sea Crackers

Have a hankering for some crunchy zest on-the-go? Two Moms in the Raw offers whole food Raw Sea Crackers. Great for you and great tasting, they meet all of our Love Cleanse specs for a healthy snack: Whole food, simple ingredients, convenient, mix of both protein with fiber and most important of all, tasty! To top it off they're also gluten-free.

Grab them at your local Whole Foods and keep your eyes open for their products hitting Starbuck’s shelves soon!

Snack of the Month: Savi Seeds

A new breed of seed has come to town, straight from the jungles of Peru. Move over nuts! Savi looks like a nut, tastes like a nut, but it quacks like a seed. Much heartier than it’s pumpkin and sunflower kin, this is no ordinary seed.

It contains the highest levels of antioxidants on the planet! And it meets all of our criteria for a healthy blood sugar balancing snack – high protein, high fiber, whole food, no additives and it could not be simpler to pop in your mouth on the go.

Carried in the raw food snack section of Whole Foods or it may be found online here at Sequel Naturals.

Snacks are Back! Part 1

-Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to be alerted when Part 2 is posted along with other blog updates! -

I recently attended the Natural Products Expo in Anaheim, California. Thousands of vendors converge into a Disneyland of natural foods, supplements, ingredients and organics, as everyone hops on the roller coaster of a natural foods extravaganza. Trends emulating as reality at the show, are still many months away from hitting the stores, and retailers and buyers gobble up the best and tastiest foods, placing their orders to cater to the palettes and preferences of their buyers – insert YOU. 

So what can you expect to see on the shelves in the months to come? Snacks! Healthy AND tasty. There has been an evolution in the convenience revolution. Sating your love affair with crunchy, zesty, and salty these new adorations are eloquent adaptations that ring in power-packed nutrients like kale, greens and seeds.  

But what defines a healthy snack? Many of us have been misled into believing that just because something is “gluten free” it is “healthy”. And as one who has personally been duped by gluten, this is not at all a knock on the gluten free movement. Rather it’s intended to rip open that bag of “healthy” pretzels or potato chips shedding light on what really resides within. Luckily to go within, you need not go far.  In this case, you are not only allowed but encouraged to judge this book by its cover because quite simply, most everything you need to know is on the label.

Here’s what to look for:

1. Does it contain flour-based ingredients? 

Formerly ubiquitous, snacks and flour used to go hand in hand. Even though something might be allergen free or gluten free:  flour = processed = less healthy than whole foods.  Rice flour, sorghum flour, oat flour etc are the primary ingredients in anything that is not a whole food based snack. Look for Whole Food based ingredients instead, more about those down below in tip number 4.

2. How many preservatives and extra additives or fillers are there?

The shorter the ingredients list the better. Unless there is simply a bevy of spices, words like maltodextrin, lecithin, vitamin E, citric acid fall under the preservative or additive category. Snacks that are less “flavored” typically have fewer additives which artificially simulate tastes – think sea salt and black pepper rather than BBQ or Cool Ranch.

3. Does it have common inflammatory ingredients such as soy, wheat, dairy, corn?

Many people have awakened to their unique inflammatory ingredients and have discovered which ones are the bane of their existence triggering a cascade of unwanted symptoms, some of which include – lower energy, weight gain, headaches, skin issues, mood issues, seasonal allergies and more. Why are so many people reacting to these everyday ingredients?  This is a more complex question to be addressed at another time but the short version is that we receive “hits” of these pervasive ingredients in the foods we eat, multiple times every single day. And these additives are subsidized, therefore cheap, highly processed and often GMO. Continuing to regularly eat these ingredients throughout our days, often leads to an inflammatory histamine response within the body, in which it says – Enough! Rebellion ensues. Discovering and eliminating your unique inflammatory triggers, however, can be an enormously transformational experience, leading to a happy, non-inflamed you. 

4. Is it a whole food?

What defines a “whole food"? Typically anything that is on the perimeter of the grocery store - vegetables, fruits, meats at the deli counter – or in the bulk bin section including – nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains.  

However, there are now many alternative types of snacks that are part of a huge snack evolution!  R-A-W. Raw snacks use a dehydrator that allow foods like kale and sweet potatoes to bare their happy naked little souls, without preservatives or their formerly pulverized flour versions.

Here for some of our favorite Raw Snack companies:

• Rhythm SuperFoods
• Kaia Foods
• SuperConscious New Earth Living
• Hail Merry

Our of thousands of products at the Natural Products Expo, 2 of Austin's own Snack Companies walked away first in class.  Both Hail Merry and Rhythm Superfoods won awards for best in show.  Congrats!

Coming soon – Snacks are Back! Part 2 with examples of labels and how to read them, more snack suggestions and the rollout of The Love Cleanse “Healthy Snack Rating System”.


-Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to be alerted when Part 2 is posted along with other blog updates! -

Pumpkin Berry Smoothie

A fresh twist on an old favorite...this packs so much goodness into one glass it even has greens blended right in - ya can't taste them a bit!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/3 cup butternut squash or pumpkin – fresh or canned
• 1 cup organic mixed blueberries & raspberries
• 1/2 cup coconut water
• 1 jumbo kale or Swiss chard leaf or 2 small to medium leaves
• Thin, small slice of fresh ginger 
• 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Raw coconut oil or 1 tbsp coconut butter

OPTIONAL:

• 1 tbsp of Flax oil (Women Only)   
• 1/3 cup SuperFood Snack or Vega Whole Meal Optimizer (only for those not sensitive to food combining principles)

Place all ingredients in blender except kale or Swiss chard.  Blend everything to a creamy liquid consistency and add kale or Swiss chard.  Continue blending until greens are liquefied and drink.  

Makes one 12 ounce serving.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ cups raw pumpkin seeds
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a spray bottle
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground mustard
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon roasted garlic powder*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pumpkin seeds in a small bowl, spray with olive oil spray to coat. Sprinkle the spices on top & stir until the seeds are evenly coated. Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer. Place in the oven on the middle rack. Bake, stirring occasionally until they are golden brown & fragrant, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt. Seeds can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. 1 serving = 2 tablespoons.

For a sweet & spicy version, substitute 2 teaspoons of Chinese five spice for the spices above. Chinese five spice is a blend of cinnamon, anise, cloves, ginger & fennel.

Raw pumpkin seeds & spices.

For a Tex-Mex version, substitute 2 teaspoons of fresh lime juice (stick to olive oil if citrus is a personal food intolerance) & 2 teaspoons Chipotle chili powder (if nightshades are not a food intolerance).

For an Italian version, substitute 2 teaspoons ground fennel & fresh ground pepper.


*Please omit the garlic powder if you and your coach have established you'll be testing as it's own category in Phase 2.

Kale Chips

INGREDIENTS

• 1 head of kale, rinsed and thoroughly dried (or else chips will not crisp up)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a spray bottle
• Himalayan Salt, black pepper or your favorite seasoning to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut kale into 1 inch strips. Place evenly on a baking sheet & spray with a light mist of olive oil spray. Roast in oven until crisp, about 5-10 minutes. Salt to taste as soon as you remove from oven. Makes 2 servings.

Check out more snack ideas here. 

Top 5 healthiest, Tastiest Snacks on the Go!

1. Kale Chips
These crunchy, alkalizing treats are a perfect replacement for mid-afternoon French Fries. Nutrient dense crispy veggies with a minimum of 5 grams of protein per serving, it’s the perfect blood sugar balancing snack! 

Austin’s own Rhythm Chips

$29.99 for a case of 6.  Comes in Zesty Nacho, Bombay Curry or Kool Ranch. Or stop Whole Foods Raw Section or Daily Juice to pick up a bag for $4.99.

You can also try making your own by following this recipe for Kale Chips.

2. Pumpkin Seeds
At the top of the roster for health benefits including - high magnesium, remedies for parasites and high zinc – pumpkin seeds are the superstar of seeds! Grab some pumpkin seeds from the bulk section of your local Whole Foods or give Gerbs a whirl. 

Gerbs are the pumpkin seeds specialists!

$2.99 for a 3.5 oz box.  There are many flavors to choose from, but one of our favorites is Lightly Salted, Whole Roasted.

Or if inclined follow this Love Cleanse Recipe for Roasted Pumpkin Seeds and make your own! 

3. Flax Crackers
High in fiber, antioxidants and Omega-3 Fatty Acids – Flax should be a staple in every diet. And chomping on these crispy Organic Mustard Flax Crackers from Foods Alive is a much more palatable way to receive the benefits than the sawdust powder that is Flax Fiber. You will be transported to the ballpark with a pretzel!

Foods Alive Flax Crackers

$5.99 for a 4 oz bag.  Comes in a variety of flavors, which can be found through the link above.  You may order online or at your local Whole Foods Market.

4. Hummus
Paired with crispy raw carrots, cucumber or celery – hummus is one of the most perfect afternoon snacks. Many varieties of hummus are available. One of my favorites in Austin is Grandma’s Hummus, which can be purchased at Whole Foods Market. Vampires beware – the garlic in this will send you running!

Grandma’s Hummus

$5.50 for a 9 oz container at Thom’s Market. 

And of course, for those in Austin on Phase 1 of the program – Thai Fresh’s citrus/tahini free variety is a lifesaver! You may also make your own citrus free hummus.

Thai Fresh

$5 for a 12 ounce container 

 
5. SuperFood Snack
The Love Cleanse has formulated a high fiber/high protein plant based powdered shake which is used in all of our programs. The special combination of high fiber/ protein along with the nutrient dense profile create a perfect afternoon or morning snack. 

The Love Cleanse Superfood Snack

$65 + Shipping for 25 servings

Oven Roasted Sweet Potato Fries

  

Ditch the fast food version and opt for these treats!

INGREDIENTS

• ½ medium-large sweet potatoes
• ½ tablespoons olive oil
• 1 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped & chopped
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut potato into ¼ inch thick matchsticks. In a large bowl, toss together potatoes, oil, rosemary, salt & pepper. Spread evenly over a baking sheet & bake 20-30 minutes until crisp.


*Please limit sweet potatoes to 2-3/week and before 3:00 p.m. during Phase 1.