As the title of the blog implies, I'm all about eating delicious, satisfying, nutritious, REAL food to fuel an active and healthy lifestyle. Think of your body like a car - without first filling up your tank with gasoline, you won't get very far, right? In the same way, you can't expect your body to perform and grow in ways that amaze you if you aren't putting good fuel in first. Food for Fit; Fit for Food is a reminder that we get good out when we put good in!
My husband and I have followed a pretty strictly Paleo diet for ~6 months now, and it's been life-changing. I've never had more energy, felt stronger, and experienced an all-around quality of life that is anything compared to the fullness of how I currently feel. As a Personal Fitness Trainer and Crossfit addict, I've seen the changes in my eating impact my workouts in ways I didn't know possible. I have more energy than ever before and have seen huge gains in my strength and muscle development. I know these gains are a direct result of treating my body right and feeding it the kind of food it was designed to eat. Per Paleo's principles, my diet is packed full of lean meats, veggies, fruits, and healthy fats. I don't count calories and don't feel deprived. The food I'm eating is nutrient dense and leaves me feeling satisfied and energized.
But going Paleo has given me another gift, and one that I didn't expect. I'm discovering in myself a love for cooking and experimenting in the kitchen. Growing up, my kitchen tasks were limited mostly to clean-up, so I began adulthood with a very limited cooking arsenal (can you call boiling Ramen cooking?). As I approach the last few years of my 20's, I'm now, finally, discovering the joy in not only eating incredible, healthy food, but also the joy that preparing this incredible food brings.
I still have SO MUCH to learn, which is partly what this blog is all about. I'm committed to trying at least a couple new recipes each week so that I can share not only the really good ones with you, but also what I'm learning along the way. The recipes I share here will all follow Paleo principles unless otherwise noted. I do believe in the occasional cheat ;)
But enough jibber-jabber already...on to recipes!
This first recipe I wanted to share is for Paleo Banana-Raisin Breakfast Cookies. The hubby and I are always looking for quick breakfast options, and this one is a no-brainer. Assemble all the ingredients, mix 'em up, and bake for 12 minutes - voila! Breakfast for the week! These aren't a substantial source of protein, so have one with a couple scrambled eggs or some slices of bacon :) My favorite thing about these cookies is how soft they are, especially if you warm them for a minute or two in the toaster before eating.
Paleo Banana-Raisin Breakfast Cookies
Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup almond butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1-2 cups raisins (or mix-ins of your choice)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine all ingredients until well blended.
3. Drop by tbs. onto a greased or Silpat-lined baking sheet.
4. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom.
(These will spread a good bit, so leave room between cookies!)
Can't wait to hear what you think. Happy eating! :)
Allie
I skipped the pumpkin spice stuff cause im not a fan of pumpkin. I added raisins, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, dried berries. I also tried to mix everything in my blender. Im not sure were i went wrong but my cookies did not spread. Help!
ReplyDeleteMy guess is that the extra seeds and dried berries added in may just have made the mixture a little too dense to spread. Did they brown up fine in the oven? Do they taste good? Really that's all that matters, right? ;)
ReplyDelete