10 Keto-Friendly Dinners (Delicious, Low Carb & Easy to Prepare)

The Ketogenic diet is a hot topic as of late. Some people use it as an approach to weight loss, while others use it as a way to balance hormones and heal their body. A keto diet can be incredibly helpful for balancing insulin and blood sugar levels, which in turn will lead to better overall hormonal health (and yes ladies, that means less PMS and PCOS symptoms for you!)

If you’ve been thinking about going Keto, I’m hooking you up with 10 Keto-friendly dinner ideas! Below are a mix of recipes with dairy, and some without. I often find there are a lot of keto recipes smothered in dairy and although I love cheese, it’s not something I eat often and can be quite inflammatory for some people. Everyone is different so I wanted to provide you with options. 

If you’re looking to try the Keto approach to weight loss, check out my 12 week online weight loss program specifically designed to help women burn fat (with delicious food of course!). This program is not about deprivation, but about supporting women’s hormones with healthy high fat foods. Click here to learn more about my fat burning program.

 

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Cassava Flour Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Lately I’ve been experimenting with different flours, such as tigernut, cassava and soon I’ll give plantain a try. But this delicious Cassava Flour Chocolate Chip Banana Bread turned out way better than I thought! #cassavaflourforthewin 

This experimentation is due to the fact that I’ve been trying to avoid almond flour – which is my fav! On an AIP protocol, nut and seeds are not allowed, hence the swap to new flours. 

I love baking with almond flour, but almonds also came back high on my IgG Food intolerance test and so I’ve decided to cut them out, and since I’ll be going AIP in a few short weeks, it makes all the sense to begin this process now. 

A huge challenge with the AIP protocol is eliminating eggs. Not eating eggs for breakfast isn’t a big deal for me, but not being able to bake with them!? UGH! Huge challenge. And because I would normally swap eggs for a flax egg, this is not do-able on AIP. 

So, because I’m not on the AIP plan fully as of yet, I’ve kept eggs in this recipe. I tried baking with a ‘gelatin’ egg the other day and well… it did NOT turn out as expected. Not every recipe I make is a hit. There are epic fails around here!

I love cassava flour for a number of reasons, including:

  • it is free from inflammatory proteins
  • it is a good source of resistant starch, which feeds the good bacteria in your gut
  • it’s totally grain- and gluten-free
  • it contains minerals like calcium, manganese, and iron
  • it’s a great source of fiber

What I especially love about it is that you can can use a 1:1 measure with most traditional white flour recipes. That’s a HUGE win as swapping flours in recipes isn’t always an easy thing to do. 

This banana bread was a little denser but-oh-so-delicious. I’m officially a fan of baking with cassava flour and can’t wait to create more recipes with it. 

Oh! and if you want to take this recipe up a whole other level, use it to make french toast. Like for REALS! Dip the slices in some whisked egg and add to your pan coated with coconut oil and watch the magic happen. If you’ve never had Banana bread french toast before you are missing out!

It’s seriously epic and if you’ve got kiddos in the house, they will literally start to worship you. You’ll become the breakfast goddess – no joke! 

Ok, onto the goods! Enjoy 🙂 

Cassava Flour Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Hearty and moist Cassava Flour Banana Bread that is completely Paleo approved! This delicious loaf is free of added sugars and if dairy free, gluten free and grain free.
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Prep Time
10 min
Total Time
1 hr 25 min
Prep Time
10 min
Total Time
1 hr 25 min
Ingredients
  1. 3 overripe medium bananas
  2. 3 large eggs
  3. 1/2 cup coconut milk (I used the carton)
  4. 2 tbsp coconut oil melted and cooled
  5. 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  6. 1 1/2 cups Cassava Flour
  7. 1 tsp baking soda
  8. pinch sea salt
  9. 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  10. 1/2 -1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F and prepare a standard loaf pan (8.5x4.5 or 9x5) by coating with coconut oil.
  2. In a food processor, blend together bananas and eggs.
  3. Add in coconut milk, coconut oil, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth and incorporated.
  4. Add in cassava flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Blend until well incorporated and smooth.
  5. Add in chocolate chips, gently pulse until mixed into batter then pour into prepared loaf pan. Batter will be slightly thick. Smooth out the top, and bake in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mainly clean (crumbs are okay.) Alternatively, I also baked this at 375F for 50-55 mins. Totally your call.
  6. Remove from oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Using a sharp knife, gently cut around edges of the bread to remove from the pan.
  7. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then slice and serve!
Notes
  1. *Feel free to add in chopped nuts or seeds or even dried fruit.
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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Chocolate Chip Cherry Muffins (Gluten Free and Grain Free)

These chocolate chip cherry muffins are so good! The combination of chocolate and cherry together is my FAV! 

I often whip up a smoothie with chocolate protein powder + frozen cherries + coconut milk + almond butter and it is so incredibly delicious. Oh! and my fat bombs! If you’re a chocolate-cherry lover, you’ve got to try my Chocolate Coconut Cherry Fat Bombs. They are so easy to make and perfect for a high fat, low carb diet. 

The truth is, as delicious as these muffins are, I’m in the process of eliminating almonds/almond flour/almond butter from my diet. They came up high on my food intolerance test + I’ll be eliminating all nuts and seeds for my AIP protocol, so I won’t be able to have these muffins for at least a good 6 weeks, once I reintroduce almond products back into my diet. 

When I baked these up last week I enjoyed them like they were my last meal!! Giving up almond butter is HARD. It’s really one of my favourite things to eat, plus I often bake with almond flour. But, you can bet I’ll be getting creative in the kitchen over the next few weeks, testing out different kinds of flours.

A food elimination diet definitely has its challenges, but if you’re currently struggling with autoimmune issues or hashimoto’s, it might be time to consider the AIP diet

And here’s the thing. There is NEVER going to be the right time to go on any type of ‘diet.’ With family events and parties and commitments, it can seem like following any type of program is just never going to happen. But, YOU have to create the time and make it a priority. 

With easter around the corner and lots on family dinners and brunches, I’m going to be faced with some challenges – for sure! But, I also recognize that there will never be the “right time” for healing. The right time is now. The right time is one I create. 

My priority is my health. It is very high on my list of values, which is why making these changes to my diet and lifestyle isn’t something I ever question. I just dive right in and go for it and at the same time recognize that it might not be perfect.

You are better off doing SOMETHING versus doing NOTHING. So if you’ve been holding back from losing weight, balancing your hormones or healing your autoimmune disease, the time to get started is right now. Dive in, trust the process and just begin. 

So, with all that said, let’s get to these delicious Chocolate Chip Cherry Muffins. They are gluten free and grain free, which is perfect for many elimination protocols and diets (but unfortunately, not AIP friendly).

* As a note – I used Lily’s Sugar free chocolate chips, which you can find here. And if you’re looking for the lakanto sweetener (which is my favourite to bake with), you can find it here. 

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cherry Muffins
Yields 9
Delicious gluten free, grain free and dairy free muffins that are bursting with chocolate and tart cherries.
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
35 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
25 min
Total Time
35 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 cup almond flour
  2. 1/4 cup cacao powder
  3. 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
  4. 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  5. 1/2 tsp baking soda
  6. 1/4 tsp sea salt
  7. 2 large eggs
  8. 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  9. 1/4 cup almond butter
  10. 3 tbsp lakante sweetener
  11. 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  12. 1 cup frozen cherries, roughly chopped
  13. 1/3 cup lily's sugar free chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin tin with liners.
  2. Add all DRY ingredients to a food processor and blend until well combined. T
  3. hen add WET (minus the cherries & chocolate chips) and blend until combined.
  4. Scoop batter into bowl. Add in cherries and chips and fold in gently. Spoon batter into muffin liners, filling 3/4 of the way.
  5. Bake for 26-28 mins, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 10 mins.
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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The Autoimmune Paleo Protocol – Foods to Eliminate for Healing

When I first learned of my Hashimoto’s diagnosis, I dove into ALL areas of my health and well being. From IV therapy, to colonics, to supplementation, further hormone testing and of course diet, I put together a healing strategy – one that I am still following today. 

“The root cause of all autoimmune diseases is the same: our immune system, which is supposed to protect us from invading microorganisms, turns against us and attacks our proteins, cells, and tissues instead. Which proteins, cells, and tissues are attacked determines the autoimmune disease and its symptoms.” – Dr. Sarah Ballantyne 

The Autoimmune Paleo Protocol (abbreviated AIP), is a powerful strategy that uses diet and lifestyle to regulate the immune system, putting an end to these attacks and giving the body the opportunity to heal.

AIP can be seen as a ‘stricter’ version of the paleo diet. It eliminates foods allowed on the typical Paleo diet that have compounds that may stimulate the immune system or harm the gut environment, including nightshades (like tomatoes and peppers), eggs, nuts, seeds, beans, grains, gluten and alcohol.

Since I had already eliminated grains, beans, gluten, most dairy and sugar from my diet, taking it one step further wasn’t that big of a deal for me. 

With the AIP diet, there are a lot of things to eliminate and it can be challenging for some. Especially if your meals are centered around grains, it can be hard to give these foods up. I often find that many of my clients meals contain some sort of grain, with protein, fat and veggies not taking up enough ‘plate space.’

If you’ve been dealing with an autoimmune disease, I highly suggest you try out the AIP protocol. 

Here is a list of foods to eliminate on an AIP protocol:

GLUTEN / GRAINS / GRAIN-LIKE SEEDS: GLUTEN: – Wheat, Barley, Rye, Oats 

GRAINS: – Barley – Corn – Kamut – Millet – Oats – Rice – Rye – Sorghum – Spelt – Teff – Wheat (all varieties – einkorn, semolina, etc) 

GRAIN-LIKE SEEDS: – Amaranth – Buckwheat – Chia – Quinoa 

DAIRY: – Butter – Cheese – Cottage Cheese – Cream – Ghee – Ice cream – Kefir – Milk – Sour Cream – Whey – Yogurt 

LEGUMES: – Adzuki beans – Black beans – Black-eyes peas – Cannellini beans – Chickpeas/Garbanzos – Fava beans – Green beans – Kidney beans – Lentils – Lima beans – Mung beans – Navy beans – Pinto beans – Peanuts – Peas – Split peas – Soy beans 

NUTS & SEEDS:  NUTS (including nut-derived oils, nut flours, nut butters): – Almonds – Brazil nuts – Cashews – Chestnuts – Hazelnuts – Macadamia nuts – Pecans – Pine nuts – Pistachios – Walnuts

SEEDS (including seed-derived oils, seed flours, seed butters): – Chia – Flax – Hemp – Poppy – Pumpkin – Sesame – Sunflower 

SPICES DERIVED FROM SEEDS: – Anise – Annatto – Black caraway – Celery seed – Coriander – Cumin – Dill – Fennel – Fenugreek – Mustard – Nutmeg 

NIGHTSHADES (and spices derived from nightshades): – Bell Peppers – Cayenne Pepper – Chili Peppers – Eggplant – Goji Berries – Hot Peppers – Paprika – Pepinos – Pimentos – Potatoes – Tamarillos – Tomatillos – Tomatoes EGGS (chicken/duck/goose) 

Also avoid: ALCOHOL, COFFEE, PROCESSED VEGETABLE OILS (Canola, Cottonseed, etc), ADDED SUGARS, SUGAR ALCOHOLS

I already know where your brain is going. I already know you’re telling yourself that you could never eliminate these foods. 

​​Trust me, giving up almond butter was SO hard for me! And to top it off, almond butter ranked high on my food intolerance test as well, so even more reason to eliminate it. And I bake with almond flour all the time. Ugh! My worst nightmare 🙁

But please keep in mind – these food eliminations are temporary. You can reintroduce these foods back, which I have done so already. 

Keep in mind ALL the amazing foods you CAN eat. Meat, fish, seafood, veggies, fruit, delicious fats, herbs and spices. There is A LOT you can eat. 

From the AIP diet, I naturally transitioned in a modified keto diet. Because I don’t really eat carbs or a very low-carb, I increased my fats to help fuel my body, hormones and brain and so far – I’m loving it. 

At the end of the day – you HAVE TO DO THE REAL work and that takes effort and commitment. Changing your diet to be AIP compliant is hard work. And although the AIP protocol may seem challenging, it could also be the ONE thing that just might save your life. 

My amazing friend Marni Wasserman, who also has Hashimoto’s is my go to friend when I’m feeling challenged by my diet and health. 

If you haven’t downloaded our Healing Recipe Guide, click here to do so now. We share delicious AIP friendly recipes that we love and we know you’ll love too! These recipes are great for anyone with autoimmunity. 

Marni and I are teaming up to bring you more info on Hashimoto’s and share our stories of how we’ve gotten better and the steps and protocols we’ve taken. 

So stay tuned… we’re working on some fun stuff! And in the meantime, try out our recipes and start the healing process today. 

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The Most Delicious Green Smoothie EVER

I just had my wisdom teeth out yesterday, which means soups, smoothies and mushy food for me for the next few days. And you can bet that my most delicious green smoothie EVER is on repeat! 

Oh! and popsicles! I actually spent some time prepping healthy soups, bone broth and my avocado fudgesicles, which are so yummy. Clearly, I’m prepared. This isn’t my first rodeo. I had my wisdom teeth on the right side out a few years ago (why I didn’t do them all at once?? I dunno!).

Because I’m looking for a speedy recovery, this means high nutrient dense, healthy food – of course!

This green smoothie recipe is my GO-TO. I am so obsessed with the delicious blend of flavours that it’s hard to make anything else. 

You may have heard my rant about smoothies in the past and if you haven’t, well here goes – stop loading your smoothies up with copious amounts of fruit. Otherwise, you’re just making a sugar drink. Some fruit is OK, but be sure to have a balance of P-F-F – protein, fat and fiber – which is exactly what you get with my most delicious green smoothie ever recipe. (I know, it’s a mouthful!).

On top of the P-F-F, I’ve added in some nutrient dense, fat burning goodness from MCT oil powder. This powder is amazing! You’ve probably had MCT oil before, perhaps in your bulletproof coffees? And although I’m a fan of the oil, the powder is frothy and delicious. 

Perfect Keto MCT Oil Powder is the only MCT oil that uses acacia fiber. Acacia fiber has been clinically proven to help heal leaky gut. And being that I have autoimmune hashimoto’s, healing my gut is of utmost importance to me. Gut issues are often one of the root causes of autoimmunity. 

**As a note, you can use code – HOLISTICWELLNESS – at your PerfectKeto.com checkout to save 15%!**
 
If you’ve been following a low-carb or ketogenic diet, or a low-inflammatory diet to support gut health,  this MCT oil powder will be the perfect compliment to your diet.
 
And the best part? It’s perfect for travel. Grab your thermos, add in a scoop of powder and once you’ve passed the security at the airport, fill your thermos up with coffee and Boom! Perfect keto coffee on the go that is frothy and feeling! So let’s get to this is incredibly delicious green smoothie recipe. Hope you love it as much as I do!
BEST EVER Green Smoothie
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Ingredients
  1. 2 cups coconut milk
  2. 1 cup shredded kale
  3. Half a frozen banana
  4. 1 scoop Perfect Keto MCT Oil Powder in Vanilla
  5. 1 scoop Perfect Keto Collagen (unflavoured or vanilla)
  6. 1 tsp ground ginger
  7. 1 tbsp cashew butter
  8. 2-3 ice cubes
Instructions
  1. Add all ingredients into a blender (I use a vitamix) and blend on high for 30 seconds until well combined.
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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Cacao Coconut Almond Butter Cups (Keto, High Fat & Sugar Free)

I’ve been obsessed with making fat bombs. Mainly because I love spending time recipe creating, but also because I want to be able to enjoy something sweet every now and again without a boat load of sugar. 

Enter these fat bombs. 

They are high fat and sugar free. Now of course, you can always add in more sweetness if you like as cacao can be slightly bitter, but I much prefer them without the sweetness and the extra guilt. 

Not to mention the insane cravings that start to follow once you consume too much sugar. Ever notice that? You go sugar free or low carb for a while and then – BAM – one bite of a sweet cake or cookie or piece of bread and your cravings come back full force?

It’s normal. Sugar triggers pleasure receptors in your brain, which cause you to want more and more and more. 

This is why I like to keep my sugar intake very low and my fat intake high. It keeps my sugar cravings at bay, it helps to balance my blood sugar, it keeps my brain fuelled and it provides me with lots of energy. Plus, fat is incredibly important for hormonal health. 

Fats are structural components of some of the most important substances in the body, including prostaglandins, which are hormone-like substances that regulate many of the body’s functions.

You need fats because they regulate the production of sex hormones, which can often be the reason why some teenage girls and women in general can experience amenorrhea (no period). 

So if you’ve been hesitant about including fats in your diet, don’t be. Just be sure to choose the right kinds, such as: coconut oil, ghee, grass fed butter, animal fats (ideally from organic, grass fed, pasture raised animals), olive oil, avocado oil and avocado. 

I hope you enjoy these yummy fat bombs as much as we do. We keep a bunch in the freezer all the time for a quick grab and go snack or treat. I originally made these for my trip out to Banff. I wanted to have something healthy and high fat to fuel me while on the plane. 

Originally, I made these without the almond butter and they were great, though a little more on the bitter side. As a note – the almond butter does mean they will melt quicker, so just an FYI if you do plan on traveling with them.

I also used my new silicon molds which I’m obsessed with. They are amazing for baking as nothing sticks to them, plus they are reusable.

You can click here to get them on amazon. I also got the mini silicon baking molds. These were great for my Chocolate Cherry Fat Bombs

I highly recommend them for all your baking necessities 🙂 Enjoy and happy baking!

 

Cacao Coconut Almond Butter Cups (Keto, High Fat & Sugar Free)
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Ingredients
  1. 3 tbsp raw cacao powder
  2. 3/4 cup cacao butter, cut into small chunks
  3. 2 tbsp coconut oil or ghee (I like the vanilla ghee from Lee's Ghee)
  4. 3 heaping tbsp almond butter (crunchy or smooth)
  5. 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  6. Pinch of sea salt
  7. 2 tbsp lakanto or swerve, optional (you can add more or less depending on the amount of sweetness you prefer. Liquid stevia would work well too).
  8. 1/2 cup coconut chips, roughly chopped or broken into small pieces (chopped nuts would work well too)
Instructions
  1. Line a large muffin pan with silicon liners.
  2. Over a double boiler, melt cacao butter and coconut oil or ghee together.
  3. As they start to melt, add in almond butter and cacao, gently stirring everything together.
  4. Add in vanilla extract, sea salt and sweetener of choice.
  5. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in coconut chips.
  6. Pour into silicon muffin molds. I filled mine just over 1/4 of the way. I didn't want them to thick.
  7. Place in the freezer for 1 hour to set. Then remove from freezer when ready to eat. If using the silicon molds, they pop right out of them with ease!
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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Chocolate Coconut Cherry Fat Bombs (High Fat, Low Carb)

Chocolate, coconut and cherry is pretty much a magical match made in heaven. 

These delicious fat bombs are so-damn-good and perfect to whip up for your special Valentine. 

I just absolutely love cherries! I buy tart frozen cherries and always keep a stash in the freezer. They are perfectly sweet and in fact, are great for combating inflammation and helping with sleep as they contain melatonin. 

Melatonin is a hormone secreted at night by the pineal gland in the center of your brain to help to regulate your circadian rhythm. In order to produce adequate amounts of melatonin, it’s important that you head outside for at least 30 minutes – 2 hours a day (regardless of the weather), as natural light exposure helps support your natural circadian rhythm.

But melatonin is not only produced in the pineal gland—it is also naturally present in certain foods, cherries being one of them. Their was a study done on participants who drank tart cherry juice post workout to help with their recovery and they found that not only did the cherry juice help combat inflammation, but it also increased melatonin levels. 

Now, if you eat these delicious gems during the day, trust me, you’re not going to all of a sudden do a face plant on the floor and fall asleep. It’s not that strong! But they might help encourage better sleep – bonus!

As we age, we produce less melatonin, which is often the reason why so many elderly men and women struggle with insomnia. And if you throw in autoimmunity or other health complications and conditions, lacking sleep means your body is not healing. 

As I work on healing my Hashimoto’s, sleep has become my number one priority. And guess what? I’m feeling like a million bucks because I’ve been sleeping so well. 

Last year I had so many issues with sleep, getting to sleep, staying asleep and because of it, my healing process was taking a long time. I felt exhausted (obviously) and this started to affect my workouts and my day-to-day. 

Now, I’m working out 4 days a week and sleep through the night. I do take a cocktail of supplements before bed and I’ve been using the true dark glasses at night if I’m watching netflix. These glasses have been a GAME changer for blocking out blue light. I recommend getting both the yellow (for the computer) and the red glasses (the stronger ones for tv and sleep). 

Anyhow, enough talking. Let’s get to these delicious Chocolate Coconut Cherry Fat Bombs. Oh! and Happy Valentines Day xoxo

P.S. Here is the silicon molds I used for this recipe. I ordered it off of amazon here. These molds are a game-changer for baking. Easy clean up and nothing sticks to them!

P.P.S. If you’re loving the high fat, low carb way of eating, then click here to learn more about my metabolic reset weight loss program. This 12 week program is amazing for helping you burn fat and balance your hormones.

Chocolate Coconut Cherry Fat Bombs
Yields 30
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Ingredients
  1. CHERRY FILLING
  2. 1 cup full fat coconut cream (from top of canned coconut milk)
  3. 3/4 cup frozen tart cherries, pitted
  4. 1 tbsp lakanto or swerve (optional)
  5. 1 tsp vanilla extract
  6. CHOCOLATE COATING
  7. 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
  8. 2 tbsp shredded cacao butter (optional)
  9. 1 tbsp coconut oil
Instructions
  1. CHERRY FILLING: place all cherry filling ingredients into a food processor and combine until creamy. Spoon mixture into mini silicon molds. (you can use any size, I personally like the mini ones. My silicon mold holds 30). Spoon mixture about 3/4 of the way, leaving space to pour in chocolate.
  2. Place in the freezer for 20-30 minutes to harden.
  3. CHOCOLATE COATING: over a double boiler, melt together chocolate chips, cacao butter and coconut oil. Once melted and smooth, remove fat bombs from freezer and pour in chocolate over each mold.
  4. Place back in the freezer for 1-2 hours to set and harden. When ready to serve, remove from freezer and pop out fat bombs from the molds. The silicon is great as the fat bombs don't stick and pop right out! These fat bombs melt fairly quickly, so eat right away once out of the freezer.
  5. Can keep stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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Almond Butter Banana Muffins

I’m kind of in love with almond butter. And I often just eat it right outta the jar!

C’mon now, I know I’m not the only one!

I’ve been more conscious of getting in healthy fats. And although almond butter is a great fat, I’m talking about things like coconut oil, ghee, grass fed butter and other animal fats that are amazing for hormonal health.

I also started using SCT oil in my coffee and to cook with. You’re probably familiar with MCT oil – which is medium chain triglycerides, which comes from coconut oil. 

PURE SCT OIL is a short chain triglyceride or short chain fatty acid. Short chain fatty acid is the preferred source of fuel for the colon and is associated with many health benefits such as improved insulin sensitivity, weight loss, anti-cancer, detoxification, and systemic anti-inflammatory effects just to name a few.

In just ONE serving of Pure SCT OIL you are getting an abundant source of Butyric acid, which has been shown to support gut and colon health and Vitamin K2 production, which is critical to the building and maintenance of strong bones.

Not to mention, Pure SCT OIL is great for jump-starting and igniting a sluggish metabolism. This special oil is a potent source of CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid), which has been shown to aid in fat loss and muscle gains, support anti-inflammatory pathways along with the reduction of chronic inflammation. Plus, it is a perfect addition to a KETO or PALEO inspired lifestyle because of its high bioavailability and supply of “instant-ketones.”

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The SCT oil you see here comes from certified-humane organic Jersey cow dairies and it taste delicious! In fact, it has a slightly sweet taste. Oh! and my cat loves it! 

So if you’re trying to up your ante on healthy fats, check out SCToil.com and try some for yourself. 

Ok, but now.. onto these delicious muffins. As you know, I only want to bake up health-ified and delicious treats that are low in sugar and high in nutrients – which is exactly what you get with these gems. 

Hope you enjoy them as much as I did! They were delicious right outta the oven and smeared with SCT oil. YUM!

ENJOY! xoxo

Almond Butter Banana Muffins
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Ingredients
  1. 1 cup almond butter
  2. 2-3 mashed bananas
  3. 2 large eggs
  4. 1/4 cup lakanto monk fruit sweetener
  5. 1 tsp vanilla extract
  6. 1 tsp baking soda
  7. 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  8. 1/4 tsp sea salt
  9. 1/4 cup finely chopped pistachios
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a muffin tin with 9 paper liners.
  2. Add all your ingredients, except the pistachios, into your food processor and blend until smooth and well combined.
  3. Pour batter evenly into prepared muffin liners, filling each cup to just below the top and sprinkle with pistachios.
  4. Bake for 30 minutes, until just set and a toothpick comes out clean with dry crumbs. Transfer to a rack to cook completely, then serve and enjoy!
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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Instant Pot Chicken Soup – A Hearty and Veggie Filled Soup To Keep Your Immune System Strong During Cold n’ Flu Season

Nothing beats a warm bowl of chicken soup. I’ve been cooking up lots of deliciousness in my instant pot and this delicious chicken soup did not disappoint. 

Plus, it was just what my boyfriend needed while he was sick. He ate up every last bite and it helped him bust through his cold (now let’s just hope that I don’t catch it!).

So what’s the deal with chicken soup and colds anyways? Well, you’ve got an amazing blend of sulphur from onions and garlic that help your body detox, plus you’ve got the incredible amino acids and vitamins from the broth, and hearty protein from chicken. 

Not to mention all the amazing nutrients from veggies. I find it’s always so easy to add in a mix of veggies to soups. I used your typical carrots, onion and celery in this recipe, but also added in some butternut squash and an entire bag of spinach. Hello cold busting vitamin C!

Although this recipe only took 12 minutes in total to cook, you do have wait for the pressure to come up, which took at good 15 minutes x 2 – as you’ll see in the recipe below. 

But, it was worth the wait. And the chicken turned out amazing! Fall apart, tender chicken that tok this out to a whole other level. 

I used chicken thighs, which I often cook with over chicken breast, as it’s much more tender due to a higher fat content. Now don’t freak out about the fat. It’s a good thing – especially if you’re buying organic chicken or pasture raised. Those fats are not only delicious, but great for your hormones. 

Did you know your hormones need fat to function? Yes they do! 

Hope you enjoy this instant pot chicken soup as much as we did! It’ll hit the spot on those cold winter nights. Ugh… winter – I’m not a fan. Is it summer yet?? The summer countdown is on – only 5 more months!

Instant Pot Chicken Soup
Serves 6
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Ingredients
  1. 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (fresh, not frozen)
  2. 6 cups Chicken Bone Broth
  3. 3 tablespoons Vital Proteins grass-fed unflavored gelatin powder
  4. 1 yellow onion, chopped
  5. 5 cloves garlic, minced
  6. 3 teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste
  7. 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
  8. 4 celery stalks, chopped
  9. 3 carrots, chopped
  10. 1 package Go-Go Quinoa Spaghetti (or any other gluten free spaghetti brand)
  11. 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
  12. 11/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
  13. 1 bay leaf
  14. 1 teaspoon lemon juice, plus more for serving
Instructions
  1. Place the chicken thighs in your instant pot.
  2. Add the bone broth, gelatin powder, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and turmeric.
  3. Secure the lid, set your pressure valve and select manual setting. Set to high pressure for 10 minutes.
  4. When the 10 minutes is up, quick release the pressure. Remove the chicken, cut into bite-size chunks, and return it to the instant pot.
  5. Add the celery, carrots, spaghetti (split into 3 - just simply break with hands), parsley, thyme and bay leaf and season with salt and pepper to taste. Secure the lid again, select the manual setting, and set it to high pressure for 4 minutes. Quick release the pressure. Stir in the lemon juice.
  6. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot with extra lemon juice if desired.
Notes
  1. *Add in some spinach at the very end and stir in to wilt. It's a great way to get in extra vitamin C.
  2. *Cooking the pasta - I cooked mine for HALF the time it would normally take. The package says 8 minutes, so I went with 4.
  3. *Depending on the noodle 'length' you prefer, I broke my noodles into 3, but half would work too.
Holistic Wellness https://holisticwellness.ca/
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