No Guilt Ice Cream – Mango Berry Ice Cream Cups

August 1, 2021 by

With hundreds of varities available, the juicy Mango is a popular fruit enjoyed worldwide by millions daily. Boosting our health with a wealth of antioxidents and phytochemicals, Mangos fortify our bodies against diseases like cancer and leukemia and strengthen our hearts without adding unnessary cholesterol.

Often called the “king of fruits,” the virtues of these pulpy, fruits have been around for a long time. First cultivated in India thousands of years ago, this highly prized fruit was even said to be a favorite of the Master Buddha who found peace and solace by meditating among the orchards and groves.

Some Health Benefits that Mangos Offer –

Immunity Booster. One average sized Mango packs a punch when it comes to vitamin C. Vitmain C is an immunity booster and bolsters our health, helping us avoid colds and flu’s. One average Mango provides nearly two-thirds of our daily vitamin C requirements.

Regulates Cholesteral Levels. Because of their satiating quality and phytochemicals, Mangos help us control cholesterol levels and body fat, keeping heart-related diseases at bay.

Skin-friendly. Enjoyed in moderation, Mangos kick in a wealth of vitamin C and vitamin A, exfoliating and eliminating dead, lifeless pores – crucial for skin repair. According to health practitioner Shilpa Arora ND, “Mangoes are loaded with nutrients that work to heal and repair the skin.” Dense with fiber, they help cleanse the gut, eliminating the toxic stuff.

Helps with Weight Loss. All fruits and veggies that are high fiber help us to feel full which prevents over-eating other fattening snacks and Mangos are no different. The high fiber content in Mangos along with the phytochemicals offer natural fat busters.

Promotes Healthy Eyes. Rich in beta-carotene, Mangos boost the production of Vitamin A, a powerful antioxident that, among other things improves vision while helping to prevent macular-degeneration, an age-related vision loss.

Increases Body Alkalinity. Potassium increases our alkaline levels and Mangos offer our bodies plenty of this mineral. Potassium also helps us to maintain a healthy heart and prevents hypertension that could otherwise lead to cardiovascular issues.

Slows Aging. The collagen in Mangos helps to prevent those dreaded wrinkles that seem to appear out of no where as we age. To increase the anti-aging benefits, the pulp is often slathered directly on the face.

It’s time to put Mangos to the taste-test and choose which the ones favored by your taste buds. Your body will thank you for it!

Mango Berry Ice-Cream Cups

No Guilt Ice Cream - Mango Berry Ice Cream Cups
 
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Puply and delicious, Mangos offer a wealth of health benefits. This sumptuous fruit even take ice-cream to a new level helping us avoid the guilt normall associated with this all-time favorite dessert.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: All
Ingredients
Base
  • ¾ cup cashews
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon desiccated coconut
  • Pinch of salt
  • Blend all ingredients together until well combined and mixture starts to stick together.
  • Press into 2 small individual cake moulds of your choice that have been lined with
  • plastic wrap.
  • Place in fridge.
Filling
  • ½ cup cashews
  • ½ cup any berries, frozen
  • ½ cup mango, chopped frozen
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil, warmed until liquid
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
  • Pinch of salt
Instructions
Base
  1. Blend all ingredients together until well combined and mixture starts to stick together.
  2. Press into 2 small individual cake moulds of your choice that have been lined with plastic wrap. Place in fridge
Filling
  1. Blend all filling ingredients together then fill the shells with the ice cream and garnish with slices of mango. YUM!

 

 

Mangos offer our bodies such a weath of health benefits, isn’t it time to give them the attention they deserve?

For more delicious, nutritious desserts and treats – 

“Blended Bites” 

Inside  you will discover no bake, Paleo friendly, no sugar, gluten free healthy sweet treat and dessert recipes…

For more tools and resources from Carolyn Hansen to assist you in attaining your health and fitness goals please visit:

Carolyn Hansen Fitness

 

Filed Under: Awesome Recipes, Disease Prevention, Family Favorite Desserts, Ice Cream Desserts, Super-foods Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Carrot Cake Ice-Cream – Delicious and Nutritious!

July 19, 2021 by

Dessert – a sweet course such as pastry, fruit or ice-cream enjoyed at the end of a meal or as the last course of a meal.

A recent study from Dataessential that included over 2,000 participants revealed the latest trends in desserts.

Not surprisingly, ice-cream came in as the top of the list/favored dessert with nearly 90% listing it as number 1. Chocolate Chip Cookies came in second at 86%, while other frozen type treats/desserts such as Ice-cream Sandwichs and Cakes as well as Soft Serve Ice-cream all fared high on the scale of “most popular dessert.” Ice-cream products with added sauces/toppings were also a highly rated consumer preference.

It’s a shame then, that so many harmful and processed ingredients continue to be used in nearly all commercially purchased snacks and treats including  ice-cream, scaring off every health and weight-conscious person.

There are quite a list of other unsavory ingredients littering many of today’s most famous grocery store ice creams. Here are just some of them: Mono and diglicerides, disodium phosphate, benzyl acetate, mono stearate, propylene glycol, sodium benzoate, polysorbate 80, potassium sorbate, modified corn starch and soy lecithin. Yuck!

Does this mean we can no longer enjoy this favored family treat/dessert? Is it’s myriad of flavors, textures and toppings doomed because too many ingredients that go into making this favorite dessert (take for instance, white sugar and the list above) are now known to be “unhealthy?”

Healthy ice-cream –

The good news is, all snacks, treats and desserts can be adjusted and made with healthy ingredients and that includes ice-cream.

Healthy Ice-Creams are sugar and dairy free, plant based, Ketogenic and delicious!

If you are ready to put yummy snacks back into your life, without compromising any health and body weight-goals, here’s a delicious ice-cream recipe to get you started – one that anyone can eat, enjoy and feel good about. No guilt here as the ingredients are actually healthy for the body!

All lovers of carrot cake can now expand their horizens to include ice-cream!

Carrot Cake Ice-Cream

Carrot Cake Ice-Cream - Delicious and Nutritious!
 
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If you love Carrot Cake, this one's for you! One of many plant based ice-cream recipes that the whole family will love and Mom can feel good about serving! A delightful dessert that actually nourishes the body!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert/Treat
Cuisine: All
Ingredients
  • 1 banana, chopped frozen
  • 1 can full fat coconut milk or cream
  • 1 large or 2 small carrots, roughly chopped
  • 6-7 dates, soaked 30 minutes and drained
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4 teaspoons ground ginger, optional
  • ¼ cup nuts, chopped
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients except nuts in a food processor or high speed blender and process until smooth.
  2. Stir in chopped nuts.
  3. Pour into 2 freezer safe bowls and place in the freezer for a total of 1-2 hours, removing
  4. every 30 minutes to stir.
  5. When it gets to a soft serve consistency, you are ready to eat!
  6. Garnish with shredded coconut or chopped nuts.
  7. ENJOY!

 

More healthy and delicious raw dessert, ice-cream and treat recipes like this one can be found here:

Blended Bites

For more tools and resources from Carolyn Hansen to assist you in attaining your health and fitness goals please visit:

Carolyn Hansen Fitness

Filed Under: Awesome Recipes, Family Favorite Desserts, Ice Cream Desserts Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Epic Healthy Desserts That Are Actually Good for You – Raw Salted Caramel Slice

July 18, 2021 by

Raw Salted Caramel SliceThe raw and living food trend is growing in popularity around the world. Not just for celebrities any more, raw and living food diets are beneficial in supporting good physical and mental health, heightened energy levels and a slim and attractive body.

What are living foods?

Raw and living foods include all types of unprocessed, uncooked and raw or dried fruit, vegetables nuts, seeds, coconut products, legumes, and grains.  

It is believed that certain enzymes are present in the raw and uncooked foods that help in the digestion process, and that cooking or high heat destroys these enzymes and may also lead to the formation of certain toxic substances in the food.

There are many sweet dish options that we can enjoy uncooked.

No-bake desserts and delicious ice cream (often called raw) are made from unprocessed nuts, fruit, seeds, coconut products and even vegetables. Natural sweeteners like dried fruit, dates, honey or maple syrup are used. No refined or artificial sweeteners here!

While they aren’t pegged to any specific diet, many raw recipes overlap with Paleo, Ketogenic, vegan or gluten-free.  Because these raw desserts do not undergo intense heat, they can be full of healthy nutrients, enzymes and vitamins.

Adding some uncooked (raw) food items into your diet is a fast growing food trend that goes hand in hand with the clean eating movement. It advocates that only whole and unprocessed foods are good for you and provide the most nutrients over foods cooked at high heats and loaded with artificial flavours, colours, man-made oils and fats along with all manner of chemical preservatives.

In addition to being incredibly tasty, raw (no-bake or cook) desserts that include ice cream can also be some of the healthiest and most planet-friendly options.

Reasons why we love raw desserts:

We love raw desserts as they are great for the warmth of spring or summer, and also for energy conservation, you can avoid cranking up the oven to 350 degrees when making a raw dessert.

 

Here’s a recipe your whole family will love…♥

Raw Salted Caramel Slice

Raw Salted Caramel Slice
 
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A Raw Salted Caramel Slice - a no-bake, paleo, vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free recipe that tastes rich and decadent! These slices are made with an almond flour cookie base, date caramel center and a homemade chocolate topping. Yummo! Made with healthy unprocessed nutrient-dense ingredients and require no baking they taste like the real deal. There is something about the combination of sweet and salty that just makes your tastebuds dance.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
BASE
  • 1 cup almond flour or blanched almonds
  • ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • ¼ cup refined coconut oil
  • 6 dates Medijool or dried soaked for 30 minutes
CARAMEL
  • 1¼ cup dates
  • ¼ cup nut butter of choice
  • 2 tbsp almond milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp sea or table salt
CHOCOLATE TOPPING
  • ¼ cup coconut oil
  • ⅓ cup cocoa powder
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
INGREDIENT TIPS:
  • Almond flour: This makes the base of the cookie crust. You could also use oat flour if you have that on hand.
  • Unsweetened shredded coconut: Used in the base of the crust. Adds some richness and sweetness to it.
  • Coconut oil: I recommend refined coconut oil if you don’t want too much coconut flavour in the bars (refined coconut oil has no flavour.)
  • Medjool dates: These have a particularly caramel-like flavour but you can use any dried dates. (just soak for 30 minutes first and discard water before use.)
  • Nut butter: You can use any you like. I love tahini and cashew butter.
  • Almond (or any other plant milk): Just a couple spoons to make the caramel.
  • Vanilla extract: To flavour the date caramel.
  • Sea Salt: Regular salt works too, or Himalayan pink salt.
  • Cocoa Powder: This is mixed with coconut oil to make a homemade raw chocolate topping
  • Maple syrup (or honey): Just a bit, to sweeten the chocolate topping.
Instructions
  1. Line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. Add the almond flour, shredded coconut, coconut oil and dates to a food processor until well combined. The mixture should be a bit sticky when you press it between your fingers.
  3. Spread the mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan and place in the freezer while you prepare the caramel layer.
  4. In a food processor combine the dates, nut butter, almond milk, vanilla extract and salt until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the food processor as needed.
  5. Evenly spread the mixture on top of the almond four base. Place the pan back in the freezer for 30 minutes until the caramel sets.
  6. Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan on low heat. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and maple syrup and mix until combined.
  7. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, then pour the chocolate mixture on top of the pan and spread evenly.
  8. Place the pan in the fridge for at least 2 hours to let the bars set (or in the freezer for 30 minutes if you can’t wait.)
  9. Remove and cut into squares. Store leftovers in the fridge or freezer.
  10. If stored in the freezer can be eaten directly from there. Just take one out 5 minutes before you want to eat it and enjoy. They will stay good in the freezer for 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 Bar Calories: 275 Fat: 18g Sugar: 18g Fiber: 28g Protein: 5g

 

For more delicious raw dessert recipes like this one (300 more to be exact) visit my home page at – 

Blended Bites

For more tools and resources from Carolyn Hansen to assist you in attaining your health and fitness goals please visit:

Carolyn Hansen Fitness

Filed Under: Awesome Recipes, Family Favorite Desserts, Healthy Balanced Eating, Ice Cream Desserts Tagged With: , , , , , ,