Healthy Valentine’s Recipes To Keep You On Track
Take a look at some healthy recipe ideas to help keep you on your fitness game as you train for the Great North Run.
For Valentine’s Day this year, you can still treat yourself whilst maintaining any healthy eating during your Great North Run training. Take a look at some of these yummy yet hearty recipes.
Red Velvet Beet Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 Roasted Beet (cooled)
- 1 cup Frozen Cherries
- 1 Banana
- 1/4 cup milk (any variety)
- 3 tbsp Cocoa Powder
- 1 tbsp Honey (or maple syrup / vegan option)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth, adding more milk and honey as needed to reach a consistency and sweetness to your liking. It should be thicker than a smoothie you would drink.
- Top with your favourite nuts, seeds, banana and cocoa. You can also cut beets into heart shapes for the Valentine’s Day “aw” factor.
Recipe by Sarah Bond at Live, Eat, Learn
Valentine’s Spring Rolls
Ingredients
Almond Butter Sauce
- 3 tbsp Almond Butter
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Lime Juice
- 1 tbsp Honey (or Maple Syrup)
- 1 tsp Grated Ginger
- 1 tbsp Hot Water
Spring Rolls
- 8 Radishes
- 1/4 head Red Cabbage
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- 1 Avocado
- 1 Beet
- 1/2 cup Basil
- 5 Spring Onions
- 6-8 Rice Paper Spring Roll Wrappers
Instructions
- Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Thinly slice all vegetables in preparation to fill your spring rolls. Cut your beets into heart shapes as these can be seen through the rice paper.
- Fill a shallow dish with hot water. Working one at a time, gently place a rice paper in the hot water for 15 seconds. Move the paper to a damp surface like a wooden board, and stack your veggies inside, placing the heat beets on the outer layer against the rice paper so they will be visible. leave around 5cm on either side of the rice paper.
- Fold the sides of the rice paper over the vegetables and gently roll.
- Dip your spring rolls in the sauce for maximum taste when eating.
Recipe by Sarah Bond at Live, Eat, Learn
Strawberry Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup Rolled Oats
- 1 1/4 cup Plain Flour
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 3/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
- 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Large Egg
- 1/2 cup Applesauce
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups Chopped Freeze Dried Strawberries
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180°c. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper or similar. In a small bowl, whisk together your oats, flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Separately, whisk together your butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Mix the egg, applesauce, and vanilla into the butter and sugar.
- Gradually add in your flour mixture from earlier, mixing until just combined. Fold in the dried strawberries.
- Scoop balls of dough, approximately 2 tbsp each onto your prepared baking trays, evenly spaced apart, and bake until golden brown for 12 to 16 minutes.
- Allow to cool before transferring onto a wire rack or serving.
Recipe by Woman’s Day Kitchen
Healthy Chocolate Truffles
Ingredients
- Avocado
- Coconut Sugar
- Dark Chocolate
- Vanilla Extract
- Cocoa Powder
Instructions
- Chop your chocolate and gather your ingredients.
- Pulse the avocado in a food processor until it’s smooth.
- Melt the chocolate and add it to the food processor with the remaining ingredients.
- Once the batter is smooth, roll into balls.
- Put them into the refrigerator to set.
- Roll in cocoa powder for decoration and serve.
Recipe by The Clean Eating Couple
No Bake Strawberry Pie
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 400ml pre-chilled Coconut Milk
- 10 large Strawberries
- 2 tbsp Gelatin
- 3 tbsp Honey
For the crust:
- 10 pitted Dates
- 1 1/4 cup Shredded Coconut
Instructions
-
- If using a drier-type date, soak the dates in a glass of water while you gather the rest of your ingredients.
- Add the shredded coconut to a food processor and begin to process it until the coconut begins to stick together.
- Drain and add the dates to the food processor, one at a time, and continue to process the mixture until the dates are well chopped and a paste is formed.
- Press the coconut date mixture into the bottom of the tin, pressing part of the mixture up and onto the sides.
- Remove the of coconut milk from the refrigerator and scoop the solidified cream off the top. Place the solidified cream into a blender.
- Rinse and dry the strawberries. Add the strawberries to the blender with the coconut cream.
- Pour the remaining liquid from the bottom of the can into a saucepan along with the gelatin. Heat them over low to medium heat, stirring constantly until the gelatin is well dissolved. If the can of coconut milk was mostly coconut cream and there was very little liquid left, you may need to add a couple of tablespoons of water to fully dissolve the gelatin.
- Once the gelatin is dissolved, add the honey to the warm gelatin mixture and stir until it is completely incorporated.
- Add the gelatin mixture to the blender with the strawberries and coconut cream and process until obtaining a smooth puree.
- Pour the filling mixture into the prepared crusts, and refrigerate until set.
Recipe by Oh The Things We’ll Make
Raspberry Choc Chip Protein Bars
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Flaxseed mixed with 3 tbsp Water
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas
- 2 mashed Banana’s
- 3/4 cup Quinoa Flour
- 1/2 cup Coconut Sugar
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- Pinch of Salt
- 1/4 cup Hemp Seeds
- 1/4 cup Frozen Raspberries
- 1/1 cup Chocolate Chips
Instructions
-
- Preheat the oven to 180°c. Grease and line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment and set aside.
- Whisk together the flaxseed and water in a small bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes.
- Once gelled, blend the flaxseed mix, chickpeas and banana in a food processor until completely smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients (minus the hemp hearts, chocolate chips and raspberries) and blend again until smooth. Pulse in the remaining ingredients.
- Put the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with additional chocolate chips and raspberries if desired and bake on the center of the oven for 25 – 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for 10 – 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.
- Slice into 12 – 16 bars. Store in an airtight container for 2 – 3 days.
Recipe by Simply Quinoa
