Experience Nutrition

Tag: smoothies

  • Experience Nutrition: The List TV Show: Enjoy Chokeberries: 3 Delicious Beautiful Recipes

    Experience Nutrition: The List TV Show: Enjoy Chokeberries: 3 Delicious Beautiful Recipes

    By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition, Intuitive Cooking Expert, and Award-Winning Cookbook Author

    I am so honored to share my passions for healthy, beautiful plant-based food on The List TV Show to the show’s audience in 41 markets across the USA. This segment was a lot of fun to create and shoot with Producer Jacqui Denker and Co-host Segun Oduolowu.

    Click to watch the segment on The List TV show.

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    A Peek Behind the Scenes

    Producer Jacqui Denker asked me if I knew how to work with “Chokeberries.” Well, in all honesty, I had not heard of Chokeberries, but did a quick “Google Search” as we all do, and found that they were also called Aronia. Chokeberries sounded as though they would be similar to the superfood berries, Acai or Macai. I thought it would be fun to create with Chokeberries which I had never even tasted and agreed to work on the Chokeberry tv segment on Chokeberries with The List.

    Northwest Wild Foods: Our Chokeberry Source

    Little did I know after spending half a day driving around Phoenix that Chokeberries were not readily available locally here in Arizona. I was not able to find frozen, dried, or powdered chokeberries anywhere.

    With a little more research, I was thrilled to find Chokeberries at Northwest Wild Foods an incredible family-owned company located between the temperate Puget Sound and the rugged Cascade Mountains of the Pacific Northwest in Burlington, Washington. Northwest Wild Foods grows and harvests rare and natural berries of their region.

    Within two days my supply of frozen, dried and powdered Chokeberries and other beautiful Wild and Organic berries arrived at my home. It was time to begin recipe testing for The List TV show segment. Honestly, I had so much fun creating these recipes to receive the antioxidant benefits of the chokeberries while enjoying a tasty Smoothie Bowl, Salad, and Dessert.

    Get to Know Chokeberries

    Chokeberries have been extremely popular in Europe for over 50 years, and grow extremely well in the northern US climate. Chokeberries are similar in size to blueberries with a deeper darker blackish blue color and are rich in anthocyanins, which have high anti-inflammatory effects in the body.

    The Farm at South Mountain. Soil & Seed Garden

    Meanwhile, to bring our local Arizona farmers into the dishes, I reached out to my friend, passionate Lead Gardener Billy Anthony at the Soil & Seed Garden at The Farm at South Mountain,  a beautiful urban farm where I hold cooking events and located less than a mile from my home. We discussed what was growing and brainstormed the local seasonal greens we could include in the salad along with edible flowers and herbs for garnish.

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    Some of my favorite greens were growing, including Glacier Lettuce (Ice Plant), Minutina, Spinach, and my favorite floral Shungiku (chrysanthemum). Plus, fresh herbs oregano, mint, and basil were in season. And, this time of year, in Phoenix, Billy is growing a wide range of stunning, tasty edible flowers that offer beauty and taste to dishes. I was especially excited about Pansies, Chrysanthemum, Violas, and red Begonias.

    Morning of The List TV Shoot: Chokeberry Recipe Prep

    The morning of The List TV Shot, I prepared all three recipes before the crew arrived.  For my own pleasure I enjoyed the Chokeberry Superberry Smoothie Bowl. Plus, I made another batch of the Chokeberry Lemon Pops with fresh pansies grown at The Farm at South Mountain and made the simple delicious Chokeberry Dressing.

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    The Refrigerator Set for the 3 Chokeberry Recipes

    Our Set for The List TV Segment

    Honored to invite The List crew into my kitchen: Multi-talented fun co-host Segun Oduolowu, creative Producer Jacqui Decker, and talented, meticulous cameraman, Ryan. Such a joy filming and enjoy our Chokeberry creations together.

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    A few outtakes from the tv shoot, with a behind the scene video and photos.

    Segun’s Chokeberry Creations

    During the shoot, I guided Segun to prepare the three Chokeberry recipes and, as always, so in awe of his willingness to have fun with the food and to creativity plate the dishes.

    Enjoy a few photos from the shoot and the Dishes we created during the shoot.

    • Chokeberry Superberry Smoothie Bowl

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    • Simple Greens & Berry & Walnut Salad with Chokeberry Dressing

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    • Frozen Chokeberry Lemonade Pops
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    A little fun, getting set for the Chokeberry Lemonade Pops

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    The Chokeberry Recipes

    Intuitively create a full day of meals with the power antioxidant-rich chokeberries (Aronia) which score 3-4 times higher on ORAC as blueberries. While chokeberries are tart and a little bitter, they are a powerful superberry for delicious smoothie bowls, salad dressings, and even frozen pops.

    • Chokeberry Superberry Smoothie Bowl
    • Simple Greens & Berry & Walnut Salad with Chokeberry Dressing
    • Frozen Chokeberry Lemonade Pops

    Chokeberry Superberry Smoothie Bowl

    Start the morning with an antioxidant- and protein-rich smoothie featuring powerful chokeberries (Aronia berries). Add hemp and chia seeds for plant protein and fats. Plus, dates and banana add sweetness to the smoothie. Enjoy with your favorite fresh or frozen berries, herbs, and edible flowers.

    In our recipe with The List, we garnished with a superberry antioxidant frozen blend of wild Blueberries, wild Lingonberries, and wild Sea Buckthorn from Northwest Wild Foods.

    • Smoothie (1 serving)
      • Simple Ingredients
        • 2 tsp chia seeds, pre-soaked in ¼ cup coconut water for 20 minutes
        • 1 cup coconut water
        • 1/4 cup hemp seeds
        • 1 tsp chokeberry powder
        • ¼ cup frozen chokeberries
        • 1 Medjool dates, pitted and rough chopped
        • 1 ripe bananas
        • Garnish: Edible flowers, fresh basil, frozen berries (such as wild blueberries, lingonberries, and sea buckthorn)
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    Chokeberry Smoothie Mise en Place
    • Simple Steps
      • Blend all ingredients in food processor or blender.
      • Add additional dates for sweetness, if desired.
      • Pour smoothie into a bowl.
      • Garnish with frozen berries, fresh basil, and edible flowers.
      • Mindfully enjoy.

    Blend all ingredients.

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    Blend all ingredients in food processor.

    All set to plate the Chokeberry Smoothie

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    Mindfully Plate and Enjoy your Chokeberry Superberry Smoothie

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    Enjoy your Chokeberry Smoothie.

    Simple Greens & Berry & Walnut Salad with Chokeberry Dressing

    Enjoy a simple fresh greens salad with tasty Chokeberry Honey Mustard Garlic Dressing. Add a few fresh or frozen berries, figs, and walnuts for a nutrient-rich fresh salad. For taste and beauty, garnish with fresh herbs (mint, basil, or oregano) and edible flowers.

    Serves 2

    • Chokeberry Honey Mustard Garlic Dressing
      • Simple Ingredients
        • 2 tbsp stone ground mustard
        • ¼ cup organic extra virgin olive oil
        • Pinch sea salt
        • 1 ½ tsp local honey
        • 1/8 cup frozen chokeberries, mashed with spoon
        • 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
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    Chokeberry Dressing Mise en Place
    • Simple Steps
      • Pour mustard, organic extra virgin olive oil, and sea salt into a small bowl.
      • Whisk until well combined.
      • Add honey, chokeberries, and garlic to the bowl.
      • Whisk until well combined.
      • Taste, and adjust flavor, as needed for more sweetness or saltiness.
      • Save to toss with the salad.

     

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    Whisk all ingredients until well combined and add more honey, mustard, or oil to suit your taste.
    • Greens & Berry Salad
      • Simple Ingredients
        • 2 cups of greens, such as Spinach, Arugula, or Shungiku (Chrysanthemum greens)
        • 3-4 fresh herb stems: Oregano, mint, or basil
        • ¼ cup walnuts
        • 3 dried figs, sliced
        • ¼ cup fresh or frozen berries. Fresh mulberries or blueberries; Frozen wild blueberries, lingonberries, and blackberries.
        • Garnish: Edible flowers
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    Greens & Berry Salad Plating Mise en Place
    • Simple Steps
      • Place greens and fresh herbs into medium bowl.
      • Pour dressing over the greens and herbs.
      • Lightly toss to coat all greens and herbs with the dressing.
      • Add figs, walnuts, and berries to the greens.
      • Lightly toss.
      • Plate and garnish with extra berries and edible flowers.
      • Enjoy!

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    Frozen Chokeberry Lemonade Pops

    Enjoy Superberry Chokeberry Lemonade Frozen Pops this Spring and Summer. Make your own home-made lemonade, add chokeberry powder, a few berries, a few edible flowers, freeze, and enjoy.

    Makes four 3 ounce pops

    • Simple Ingredients
      • Chokeberry Lemonade
        • 1 cup coconut water
        • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
        • 1 apple, sliced
        • 1 tsp chokeberry powder
        • 1 date, rough chopped
        • Additional date(s), for desired sweetness
      • Garnish
        • Edible flowers
        • ¼ cup frozen berries (such as wild blueberries, lingonberries, and sea buckthorn)

    All set to make the Chokeberry Lemonade

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    Chokeberry Lemonade Pop Mise en Place
    • Simple Steps
      • Chokeberry Lemonade
        • Place coconut water, lemon juice, and apple in food processor or blender.
        • Add date and blend until smooth.
        • Taste and add lemon juice, apple, or date for desired sweetness.
        • Add chokeberry power and blend.
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      • Freeze the Pops
        • Place frozen berries, banana slices, and/or edible flowers into frozen pop molds.
        • Pour Chokeberry Lemonade into the molds.
        • Freeze for 6 hours.
        • Remove from mold.
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    Chokeberry Frozen Pops ready for plating with Edible Pansies, Blueberries, Lingonberries, and Sea Buckthorn Berries
    • Enjoy a refreshing spring and summer treat.
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    Enjoy Chokeberry Lemonade Frozen Pops

    A fun outtake video from The List TV Shoot with Segun Oduolowu. Thanks Jacqui Denker for the capture! Love working with both of you!

    As a final note, if you are interested in learning about our Sedona Plant-Based Cooking & Self Care Retreat, September 13-16, 2019, you can learn more on the Experience Nutrition website, and if you are interested please let me know and we can chat.

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  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Healthy Recipes by Melanie Albert: Purple Superfood Smoothie: Acai & Maqui Super Berries

    by Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, speaker, retreat host, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    Like many of us around the world, smoothies are one of my go-to simple easy to prepare healthy breakfast options.

    For years, I’ve been making smoothies with a base of home-made nut milk or coconut water with chia seeds. Add-in a banana and frozen fruit, especially raspberries and black cherries. Then I top with goji berries, hemp seeds, and raw cacao, for a quick healthy breakfast.

    This month I’m participating in the Plantlab Culinary Superfoods course, so I decided to create a new-to-me smoothie with a few superfoods – Acai and Maqui – which I’ve honestly not experimented with very much.  Acai and Maqui both grow in South America, which I’m happy about since I was an exchange student in Brazil for a year many decades ago.

    Acai berries are known to be antioxidant-rich and full of omega-3 fatty acids. Maqui berries are deep purple, and is the fruit with the highest level of antioxidants. In addition to the berries, other powerful superfoods in this smoothie: chia seeds and hemp seeds, both rich in protein and good omega-3 fatty acids. Finally, wild Maine blueberries are also full of antioxidants and grow on a low bush and balance sweet and tangy.

    Purple Superfood Super Berrie Smoothie

    Simple Ingredients

    • 1-1.5 cups coconut water
    • 3 TBSP chia seeds
    • ½ cup wild Maine blueberries
    • 1 banana
    • 1 TBSP hemp seeds
    • ¼ tsp dried acai powder
    • ¼ tsp dried maqui
    • Chamomile flowers

    Simple Steps

    • Soak chia seeds in coconut water for about 15-20 minutes.
    • Blend all ingredients, except flowers, until smooth.
    • Garnish with blueberries and chamomile flowers.
    • Enjoy!

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    Excerpt from Melanie’s cookbook, “A New View of Healthy Eating: Simple Intuitive Cooking with Real Whole Foods”

    Smoothies

    Smoothies are a perfect way to eat a variety of organic fruit and veggies and a simple morning meal or afternoon snack. Because we drink all of the nutrients and fiber in smoothies, they’re nutritious and slow the digestive process. Make your own smoothies with your intuition using these steps. Have fun mixing and matching the ingredients in your smoothies based on what’s available in season and your own cravings.

    No-Recipe Smoothies: 5 Simple Steps to Create an Intuitive Smoothie

    1. Pour 1 cup of non-dairy liquid into a high-speed blender.
    • Coconut water
    • Homemade nut milk (coconut water with almonds, soaked cashews)
    • Homemade seed milk (coconut water with hemp seeds or sunflower seeds)
    • 1 date for sweetness
    • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract for smoothness
    1. Add a thickening ingredient to liquid and blend.
    • Avocado
    • Bananas, frozen or fresh
    • Chia seeds; use 1 tablespoon of seeds and 3 tablespoons of liquid, pre-soaked for 10 minutes
    1. Add about ¼ cup fruit, fresh or frozen.
    • Apple, sliced
    • Cherries
    • Blueberries
    • Raspberries
    • Strawberries
    1. Add about ¼ cup vegetables.
    • Carrots
    • Celery
    • Cucumber
    • Kale
    • Spinach
    1. Add other extras.
    • Flaxseeds
    • Fresh basil
    • Ginger root
    • Goji berries
    • Raw cacao powder
    • Turmeric root

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    Interested in Melanie’s cookbook, “A New View of Healthy Eating” you can purchase here or at her local Arizona events.

    So beautiful (and aromatic). Sharing the beautiful wild chamomile that grows at an urban farm less than a mile from my home…

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    A final look at the Superfood Super Berry Chamomile Smoothie

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  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Daily Healthy Recipes by Melanie Albert: Superfood Wild Blueberry Smoothie

    A New View of Healthy Eating: Daily Healthy Recipes by Melanie Albert: Superfood Wild Blueberry Smoothie

    by Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, speaker, Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    Happy New Year 2018 to you! As we start our New Year 2018, I decided to share with you every day (my goal!) a quick look at the meals I prepare for myself. The goal is to inspire you to enjoy shopping, cooking, and preparing your own meals intuitively. And to enjoy eating your meals mindfully.

    Philosophies

    Before I share my first meals (so far) for 2018, I would like to briefly share my food philosophies with you. A few of the keys are:

    • Eat real whole foods. Focus on plants.
    • Eat organic.
    • Eat with the season.
    • Shop intuitively with your local farmers.
    • Learn a few simple culinary techniques.
    • Intuitively experiment in the kitchen.
    • Enjoy food and life.

    Superfood Wild Blueberry Smoothie

    Today’s smoothie was inspired by a gift of wild Maine organic blueberries and left-over pre-soaked sunflower seeds.

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    Ingredients

    • Sunflower seeds, pre-soaked 6-8 hours
    • Coconut water
    • Wild organic blueberries
    • Banana
    • Hempseeds
    • Basil

    Simple Steps

    • Pre-soak sunflower seeds 6-8 hours in room temperature water.
    • Rinse sunflower seeds.
    • Blend sunflower seeds and coconut water (creates a quick nut milk).
    • Add wild blueberries and banana. Blend.
    • Pour into cup.
    • Top with additional wild blueberries and hemp seeds, and freshly picked basil.

     

    Intuitive Cooking Tip: Create your smoothie with other berries, like raspberries and other nuts, such as cashews or almonds.

    My book, “A New View of Healthy Eating,” features 54 plant-based recipes, 3 salmon recipes, and 84 simple culinary techniques.

     

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    Happy New Year 2018 to you…Melanie

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Pomegranate Smoothie Recipe

    By Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, and speaker. Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    Pomegranates are in season here in Arizona and I am so happy. I totally remember picking out the pomegranate seeds when I was a kid and absolutely loving them. Fortunately, now I know an easy way to get the seeds out of a pomegranate without making a mess, which you can find in the following Pomegranate Smoothie Recipe.

    Last year at this time, I created this very intuitive pomegranate smoothie and have been enjoying it this week as well.  If you’re in Arizona, go to a farmers’ market and buy a few pomegranates and enjoy this  creamy eat with the season smoothie.

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    Excerpt from A New View of Healthy Eating:  Pomegranate Smoothie with Homemade Almond Milk (pages 144-145)

    Inspired by pomegranates sitting on my kitchen counter, I decided to create a smoothie. I wanted this smoothie to be special because I’ve loved sweet, juicy pomegranates since I was a young kid having fun mindfully picking the seeds out of the fruit like crabmeat, with the deep, red juice dripping down my arms.

    Intuitively, I created the pomegranate smoothie with homemade almond milk, which is delicious even by itself. Enjoy the process of creating this thick, creamy, sweet smoothie.

    SIMPLE INGREDIENTS

    • 1 pomegranate, seeded
    • 1 cup coconut water
    • ½ cup almonds
    • 1 Medjool date
    • 1 frozen banana

    SIMPLE STEPS

    1. Simple Steps to Get the Seeds Out of a Pomegranate, Without All the Mess!
    • Cut pomegranate in half.
    • Place pomegranate in a bowl of cold water.
    • Tear apart the pomegranate with your hands. Seeds will float to the bottom of the bowl, and the tan membrane will rise to the top.
    • Mindfully examine the seeds and take out any small pieces of membrane.
    1. Fresh Homemade Almond Milk
    • Blend coconut water, almonds, and date in a high-speed blender for 1-2 minutes.
    • Enjoy a taste.
    1. My First-Ever Pomegranate Smoothie
    • Add banana to the almond milk in the blender and blend for about a minute.
    • Enjoy another taste.
    • Sprinkle in pomegranate seeds and blend for another minute.
    • Pour smoothie into a glass.
    • Top with a few pomegranate seeds and almonds to add crunch to the smoothie.
    • Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy!

    “I previously thought nut milk was hard to make. Once learning how quick and easy it is to make nut milk, especially for my morning smoothies, I no longer buy store-bought milk. Since I’m such an advocate for eating and drinking real whole foods, this fits perfectly with my philosophy.”

    A New View of Healthy Eating is a great gift for yourself, your family, and friends. You can now purchase it right here and I’ll gift wrap and ship it to you.

    If you would like to stay up-to-date on upcoming events and new recipes, join our e-mail list.

    Join us on our Facebook page and share your Fall Smoothie creations: www.facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Chocolate Avocado Smoothie

    By Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, and speaker. Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    About 5 years ago I did not eat avocados; I just didn’t care for them. I think it was because I never tasted a well-prepared avocado. Early this morning I was craving an avocado for breakfast. I’m sure this was a first-time avocado craving. I decided to listen to my body’s cravings and prepared a smoothie. So here it is…

    Chocolate Avocado Pudding Mise en Place: Avocado, coconut water, raw cacao powder, goji berries, raw cacao nibs, local Arizona dates, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

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    Two of my favorite superfoods, that I enjoy every week: organic goji berries & raw cacao nibs.

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    The creamy, “good-fat” avocado, delicious smoothie. Totally satisfied all my cravings.

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    The next time you create an intuitive smoothie, paying attention to your cravings, come on over to our Facebook page and post your photo: www.facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Chia Seeds in a Quick Smoothie

    By Melanie A. Albert, intuitive cooking expert, author, and speaker. Founder & CEO Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    Yesterday, I posted a quick smoothie with homemade sunflower seed milk as the base. Today, I created a similar smoothie with chia seeds and coconut water as the base. 

    Both smoothies were made with coconut water, raspberries, and a banana. The only difference being the sunflower seeds yesterday and the chia seeds today, as a thickener and source of protein and healthy fats.

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    CULINARY TIP: Be sure to soak chia seeds before you use them in a recipe, as they will expand about 12 times their size with soaking.

    SIMPLE SMOOTHIE: Blend coconut water chia seed liquid, with frozen raspberries and a banana for a quick, delicious smoothie.

    Have fun creating your own smoothies with different bases, and share your creations with us on our Facebook: www.facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Commit to Intuitively Shopping & Cooking: Kumquat Challenge

    By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition Group, LLC, Phoenix, AZ. Nutrition and food expert, author and speaker. Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, Holistic Nutrition and Whole Food Cooking Instructor at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts.

    These intuitive culinary creations were all inspired by the little 7 foot tall organic kumquat tree in my backyard, which was full of bright orange ripe kumquats when I returned to Arizona from Florida, after the Christmas holiday.

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    A New View of Healthy Eating: Arizona Organic Kumquat Tree

    Very excited, I challenged myself to create different dishes with the kumquats, rather than getting stuck in the rut. And, I was inspired by the card in my new “A New View of Healthy Eating, A 55-Card Deck”: Commit to Intuitive Shopping & Cooking.

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    A New View of Healthy Eating: Commit to Intuitive Shopping & Cooking

     “All of the creations with the kumquats were intuitively created with local Arizona organic farmers’ market produce. These kumquat creations are definitely a “new view,” as this was the first time I have ever created these dishes and smoothie. The point is, when we shop and cook intuitively, with a few basic cooking techniques and a few fresh whole foods, we can create quick delicious drinks, salads and breakfast meals.” Melanie Albert

    Kumquats are a little tangy, sweet and spicy at the same time and remind me of a little sour orange. Since kumquats are so small, about the size of a large olive, and do not have a lot of juice, I slice them thin and eat the skin.

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    A New View of Healthy Eating: Arizona Citrus Fruit Salad

    Kumquat Challenge: Day 1: Arizona Citrus Fruit Salad. Inspired by the kumquats, along with our Arizona in season sweet cara cara oranges, this fruit salad was built layer by layer, first with the cara cara orange, then the local Arizona apple, the kumquats, a few sprinkles of fresh pomegranate seeds, and topped with freshly ground cinnamon and nutmeg.

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    A New View of Healthy Eating: Kasha & Kumquats. Perfect Warm Breakfast.

    Kumquat Challenge: Day 2: Kasha & Kumquats. Perfect Warm Breakfast. Perfect for a chilly day, kasha (or buckwheat), which is a gluten-free pseudograin, topped with apples, kumquat, walnuts, raw Arizona honey and the aromatherapy of ground cinnamon and nutmeg.

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    A New View of Healthy Eating: Kumquat & Raspberry Smoothie

    Kumquat Challenge: Day 3: Kumquat & Raspberry Smoothie: Blended raspberries, bananas, and slices of kumquat with coconut water and topped with goji berries and this week’s signature kumquats. Love the fresh, refreshing sharp taste of the kumquats.

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    A New View of Healthy Eating: Avocado Kale Kumquat Salad

    Kumquat Challenge: Day 4: Avocado Kale Kumquat Salad: Dinosaur kale massaged with avocado, fresh squeezed lemon and sea salt, tossed with kumquats and Arizona tomatoes and celery for a fresh, crunchy lunch salad.

    There are still plenty of kumquats on my little tree, so next on my Kumquat Challenge are dehydrated kumquats and kumquat sorbet. I invite you to join us on Facebook and share your intuitive cooking creations.

    Click to Purchase: If you are interested in my “A New View of Healthy Eating, A 55-Card Deck” for your personal inspiration around farmers market shopping, simple culinary skills, quick whole food recipes, intuitive cooking, mindful eating and self care.

  • A New View of Healthy Eating: Pomegranate Smoothie with Just-Made Almond Milk

    By Melanie Albert, Nutrition and food expert, author and speaker. Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition Group, LLC

    Inspired by the pomegranates sitting on my counter, I decided to create a smoothie. I wanted this smoothie to be special, since I’ve loved sweet juicy pomegranates since I was a young kid mindfully picking the seeds out of the fruit like crab meat, with the deep red juice dripping down my arms.

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    A New View of Healthy Eating, A 55-Card Deck

    Intuitively, I created the pomegranate smoothie with home-made almond milk, which is delicious, even by itself. Enjoy the process of creating this thick, creamy sweet smoothie.

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    Simple Ingredients
    • 1 pomegranate, seeded
    • 1 cup coconut water
    • ½ cup almonds
    • 1 Medjool date
    • 1 frozen banana

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    Simple Steps to Get the Seeds out of a Pomegranate, without all the Mess!

    • Cut pomegranate in half
    • Place pomegranate in a bowl of water
    • Tear apart the pomegranate. Seeds will float to the bottom of the bowl and the tan membrane will rise to the top
    • Mindfully examine the seeds and take out small piece of membrane

    Fresh Home-made Almond Milk

    • Blend coconut water, almonds and date in high-speed blender for 1-2 minutes
    • Enjoy a taste

    Simple Steps: My First Ever Pomegranate Smoothie

    • Add banana to the almond milk in the blender and blend for about a minute
    • Enjoy another taste
    • Sprinkle pomegranate seeds into blender and blend for another minute
    • Pour smoothie into glass
    • Top with a few pomegranate seeds and almonds to add a crunch to the smoothie
    • Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy!

    Fun with mise en place: All ingredients set up to prepare the smoothie.

    This slideshow requires JavaScript.

    Come on over to Facebook www.facebook.com/NewViewHealthyEating and share your smoothie creations with us!

    A New View of Healthy Eating, A 55-Card Deck is available NOW: www.EXPNutrition.com

  • Experience Nutrition: 9 Ways 9 Days: Make Your Own Organic Almond Milk Blueberry Smoothie

    By Melanie Albert, Founder & CEO, Experience Nutrition. Nutrition and food expert, author and speaker. Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, Holistic Nutrition and Whole Food Cooking Instructor at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts

    So many people are now enjoying smoothies made with nut milks. You can make your own fresh organic nut milk with raw almonds, walnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds or your own favorite nuts & seeds.

    Simple Steps to Make Your Own Nut Milk
    It is simple to make your own nut milks which are quick and easy to prepare, and only have a few ingredients. Pre-soak the nuts & seeds if you prefer smoother nut milk. It is not necessary to pre-soak the nuts and seeds.

    Experience Nutrition: 9 Ways 90 Days: Make Your Own Organic Almond Milk Blueberry Smoothie
    Experience Nutrition: 9 Ways 90 Days: Make Your Own Organic Almond Milk Blueberry Smoothie

    Nut Milk Ingredients

    • Handful of raw organic nuts &/or seeds
    • 1-1.5 cups coconut water
    • 1 Medjool date
    • Splash of vanilla
    • Fresh nutmeg & cinnamon

    Smoothie Ingredients

    • Handful of frozen blueberries
    • Frozen banana

    Simple Steps: Nut Milk

    • Put nut milk ingredients (except nutmeg and cinnamon) in high-speed blender
    • Blend, starting at low and increasing to high speed
    • Blend for about 2 minutes
    • Taste, add an additional date if you prefer a sweeter nut milk
    • Enjoy with fresh ground nutmeg or use the nut milk in your smoothie

    Simple Steps: Blueberry Smoothie

    • Pour nut milk into blender
    • Add frozen blueberries and bananas to blender
    • Blend for about 2 minutes
    • Enjoy!

    Share your nut milk and smoothie photos with us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/9Ways90Days

  • 9 Ways to Enjoy Food & Life

    9 Ways to Enjoy Food & Life

    The 9 Ways to Enjoy Food & Life
    1. Hydration
    2. Organic Roots & Greens
    3. Snacks, Superfoods & Smoothies
    4. Right Fats
    5. Plant Protein
    6. Whole Grains
    7. Be Active
    8. Self Care & Relationships
    9. Live your Passion

  • Enjoy Food & Life: 9 Ways 90 Days Step-by-step Action Plan for Healthy Eating & Living

    9 Ways 90 Days Step-by-step Action Plan for Healthy Eating & Living, by nutrition and food expert, Melanie Albert, featuring former NFL players.

    NEW BOOK: January 2014

    9 Ways 90 Days Step-by-step action plan for healthy eating & living
    9 Ways 90 Days Step-by-step action plan for healthy eating & living

    9 Ways 90 Days Action Plan is based on the successful program which positively affects the health and nutrition of former NFL players and their families. The book offers nutrition education with a simple step-by-step action plan to integrate good nutrition with a healthy lifestyle into life. The program is designed to help you achieve good nutrition and health to reach your personal goals, including reducing the risk of heart disease and diabetes, weight loss, reducing joint pain, increasing energy and reducing stress. 

    Our country is sick and people are confused. They are confused about what to eat, how to shop and how to prepare healthy food. The 9 Ways 90 Days Action Plan, created from sound science and a variety of nutrition theories with hands-on interactive learning and cooking experiences, is a solution to these problems. It also includes simple ways to prepare easy meals with recipes, nutritionrecommendations, and the 9 Ways 90 Days Action Plan to incorporate learning into life.