Once summer kicks in, we’re always looking for new vegan snacks to satisfy our summer cravings, so we’ve rounded up these delicious and easy recipes from some of our favourite plant-based Canadian enthusiasts. Get ready to indulge in the deliciousness of natural ingredients that will leave your body feeling nourished and loved this summer!

Pea-camole by Simple Bites

This pea-camole is a great way to get your greens in without even realizing you’re eating them! Dip it with some carrots or other veggies for a crunch with benefits.

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup shelled peas
• 1 poblano pepper
• 2 avocados
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 lime
• 1 clove garlic, diced
• Salt

Instructions:

1. Set a pot of water to boil and cook the peas until they are easily mashed with a fork. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, broil the poblano pepper until blistered, flipping over once. Remove the pepper to a plastic bag and seal – this will release steam and help loosen the skin from the pepper.
3. Peel the avocado and scoop the flesh into a medium bowl. Mash with a fork until it is the consistency you desire. Halve the lime and squeeze out the juice over the avocado. Mash the peas and add them to the avocado.
4. Remove the blackened skin from the pepper, remove the seeds, and dice. Add the pepper, tomato, and garlic to the bowl. Add salt to taste and serve.

Anna’s Healthy Faux-Nutella Spread by Bluebirdirdkisses

This faux-nutella is perfect for spreading, dipping, mixing or even eating with a spoon right from the container. Get your sweets and chocolate craving satisfied without tons of sugar!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raw hazelnuts
• 1/4 cup raw cacao
• 1/3 cup avocado oil
• 1/3 unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tbsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400F.
2. Roast your hazelnuts for approximately 7-8 minutes making sure to shake them mid roast.
3. Let nuts completely cool. If you want to make your spread extra smooth you can remove the shells at this time…I leave mine on.
4. In a food processor, process the hazelnuts for approximately 10 minutes, until smooth butter forms.
5. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth.
6. Keeps in air tight container in the fridge for at least 1 week.

All-Dressed Kale Chips by Oh She Glows

Packed with flavour and vitamins, this snack is perfect for when you’re craving something salty and crunchy! Ditch deep fried and enjoy this baked kale goodness.

Ingredients:
(per baking sheet)

• 1/2 bunch kale leaves

• 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or melted coconut oil
• 1.5 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt or pink Himalayan sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 300F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Remove leaves from the stems of the kale and roughly tear it up into large pieces. Compost the stems (or freeze for smoothies). Wash and spin the leaves until thoroughly dry.
3. Add kale leaves into a large bowl. Massage in the oil until all the nooks and crannies are coated in oil. Now sprinkle on the spices/seasonings and toss to combine.
4. Spread out the kale onto the prepared baking sheet into a single layer, being sure not to overcrowd the kale.
5. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake for another 12-15 minutes more until the kale begins to firm up. The kale will look shrunken, but this is normal. I bake for 25 mins. total in my oven.
6. Cool the kale on the sheet for 3 minutes before digging in! This really makes all the difference! Enjoy immediately as they lose their crispiness with time.
7. Repeat this process for the other half of the bunch.

Lovers Chia Pudding Parfait by Jillian Harris

This deliciously filling delight is a great snack option if you’re in the mood for desert. So, treat yo self or spread the healthy snack love and make a few!

Ingredients:

Chia Pudding:

• 2 1/2 cups plant-based milk of choice (I love coconut!)
• 1/2 cup chia seeds
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of sea salt

Pink “Soft Serve”:

• 1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries
• 1 1/2 cups sliced frozen bananas
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch sea salt

For the Parfait:

• 2 small jars
• Sliced bananas, for layering
• Frozen raspberries
• Fresh flowers (optional – for the photo of course!)

Instructions:

Make the pudding:

1. In a container, whisk together all chia pudding ingredients. Cover and chill overnight or for at least 3 hours until thick.

Make the soft serve:

1. In the bowl of a large food processor, combine bananas, strawberries, vanilla, and sea salt. Blend until thick and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides as needed.

Assemble your parfait:

1. Start by adding your sliced bananas (if you have a small heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut your bananas into small hearts). Press the bananas firmly against the side of the jar in an upwards motion.
2. Fill each jar about halfway with the chia pudding.
3. Layer in your soft serve until it spills over the top.
4. Add your raspberries and flowers and serve.
5. Enjoy with someone you LOVE!!!!

It’s that time of year when coziness calls and comforts are found in delicious winter sweets and warm tasty beverages. There’s nothing we love more than a delicious cup of hot chocolate, so to keep things simple, we’ve rounded up the easiest vegan and most delicious recipes we could find from our favourite online blogs for easy and delicious drinks and dishes.

1 – Minimalist Baker – Simple Vegan Hot Chocolate 

We LOVE the Minimalist Baker. The name says it all. The ingredients are plant-based and healthy and the recipes are short and easy to follow. Below is a simple, quick recipe for a fast cup of hot cocoa.

Ingredients:

3. Lauren Caris Cooks – Vegan Hot Chocolate Three Ways

If you want to change it up entirely, the below are three decadent ways to make a delicious cup of hot chocolate with a zesty twist, bit of peppermint or a complimentary dash of sea salt.

Orange Hot Chocolate

Image by
Linh Pham

Have you ever painstakingly handpicked over a selection of tomatoes in the super market, selecting the one that really grabs your heart and soul, feeling a little guilty about the less-than-beautiful little buggers you’re leaving behind? Ever wonder about what happens to the ugliest of all produce that didn’t pass the Instagrammable test, or at lease the aesthetic standards of massive grocery chains?

Well, it’s actually a pretty big problem, above and beyond aesthetics. Our tendency towards purchasing only the prettiest produce means that quite a bit of perfectly edible food ends up wasted. Ethics aside, this has a pretty detrimental impact on our environment.

We reached out to Jas Banwait, head of marketing at Flashfoodbox, the company that has launched the Ugly Produce Box, to find out a bit more about the importance of ugly food and how we can do our part.

Where did the idea of an Ugly Produce Box come from? 

I’ll back up a bit and first tell you about how we got into it in the first place. Flashfood is actually an app that we launched at Farm Boy in London, Ontario locations. We offer steep savings on surplus food or food that is approaching its best before date through our app. That means that grocery stores throw away food that is 3 to 5 days before its best before date (which is NOT an expiry date, by the way).

That food is still perfectly fresh and becomes destined for the landfill. We divert it to our “Flashfood zone” which is a fridge and shelf in store where people can view items on our app, buy them and pick them up in store. This led us to start Flashfoodbox and tackle the problem of “number #2” produce (produce that does not meet the aesthetic guidelines of grocery stores) which also gets thrown out.

The idea came from the CEO, Josh Domingues, who received a frantic call from his sister who is a chef one day, upset about how she had to throw away $3000 worth of food after a catering event. This got him thinking about what a ludicrous problem this actually was. He came across a statistic that changed his life and got him to start Flashfood:

“If International food waste were a country, it would be the third leading cause to GHG emissions behind the US & China” – National Geographic (March 2016)

Image of ugly produce in an “Ugly Produce Box”

What are some of the environmental implications associated with unnecessary food waste? 

When food gets thrown out, it usually ends up in a landfill, gets covered by other garbage and rots. When this happens, the food doesn’t have oxygen and the decomposition process produces methane gas. Methane is one of the gases that contributes to greenhouse gas emissions that affect climate change.

Do you have any statistics or numbers on how much food or produce gets wasted each year in Canada? 

One third of the world’s food ends up in a landfill. That’s 1.3 billion tons of food wasted every year. In Canada, $31 billion worth of food is wasted every year in Canada.

Where does the produce come from for the Ugly Food Box? 

We’re currently focused on rescuing food from the landfill. We’re working with a farm in Leamington, Ontario called J.C. Fresh Farms Ltd, which includes its own number 2 qualified produce and sources the rest from their network of greenhouses and other partners across North America.

In addition to subscribing to a service like Ugly Produce, what other tips do you have on how to avoid unnecessary food waste when purchasing from a grocery store? 

-Meal prepping and planning is really important as it will help you buy perishable food that you will be consuming in that particular time period

-Food organization is really important before, during and after your grocery trip in the sense of looking at your fridge and seeing what’s available, making a list to see what you need for that week and then organizing your fridge based on oldest to newest. Don’t hide things in the back that could easily spoil.

-Don’t bag food or food items and than randomly put them back in a different spot. Typically misplaced food items all get thrown out rather than restocked.

-Take reusable produce bags with you when shopping!

Image By

Clique Images

What does it actually mean to detox? How important is it to detox and is the only way to do it by starving ourselves with a 5 day juice cleanse once a month? Because, between you and us, we’re super over that practice. The term “detox” gets thrown around quite a bit and we wanted to get the full story, once and for all. Because we’re super down to eliminate toxins from our bodies, but would love to know what that actually means.

We spoke with one of our favourite “Healers of Humans”, Dr. Erica Grenci on the topic of detoxification and her tips for how we can incorporate the practice of detox throughout the summer and in our daily lives.

BACKGROUND

Quick background; education, training and what brought you to start your own clinic?

My background all began with a passion for health and learning how to become the most vibrant version of myself. After university, I entered the 4-year Naturopathic Medical program at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine which gave me a strong foundation in both clinical medicine and natural healing modalities. From there I branched outward into learning more about my favorite modalities and so I’ve pursued my masters in herbalism, certification in regenerative detoxification (by the incredible Dr. Morse!), advanced training in homeopathy, certification in facial rejuvenation acupuncture, bio-electric cranio-sacral therapy, reiki, and yoga. I believe that healing occurs on all levels – physically, emotionally, and energetically, and so I sought out tools to bring about this balance in all its forms.

With immense gratitude in my journey of gathering this knowledge and experience, I yearned to start giving back. So just this May 2018 I opened my clinic at Keele and Dundas St. West.

WHAT IS A DETOX?

There is a lot of “detox” advice floating around out there. Can you explain a bit about what it means to detox and what the benefits are?

Detoxing is integral to living – what comes in, must come out! Especially since we live in a world where it’s impossible to escape environmental pollutants, it’s essential to assist the body’s natural cleansing mechanism so it doesn’t become overburdened and stressed. Your body does a fantastic job on its own, however, combined with unhealthy living practices it may well need a boost. When the body is overburdened we begin to see lots of fatigue, mental fogginess, afternoon crashes, poor skin health, headaches, digestive issues, hormone imbalances, and more. Essentially these are all signals that the body is sending for our attention that something is amiss. If we suppress them (i.e. with pharmaceutical medication) it does not correct the root of the issue but instead places a temporary band aid. Why do this when we can dig a little deeper and nourish the body’s ailments from within? This is detoxing and it’s benefits include balancing the body so that it may heal itself – the most powerful form of medicine.

Essentially, detoxing supports the body in all its eliminative capacities. This is through the bowels, kidneys, lungs, and skin, as well as the supportive organs such as liver/gall bladder. Often as well, other organs need to be supported if there are any imbalances – for example, the pancreas may need some love if there are any digestive issues at hand, the parathyroid should be considered if there is a lack of calcium utilization (i.e. depression, varicose veins, easy bruising), the adrenal glands if there is a lack of energy or appropriate sugar metabolism, and even the pituitary gland if there are menstrual issues or hormonal imbalances, etc. The body is an intricately beautiful symphony of life!

In practice, detoxing includes dietary modifications (choosing the right foods to strengthen and cleanse your system), lifestyle practices (a targeted exercise regimen, self-care tools), herbal/botanical medicine (i.e. milk thistle for your liver, poke root for your lymphatic system, juniper for your kidneys), and supportive habits (i.e. meditation, deep breathing, positive thoughts).

DO WE NEED TO JUICE CLEANSE?

For those of us who are over the “juice cleanse” and fasting, are they easier, more nutritional ways to detox?  If so, how often should we be doing them?

Mmmmm, simply add more fruit to your diet! Fruits are very special and the highest food form of choice for detoxing because they are self-cleansing, alkaline, astringent, and carry the highest electrical vibration of all the foods (12,000 angstroms in raw fruit vs 9,000 angstroms in raw vegetables vs. 1000 angstroms in cooked vegetables vs. 0 in meat). Fruits are absorbed the quickest by the body (under 30 minutes) and don’t require the digestive energy it takes to process other foods. Therefore, your body can utilize this energy to repair itself instead of always being in digestive mode. As well, the astringent factor of fruits work to pull out toxins from the interstitial fluid of our cells – whereas no other food can do this for us? This is a practice you can easily incorporate into your daily routine. I always tell my patients to start their day with a tall glass of freshly squeezed lemon water and keep their first meal only fruit to take advantage of these benefits. My favorite detox fruits are: red grapes, blackberries, lemons, and watermelon.

SIMPLE SUMMER DETOX PRACTICES 

What are some simple daily practices we can incorporate this summer to ensure our bodies are detoxing on a more regular basis?

Dry Brushing

There are so many wonderful and easy practices to assist your body’s natural cleansing process. For one, I absolutely love dry brushing (aka lymphatic brushing) – this is a natural bristle brush that is massaged onto dry skin in circular movements along the lymphatic channels. By stimulating your skin in this way, lymphatic flow is also stirred and so is the movement of toxins. This simple method even improves circulation and leaves your skin exfoliated and glowing! I use the Province Apothecary Face Brush and the Saje Body Brush to cover my entire body.

Gua Sha

Another tool I absolutely love to use on my face & body is called a “Gua Sha”. It’s used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to reduce inflammation and promote healing and this is credited to the fact that it’s excellent for moving lymph and toxins, while enhancing circulation and blood flow. Even more, it’s often used as an anti-aging tool on the face since it’s stimulating action also increases collagen production. Simply glide the tool with firm pressure in the direction of the arrows over your face until you create redness (best to do this in the evening before bed! This can be a daily practice.)

Photo credit: Pinterest

Herbal Regimen/Teas

Another daily practice for detoxing is using a customized herbal regimen. Herbs are fantastic because they are targeted to specific organs and body systems to tonify, cleanse, and maximize their function. These are programs I create in office on an individual basis, however, there are also detox herbal teas I created which are an excellent and gentle way to get you started. I alternate the Detox Passport herbal teas daily or whenever I feel a bit sluggish and could use a boost. I also love drinking the liver tea after I’ve had a night out of celebratory fun 😉

Smudging

This ancient spiritual practice has a tremendous cleansing effect. There are multiple levels of cleansing and often it’s easy to forget about the energetic aspects of it all. Smudging with sage or palo santo for example, is an excellent way to clear the air of any negative energies and intentions, help to remove blockages, while also providing a renewed sense of energy.

Rebounding

Something else that really gets the lymph flowing is rebounding! Keep in mind that your heart pumps your blood to circulate your body, but your lymph requires the movement of your muscles to get around. In fact, something as fun and simple as jumping on a trampoline can increase your lymphatic flow and drainage up to 20 times its normal rate! Combined with a regular exercise routine, this will support your body to rid itself of the accumulated bacteria, toxic waste, trapped fat globules, and cell sewage.

What products do you recommend for this and how (and how often) should we use them?

Province Apothecary Face Brush – I use this x3-4/week

Saje Body Brush – I use this x3-4/week

Gua Sha – Daily in the evening

Detox Passport Tea (Colon, Lymph & Blood, Liver/Gallbladder, Kidneys) – I alternate these teas daily (I love the kidney and lymph ones the best!)

Sage Bundle – I do this daily for renewed energy or whenever I feel the energy is a bit stagnant in the air.

Mini Trampoline (aka Rebounder) – A few times/week.

Click on the images below to find out where to purchase Erica’s detox picks.

Facial Dry Brush

Store Link

Dry Brush

Store Link

Gua Sha

Store Link

Detox Passport Tea

Store Link

Sage Bundle

Store Link

Mini Trampoline

Store Link

For more information on Dr. Erica Grenci, please visit her website. For online bookings, please visit: https://drericagrenci.janeapp.com/ To follow on social: Instagram| Facebook | YouTube

Puk Khantho

As much as we’d love to take full credit for these bits of dairy-free brilliance, we have to give credit where credit’s due. The first recipe is from Popsugar and the other two are our inspired creations when we realized that ice cream can serve a guilt-free dose of health benefits.  Whether you’re looking to simply chill out or surprise your friends with something sweet, delightful and healthy (in moderation) these three vegan ice cream recipes will do the trick.

These recipes are all made with coconut milk, which has surprising health benefits on its own, and is recognized as a healthy fat. That said, we will definitely reiterate the above comment on moderation. Mindful intake is best. We do encourage you to get wild and experiment with your own nut milk of choice, particularly cashew (and let us know the outcome please!)

1. Chill Out – Stress-Relief Lavender Ice Cream 

As mentioned above, we fell in love with the idea of a body beneficial ice cream when we came across this recipe from Popsugar. Not only were we blown away by the taste and creamy texture, we absolutely love the idea of a bowl of ice cream having actual soothing and calming effects due to its lavender content (lavender being recognized for its ability to reduce anxiety and emotional stress, aid in sleep and relieve nervous tension). To top it all off, this recipe is super easy to follow.

Image from Popsugar

Below from Popsugar

Ingredients

3 1/3 cups (2 cans) coconut milk
2 tablespoons dried culinary lavender
3/4 cup frozen organic blueberries
2/3 cup agave syrup (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

• Heat coconut milk in a medium saucepan until almost boiling; remove from heat and add lavender. Stir to combine and allow to steep for 10 minutes.
• Pour coconut milk through a wire strainer into a blender. Add blueberries, agave, and vanilla. Blend on high until blueberries are completely incorporated. (A few flecks are OK.)
• Pour mixture into ice cube trays and freeze overnight.
• Place 1/3 of the cubes into the bowl of a food processor and pulse to a cookie-dough-like consistency. Transfer ice cream to a freezer container and process remaining cubes in batches.
• Serve immediately or place in freezer for a firmer consistency.

Nothing could be easier right? We love having a couple scopes of this ice cream after dinner or after an evening work out a couple hours before bed. It’s a perfect addition to a once in a while alignment ritual

2. Power Up  – Protein and Iron Infused Mint Chocolate Chip 

Image and Some Recipe Inspiration from Wallflower Kitchen

So Popsugar’s brilliant use of lavender got us thinking. What other herbs could be used to make delicious ice cream blends? Mint was our obvious next leap. We pulled from a bunch of different recipes from all over the web and came up with this simple recipe leveraging the above process ever so slightly and adding in our own unique twist for a powerful protein and iron-infused result.

Ingredients

3 1/3 cups (2 cans) coconut milk

1/2 cup of fresh mint leaves

1/2 cup of spinach (you won’t even taste it!)

2/3 cups of agave syrup (or to taste)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 scoop of your favourite protein powder

1 quarter of your favourite dark chocolate source, crumbled into small bits
Directions

• Blend all ingredients except for dark chocolate in a high speed blender until completely smooth
• Transfer mixture to ice cube tray and freeze over night
• Place 1/3 of the cubes into the bowl of a food processor and pulse to a cookie-dough-like consistency. Transfer ice cream to a freezer container and process remaining cubes in batches.
• Stir in dark chocolate bits

Perfect for a mid-afternoon summer treat, and ideal for after a long bike ride or hot yoga class.

3. Detox and Energize – Matcha Ice Cream 

By now you can probably see where we are going with this. Essentially, once you have a winning process down, it’s pretty simple to get your experimental energies flowing to come up with your own creations. We love the various benefits provided by a delicious cup of matcha tea, such as detoxification, high antioxidant content and ability to provide a natural energy and focus boost so it only made sense to marry our ice cream blend with matcha for a deliciously mindful summer treat.

Ingredients

3 1/3 cups (2 cans) coconut milk

1 table spoon of matcha powder

2/3 cups of agave syrup (or to taste)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

• Blend all ingredients until completely smooth
• Transfer mixture to ice cube tray and freeze over night
• Place 1/3 of the cubes into the bowl of a food processor and pulse to a cookie-dough-like consistency. Transfer ice cream to a freezer container and process remaining cubes in batches.

Done and done.

There you have it! If you have any delicious and healthy vegan ice cream recipes of your own, we’d love to hear! Enjoy

Image By:
Alexandra Andersson
While there are so many amazing plant-based Instagrammers,  we wanted to the acknowledge a handful of home-grown Canadians that are making huge impacts in the vegan food scene.

Whether you’re starting your journey into the vegan space or simply looking for a few delicious recipes to help reduce your meat foot print while still being delicious, we recommend following these plant-based powerhouses ASAP.

Angela Liddon

Arguably the most widely recognized vegan in Canada, Angela Liddon, creator of the Oh She Glows blog, has amassed a following that steps well over the Canadian border, with a global following of over 600K on Instagram. The tone of Angela’s cookbooks and blog is extremely approachable, with an open and honest foreword about how she came into the vegan lifestyle and what inspired her journey to create easy-to-follow recipes that would please both vegans and meat-lovers alike. We also love the ingredients she uses can easily be found in Canada which is a huge win!

From Oh She Glows Instagram 

Lauren Toyota

We love Lauren Toyota’s approach to plant-based living. The woman is on a mission to make the vegan lifestyle mainstream, and encourages a joyful approach to the concept of consuming delicious plant-based meals with pleasure and fun. Coming from an entertainment background, Lauren’s YouTube channel is full of delicious recipes and great advice on plant-based life.

  From Lauren Toyota Instagram

Erin Ireland

Working as a food reporter, Erin discovered her passion and purpose; to raise awareness for plant-based eating, demonstrating how the lifestyle can be nutritious, delicious and always cruelty-free. We love her authentic voice and how she showcases the food she makes and eats through her iPhone, as opposed to highly glossed over professional photo shoots, showing us what recipes will actually look like (still amazing by the way!)

From Erin Ireland Instagram

Plant Based Toronto 

Although local to Toronto, the Plant Based Toronto blog offers a range of amazing recipes and tips on vegan living that are great for all Canadians like how to get started on your new vegan journey, and our favourite, a 101 on Nutritional Yeast.

From Plant Based Instagram 

Steph Yu

Like Angela Liddon, Steph came to veganism as a step towards recovery from an eating disorder. Her spiritual take on the plant-based lifestyle is truly inspiring, and well followed by 200K Instagram followers. Steph shares her experiences on her YouTube channel and as a plant-loving podcaster

From Steph Yu Instagram

Who do you love to follow for plant-based inspo? Share with us on Facebook!

Image Credit
FOODISM360
Sure, eating too much avocado on toast may mean you will never be able to afford a home, but who needs the trappings of modern wealth when you are able to nourish your mind, body and soul with the simplistic beauty of a single fruit?

Quick Facts

Fruit of the tree Persea americana, the avocado is native to Mexico and Central America, classified in the flowering plant family Lauraceae. Characterized by its oval or pear-shape, rough skin and large seed, the fruit has been referred to as the avocado pear or alligator pear. 

The earliest account of the avocado’s presence in Europe is from 1519. The avocado was later introduced to Indonesia by 1750, Brazil in 1809, and South Africa and Australia in the late 19th century. The actual word “avocado” derives from a Nahuatl Indian (Aztec) word  “ahuácatl” which in fact means testicle.

It is thought that the reference is either due to the avocado’s shape or the fact that it was considered to possess aphrodisiac qualities by the Aztecs. Leading us into the symbolism of this sacred fruit.

Spirituality and Symbolism

The avocado acts as an Aztec symbol of love. An avocado tree can live for hundreds of years and a pair of avocados living and growing together on a tree symbolizes relationship love. An ideal husband would bring a pair of avocados to his wife as an outward display of love. The Aztecs also associated the avocado with fertility, recognizing it as the fruit of lust which could act as a natural aphrodisiac.

The avocado is recognized as a source of energy, health and beauty, and unlike our friend the cactus, needs specific conditions to survive. We embrace the avocado as a symbol of love (for both self and others) and the transferring of our inner beauty into our physical bodies.

Image By

Hilary Hahn

While a homemade turmeric latte may look amazing in a carefully curated Instagram feed, it is also a simple and delicious way to get a healthy dose of ginger and cinnamon.  These 3 ingredients combined make a latte powerhouse that will have you glowing from the inside out.

Quick Health Benefits: 

Turmeric

Full of antioxidents, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties.

Cinnamon

This calming and soothing spice can help stimulate digestion and work towards balancing blood sugar.

Ginger

Excellent for boosting immunity, counteracting nausea and fighting off colds and congestion.

Ingredients for 2 Servings: 

3 cups of coconut milk

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 pinch of black pepper (to help absorb the curcumin in the turmeric)

1-2 teaspoons of liquid sweetener like honey (based on your vegan stance), maple syrup or agave nectar

Put the ingredients in a blender and mix until well blended.
Transfer mixture to a pot on a pan, heat slowly on medium heat until warmed through.

Serve and enjoy!

Image Credit

Natalie Walters

Living in the city doesn’t mean we can’t support local on a regular basis. Joining or buying from a food co-op is a great way to participate in the sustainable food community. Check out some of the top food co-ops in Toronto.

1. West End Food Co-op — 1229 Queen Street West, Toronto ON

“Food, Close to Home’— Come on down and see what has been seven years in the making – built by the community, for the community.

West End Food Co-op has a variety of made in-house baked goods, soups and snacks. Run mostly by volunteers; they have a cannery, run various food workshops and a year-round farmers market. They connect local farmers to the local community at Queen and Dufferin

A lifetime co-op membership is only $5 giving access to daily food discounts and in-store Monthly Member Specials

Image Credit: @westendfoodcoop

2. Karma Co-op — 739 Palmerston Avenue, Toronto

One of Ontario’s oldest “one-stop” shop for the conscious consumer.

With a variety of frozen and prepared foods, Karma Co-op carries over 200 bulk items; that is organically produced fresh from dozens of Ontario farms. They provide health supplements and the highest quality of eco-friendly packaged goods along with a diverse range of natural health, beauty and household products.

Located in the heart of the Annex, Karma Co-op has convenient store hours and an incredible community. By joining Karma, you become part of a member-owned, democratic co-op that provides ethically sourced, healthy, delicious food and sustainable household products to its community.

Image Credit: @Karma.coop

3. The Big Carrot Co-op — 348 Danforth Ave Toronto ON

“Toronto’s first health food store that specializes in organically grown, non-GMO and environmentally safe products since 1983.”

The Big Carrot Co-op is more than your average health food store; they carry groceries, body care, supplements and much more. They offer high-quality products, friendly and informed service and ongoing public education to make natural food selection easy for the Danforth and Broadview community.

Healthy food education is the centre of what The Big Carrot Co-op stands by. Knowing the difference to make a difference is key to making every dollar count. The Big Carrot is proud to be Ontario’s first retailer to certify to the new Canadian Organic Standard.

Image Credit: Carrot Common

4. Berry Road Food Co-op — 150 Berry Road, Toronto ON

“Better Food. Stronger Community.”

In June 2018, Etobicoke can welcome one of the newest co-ops in the province is the Berry Road Food Co-op.They will be providing organic, locally and responsibly sourced products at lower prices to the community.

They will also be working with community partners to improve the health and well being of residents and give them more insight into the food they are buying. Anyone can shop at the Co-op, but for $10.00 you can be a part of our sustainable food community and receive exclusive sales and discounts on store items for a lifetime.

Image Credit: Berry Road Food Co-op