"3 Tips For Fixing A Snack In A Flash"
Tips for Blending Raw Foods
by Frederic Patenaude
Be honest, are you one of those people who finds it hard to take the time to prepare healthy meals and snacks? It always seems easier to buy packaged foods or rely on the same old boring recipes we're so used to.
Sometimes a very simple recipe idea can make a whole lot of difference in making our diet work, rather than an entire collection of recipe books we're never going to use!
It's been found that most people only have about 7 to 10 recipes they rotate on a regular basis!
You don't need complicated recipes, you just need new, simple ideas you can use easily to add variety in your diet, without taking a lot of time.
So here are my top-3 recipe ideas that work, either for a snack or for a meal you can prepare in a flash.
Orange Smoothie
I love freshly-squeezed orange juice! Who doesn't? But here's the thing: it's quite time-consuming to prepare orange juice, and it's a major waste!
You know the deal. You get an entire bag of oranges, cut them in half, spend 5 minutes juicing them, and in the end you end up with a ton of orange peels, you don't even know how to fit that in your trash can (or it makes your compost pile too acidic!).
And the cost? It can get pretty expensive when you juice 20 oranges at a time, especially if they're organic!
I've got a better idea. This tip is so simple, I feel almost guilty making a big deal about it, but I guarantee it will be a revelation.
Here's the deal. Instead of juicing the oranges, I want you to blend them.
Go buy some nice Navel oranges, peel them (I like to do this with a knife), and keep some of “white” pith. Then cut them in quarters and blend them whole in your blender. If necessary, add a little water.
You'll be blown away! This drink tastes milky and sweet. It's amazing.
Here's the best part: it's more nutritious that way too! You get all the fiber and all the goodies in the white pith. That's where all the calcium is. Orange juice is a joke, in comparison, in terms of taste, satisfaction, and nutrition.
Plus, I just saved you money you would have spent on extra oranges, because you'll be using much less oranges, and also that juicer you were planning to buy or that you already have (but will soon sell on e-bay!).
Note: if this drink tastes too bitter, then it means you've not cut the oranges properly. Avoid any of the peel. Also, find the juiciest, sweetest seedless oranges you can find. Now is a good time for that!
Frozen Berries
A quick tip to make any smoothie taste amazing: throw in some berries in there. More specifically, blueberries!
Since berries are only available seasonally (otherwise they are too expensive!), a very good idea is to use frozen berries all year around.
A *great* idea would be to freeze a massive quantity of berries when they are in season, or simply buy frozen berries at your market or health food store. My supermarket even sells frozen wild blueberries, which are great.
Now the great thing about this is that berries are often the most sprayed fruits, so by buying organic frozen berries, or freezing them yourself, or buying wild berries, you avoid that pesticide exposure.
Berries are also the richest fruits in natural anti-oxidants (to read my article on berries, go tohttp://www.fredericpatenaude.com/articles/berries.html)
A quick word about freezing: although freezing is not ideal, it's still better than cooking or drying, and preserves most nutrients.
But problems arise when you eat frozen fruits ice cold. So I suggest thawing frozen berries before adding them to your smoothies.
Here's a recipe that will blow your mind:
1 cup water
2-3 bananas
1 1/2 cups blueberries
A big handful of greens, or 1-3 stalks of celery
Blend an enjoy!
Quick Dressing
People often get stuck when making salads because they have no idea how to make a great dressing without using oils or artificial ingredients.
Here's a great idea to make dressings from whole foods.
Start with tomatoes. Take 1-2 tomatoes, and put them in your blender, with the juice of half a lemon or some apple cider vinegar. Add in some sort of fatty food such as avocado. For example, _ avocado. Then throw in some herbs of your choice (dill, chives, etc.), and some seasonings of your choice (if desired).
The result will be an incredibly tasty dressing you have spent about 2 minutes and half to prepare!
Here's another recipe that will blow your mind. It's from my book, Instant Raw Sensations.
I've shown that recipe to tons of people getting started on raw foods, and they all came back for more. It's incredibly simple, and doesn't contain a single ounce of fat!
Here's the recipe. In your blender, blend 1 cup of tomato (in chunks), 1 cup of mango (flesh only), 1/4 cup of water, and 2-3 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.
Let me know how you liked it!
In Conclusion
I've just given you some of my quickest and best recipe ideas. I always like to give simple recipes because I know people are busy and don't have time to prepare complicated recipes with long lists of exotic ingredients.
If you want to add variety to your diet, I suggest that you find a book that offers recipes that are easy to prepare, ready in a few minutes and with simple ingredients, and avoid recipe books that just gather dust somewhere in your house!
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