This St. Patrick’s day boost your family’s meals with these healthy and fun food ideas. Normally St. Patrick’s day conjures ideas of seas of green beer, fried foods and being over indulgent but it doesn’t need to be.
Yes, it is possible incorporate green into breakfast, lunch and dinner without using loads of dyes and sugar. Here are some great ideas to fill your plates with this St. Patrick’s day that will win over even the pickiest eater in your family and won’t land you in a sugar coma halfway through the day.
For breakfast some gluten free green power pancakes topped with fresh fruit – to focus starting the day with a good source of fiber, healthy fats and natural sugars.
1. Gluten Free Spinach Pancakes:
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats, not quick or minute oats
1 egg
2 handfuls of spinach or 2 cups
1 cup coconut milk, any dairy alternative works here
2 tbsp maple syrup, organic if possible
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
Directions:
1. Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Heat some oil or butter or ghee in a large skillet. Once skillet is hot, pour pancake liquid into the skillet. Pancakes should be about 1/4 cup worth of mixture.
3. Wait until you begin to see some bubbles then flip.
Next: For lunch a power bowl with bright green vegetables and nut free pesto – focusing on keeping our blood sugar balanced and that energy revved up without having to grab for a coffee at 2pm and being allergy friendly for your kids and coworkers.
2. Easy Pesto:
Ingredients:
1 bunch parsley, 2-3 cups
10 kalamta olives
juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/4 cup avocado oil
2 cloves garlic
Directions:
1. Place all ingredients into a food processor, pulse until completely blended.
2. This pesto can be placed on and in chicken, roasted veggies or can just be used as a delicious dip for your veggies.
Don’t worry we understand that convincing a child to eat a plate filled with broccoli and brussels sprouts might be a hard sell. So don’t worry we have your covered with a delicious Goat Cheese Green Mac and Cheese! This dish is made goat dairy as it is less likely to cause digestive upset and lower in fat, but still delivers all the delicious goodness of energy and calcium to those growing children!
3. Goat Cheese Green Mac and Cheese:
Ingredients
Sauce:
2 tbsp ghee or butter + 2 tbsp gluten free flour, for the roux
1 small yellow onion, diced finely
150g goat cheese (a small log of it)
200g goat mozzarella, half for sauce and half to top
2 cups 3.25% goat milk
1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded broccoli, use a blender or food processor for this
1/2 tsp both garlic and onion powder
1/4 tsp mustard powder
1 1/2 cup frozen peas
4 cups gluten free macaroni
Directions:
1. In a sauce pan melt the ghee or butter, once melted add in flour and stir until a paste is formed. Then add in milk, goat cheese and half of goat mozzarella, stir until combined.
2. Once dairy is combined then add shredded broccoli, garlic powder, onion powder and diced onion. Stir and allow to cook for another 2-3 minutes. Reduce temperature and allow to simmer.
3. While sauce is simmering cook the macaroni according to package directions, once it is done cooking strain and add into a large bowl. Add peas and cheese sauce to the bowl and mix until combined.
4. Pour Mac and Cheese mix into the casserole. When you are ready to eat preheat the oven to 350F top with the other half of mozzarella and place in oven for 25-30 minutes, serve hot.
For dinner we healthied up the traditional Irish stew, instead of using blood sugar spiking white potatoes we used the very underrated celery root or celeriac. This root vegetable is much lower on the glycemic index and won’t cause inflammation in the same way. Not only is this stew good for you and your blood sugar it is super easy to make and will feed your family for a few days.
4.Slow Cooker Traditional Irish Stew:
Ingredients:
2 Large Celery Roots, about 6 cups peeled and diced
4 carrots, peeled and diced
1.5 lbs of beef and lamb (or other meat of your choice)
1 onion, diced
2 bay leafs
3.5 cups beef bone broth
4 tbsp gluten free flour + water to thicken
Directions:
1. Place all ingredients into your slow cooker and stir to combine. Place slow cooker on low for 7-8 hours.
2. 30 minutes before serving mix gluten free flour with water, just enough to make a paste, then pour into the slow cooker, stir into the stew and allow to continue cooking while the stew thickens.
3. Serve hot and enjoy!
We also have you covered on the snack front, instead of reaching for a green icing covered cupcake try your hand at making some fruit and vegetable boosted gummy bears made with grass fed beef gelatin!
5.Homemade Gummies:
Ingredients and Tools:
3 gummy bear molds or any other silicon mold
1/2 cup beef gelatin, like Vital Proteins
1 cup Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
1 handful of kale
Or you can use Juice from Urban Juice Press and add gelatin to those!
Directions:
1. In a blender blend orange juice and kale until completely combined and juice turns green.
2. Transfer juice to a sauce pan and heat to medium low heat, it shouldn’t be boiling, just a low bubble.
3. Slowly adding in gelatin and stir until all gelatin has dissolved. Using a small spoon or liquid dropper and fill the gummy moulds. Once filled put into the fridge for 2-3 hours until set. You can then pop them out and enjoy.
You have been eating greens all day long and just because we are making things healthy doesn’t mean you don’t get desert. This desert is made of coconut and avocado providing your body with a nice hit of healthy fats helping to balance your energy, and keep that skin and hair looking amazing.
6.Gluten Free Grasshopper Squares: (makes 20 squares)
Ingredients:
Green Layer:
1 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
6 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1 avocado
Chocolate Topping:
1/4 cup Coconut oil
2 tbsp honey
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
1/4 tsp vanilla
Directions:
1.Line a 8×8 pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Melt coconut oil, then transfer along with all green layer ingredients into a food processor. Process until the mixture looks smooth with the occasional coconut shred. Pour the green mixture into the parchment lined dish and put into the freezer while you make the chocolate sauce.
3. In a medium sized bowl add coconut oil and honey and microwave for 30 seconds at a time mixing occasionally until coconut oil is melted and honey has been mixed in.
4. Remove from microwave add in cocoa, peppermint and vanilla, once all mixed together pour over the top of the green mixture and place back into freezer and allow to set for 1-2 hours. Remove and chop into squares.
* these won’t last very long out of the fridge so be sure to keep them in a cool place until you are ready to have a taste.
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