Chips are one of my vices. Luckily, there is a healthier version of this famous snack that is free from processed oils and baked instead of fried… and I’m going to share it with you!

Next time you’re craving junk food, try making these healthy zucchini chips instead. They are great paired with grilled grass-fed burgers, and a fantastic way to get your kids to eat their veggies!

Ingredients:

2 organic zucchini
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon vinegar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Chop zucchini. (I use a mandolin which makes for thinner and crispier slices). In a medium bowl mix together sea salt, black pepper, olive oil and vinegar. Add sliced zucchini to mixture and toss until all pieces have dressing on them. Arrange slices on baking stone or cooking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden-brown.  Let cool before serving.

Don’t like brussels sprouts? I promise you will after you try this AMAZING recipe! Many people think brussels sprouts are gross—and they can be if you don’t cook them right. There are lots of recipes out there for brussels sprouts. They are one of the healthiest vegetables you can put into your body, so finding a way to get them down, even if you don’t like them, is definitely in your best interest in terms of your health. This recipe combines honey, balsamic vinegar, garlic and onion, to create a flavor profile unlike anything you’ve ever tried.

(Ahem… I’ll be expecting someone to bring this to our next Recipe Night…)

Ingredients:

1 lb. organic brussels sprouts (chopped or cut into 1/4’s)
1 chopped organic red onion
3 chopped cloves organic garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
¾ teaspoon celtic sea salt (*fine grains)
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon organic balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoon raw honey

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Clean and chop brussels sprouts, red onion and garlic cloves. In a separate bowl combine olive oil, sea salt, black pepper, balsamic vinegar and raw honey. Toss brussels sprouts into mixture. Layer on glass cooking pan or baking stone. Sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.  Roast 20-25 minutes until caramelized.

This recipe is one of my favorites! Instead of using processed white or wheat flour, it calls for almond meal or almond flour, making these chicken tenders completely gluten free and grain free! (Note: you can use coconut flour if you have nut allergies.) Fried food has never been so healthy… try it out and let us know what you think!

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless free-range organic chicken breasts
1 cup almond meal or almond flour (*or coconut flour if allergic to nuts)
1 tablespoon paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 organic free-range eggs
¼ organic butter or unrefined organic coconut oil for greasing pan

Directions:

Heat coconut oil or butter in a ceramic or stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. While the oil is heating, prepare the chicken. Cut chicken into desired tender size. Mix almond flour, paprika, garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs. Dip each chicken tenderloin into the egg and then coat with the almond flour mixture. Place the prepared chicken into the hot oil and fry for 5 minutes. Once the first side is browned, turn the chicken and fry the other side for another 5 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown and shows no pink in the middle. Sprinkle with paprika during the last minute of frying. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce or with spaghetti sauce over spaghetti squash.

This healthy, gluten free oatmeal pancakes recipe uses gluten-free oats and contains no processed sugar. They’re a great alternative to boxed or packaged pancake mixes, which usually contain wheat, sugar and lots of other toxic ingredients, and they’re incredibly easy to make!

Instead of maple syrup or jelly, you may also want to try topping them with your favorite fresh fruit. Strawberries and blueberries work really well. You could even buy frozen berries and heat them up in a small pot until they thicken into the consistency of a compote. Add a dollop of coconut whipped cream as well, for an extra dose of healthy fat.

Try making these for breakfast one day this week and let us know how they turn out in the comments below this post!

Ingredients:

2 cups gluten free oats
1 1/4 cups vanilla almond milk
1 large ripe, organic banana
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 large organic egg
coconut oil or butter for cooking

Directions:

Place all ingredients, except egg and coconut oil in the base of a blender and blend until smooth. Add egg and pulse a few times until it is fully incorporated.

Heat a large sauté pan (preferably ceramic or stainless steel) over medium heat and melt a teaspoon or two of coconut oil. When hot, pour or scoop the batter onto the pan, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides (about 2-3 minutes per side) and serve hot with organic maple syrup or organic jelly.

*If batter becomes too thick to pour easily, add a tablespoon or two of almond milk to thin.

This coconut whipped cream tastes great topped with your favorite berries or fresh fruit. It also makes for a delicious topping on pancakes!

Ingredients:

1 can organic full-fat coconut milk
pinch cinnamon1/8 tsp pure vanilla extract (no sugar)

Directions:

Step 1: Place the can of coconut milk in the fridge for 2+ hours or overnight

Step 2: Scoop out all the thickened coconut cream. Note: There will be some water left over, but don’t discard it. Drink it or add it to your favorite smoothie for an extra dose of healthy fat! 

Step 3: After scooping out the cream, add a little cinnamon and vanilla, and whip in a mixing bowl until mixture begins to thicken.

This black bean cake recipe is so good, you won’t even taste its not-so-secret main ingredient: black beans. Made with coconut sugar instead of processed white sugar, it’s the perfect healthy way to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Also, Instead of making frosting, I waited until the cake was cool and then sprinkled just a touch of powdered sugar on top (just enough to add a little sweetness). And then I made a side of chocolate whipped cream.

Try this black bean cake recipe out and let us know what you think in the comments below!

Ingredients:

1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed) (540ml/19 fl oz)
5 large organic free range eggs
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp Kerrigold butter or extra virgin coconut oil
3/4 cup coconut sugar
6 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp water
1tsp pure mint extract (optional to add mint flavor)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease a 9″ cake pan with coconut oil.

3. Place the beans, 3 of the organic eggs, vanilla, coconut sugar and salt into a blender or food processor. Process or blend on high until beans are completely liquefied.

4. In a small bowl, Mix together cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder.

5. In a larger bowl, beat butter/coconut oil until light and fluffy. Add the remaining two eggs, beating well after each one. Pour bean batter into egg mixture and mix.

6. Stir in cocoa powder mixture and water and beat the batter on high for one minute until smooth.

7. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

8. Bake for 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Cake is done when the top is rounded and firm to the touch.

A few weeks ago, we hosted a recipe night event at Queen City Health Center. It was a great success! Everyone who attended got to try some really awesome healthy recipes (all Maximized Living Charlotte approved), while also learning about the benefits of each ingredient and how to eat healthy food that tastes great.

(If you weren’t able to make it, don’t worry! We host these events regularly, so check our Charlotte chiropractic clinic calendar page to see what’s coming up next.)

Here are some of the healthy recipes that were featured:

Garlic hummus with vegetables
Teriyaki meatballs
Broccoli & pine nut soupPistachio smoothies
Almond power bars

To name a few…

One of the recipes we also featured at our Charlotte chiropractic clinic was a healthy dessert. I know that sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? How can something be healthy and still satisfy your sweet tooth? But there are some great, little-known ways to get your “sugar fix” without eating processed sugar. And I’m going to share one of them with you now.

I’m sure you remember being a kid and eating dirt pudding cups with gummy worms. It was a Halloween tradition in our house. If you’ve never experienced them before, they are delicious! But the traditional recipe includes Oreo cookies, Cool Whip, instant pudding and Gummy Worms. None of those are healthy for you. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to stuff my kid’s face with any of those ingredients, even if it is just once a year. (And, trust me, these are so delicious, your kids will be begging for them after Halloween too!)

This recipe doesn’t use any processed sugar. Instead, it calls for coconut sugar which has a lower glycemic index and contains much lower amounts of fructose and glucose than white table sugar. (For an even better alternative sweetener, use xylitol. It substitutes for sugar at a 1:1 ratio and tastes great!)

It also calls for raw, local honey or maple syrup to be used as a sweetener. While both of these ingredients do contain sugar, they are natural and unprocessed sources, unlike regular cane sugar.

Everything in this recipe is homemade – even the gummy worms. How awesome is that?! And the ingredients are full of nutrients that your body needs. Almond flour is a great source of protein; cacao powder is rich in antioxidants; and avocado is a healthy fat. (If you don’t like avocado, don’t worry. You won’t even know it’s there. Once it’s blended with the other ingredients, you can’t even taste it. It’s a great way to get your little picky eaters to consume it as well!)

So, here’s a healthier version of this classic Halloween dessert that you can eat year-round. We celebrated Halloween at our Charlotte chiropractic office in April with dirt pudding cups … enjoy!

Paleo Chocolate Cookie Crumbs

Ingredients:

2 c. blanched almond flour
6 tbsp. cacao powder raw
1 tbsp. coconut flour
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. kosher sea salt
½ c. coconut sugar
1 tbsp. coconut oil
2 eggs beaten

Directions:

Place all ingredients in the order provided in a blender or food processor. Divide the dough into two large balls and place on parchment paper. Place balls of dough in the refrigerator and allow batter to chill 10min. Un-wrap the dough and roll it out into 1/8-in. thick piece. Use a 2 ½ in. round cup to make cut-outs. Place on cookie sheet and allow to bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Place on cooling rack for 10-15 minutes.

Gummy Worms/Bears

Ingredients:

1 c. water (divided)
½ c. (8 tbsp.) gelatin powder (I use the one with collagen protein with the green lid from this company.)
¼ c. honey or maple syrup (optional and to taste)
1 c. kombucha or fruit juice (Here’s how to make Kombucha)
1 c. pureed fruit (strawberries and other berries are our favorite; applesauce will also work.) The easiest method I’ve found is to defrost frozen berries and puree them with a blender or immersion blender.

Directions:

Note: It is important to have all ingredients ready before beginning as you’ll need to work quickly once you start.

1. Puree fruit until it’s the consistency of applesauce or a little thinner. For us, defrosted frozen berries pureed in a blender or food processor work perfectly. Set aside one cup of pureed fruit.
2. Set aside one cup of kombucha or fruit juice. We prefer homemade kombucha flavored with strawberries for this recipe. (Here is how to make kombucha.)
3. Boil ½ cup water.
4. Place ½ cup cool water in a medium-sized bowl or quart-sized mason jar.
5. Add ½ cup gelatin powder and stir quickly to create a paste.
6. Quickly add the boiling water and stir again briskly. This should form a thick but stirable liquid.
7. Add the honey or maple syrup and stir.
8. Add the kombucha/juice and pureed fruit and stir well. You can stir with a spoon or whisk, or use an immersion blender to make it really easy.
9. Very quickly pour the mixture in to molds or a greased glass baking dish or other greased dish and allow to cool in fridge for 2-3 hours.
10. Store in fridge in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks.

Avocado Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients:

2 medium-sized avocados, ripe
1 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
¼ c. cacao powder, raw
¾ c. honey, raw & local or maple syrup
2-3 tablespoons coconut oil
dash of sea salt
1 tbsp. vanilla

Directions:

Cut avocado and remove seed. Spoon into a food processor or blender, all all other ingredients and blend together. Store in fridge until mixture cools into a pudding-like consistency. Transfer pudding into small cups and top with Paleo Dirt Crumbs and a few gummy worms.