healthy alternatives – The Art of Wellness

November 16, 2019

Dragon Fruit Nut Butter Smoothie

It’s been a minute since my last post, but I have so many exciting things planned for the blog that I think you’ll enjoy, so hang in there with me! The first exciting thing comes to you this lovely Saturday morning… a recipe!

… Not just any old recipe, might I add. This is a recipe for the greatest smoothie I’ve ever tasted (no exaggeration) and I’m feeling pretty proud to have created something so delicious, so I can’t keep it to myself! So here it is, the Dragon Fruit Nut Butter Smoothie!

The recipe is so simple and makes about a 12oz smoothie. It’s super filling and perfect for a quick breakfast or even lunch on the go! So stop what you’re doing right now and make this! Here’s how…

Add the following ingredients to a blender:

A small handful of frozen dragon fruit chunks or a dragon fruit smoothie packet
A small handful of frozen strawberries
A heaping tbsp of peanut butter, or your nut butter of choice
A large spoonful of full fat, plain Greek yogurt*
A dash of agave nectar (optional)
Unsweetened almond milk*

Blend together until smooth and enjoy!

As you can tell, I don’t measure the ingredients, so just use your best judgement and measure with your heart!

* banana can be substituted for Greek yogurt

* both plain and vanilla unsweetened almond milk work for this recipe (I prefer vanilla!)

If you try this, PLEASE let me know what you think!! 😍

September 16, 2019

Your Sunday Night Recipe Is…

Drumroll, please…

Pumpkin Spice Pizza!

Yes, you heard that right. And yes, the name may sound a little off-putting to some. But hear me out, okay… it’s delicious!

I have been really into baking and experimenting with recipes as fall quickly approaches. It’s my favorite season, and pumpkin spice ANYTHING is my favorite treat! So why not combine my two favorite treats into one dessert with better-for-you ingredients?! I came up with this one myself and am pretty proud! The best thing about this recipe, besides the fact that it’s quick, easy, and delicious, is that none of the ingredients have to be measured. It’s all personal preference!

What you’ll need

– Cappello’s Naked Pizza Crust (it’s grain free, gluten free, and paleo friendly!)

– 8oz of cream cheese

– 1 can of pumpkin purée

– Pumpkin pie spice

– Chopped pecans

Optional:

– Dark chocolate (for the drizzle, 70% or higher is best)

– Almond butter (for the drizzle)

– Pure maple syrup or honey (to be added to the cream cheese mix if desired)

What you do:

– Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

– If cream cheese is not already soft, let it sit out or pop it in the microwave for a few seconds. It will need to be pretty soft to blend with the pumpkin purée.

– Add pumpkin purée to softened cream cheese. Add to taste. (I ended up using about half the can, but I really like a stronger pumpkin flavor. Mix until they are completely combined.)

– Mix in pumpkin pie spice to taste.

– Add in pure maple syrup to taste if you want a little extra sweetness (I used about a teaspoon). Honey could be substituted here. The sweetener can easily be left out, too!

From here, you can either choose to bake the crust by itself and add the cream cheese mix and toppings later, or add the cream cheese mix and pecans. I chose the latter, and it turned out great!

– Spread the cream cheese mix generously over the crust.

– Add chopped pecans (as much as your heart desires). Can be substituted with the nut of your choice.

– While the pizza is baking, melt dark chocolate. I chose to use Eating Evolved’s Signature Dark Chocolate Bar. This is optional… but is it really?

– When the pizza is done, drizzle melted dark chocolate over the top.

– Drizzle almond butter over the top if desired. Pro tip: I chose to mix in some pumpkin pie spice with my almond butter and it turned out amazing!

– Let cool and enjoy the goodness you have just created!

I really love this recipe because it allows for so much creativity and customization.

If you choose to make this, leave a comment with pictures and let me know if you customized it at all! You can also take pictures and tag me in them on Instagram!

August 29, 2019August 29, 2019

Guilt-Free Pizza… Say What?!

Happy Hump Day!

If there’s anything I’ve learned throughout this process of becoming healthier, it’s that there is a healthier alternative for so many foods! Thankfully, pizza is no different because I can’t live without it! So I thought I’d share a super simple (healthier) pizza recipe with you. I discovered this completely by accident when I was experimenting in the kitchen one day, and it’s become instrumental in satisfying my pizza cravings ever since. It’s so good, and the best part is that it takes under 5 minutes to make from start to finish! Read on for the step-by-step!

Step 1: Start with an Ezekiel tortilla. These are organic, sprouted grain tortillas and make a great crust!

Step 2: Begin the assembly! Start with a sauce of your choice. If you want to keep it healthier, make sure it’s made with simple ingredients and is sugar free. I’ve been using 365 organic pizza sauce!

Step 3: Add (lots of) cheese and toppings of your choice. I opt for either just cheese or add some uncured pepperoni, depending on my mood.

Step 4: Microwave for approximately 1 minute. The finished product can be seen here! 😍

Step 5: DIG IN!

This recipe is perfect for one person and is really filling! It’s guaranteed to cure a pizza craving, and you don’t even have to feel guilty about it. It’s a win-win!

If you decide to make this, share your thoughts and pictures in the comments!