Three Allergy-Friendly Blender Recipes for Spring

 

If you're in Australia, you'll know that winter's finally out of here and we're gearing up for everyone's favourite season - summer!  It's time to start prepping for beach days, clearing away the cobwebs from your bathing suits and readying those blenders up for smoothie sipping.

But, even though winter's out, have you noticed that the tissues and sniffles are here to stay?

With the change of season comes great sniffle-sponsibility. Allergy season has hit us big time this year so, it's time to up your immunity. Don't worry, I'll be right here with you!

I've created three perfect recipes to help you move into the light and sunny days of summer, sniffle-free. These three allergy-friendly blender recipes will boost your immune system and keep the teary eyes at bay.  The best part about these recipes is that you can make them your own. If you don’t like dairy, you can swap it out for an alternative milk like almond or coconut, if you’re not nuts about nuts, you can give seeds a go instead.

Because of our increasing dietary needs and desires, the way we’re cooking and shopping is constantly evolving. I recently held a yoga and smoothie bowl making event at Sprout Market, an online store that gives you the ability to shop for groceries in the comfort of your own home (or the work office… ssssshhhh!). They have a whole list of categories to choose from to make shopping that much easier. Hellooo online shopping!  By the way, you don't need to be a member to shop with these guys as non-members are now able to shop as well. If you're hesitant about committing to a membership or simply looking to place a one-off purchase, simply select the regular price option at the checkout page and pay the recommended retail price. For existing members, you'll continue to pay the wholesale price. 

The event was so much fun and I enjoyed a morning doing all three of my favourite things… *Insert Julie Andrews frolicking through flowers over a mountain here*

To kick things off I taught a Hatha-style yoga practice, followed by a deeply calming meditation. I love yoga because it’s the ultimate way to connect your mind, body and spirit. Doing yoga can also help decrease stress levels and increase our chances of a better night's sleep, helping us fight off allergies and those downward dogs keep our immunity up up up!

I then demonstrated my latest, and arguably, one of my most delicious smoothie bowl recipes ever. Everyone who joined me at the event will know how good this bowl tasted and now, you can too! I’m sharing the recipe down below so you can pretend you were right there with me, blending up our bowls together.

First, let’s start off with some frozen mixed berries. Berries are high in antioxidants, low in sugar and they taste delicious. They also help to boost energy. Berries are high in vitamin C so they're just like best friends when it comes to immunity! We couldn’t have a nerdy-nutritionist smoothie bowl without sneaking in some greens – so let’s throw in some spinach. Spinach is a vital component of the smoothie bowl, not so much for its taste (you can’t actually taste it!) but for its nutrient value! Spinach is a great source of plant-based iron and can help gut health. If you don’t like spinach, you can swap it out for another one of your green favourites – I’m going crazy for rocket at the moment.

Speaking of all things green, avocado, the delicious fruit (yes, fruit!), adds a perfect creaminess to a good textured smoothie bowl. Avocado provides a healthy source of fats to help absorption of vitamins and nutrients. Speaking of vitamins and minerals, avocados contain nearly all twenty essential nutrients! And last but not least, just remember, nothing gets likes on Instagram more than the mighty avocado 😉

To top it all off, add some coconut water or coconut milk to the recipe to keep you refreshed and hydrated all day long.

If we’re going to be real, much like icing is the best part about cake, toppings are the best part about smoothie bowls! At the event, we went totally cafeteria style with the toppings – so pick what you want and take what you feel.

I added some fresh blueberries and strawberries to add some colour.  Berries are also high in antioxidants which means they help protect our cells from damage and, prevent those constant allergy sneezes. 

I also made sure to include flaxseeds to this master bowl. Flaxseeds, also known as linseeds, are full of Omega-3 fatty acids that help us avoid brain fog, produce energy and strengthen our immune system. They’re also high in fibre to help regulate our bowel movements (sorry for the TMI) and can even help balance hormones, beautify our skin, promote weight loss and reduce sugar cravings.

An underrated but delicious nut, pistachios make for a great smoothie-bowl topper. Not only do pistachios add a satisfying crunch to our smoothie bowl, they also deliver an extra protein boost.  Strong immunity comes from having a well-balanced diet that contains proper amount of nutrients, especially protein.  Pistachios are full of high-quality protein and B vitamins to give us an extra energy boost in allergy season. 

Another superstar topping is tasty granola. Make sure you’re not buying granola that's just a box full of processed ingredients, artificial sweeteners and sugars. Instead, opt for a home-made granola made with ingredients like grains, nuts, Buckinis and yummy spices.

For a little treat, add some dried mango to your bowl. While this tantalizing treat juicy and sweet, it provides a wonderful source of vitamin A to help regulate metabolism.

Berry and Avocado Smoothie Bowl

Serves 2

Ingredients:

Smoothie:

• 2 cups frozen mixed berries
• 1 cup chopped spinach (can use frozen)
• 1 firm ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
• 1 TBS Love Your Gut powder
• 1 ½ cups coconut water or coconut milk
• 6 drops liquid stevia or sweetener of choice (optional)

Topping Suggestions:

• Handful of blueberries
• Handful of raspberries
• 2 tbsp flaxseeds
• 2 tbsp granola
• 3 pieces dried mango 

Method:

Add all smoothie ingredients to a blender and blend until creamy and smooth

Divide into 2 bowls

Top with desired toppings

Golden Gut-time Soft Serve

Say goodbye to boring old vanilla ice cream and get ready for my golden take on the creamy dessert. My Golden Gut-time Soft Serve will have you breezing through summer and spring without a care in the world. Goodbye Kleenex!

So, what makes this dessert so nice?  The ingredients!  This soft serve contains only REAL ingredients. It’s rich in a plethora of vitamins and minerals to boost your energy, keep your skin glowing and your tummy happy. It's perfect for any and all dietary requirements too. It doesn’t take hours to churn or require copious amounts of sugar either. I guess you could say it’s soft serve supercharged style.

The best part about making soft serve is that it’s so easy to make - all you need is a blender, a few minutes, some delicious ingredients and you’re good to go!

People who say to not eat food that comes in a package had clearly never seen a banana! Bananas have proven to help maintain blood pressure, stop runny noses and look after our heart health because of their high levels of potassium. They also contain fibre that help speed up our digestion and keep you well-regulated. Bananas are a great pre-workout snack because they help reduce muscle cramps before training. Freezing them makes them the perfect base for our soft serve, providing the perfect amount of creaminess and sweetness.

Of course, the essential component of this recipe – the one that takes it from silver to gold - is my Golden Gut Blend. Golden Gut Blend is a raw whole food blend that does all the hard work for you. It can improve nutrient absorption, regulate metabolism and is full of anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties to fight off any allergy that comes your way. Just think of it as your magical golden fairy dust. You can read more about it and how to use it in your recipes here.

What's next? Ahhh... maca powder! Maca powder can help balance hormones and increase energy. It's a great mood-lifter and can make you feel more awake and energised. The best part about maca? Its taste. Maca adds a caramel and honeycomb taste so it's the perfect addition to this Golden Gut-time Soft Serve. 

You can't have ice cream without a topping... or five. Activated Buckwheat, also known as buckinis, are your Low GI, gluten-free and dairy-free answer to ice cream toppings. Buckwheat is rich in protein and many minerals such as zinc, iron, copper, manganese and B vitamins and lots of heart-healthy fibre.

Supercharged tip: peel the bananas before you freeze them for ultimate soft serve making ease.

Golden Gut-Time Soft Serve

Serves 1-2

Ingredients:

• 1 tbs Golden Gut Blend
• 2 frozen bananas
• 2 tbs Maple Sunflower Butter
• 1 tsp maca powder
• 1/4 cup chilled coconut milk
• ½ tsp vanilla powder
• Pinch of sea salt 
• Buckini seeds to sprinkle on top 

Method:

Blend until desired consistency adding extra coconut milk if required.

Sprinkle with buckinis

Coconut Vanilla Bean Matcha Chiller

Swipe right and find your greatest matcha yet with my Coconut Vanilla Bean Matcha Chiller.

There's nothing I love more than starting my day by sipping on a nutritious matcha chiller. Matcha is popping up at every health store and café and I sure know why! Not only because of the earthy and wholesome taste but because of all the health benefits it provides.

Matcha teas didn’t start off as the funky health drink that we all know and love today. Matcha originates from Japan where it’s drunk as part of a religious tea ceremony. I don’t know about you, but any ceremony which has tea in it is one I want to be a part of 😉

On a nutritional level, matcha is equal to about ten cups of regular green tea. It’s packed full of antioxidants, making it protective against anything from nasty colds to heart disease. It's even great for ageing gracefully (woo-hoo!). Not to mention, matcha can boost metabolism and even lower blood sugar, preventing insulin spikes. This makes matcha amazing in slowing down the development of type 1 diabetes and can help to regulate glucose levels in diabetics.

The thing I love about my matcha chiller is that it provides the lovely ritual of an iced coffee without the not-so-lovely coffee and sugar side-effects. While matcha provides a great boost of energy because of its caffeine content, it contains a specific amino acid which helps calm the mind and avoid those coffee jitters. Say hello to antioxidant-rich, wrinkle-free smiling faces.

I’ve combined the goodness of matcha with a hint of vanilla powder, for the ultimate concoction. Vanilla powder is also rich in many nutrients and minerals and gives our latte a velvety vanilla taste and total immune-boosting power. 

This chiller is silky smooth and just sweet enough to satisfy all your matcha cravings!

Coconut Vanilla Bean Matcha Chiller

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp vanilla powder
• 1 teaspoon matcha powder 
• 1 cup coconut water water
• 1 tbsp coconut sugar
• 1 cup coconut milk 
• 8 cubes of ice

Method:

Place all the ingredients in the blender

Blend until frothy

Pour into two coffee cups and enjoy

Let me know what you think of these three easy allergy friendly blender recipes in the comments section below.