Healthy Food

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Butter coffee. Bulletproof coffee. Fatty coffee.

Whatever you call it, it’s really a bit of a food phenomenon. Here’s my version of all of the above with a delicious twist; Energy Boosting Bulletproof Latte.

Why do I call it a food phenomenon? Well, it’s pretty phenomenal that a cup of Joe with some added fat, MCT’s, and collagen can be both sustaining and energizing…even for a hungry, hangry, big-eater like myself.

This coffee drink really can satisfy me for 4-5 hours!

For those who participate in intermittent fasting or the Keto diet, this is a great morning ritual to sustain you through a workout, busy morning of meetings, or wild children crawling up the walls.

I suggest you give it a try and be amazed at how energized you feel!

How to Make a Homemade Latte

The difference between a good ol’ cup of coffee and a latte comes down to added milk and cream. A latte is typically made up of a shot of espresso and finished with a large amount of steamed frothy milk.

A cup of coffee is just that. A cup of coffee with added cream if desired.

The good news is: you can make a latte at home even without a milk frother or an espresso machine.

My use of the term latte might be a slight stretch because I’m not using espresso. This could simply be called a cup of coffee with a ton of milk. I’m sure the coffee purists would get after me a bit here.

But, back to my instructions. Here is how you can make a frothy latte at home.

1. Use a blender.
2. Use a milk frother ($12 on Amazon).
3. Use a milk warmer/frother (which is what I use).
4. Use an immersion blender with whisk attachment.

The most important thing with this recipe, is that the added MCT oil and butter get emulsified. So, use whatever kitchen tool works for you!

Questions about Fatty Coffee

There are a lot of questions, theories and philosophies on drinking fatty coffee. Is it Keto? Is it Paleo? Should I purchase high quality coffee beans?

Here is a great run down one man’s particular philosophy (and where to find coffee shops in Chicago) which was pretty eye opening for me. He definitely has his system and mine is much less pristine.

Also, there is an actual “Bulletproof” brand, now. I have not used any products, but it’s good to be aware of such brands, maybe you’ll find that helpful.

Why would you eat butter in your coffee, won’t that make you fat?

I do not do Keto. However, when I do intermittent fasting, it makes sense to have an energizing butter latte (intermittent fasting has a variety of approaches, mine allows for fatty coffee).

It’s important that I don’t sit down with a bagel or toast AND a fatty coffee. That would be very counter active as I would be fueling my body with carbs and fat. AKA, probably would add some body fat.

Do you use salted or unsalted butter?

I use salted because I like the salty-“sweet” but it can be made with either.

Can I have this on Whole30?

The million dollar question!!! This particular recipe is not Whole30 Compliant. If made with grass-fed butter, it is Paleo but not Whole30.

To modify for Whole30, be sure to check your ingredients on your collagen peptides (no dextrose or other additives, the ingredients should just be bovine hide).

You should also make sure you are using pure MCT oil; and for the butter, I would simply replace the butter with ghee and add a pinch of salt.

Lastly, you will need to make sure your almond milk is Whole30 compliant as well…mainly, look at the ingredients to ensure there is no carrageenan and soy lecithin. And of course, it should be unsweetened almond milk.

Energy Boosting Bulletproof Latte

So, here you have it! The recipe and some added information! Enjoy!

Okay, so you’re probably in panic mode because you just realized your child’s classroom is a nut-free room.

Or maybe, your entire school is peanut free? Tree-nut free?

I know that there are many opinions out there like, “This isn’t fair to the rest of us.” And, “Do we really have to abide by this if your classroom doesn’t have any nut-free kids?”

And the contrary, “Kids attending a peanut free school shouldn’t even eat peanut butter at home.”

I’ve heard it ALL in my 11 years of teaching!

So, let me share how I cope in hopes of helping you navigate this tricky aspect of back-to-school; whether it’s a first for you or you’re just looking for fresh ideas.

Be Considerate

Let’s first just get a little perspective here and think outside of our own conveniences.

1. Please remember, if it were your child who had a potential life-threatening allergy, you would want others to be considerate of their needs. Be considerate of the rules and policy in your school or classroom.
2. Do not let your children hear you complain about the policy or specific student(s) with the allergy. This creates conflict and potential behavior that is negatively directed toward the child with the allergy. Not fair, considerate, or appropriate.
3. It’s okay when you make a mistake and send that one item unintentionally those couple of times, but please don’t do it on purpose. It’s embarrassing, and sometimes upsetting, for your child.
4. If you are in a Christian school, please think of this as one way that we can love our neighbor as ourselves. It’s another way to build community and create an inclusive environment loving others for their uniqueness.

Whether you agree with the policy or not, let’s shift our thinking toward positive reasons why and how we can do this.

Check Your School’s Nut-Free Policy

First of all, to answer all the questions about ingredient labels, etc., it’s important for parents to read the info put out by their particular school.

Our school has a parent handbook and everything is clearly stated in that handbook.

For example: Our school policy is that there are no peanut or tree-nut products in any classrooms or school, no exceptions. Homemade foods are allowed but parents are requested to pay attention to their ingredients (no nut products in their homemade goodies).

Also, parents are informed that packaged goods should not contain nuts in the ingredient list. However, our policy also clearly says, “This does NOT include products that contain the warning that the item was made in a facility that produces nuts.” Thank goodness!

So, maybe your school is like mine, maybe its guidelines are less, or more. Please read the information put out by your school so that you are aware and have answers to those questions that are particular to each school.

Is Coconut Nut-Free

Is it just me or is this a common question? I sure thought that coconut was safe to bring to my nut-free school. But, in reading up on it, coconut, although botanically unrelated to tree-nuts, is considered a tree-nut by the FDA.

Here is an interesting read about allergies and cross-reactivity between various nuts (and seeds).

“Healthy” Nut-Free Snack Ideas

I want to share more on peanut-butter alternatives, but let’s quick cover some “healthy-ish” nut-free snacks that you can buy in the store.

Here’s what I’ve seen as a classroom teacher and many that I use for my own child:

1. Made Good Granola Bites (Costco is where I get them)
2. Cascadian Farms Cinnamon Raisin Granola Bars
3. Any nut-free granola bar
4. Applesauce pouches
5. Boiled Eggs
6. Meat sticks (preferably with few preservatives and no MSG)
7. Cheese sticks
8. Dried fruit and seed mix (check your seeds for peanut oil)
9. Packaged cookies or crackers (not healthy but if they are nut-free, I succumb).
10. Cheese and crackers (nut free crackers)
11. Yogurt Stick
12. veggies
13. fruit

I’m sure there are many more ideas out there, but these are my go-to nut-free options for my 5 year old.

Nut-free Alternatives on the Market

I know that the biggest battle isn’t finding peanut butter alternatives so much as finding something your child will actually eat.

It’s simply the reality that some kids are pickier than others. They like their particular familiar foods and, it seams, that peanut butter is one of them.

Because of my nut intolerances, we always have sun butter in the house (and nut butter). Thus, my kids have been exposed to peanut butter, sun butter, and almond butter. Sun butter is their favorite. I feel pretty lucky about that.

Well, I’ve put together a little recipe/concoction for you to try if sun butter or WOW Butter has your kids turning up their noses. I’ll share that in the recipe card at the end of this post.

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Here is a quick list of peanut butter alternatives on the market.

Peanut Butter Alternatives

• WOW Butter– A soy product. A similar texture and flavor to regular peanut butter. Most groceries carry this product.

• Sun Butter– Trader Joe’s has unsweetened and sweetened and there is a Sun Butter brand, as well. I’ve also purchased another brand at Aldi but it’s not consistently available.

• Granola Butter – Kween is the brand. It’s a new product, to me, but it contains collagen which boosts the protein content to be similar to PB. I found it on Amazon and I’m waiting for a sample to arrive. It is nut-free.

• Chocti – 4th and Heart is the brand. It’s a popular brand in the Keto, Paleo, Whole 30 space. I first saw this at Family Fare (who has a really great Paleo game going these days) for $14. Thus, I haven’t tried it but I’m super curious. The ingredients are: dates, cacao, and ghee. It seems to be more of a Nutella alternative if you ask me. I’ll bet it’s delicious.

Sugary Nut Butters

I thought I’d quick burst all of y’alls little bubble and mention how much sugar is in nut-butter!! Yep, unless you check your labels to ensure you are getting the unsweetened version, you/your kids are consuming a ton of sugar (especially if they are eating it by the spoonful).

Sun butter is also sweetened with sugar but can also be purchased “unsweetened.” Just something to watch for if that is important to you.

Now, I’m aware that this peanut butter alternative recipe (below) is also pretty well sweetened since I added honey to the recipe. Sometimes, you just pick your battles, and I get that.

My Peanut Butter Alternative “Recipe”

My hope was to come up with something chocolaty and completely different than peanut butter because most kids can’t say no to chocolate.

The rich brown color is too tempting not to, at least, try.

However, in the process, I determined I really just like it without the cacao powder, although, you could make it both ways depending on your kids’ preferences. Thus, I’m including cacao in the recipe but it is great both ways.

(It is not “low in sugar,” however you could try something like Lakanto: Monk Fruit & Erythritol to sweeten instead of honey if that is important to you)

Crazy mornings? No time for breakfast? Barely have time to get the kids fed and out the door? Let me introduce you to my friend, the Cacao Collagen Smoothie. It’s a great meal replacement if you need a quick breakfast to-go and made convenient by a little prep work and planning ahead. And, this baby will energize you through the morning, thanks to the cocoa nibs, cacao, and cruciferous veggies.

This recipe spares nothing in terms of nutrition, energy, and flavor.

• veggies – (check)
• naturally sweetened – (check)
• protein – (check)
• naturally energizing – (check, check)

Smoothie Bag Time Saver

To really make this smoothie convenient for busy people, I recommend making these into smoothie bags, freezing, and just adding your milk (and/or coffee) choice. This will save so much time!

Do the prep all at once, freeze, and ensure your produce stays good!

Health Tip: Eat Cruciferous Veggies

Did you know that cruciferous veggies like kale, cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage are very beneficial for detoxing your liver? They also provide vitamin K1 which your gut (if healthy) can turn into vitamin K2 which promotes bone health (The Paleo Mom).

Good thing this Cacao Collagen Smoothie recipe is full of cruciferous veggies!

And, why not follow this smoothie “meal” up with one of my great lunch ideas or a veggie filled dinner like this One Pot Sausage and Veggie Meal.

Check it out!

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Plant Based Quinoa Salad

Have you noticed the latest food trend seems to be the term “plant based”? Well, this quinoa salad is deliciously plant based and full of nutrient dense goodness!

But let me clear up some questions about a “plant based” diet.

Plant based is not vegetarianism nor does it mean vegan, however, this recipe is both. Those who eat a plant based diet are, more specifically, concerned with eating whole, unprocessed foods. And, yes, they eat mostly plants and grains but meat isn’t out of the question. Read more from The Huffington Post article, here.

Whole30, Keto, and many other diets can also be plant based diets if you do them right. This Quinoa Salad + Lettuce wraps, however, is not Whole30, Paleo, or Keto.

Does that mean it isn’t good for you because it has grains? Heck no! I’m all about balance over here and I do really well with gluten-free grains. It was really fun to enjoy this delicious meal for my lunches throughout the week and be fully satisfied with a plant based meal!

How to make this salad simple

Use an Instant Pot

I’m all about making food the easy way! When I purchased the instant pot last year, it was kinda a game changer when it comes to making meals the easy way.

Recently, I’ve discovered how easy it is to make rice and quinoa in the Instant Pot by just using the “rice” setting. I highly recommend trying yours this way. Be sure to use a 1:1 ratio of quinoa and water.

Since this recipe uses brown rice, it doesn’t work the same as white rice or quinoa, and should not be done with the quinoa.

However, I did do the brown rice and lentils together (just to save time and energy), and it worked pretty well. I would recommend combining those in your pressure cooker for simplicity’s sake. I over estimated on water for this recipe to ensure the lentils didn’t soak too much water up and burn. I did have to strain some water off but everything cooked up really well, so I was happy with the result.

Purchase Pre Made Rice or Quinoa Packets

To make this meal even easier, just buy your rice and quinoa packets at the store. Heck, you might even be able to find pre made lentils.

If you do buy pre made packets, I highly recommend paying attention to your ingredient labels. Costco has the best ingredients in their quinoa/brown rice packets. Uncle Ben’s packets have a lot of “junk” in the ingredient list. There is a brand, Full Circle, which is at Family Fare (West Michigan grocery store), it has a very clean ingredient list.

This would save you a lot of cook time and make this recipe even easier to put together.

The Quinoa Salad Dressing

Mmmmm, mmm, mm! The dressing. It is so darn delish and really seals the deal on this dish.

My only recommendation here, is that you make extra and add to your taste preferences.

Salad Bowls or Lettuce Wraps

Alright. Now for the assembly! After you’ve made your grains, chopped your veggies, and combined with the salad dressing, it’s time to decide how you’ll enjoy your quinoa salad. This salad will keep in the fridge for a solid week so, really, you can enjoy it many different ways.

Buuuuut. I doubt it will last that long. There are a few ways it can be prepared and enjoyed.

• This is a great salad to eat just as is in a bowl with some extra dressing, salt, and pepper.
• Spread it on romaine or butter lettuce leaves, drizzle with fresh squeezed lemon, salt and pepper.
• Scoop it on to your lettuce salad for some extra protein, flavor, and nutrition.
• Eat it with some chicken or salmon to boost the protein.

Overall, it’s a very filling and nutritious salad. It’s very reminiscent of Costco’s quinoa salad, which was the inspiration for this recipe.

Did you find another creative way to prepare your quinoa salad?! I’d love to know about it! Also, you may want to add this to your lunch meal prep arsenal. See more ideas in this article, How to Meal Prep Lunches | 6 Healthy Hacks .

Happy eating!!

-Suzi