We often choose less healthy options not because we want to, or necessarily because we crave them, but because of the convenience they provide. Milk, tomato sauce, jam, ice cream and cheese are often staples in kiwi kitchens. We grew up with these foods, it’s what we know.
These staples are often loaded with refined sugars, additives, preservatives and pro-inflammatory saturated fats. We know it can be hard switching to a more wholefoods plant-based diet, because well, wholefoods are whole, and so they do require more time and effort than processed convenience foods (but it’s worth it!).
You may be thinking you just don’t have time to soak, blend and squeeze almonds to make nut milk, or that you only have five minutes in the morning. So, to help you get more plant-based wholefoods in your life, we’ve got 10 simple wholefood hacks to create delicious meals that will boost your nutrition and and save you money too!
Instant nut butter milks
Create any-kind-of-nut milk instantly by blending 1 tablespoon of nut butter with 250ml water and voila! Instant milk. If you find yourself struggling to finish a whole carton of almond milk before it expires, this is a great option, as you can make it as you need it.
Instant coconut milk
Not a fan of the canned stuff? You can create instant and preservative free coconut milk by simply blending 1 tablespoon of desiccated or shredded coconut with 250ml water. It’s perfect in smoothies, curries or your matcha green tea frappe.
Quick massaged kale salad
A lot of people HATE kale! However, this is often not because of the kale itself, but because of how it has been prepared. They’ve either experienced a lumpy green smoothie, or tough in-edible salad. So how do you turn kale into edible green goodness? By massaging it! Try chucking 3 cups of roughly chopped kale in a bowl, adding 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 teaspoons olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Massage between your fingers for a few minutes until the kale is well coated and looks nice and glossy. Add some avocado, pomegranate and activated nuts or seeds and you’ve got a delicious salad!
Frozen nut butter filled dates
Keep these stashed away in your freezer, so you can take them out on demand when those sugar cravings need satiating. Medjool or Deglet Dates work best, but you could also use dried figs or apricots too. Simply make a small cut on the side of the dried fruit to create a pocket, stuff with 1 teaspoon almond butter, and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
DIY fresh tomato sauce
This recipe is a great one to keep on hand whenever you need a quick tomato sauce for sweet potato fry dipping or pizza. Using sundried tomatoes provides the same intensity of flavour that you achieve from spending hours over the stove making a sauce from scratch.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup Ceres Organics Sundried Tomatoes, soaked in water for 2-3 hours
- 1½ tablespoons Ceres Organics Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano
- small handful fresh basil
- ½ clove garlic, crushed
- ½ fresh red chilli
- 2 Ceres Organics Raw Pitted Dates
- 2 teaspoon Ceres Organics Apple Cider Vinegar
- a pinch of salt and black pepper
Method: Add all ingredients to a blender and process until smooth.
Instant ice cream (no ice cream maker!)
Avocado gives this ice cream that rich creaminess, while tahini, almond butter and cacao give it that chocolate peanut butter flavour, creating a perfectly satisfying ice-cream treat! The below recipe serves 4.
Ingredients:
- 2 ripe avocados
- ⅓ cup almond milk
- ¾ cup Ceres Organics Raw Cacao Powder
- ¾ cup Ceres Organics Maple Syrup
- 1 tablespoon Ceres Organics Almond Butter
- 1 tablespoon Ceres Organics Unhulled Tahini
- 2 teaspoons Ceres Organics Vanilla Extract
- ¼ cup filtered water
- pinch of sea salt
- ¼ cup Ceres Organics Virgin Coconut Oil, melted
- 1½ tablespoons Ceres Organics Raw Cacao Butter, melted
Method: Add all ingredients, except the coconut oil and cacao butter, to a blender and process until smooth. With the blender still running, slowly pour in your melted coconut oil and cacao butter, and process until well incorporated. Pour the mixture into a container, and pop in the freezer until ready to eat! About a half hour.
Instant chia berry jam
That’s right, you can still have your PB + J on toast, raw wholefoods style! In this recipe, we have used chia seeds in place of pectin to create that jammy jelly consistency. Below recipe makes 1 cup.
Ingredients:
- 1½ cups fresh or frozen berries defrosted
- 1 tablespoons Ceres Organics Chia Seeds
- 3 tablespoons filtered water
- 1 tablespoon Ceres Organics Maple Syrup
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- splash of vanilla
Method: Add all ingredients to a blender and process for about 90 seconds. Place in the fridge for ½ an hour to set.
Instant dairy free cheese
We make this quick cashew cheese whenever we don’t have time to make a cultured cheese. It doesn’t have the probiotic goodness of our cultured cheeses, but tastes just as cheesy and delicious to satisfy any craving!
Ingredients:
- 1¾ cups Ceres Organics Raw Cashews, soaked for 2-4 hours, rinsed
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons filtered water
- 2¾ tablespoons lemon juice
- 1½ tablespoons Ceres Organics Savoury Yeast Flakes
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
Method: Add all ingredients to a blender and process until smooth. Stored in a glass jar, it will keep in the fridge for 5-6 days.
The ultimate green smoothie
This go-to green smoothie recipe will satisfy that sweet-tooth, while nourishing your body with plenty of green goodness, keeping those sugar cravings in check. More than greens, the addition of almond butter results in a super creamy smoothie that’s hard to beat!
Ingredients:
- 1 frozen banana
- 1 big kale leaf
- ½ cup spinach
- ¼ teaspoon Ceres Organics Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon Ceres Organics Almond Butter
- 1 Ceres Organics Raw Pitted Date
- ½ cup filtered water
- 1 cup of ice
Method: Add all ingredients to a blender and process until creamy and smooth.
Instant frappes
Were you once a frappuccino addict? If you’ve got nut milk that’s about to expire, pop it into ice cube trays and use it to make frappes! This creamy cashew frappe recipe below is super quick to make and insanely delicious.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of frozen nut milk cubes
- ¾ cup leftover coffee, we use Kokako Cold Brew
- 1 tablespoon Ceres Organics Cashew Butter
- splash of vanilla
- ½ frozen banana
Method: Add all ingredients to a blender and process until smooth. Add more nut milk as required.
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