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Foodie Loves Fitness

Sharing my passion for living a healthy & happy life

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Cashew Crazed: Chocolate Banana Cashew + Honey Cashew Smoothie Combos

Hi there!

It’s shaping up to be a nice Friday so far. After getting some work done and having a conference call, I took a break to go for a hike with Harley at the park down the street. It felt good to be outside! Today is a bit cooler and sunny – and by cooler, I mean that it felt like a lower 60 degree temp, because ya know, I’ve turned into a spoiled San Diegan…

Hey, anything between 60-85 degrees is a-okay with me. šŸ˜‰

Onto food…. 

I used to shy away from eating things with high amounts of fat, but then I learned to differentiate between ”good” fats (monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, and omega-3s) and ”bad” fats (saturated & trans fats). Nowadays I’m not afraid of using a tablespoon of olive oil, and I eat a serving of nuts, avocado, and peanut butter all the time, which brings me to my current obsession: cashews.

Besides eating a handful on their own, I’ve been finding ways to incorporate cashews into my smoothies, sprinkling them on top of my yogurts and in my salads. Here are four tasty ways I’ve eaten cashews in the past week:

Chocolate Covered Banana Cashew Protein Shake: That’s a mouthful of a recipe title huh? This one is very similar to my all-time favorite smoothie (the chocolate peanut butter shake, which I’ve mentioned many times on here) but with a bit of a cashew twist:

Chocolate Covered Banana Cashew Protein Shake

Foodie Loves Fitness
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 5 minutes mins
Servings 1
Calories 345 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 banana preferably frozen
  • 1 cup chocolate soy milk
  • 1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder
  • 1 oz of cashews
  • 1 TBSP natural unsweetened cocoa powder
  • Ice

Instructions
 

  • Throw all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until well combined.

Nutrition

Calories: 345kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 22gFat: 18g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Strawberry & Spinach Salad with Cashews and Goat Cheese:

Strawberry & Spinach Salad with Cashews & Goat Cheese

Foodie Loves Fitness
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 5 minutes mins
Servings 1
Calories 280 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups raw baby spinach
  • 1 cup fresh strawberries
  • 1/2 oz cashews
  • 1 oz fresh goat cheese
  • 1/2 TBSP olive oil
  • 1/2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
  • A pinch of sea salt

Instructions
 

  • Slice the strawberries, then combine in a salad bowl with the spinach, cashews and goat cheese.
  • Mix the olive oil and balsamic vinegar together, then pour over the salad. Sprinkle a bit of sea salt on top.

Nutrition

Calories: 280kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 11gFat: 20g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Chia Cranberry Energy Bites: I saw this recipe on the blog Nutrition Nut on the Run and thought they looked yummy. I modified her recipe a bit, which can be found here.

Chia Cranberry Energy Bites

Author: Foodie Loves Fitness
Prep time: 5 mins
Total time: 5 mins
Serves: 20
Ingredients
  • 9 Medjool dates (180 g)
  • 2 oz cashews
  • 1/4 cup almonds
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 TBSP chia seeds
Instructions
  1. Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until the mixture begins to stick together.
  2. Roll into 20 balls, then store in the refrigerator to harden before eating.
Serving size: 1 energy bite, Calories: 66, Fat: 2 g, Carbohydrates: 12 g, Protein: 1 g
3.1.04

Honey Cashew Smoothie: 

Honey Cashew Smoothie

Author: Foodie Loves Fitness
Prep time: 5 mins
Total time: 5 mins
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 banana, preferably frozen
  • 1 TBSP honey
  • 1 oz cashews
  • Ice
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pulse until smooth, then enjoy!
Calories: 340, Fat: 16 g, Carbohydrates: 48 g, Protein: 7 g

Question: What’s your current food obsession? Besides cashews, I’ve been eating a Greek yogurt pretty much every day, though that has been going on for awhile!

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December 7, 2012 2:14 pm foodielovesfitness Leave a Comment Filed Under: Recipes

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Welcome to my blog!

I'm Nicole, and I’m passionate about all things food, fitness and healthy living. I'm a toddler mom, certified health coach, freelance writer, and long-time health nut. Here I share my vegetarian recipes, workouts, fitness trends, travel adventures, and motherhood & health musings. Read more about me…

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🄌 3 rounds = 1 game 

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Today I’m making Garlic Pearled Couscous with Roasted Chickpeas & Veggies. 

Here are the ingredients you need to serve 4: 

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Directions:
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2ļøāƒ£ Cook the couscous according to the box directions. 

3ļøāƒ£ Heat 2 tsp avocado oil in a sautĆ© pan over medium-low heat. Chop the zucchini and bell pepper, add a sprinkle of salt & pepper, then cook until tender. 

4ļøāƒ£ Lightly toast the pine nuts. 

5ļøāƒ£ Plate the couscous, add the roasted chickpeas & veggies on top, & sprinkles pine nuts onto each plate. Enjoy! 

Get a printable version of the recipe on foodielovesfitness.com #linkinbio or comment RECIPE for a direct link. 

If you like this new Easy Plant-Based Meals series, let me know what kind of recipe you’d like to see next šŸ‘©ā€šŸ³

#healthyeating #easyrecipes #eatrealfood #veganfood #plantbased #healthylifestyle #recipereel
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Welcome to my new series, Easy Plant-Based Meals, where I share simple, nutritious meals that I make for my family on the regular. šŸ„¦šŸ„•šŸ„¬šŸ§…šŸ§„šŸ«˜šŸ«‘ Today I’m making Garlic Pearled Couscous with Roasted Chickpeas & Veggies. Here are the ingredients you need to serve 4: 1ļøāƒ£ 2-3 boxes of Near East Pearled Couscous with Roasted Garlic & Olive Oil (I find that 3 boxes yield about 4.5 cups; you can also use a plain pearled couscous) 2ļøāƒ£ 1 can garbanzo beans 3ļøāƒ£ 4 TSP avocado oil 4ļøāƒ£ 1 zucchini 5ļøāƒ£ 1 bell pepper 6ļøāƒ£ 2T-1/4 cup pine nuts, optional but I like the added heart-healthy crunch 7ļøāƒ£ Salt, pepper & paprika to taste Directions: 1ļøāƒ£ Preheat oven to 375. Drain & rinse chickpeas, then add to a baking dish. Add 2 TSP of avocado oil, and a nice sprinkle of salt, pepper, and paprika to taste. Mix it up, then cook for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. 2ļøāƒ£ Cook the couscous according to the box directions. 3ļøāƒ£ Heat 2 tsp avocado oil in a sautĆ© pan over medium-low heat. Chop the zucchini and bell pepper, add a sprinkle of salt & pepper, then cook until tender. 4ļøāƒ£ Lightly toast the pine nuts. 5ļøāƒ£ Plate the couscous, add the roasted chickpeas & veggies on top, & sprinkles pine nuts onto each plate. Enjoy! Get a printable version of the recipe on foodielovesfitness.com #linkinbio or comment RECIPE for a direct link. If you like this new Easy Plant-Based Meals series, let me know what kind of recipe you’d like to see next šŸ‘©ā€šŸ³ #healthyeating #easyrecipes #eatrealfood #veganfood #plantbased #healthylifestyle #recipereel
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California has it all, & I love this area that I get to call home! Last weekend’s fun included: 🌊 Soaking up the sun at Carlsbad State Beach, where my daughter tried surfing for the first time šŸ„ā€ā™€ļø 🄾 Hiking in Wildomar šŸ· Wine sipping in Temecula #californialove #weekendfun #sandiego #temeculaca #hiking #getoutside #mywinter #adventure #socal
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šŸ“Explore the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
šŸ›·Go sledding down the dunes! 
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šŸŒŽ The largest National Park in the contiguous U.S. - 3.4 million acres! - did not disappoint šŸ”„ Here’s what we had on our agenda for Day 2ļøāƒ£ of exploring Death Valley National Park: šŸ“Explore the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes šŸ›·Go sledding down the dunes! 🄾Hike Mosaic Canyon Trail ~ a 3.5-mile out & back trail with 974 ft elevation gain. This trail was so much fun & the rock formations are gorgeous! My daughter loved climbing & bouldering around. It features some cool slot canyons and difficult rock scrambling - our kinda speed! 🚰 Refuel at Stovepipe Wells Village ~ Nearby pitstop within the park for gas, restrooms, a general store & restaurants #roadtrip #california #travelgram #familytravel #kidswhoexplore #momsofinstagram #hikingadventures #deathvalleynationalpark #nationalparks #wanderlust #adventureseekers #hikingtrails
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That thing you always talk about & think about doing but haven’t gotten the guts/energy/time to do? Make 2026 the year you freaking GO FOR IT. #livemoreworryless #2026goals #goalgetters #entreprenuermindset #sunset #chasingsunsets #viewoftheday #windowseatview
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