Trail Mix Granola

Is this trail mix or is this granola? Either way, it’s DELICIOUS.


Your home is going to smell AMAZING while this is in the oven. Warning: it’s addicting. Be sure to exercise portion control with this healthy snack.

Trail Mix Granola

Ingredients:

1 cup raw mixed nuts (walnuts, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts)
1 cup raw slivered almonds
½ cup pumpkin or sunflower seeds
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1 cup dried cherries, blueberries or cranberries
¼ tsp sea salt
(optional: 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice)


Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and line 1 or 2 baking sheets (depending on their size) with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, mix the nuts, almonds and pumpkin seeds. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, combine the coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Pour over the nuts and mix well. Add the optional pumpkin pie spice and mix again, till everything is evenly coated.

4. Spread the nuts on the baking sheet(s) and sprinkle salt over the top of the mixture. Bake for 15 minutes.

5. Remove from the oven and stir the nuts to make sure they toast evenly. Bake for another 15 minutes and remove from the oven. Stir again, adding the coconut flakes. Bake for another 10 minutes to toast the coconut.

6. Remove from the oven for a final time, and let cool. Mix in the berries and serve.

Enjoy!

In good health,

Tara

You are creating a new habit NOW....and now....and again now!

You're either creating new habits or reinforcing old ones every single day!

NOT working out is actually a habit. Yelling at your kids… a habit. Snacking at night, avoiding new situations like the plague, complaining to anyone who will listen, stopping at the drive-thru, your 3 PM coffee….all habits.


I'm not one to judge what your habits are. No way! I'm busy working on optimizing mine - and teaching you what I learned from years of coaching myself and others.


Here's what you need to know if you are actively pursuing something greater for yourself...


Your brain does not know the difference between a "bad" habit and a "good" one. It just likes to create systems (a.k.a. habits) for efficiency out of anything you do - or DON'T do - often.


The first time you walked, you had to try hard. Same thing went for brushing your teeth, tying your shoes, and your first commute to work.


The best part is that our brains can be 'rewired' at any time! You get to upgrade your habits whenever the heck you want to.


Here's how:


1) Keep doing the thing you want to become a habit. Understand that it will feel hard for a while, but eventually it WILL become second nature. You are in control here. Stick with it.


2) Celebrate every baby step towards your progress. Yes, it'll make you smile in the moment. But here's what's even better than that - your brain will start to associate your new habit with the feel-good hormones you get from the feeling of pride and hope. This is the best way to fast-track your way towards turning that action into a habit because our brain is always seeking out the things that leave us feeling good.

What’s one habit you’re currently working on?! I’d love to hear about it!

If you’d like to join my newsletter list, where I share healthified recipes, more video trainings on wellness and weight loss, and other tips and resources for you on your health journey, come on over! You’ll get an instant download of my favorite 3-day plant-based meal plan for losing body fat. It’s a great way to kick off some results or just get to experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen. Enjoy!

In good health,

Tara

Greek-Inspired Veggie Balls with Avocado Tzatziki Sauce

Hey guys,

If you are anything like me, having a recipe that doubles-triples-quadruples as a variety of food types (snack, main dish, side dish, appetizer…) feels like a best-kept secret. This recipe has the potential to be that for you, too. Try it out and let me know what you think!

This recipe is plant-based / vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, no added sugar, egg-free, soy-free…but NOT free of flavor! ;-)

Oh, and the tzatziki sauce is really versatile as well.

Greek-Inspired Veggie-Balls with Avocado Tzatziki Sauce 
Makes 6-8 servings 

For the Veggie-Balls: 

16 oz. lentils, cooked 
3/4 cup onion, finely diced (set aside a little for the sauce) 
2 cloves minced garlic 
1 tsp dried oregano 
½ tsp cumin 
1 tsp coriander 
½ tbsp lemon zest 
1 tsp sea salt 
Ground pepper, to taste 

For the Tzatziki: 

1 ripe avocado 
1 medium minced cucumber, seeds removed. 2 garlic cloves 
1-2 tbsp diced onion 
2 tbsp lemon juice 
1 tbsp fresh dill (if using dried, use ½ tbsp) Sea salt and pepper 

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Mix together the veggie ball ingredients. Form into 2-inch balls, and place them on a baking pan. Bake for 25 minutes. 

3. When it’s time to serve, put all the tzatziki sauce ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until creamy. 

4. Serve and enjoy! 



In good health,
Tara

P.S. If plant-based and gluten free meals are your thing, make sure you grab my FREE 3-day Meal Plan for Losing Body Fat. Not only will you be working on those health & body goals, but you’ll get an arsenal of new recipes to try at the same time!

The 4 most popular diets...and what they have in common.

Hey all,

So, one of my favorite ways to share wellness tips and strategies is through my weekly, live Workshop Wednesday videos.  My most recent one was about the 4 most popular "lifestyle" diets at this time and what they all have in common.  


Yup, that's right!  There are 3 things you can do right now that will help you get the same health-promoting and weight loss results that people following these top 4 diets are raving about…without a million rules or a list of "good" and "bad" foods! Check out the video right here and start to tackle these today!

In good health,

Tara

What's everyone getting worked up about Keto for? BravoTV feature

Hey all,

Unless you’ve been avoiding all TV, internet, and media of all kind, you’ve probably heard about the very popular “keto” diet (a.k.a. ketosis, ketogenic diet, high fat low carb, HFLC…) What you might’ve noticed, too, is how many people seem to take this diet choice so personally - regardless of which camp they fall into. Check out my latest article feature for BravoTV to read up about what the diet is, what it claims, and why I believe people have such strong feelings about it!

I’d love to hear from you…do you know anyone trying this diet?

In good health,

Tara

Chia Watermelon Fresca

Watermelon, watermelon...everywhere!  Want to put this fruit to good use before it's out of season?  Try this deliciously refreshing recipe!

Chia Watermelon Fresca (Serves 1)

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 cups seedless watermelon cubes

• 3 tbsp. water

• 1 tbsp. chia seeds

• 1 slice lime, for garnish

• Sprig of mint, or strawberries, for garnish

• Ice

Directions: 

1. In a blender, puree watermelon and water until smooth. 

2. Stir in chia seeds and let them sit for about 5 minutes (to thicken up). 

3. Stir again, and let it thicken for as long as you’d like!

4. Pour into a glass over ice and garnish with lime and sprig of mint or strawberries.

Enjoy!

In good health,

Tara