Instagram @fitnfreekate

*Gluten free oatmeal with coconut oil, sliced almonds, honey, cinnamon and chia seeds. Great start to a Sunday morning! Carpe dieem*

Guilt-free granola that will knock your socks (and boots) off!

I've always been super picky about granola. I'm not sure why. I've never really fallen in love with it. And it seems like the only granola I actually LOVED was when I was on vacation somewhere or at a restaurant where they refused to give me their "secret recipe." Understandable, I guess ;)

In my experience, the majority of granola is either jam-packed with crazy sugar additives, is super high in cals or just tastes like cardboard. So...I was lucky enough to steal this recipe from my sister Heather who is famous for coming up with the most creative and healthy (but still mouth watering) recipes! This homemade granola is nutritious, tasty and will leave you wanting more and more. Trust me.

Preheat oven to 325

2 cups of old fashioned oats

1/2 cup nuts- I used cashews since I LOVE them and that's what I already had at home

1/4 cup seeds (I used pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds)

1/4 cup dried fruit (optional but I used goji berries)

2-3 tbsp of honey or maple syrup or both

2 tbsp. coconut oil- if its solid because of the temperature in the room don't worry it will melt when you combine everything together

1/4 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes 

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

*Combine everything in a big bowl with your hands and make sure to really incorporate the coconut oil if its not liquid just so there aren't any huge chunks!

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Put on a baking sheet in a thin layer and bake 10 minutes then pull out, stir it up and flip what you can with a spatula and put it back in for another 5 minutes to cook it evenly. You want it lightly golden but not too brown or it will taste a little burned and we don't want that!

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And here she is...beautiful bowl of granola made with love. Add this to some plain Greek yogurt with some blueberries and you are set for heaven :) Enjoy!!

-Kate

A Snacking Way of Life

I’m definitely not one of those three big meals a day type of gals. I eat about five small meals a day and feel I’m never really “starving” which allows me to eat without gorging myself and feeling like I’m six months pregnant after dinner. Because of this, I’m a huge fan of snacking and feel like I’m literally always eating. BUT as long as you make good choices with what you decide to put in the ole bod, you will be just fine. Although you have to be careful with snacking because sometimes it can lead to overeating if you aren’t careful ;)

For those of you that work during the day and don’t have your kitchens easily accessible, making some snacks the night before and bringing them to work with you is a great way to steer clear of yucky vending machine items, cafeteria food, etc. If you have the healthy snacks available, you’re less likely to make a bad food choice. Something I used to do is I would bring a snack for the drive home or to eat before dinner. It sounds like a lot of work to have to worry about that but it’s a great way to give yourself something small so you aren’t completely famished when you walk in the door.  

Some of my favorite snacks

Hummus with veggies (Cucumber & red bell peppers)

Mixed nuts (lightly salted)
Banana or apple with peanut butter and honey

Fruit (berries are the best)

String cheese (filling, easy and not too bad in the calorie department)

Popcorn

Celery with peanut butter

Edamame 

Spelt cakes with avocado, sea salt n pepper, squeeze of lemon juice

Pumpkin seeds 

**Hummus is one of my favorite things ever so I’ve become somewhat of a connoisseur. The best hummus I’ve had thus far is Eat Well Enjoy Life's Spicy Yellow Lentil Hummus with Sunflower Seeds and Apricot. The mix sounds a bit odd, yes, but it's sooo good and has a bit of a kick to it. If you try this, addiction is most likely going to take place.

One of the most amazing fruits (yes, it's a fruit) on earth...avocado baby.

There are a lot of things I'm obsessed with. In fact, anything I like tends to turn into me being "obsessed" with it. I'm just weird like that. However, don't discount the validity of these things I'm obsessed with because they are all truly amazing in their own way. At the top of my list is avocado. I believe it's safe to say I consume about 4-5 avocados a week. To some that may sound a bit over the top. But I am proud of this little fact about myself because these babies are SO incredibly good for your bod. I add them to my scrambles or omelettes, put them on sandwiches, in salads, in my smoothies and a la carte. I'm not calling anyone dumb, misinformed or uneducated, however, I do think there's a good chance you aren't fully aware of all the benefits avocados ​have to offer. They contain vitamins A, C and E thus full of antioxidants, strengthen your immune system, help with weight management (full of fiber), great for your heart, help lower cholesterol and the list goes on and on. They are also amazing for your skin. One of my favorite at-home facials is avocado mixed with honey. The oil in avocados provide crazy moisture for your skin. You must try it, you will be hooked! This was my lunch today. Cucumbers, a big slab of hummus and some avocado sliced up with sea salt & pepper. Yum yum!