Looking to boost your meals and add healthier options to your family's regular eating plan? So are we!
Healthy eating comes easier when we think about adding nutrition with superfoods instead of concentrating on what foods we need to eliminate. We find that focusing on adding goodness naturally lead to less-healthy options being pushed out, and we are much less likely to feel stressed and deprived.
We have teamed up with locally-founded Hippie Snacks to bring you ideas on how to pack your breakfasts, snacks, dinners and even desserts with a super-charged punch of nutrition! We love that Hippie Snacks is committed to using high-quality, non-GMO ingredients, all sourced from sustainable farmers and processors. Their snacks are minimally processed in Burnaby, British Columbia, with nutrient-dense ingredients you can pronounce. From their grain free granola, seed & nut clusters & organic sesame snacks to their cauliflower & avocado crisps, we love that they celebrate natural foods and only use pure, simple, whole-food ingredients. What a radical idea!
PACK IN SUPER FOODS TO
SUPER-CHARGE EVERY MEAL!
BREAKFAST
A healthy breakfast sets the tone for the day’s eating. Good choices made early in the day tend to turn into good choices later on. And even if the day’s eating all falls apart, you’ll know you have one good meal in you 
As parents, we know the time crunch of a busy morning. Everyone is flying out the door in different directions, forms need signing & lunches need packing. We have a “bistro-worthy” suggestion for a super healthy breakfast that is amazingly quick to prepare. You may never go out for brunch again!
AVOCADO TOAST WITH PEAS & SAVOURY CLUSTERS
Good heart-healthy fats, fiber, protein, colour & taste all come together in a time crunch! What we love about this recipe is that it is filling and deeply satisfying, AND can be made in 5 minutes flat. When we were testing this recipe, our kids asked for us to make it 5 days in a row. The only challenge was keeping ripe avocados on hand!
SNACKS
A well-chosen snack is a great opportunity to boost your day’s nutrition. Instead of thinking of snacks as “spoiling your appetite”, change your perspective to them being a pre-meal or between-meal vitamin boost! A great way to do this is to put out a tray of healthy choices before dinner. We love a superfood boosted dip with healthy crackers and raw veggies. Not only does it add to the overall nutrition of the meal but cuts out the “I’m huuuungry” whining!
BEET & WHITE BEAN DIP WITH AVOCADO CRISPS
The deep dark reds boost antioxidants and white beans offer satisfying fibre and plant based protein. As if you needed another reason to dive into this earthy, rich beet & white bean dip with a gorgeous bright pink colour. Yum!
DINNER
Dinner is where small changes can have a big impact over time. Adding veggies to comforting favourites means that there will be very little push-back from reluctant family members. Take what they already love & boost it, and then add a sprinkle of nutrient-dense topping to incorporate another layer of healthy goodness! Plant-based meals don’t have to be boring or unfamiliar. The more often veggies appear as a key part of a meal rather that being pushed to the side dish, the more your family will come to accept & expect that veggies make up more than half their plate.
CAULIFLOWER MAC & CHEESE WITH A CRISPY CRUST
Just as satisfying as a regular mac & cheese with the added boost of cauliflower and a nutritious savoury crunch that will keep you coming back for more. You will wonder why you ever made macaroni & cheese without cauliflower!
DESSERT
This may be where you think we've met our match for supercharging a recipe while keeping the rich comforting textures and flavours of a decedent dessert … but you would be wrong! Power-packed fruits and veggies can be slipped into many desserts to boost nutrition and add texture. Here we have opted to have a nutritious veggie (technically a fruit, but that’s semantics) full of healthy fats slide into the back ground and to let the vibrant coloured berries dance on centre stage. In both recipes, the topping is another way to boost nutrition with seeds, coconut & nuts. Every layer has body boosting power!
DAIRY-FREE CHOCOLATE AVOCADO PUDDING WITH GRAIN FREE-GRANOLA CRUNCH
Silky smooth and deeply satisfying, a little goes a long way with this dreamy chocolate dessert. Big nutritional hitters of cocoa and avocado blend beautifully together contrasted by the sweet, crunchy topping.
GRAIN-FREE FRUIT CRISP WITH COCONUT CLUSTERS
Local organic fruit picked and frozen at the height of its ripeness is both a sustainable and nutritional win. This recipe can be adapted to many seasons. Just remember, the darker the fruit the more of a health punch it delivers!
Real Food Tastes Better. Hippie Snacks is all about delicious, better-for-you snacks made with simple, whole foods. Their Organic Coconut Clusters, Coconut Chips & Grain Free Granolas are made with nothing but real organic fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds & grains seasoned with natural ingredients. Connect on Facebook & Instagram . Find them in stores or on Amazon.
Wondering what to do with the kids in Metro Vancouver this weekend, or what to make for dinner? You can find it at HealthyFamilyLiving.com! From the Sunshine Coast to the Fraser Valley, we’re the best online resource for busy parents looking for practical tips for healthy, active, sustainable living. For the latest on family events, outdoor adventures, birthday parties, camps & classes and kid-approved recipes, follow us on Facebook and sign-up for our parent-approved e-newsletter!
