Category: Breakfast & Elevenses

Vegan All Day Breakfast

Vegan All Day English Breakfast

Published on by Sharon4 Comments

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The English are famous for their all-day breakfast fry-ups, which typically feature a whole bunch of animal products – sausages, bacon, eggs and black pudding – served alongside mushrooms, tomatoes, hash browns, baked beans and fried bread. However, just because you’re passing on eating animals, this doesn’t mean you have to miss out on this traditional English culinary experience. There are so many amazing all-day veggie breakfast options available now, and they’re often far more creative and colourful (and healthy!) than the meat version.

Today I’m sharing a recipe for a delicious vegan cooked breakfast that, as the title suggests, is suitable for serving any time of day. We’ve been enjoying it as an evening meal, but it’s equally perfect as a weekend breakfast, brunch or lunch.

Vegan All Day Breakfast

The key components of this vegan all-day English breakfast were sausages…

Vegan all day breakfast sausages

scrambled tofu (to which I added onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and soy sauce to ramp up the flavour) ….

Scrambled Tofu in Vegan All Day Breakfast

avocado and toasted wholemeal English muffins.

English Muffin in Vegan All Day Breakfast

Then we added slices of balsamic-glazed roasted portobello mushrooms…

Roasted Mushrooms in Vegan All Day Breakfast

and baked beans 😋

Baked Beans in Vegan All Day Breakfast

Since my son isn’t a fan of fresh tomatoes, I added some sun-dried tomatoes into the scrambled tofu instead. This worked a treat!

Scrambled Tofu

Recipe Card

Vegan All Day Breakfast

Vegan All Day English Breakfast

This vegan all day breakfast is suitable for serving as a weekend breakfast, brunch, lunch or even as a main dinner! Though there are a few components to this meal, it’s really easy to make and takes no more than 30 minutes. The scrambled tofu, beans, muffins and avocado can all be prepared while the sausages and mushrooms are cooking in the oven. Once they’re done, everything is ready to be be plated up.
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Hands-on time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner, Lunch
Servings 3

Ingredients
 

For the roasted portobello mushrooms:

  • 3-4 portobello mushrooms washed and stalks removed
  • 1 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 TBSP balsamic vinegar

6 vegan sausages

For the scrambled tofu:

  • 1 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 block of firm tofu (about 400g / 14 oz) drained
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • 1½ tsp ground cumin
  • 1 TBSP tamari or low sodium soy sauce
  • 6-8 sun-dried tomatoes in oil drained and roughly chopped
  • 60 ml / ¼ cup fortified soya milk or other plant-based milk
  • handful baby spinach roughly chopped
  • salt to taste

400g / 14 oz can baked beans

3 English wholemeal muffins

  • vegan butter or mayonnaise for the muffins

1 large avocado, sliced

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat the oven to 200C (180C fan) / 400F.
  • For the roasted mushrooms:
    In a wide, shallow roasting pan, combine the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Generously coat the mushrooms in the oil and vinegar mixture, either using a pastry brush or your hands. Arrange the mushrooms in the pan upside down. Cook for 10 minutes then flip the mushrooms over, and continue cooking for a further 15 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and well browned.
  • Cook the sausages according the instructions on the packet.
  • For the scrambled tofu:
    Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan (skillet) on medium heat and cook the onion and garlic for a couple of minutes. Crumble the tofu into the pan. Sprinkle the turmeric on top and stir until the tofu has turned yellow. Add the cumin, soy sauce and sun-dried tomatoes to the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring now and then. Stir in the milk and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes. Finally, add the spinach and cook for a further minute (until the spinach just starts to wilt). Season with salt, to taste.
  • Keep the scrambled tofu on low heat while you warm up the baked beans and toast the muffins.
  • Arrange the sausages, mushrooms, scrambled tofu, baked beans, muffins and avocado slices on plates and serve. Any leftovers make a delicious ‘all-day breakfast’ sandwich, stuffed into a pitta bread or tortilla wrap.

Notes

Gluten-Free Option
To make the breakfast 100% gluten-free, the muffins could be replaced with a gluten-free alternative, such as hash browns or mini roasted potatoes. Also, be sure to use tamari soy sauce, as regular soy sauce contains wheat.
Keyword Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Vegan All Day Breakfast
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Vegan All Day English Breakfast

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for adaptations. Tag your photos with #bitofthegoodstuff on social media – I love to see your creations! You can also connect with me on my social media channels here: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest.   

With love,

Sharon xx

Mediterranean Tofu Scramble

Mediterranean Tofu Scramble

Published on by Sharon11 Comments

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Tofu scrambles are one of my family’s favourite easy weeknight meals. They take 20 minutes or less to make, use just one pan and can be flavoured myriad ways, which means they never get boring. The scramble recipe I’m sharing in today’s post is filled with beautiful colours and flavours inspired by the Mediterranean ☀️

Mediterranean Tofu Scramble

Fresh, crisp sweet peppers and zucchini, salty black olives and rich sun-dried tomatoes make one tasty combination of flavours and textures. A splash of soy sauce and sprinkling of mushrooms adds an extra hit of ‘umami’ deliciousness.

To enhance the flavour even further, I sprinkle in a couple of my favourite herbs – fresh basil and dried oregano – and spices – smoked paprika and ground cumin. The smoked paprika turns the tofu a beautiful red colour, as well as adding a delicious smoky flavour.

I’ve always loved using dried herbs and spices in my cooking (and have a whole shelf in my pantry dedicated to them!) but I’ve only recently starting learning about their health benefits.

Do you know which food category averages the most antioxidants? Take a guess…

Nope, it’s not fruits.

Nor vegetables.

It’s herbs and spices!!

By sprinkling just a single teaspoon of dried herbs or spices on your food, you can double, triple, quadruple or more its antioxidant content. Incredible!

Here’s what Dr Michael Greger has to say in his epic “nutrition bible” How Not To Die …

Antioxidants, in a Pinch

The food category that averages the most antioxidants is herbs and spices.

Let’s say you prepare a nice healthy bowl of whole-wheat pasta with marinara sauce. Together, they may achieve a score of about 80 units of antioxidant power (approximately 20 units from the pasta and 60 from the sauce). Add a handful of steamed broccoli florets, and you may end up with a delicious 150-unit meal. Not bad. Now sprinkle on a single teaspoonful of dried oregano or marjoram, oregano’s sweeter and milder twin. That alone could double your meal’s antioxidant power, up to more than 300 units.

How about a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast? By adding a teaspoon of cinnamon, you could bring the antioxidant power of your meal from 20 units to 120 units. And if you can stand the punch, adding a pinch of cloves could bring your unassuming breakfast up to an antioxidant score of 160 units.

Plant-based meals tend to be rich in antioxidants on their own, but taking a moment to spice up your life may make you meal even healthier.

p50, How Not to Die

Having read this, I’ll be sprinkling those herbs and spices even more liberally from now on!

Tofu Scramble

Recipe Card

Mediterranean Tofu Scramble

This tofu scramble makes a delicious, quick 'n' easy supper, lunch or brunch. It comes together in just 20 minutes and only uses one pan (my favourite kind of meal!) It’s protein- and calcium-rich (thanks to the tofu) and packed full of antioxidant-rich veggies, herbs and spices. We love to serve it on wholegrain toast at home and stuffed into pitta breads for school and work lunchboxes.
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Hands-on time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Light Dinner, Lunch
Servings 4

Ingredients
 

  • 1 TBSP olive oil I use the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar
  • 1 brown onion diced
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 sweet romano or red bell pepper deseeded and diced
  • ½ medium courgette (zucchini) (about 100g / 3½ oz) diced
  • 1 block organic firm tofu (about 400g / 14 oz)
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 TBSP tamari or reduced salt soy sauce
  • ½ TBSP dried oregano or Italian seasoning
  • 2 TBSP fresh or frozen basil finely chopped
  • 100 g / 1 cup chestnut (crimini) mushrooms, diced
  • 8 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes drained and chopped
  • 12 black pitted olives halved

Optional extras (for a nutrient boost)

  • 2 TBSP nutritional yeast flakes
  • Sprinkling of hulled hemp seeds

Instructions
 

  • Gently heat the oil in a large frying pan (skillet). Add the onion and cook for a couple of minutes. Stir in the garlic, sweet romano/bell pepper and courgette, and continue cooking for a further 2-3 minutes.
  • Drain the tofu, then crumble it into the pan. Sprinkled the smoked paprika and cumin on top, and stir until the tofu is fully coated in the spices.
  • Add the remaining ingredients to the pan (tamari/soy sauce, oregano/Italian seasoning, basil, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and olives) and stir through. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes.
  • Taste test, and adjust the seasoning to suit. Sprinkle on some nutritional yeast and hemp seeds, if desired, then serve.
  • Any leftover scramble can be stored in an airtight container for up to five days. It is also freezable.
Keyword Budget Vegan Meals, Easy Vegan Meals, Tofu Scramble, Vegan Lunchbox Ideas
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Big shout out to the lovely people at Suma who supplied me with ingredients that I used to create this recipe. The following organic ingredients are available from Suma and can be purchased in the UK from independent health food shops and online:

– Suma Organic Sundried Tomatoes in Olive Oil with Thyme
– Clearspring Organic Tamari Soya Sauce
– Suma Organic Smoked Paprika
– Suma Organic Ground Oregano
– Cauldron Foods Organic Firm Tofu

Do you enjoy using dried herbs and spices? If so, what are your top favourites? It’s hard for me to pick just one, so here are my current top five (in no particular order) …. 

✦ Dried Oregano
✦ Fresh Basil
✦ Smoked Paprika
✦ Ground Cumin
✦ Ground Sweet Cinnamon

If you try this Mediterranean tofu scramble recipe, please come back and leave a review. It’s so helpful to me (and other readers) to hear your experiences and ideas for variations. Thank you! ❤️

With love,

Sharon xx

Vegan Sultana Banana Pancakes

Sultana Banana Mini Pancakes (Vegan)

Published on by Sharon6 Comments

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Today I’m sharing a recipe for Sultana Banana Mini Pancakes ❤️ They are quick, easy to make and use basic pantry ingredients. They’re perfect for serving as a weekend breakfast or for ‘elevenses’. Me and Lil’ L have made them three times so far and they have proven to be a big hit with the family.

Have you tried adding sultanas to pancake batter before? They work beautifully in these American-style fluffy pancakes. In fact, I loved them so much that I ended up adding more than the original recipe called for.

The original recipe is from Kate Ford’s new cookbook ‘Vegan in 15’ and was published in this month’s Vegan Life magazine.

Check out that cute pancake stack!

Vegan Life Issue 24 Pancakes

* Disclaimer: Vegan Life kindly sent me a complimentary copy of this magazine

And below is my little pancake stack, before the obligatory drizzle of maple syrup. As you can see, I still haven’t learnt the art of food styling 😊 I still just plonk the food on a plate or in a bowl and click the shoot button on the camera.

Well at least you know how they will turn out when you make them, and the pancakes themselves look pretty similar to the ones above, don’t you think? I just need to work on the presentation.

Sultana Banana Pancakes

I did tweak Kate’s pancake recipe ever so slightly, increasing the quantity of sultanas (as we were enjoying them so much!) and omitting the nuts from the batter (so we could keep them as an option for sprinkling on top instead). I found that the flour conversion from grams into cups in the Vegan Life magazine was slightly off (according to my scales and cups anyhow!) so I’ve taken this into account in the recipe I share below.

Vegan Sultana Banana Pancakes

I usually get nine pancakes out of the batter, which means three pancakes each for me and the boys.

As soon as the photoshoot was over, you can guess where these three ended up.

Sultana Banana Pancakes

Recipe Card

Vegan Sultana Banana Pancakes

Sultana Banana Mini Pancakes (Vegan)

These mini pancakes are perfect for serving as a weekend breakfast or for ‘elevenses’. The recipe is lightly adapted from the Banana and Pecan Pancakes recipe in Kate Ford’s Vegan in 15. We love these pancakes with sultanas in the batter and chopped nuts as an optional topping, but feel free to add 2 TBSP chopped pecans into the batter as per the original recipe.
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Hands-on time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Breakfast, Elevenses, Snack
Servings 8 mini pancakes

Ingredients
 

  • 1 ripe banana chopped into chunks
  • 150 ml / ⅔ cup soya, nut or oat milk (I use fortified soya milk)
  • 120 g / 1 scant cup self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp maple syrup plus extra for drizzling
  • pinch of salt
  • 4 TBSP sultanas
  • neutral-flavoured oil for frying I use organic rapeseed (canola oil or sunflower oil)

Optional topping

  • chopped walnuts or pecans

Instructions
 

  • In a blender or food processor, blitz the banana, milk, flour, syrup and salt into a smooth batter. Pour into a jug and stir in the sultanas.
  • If possible, use two frying pans (skillets) to halve the cooking time. Brush the bottom of the pan with oil and heat on medium heat. To check the pan is hot enough, flick a few drops of water into the pan. If they sizzle, the pan’s ready.
  • Pour the batter into three separate circles to create mini pancakes (I use my ice cream scoop – one scoop per pancake). Cook for a minute or so until the underneath is golden brown, then flip over and cook for a further minute. Pop them in a warm oven while you prepare the remaining pancakes.
  • Drizzle with syrup, sprinkle on some chopped nuts (if desired) and serve.
  • These pancakes will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator. Gently heat through before serving.
Keyword Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Vegan Pancakes
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Have a great weekend everyone!

With love,

Sharon xx

Blueberry Vanilla Chia Pudding

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If you’re looking for a sweet treat that feels indulgent yet nourishes you from the inside out, this Blueberry Vanilla Chia Pudding is just the thing. It’s one of our family favourites—simple to make, beautifully creamy, and bursting with vibrant flavour. We often enjoy it as a weekday dessert, but it’s wholesome and filling enough to serve for breakfast too. What better way to start the day than with something this delicious?

This recipe features in the ‘Breakfast and Elevenses’ chapter of the Bit of the Good Stuff cookbook, and it’s one we come back to time and again. Since the book’s launch four months ago, I’ve been incredibly touched by the response. Your kind messages, glowing reviews, and word-of-mouth recommendations have truly blown me away!

We’ve even received multiple repeat orders—some readers are already on their third copy! It’s so heartening to see the book being shared with friends, family, and colleagues. One lovely reader took her copy into work, and after it made the rounds in her office, four more orders came in. Stories like this absolutely make my day. Thank you so much for spreading the word and sharing a Bit of the Good Stuff with those around you ❤️

The book’s also been receiving some wonderful press, both nationally and locally. One of the most exciting moments so far was seeing Bit of the Good Stuff featured in the April 2017 issue of Vegetarian Living magazine. Not only was the book named in their roundup of Future Classics – New Releases You Might Just Want to Keep Forever, but one of my personal heroes—ultramarathon runner and animal sanctuary founder Fiona Oakes—chose it as her favourite cookbook. What an incredible honour!

Vegetarian Living Magazine

But back to today’s recipe…

This Blueberry Vanilla Chia Pudding is as nourishing as it is pretty. It’s packed with plant-based goodness, including omega-3s from the chia seeds, and antioxidants from the blueberries.

I love to add a spoonful of ‘Goji Nut Sprinkles’ on top for a pop of colour, crunch, and extra nutrients. The combination of chewy berries and toasted nuts adds such a lovely contrast to the soft, creamy pudding.

This recipe is so simple to prepare. It’s perfect for busy weekdays when you want something quick, healthy, and satisfying.

Recipe Card

Blueberry Vanilla Chia Pudding

Dessert for breakfast anyone? This creamy pudding is packed with nutrient-rich ingredients that provide slow release energy and keep you feeling full for hours. What a great way to start the day! You can easily make it the night before and store it in the refrigerator for a fast ‘grab and go’ breakfast. We also love to serve this pudding as a quick weekday dessert.
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Hands on time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Healthy Snacking
Servings 2

Ingredients
 

  • 240 ml / 1 cup fortified soya milk or other plant milk
  • 3 TBSP chia seeds
  • 40 g / ¼ cup raw cashews
  • ¾ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 soft sticky dates (e.g. Medjool) pitted
  • pinch of salt
  • 70 g / ½ cup frozen blueberries
  • maple syrup optional

Suggested toppings

  • Goji Nut Sprinkles (see recipe below); Granola

Instructions
 

  • First soften the cashews in freshly boiled water for 15 minutes or so. 5 minutes before the end of the soaking time, add the dates. Drain thoroughly.
  • Place all the ingredients in a high speed blender, starting with the milk. Give the ingredients a stir so that they are coated in milk. Start blending on low speed to break up the nuts and dates, then blend on high speed for a couple of minutes until completely smooth. Stop now and then to scrape down the sides. Taste test and add a splash of maple syrup, if desired.
  • Scoop into two small bowls or ramekins and sprinkle on your desired toppings. The puddings can either be served immediately or chilled in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. If storing in the refrigerator, cover the bowls to make them airtight. This will ensure the puddings keep their vibrant purple colour.
Keyword Chia Pudding, Dairy-Free, Easy Vegan Desserts, Healthy Snacking, Vegan Breakfast
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Goji Nut Sprinkles

These sprinkles come in handy when you need a quick topping to ‘dress up’ a breakfast or dessert. They’re especially suited for children as the pieces are broken up nice and small.
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Hands on time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 10

Ingredients
 

  • 4 TBSP toasted coconut chips
  • 2 TBSP pecans
  • 4 TBSP toasted flaked almonds
  • 4 TBSP dried goji berries

Instructions
 

  • Place the coconut chips, pecans and 2 TBSP of the almonds in a bowl and crush them between your fingers to break them up.
  • Add the remaining 2 TBSP of almonds and the goji berries to a mini food processor and whiz into crumbs (I use the bowl attachment that came with my hand blender).
  • Combine all the ingredients and transfer to an airtight jar. Store in the refrigerator where they will keep for weeks.
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 I hope you enjoy this pudding as much as we do! If you give it a try, I’d love to hear what you think. Feel free to leave a comment below, or tag me in your photos on social media—I always love seeing your creations! You can also connect with me on my social media channels here: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest.   

With love and gratitude,

Sharon xx

Chocolate Hazelnut Granola Clusters in Jar

Chocolate Granola Clusters with Hazelnuts, Pecans and Cranberries

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Today, I’d like to share another of my family’s favourite granola recipes. Filled with hazelnuts, pecans, cranberries and chocolatey goodness, this granola is perfect for this season.

My garden is bordered by cob nut trees, and this year they produced the most amazing crop. I made a deal with the squirrels whereby I would collect nuts from the low hanging branches, and they could have the rest. They then got to work, burying nuts all over my lawn and flower beds, and in my plant pots. Invariably they forget where they’ve buried them and we end up with nut trees growing literally everywhere!

Cob Nuts

Once they’ve matured, cob nuts are very similar in taste and texture to hazelnuts, so I put them to good use in recipes, like this granola!

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, Lil’ L loves home-made granola, especially when it’s formed into clusters. It’s so easy to make. You simple press down the mixture as if you’re making a thin granola bar then, once completely cooled, you break it into clusters.

Choclate Granola Clusters on Tray

As well as oats, I Iove to add buckwheat into the granola which adds some lovely crunch as well as more great nutrients. The name ‘buckwheat’ is pretty misleading as it’s actually a fruit seed and doesn’t contain any wheat at all! It is a good source of protein, dietary fibre, antioxidant phytonutrients, B vitamins and minerals. In the UK, buckwheat is currently available in some of the larger supermarkets (Tesco, Waitrose, Ocado), health food stores and online.

Chocolate Granola Clusters Tray

Our favourite sweetener for granola is maple syrup. This adds a delicious caramel-like sweetness, rather than a ‘sugary’ flavour. I use Clarks Original Maple Syrup, which is a blend of maple and carob syrups. It’s widely available in the UK, and a fair bit cheaper than pure maple syrup. I really like its flavour and consistency, which is slightly thicker than the pure grade syrup.

These granola clusters make wonderful breakfasts, snacks and desserts. For breakfast, we like to serve them with plant milk or non-dairy yogurt. For an omega-3 boost, I often add a light sprinkling of ground linseed and finely chopped walnuts before serving. I also sprinkle in a few extra cranberries to brighten up the bowl.

Chocolate Hazelnut Granola Clusters with Cranberries

Layered with yogurt and fresh or frozen fruits, the clusters also make a delicious dessert or after-school snack. They look really fancy yet take literally seconds to throw together!

Strawberry Chocolate Granola and Yoghurt Parfait

Recipe Card

Chocolate Hazelnut Granola Clusters with Cranberries

Chocolate Granola Clusters with Hazelnuts, Pecans and Dried Cranberries

These granola clusters make a wonderful breakfast, snack or dessert. For a fancy treat, layer up the granola with yogurt and fruits to make a parfait. Despite taking only seconds to prepare, it looks really beautiful and is bound to impress family and friends!
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Hands on time: 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Servings 10

Ingredients
 

  • 300 g / 3 cups rolled oats
  • 100 g / ½ cup raw buckwheat (or you can substitute with more oats)
  • 30 g / 4 TBSP cocoa powder
  • 30 g / 3 TBSP coconut sugar or unrefined caster sugar
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 75 g / ½ cup hazelnuts roughly chopped
  • 65 g / ½ cup pecans roughly chopped
  • 70 g / ½ cup dried cranberries (preferably sweetened with fruit juice)
  • 150 ml / ½ cup maple syrup*
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 45 g / 3 TBSP virgin coconut oil melted

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 150C (130C fan) / 300F. Line a large baking tray (38 x 26cm / 15 x 10 inches) with non-stick baking paper. If your coconut oil is solid, place in the oven in a heat-proof bowl for a couple of minutes until it has liquefied. Be careful when removing the bowl as it will be very hot!
  • In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, buckwheat, cocoa powder, sugar and salt. Stir in the nuts. You can also stir in the cranberries at this stage or, if you'd like to preserve their vibrant colour, add them to the granola once it's baked.
  • Pour in the maple syrup and vanilla extract, and stir until all the grains become coated and shiny. Add the coconut oil and stir until thoroughly combined. Spread the granola out evenly on the prepared baking tray. Press down firmly with a silicone spatula so that the mixture sticks together as if you were making a thin granola bar.
  • Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. (The granola will firm up as it cools). Once completely cooled, break up the granola. The clusters from the centre of the tray may still feel a little soft when fresh baked but I find they firm up and become crunchy over time. Stored in an airtight container in a cool place, the granola will last for weeks.

Notes

*I use Clark’s Original Maple Syrup which is blended with carob fruit syrup. It’s much cheaper than pure maple syrup and I really like its flavour!
Keyword Easy Vegan Desserts, Home-made Granola, Vegan Breakfast, Vegan Snacks
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

If you make this granola, I’d love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for adaptations! Tag your photos with #bitofthegoodstuff on social media – I always love to see your creations! You can also connect with me on my social media channels here: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest.   

With love

Sharon xx

Apple and Almond Smoothie (Dairy-Free)

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After an exceptionally warm and summer-like September and early October, Autumn has finally arrived in Bath. The Virginia creeper seems to have magically transformed overnight from lush green to vivid red, and the river and canal paths are littered with crunchy brown leaves and horse chestnuts. It most certainly is a beautiful time of year ♥

First Signs of Autumn

And though the weather has cooled off a little, I’m still enjoying my daily smoothies. I often have them as a breakfast or lunch on the go, so I add ingredients like nut butters and chia seeds for protein, slow-release energy and to keep hunger pangs at bay. Lil’ L also enjoys smoothies as an after-school snack.

One of our current favourites is this Autumn-inspired Apple & Almond Smoothie.

Apple and Almond Smoothie (Vegan / Dairy-Free)

The nut butter, yogurt and chia seeds add a delicious creaminess to the smoothie as well as packing in lots more nutrients. The smoothie provides a good dose of protein, fibre and heart-healthy fats (including omega 3), as well as antioxidant vitamins C and E, and trace minerals such as calcium, iron and magnesium.

And another great thing about this smoothie is that you can sneak in a handful of spinach and it doesn’t affect the taste at all!

Until recently, Lil’ L hasn’t been a fan of green smoothies. He likes his smoothies to be the ‘right’ colour. In his eyes, berry smoothies should be pink or purple, while pineapple or mango smoothies should be yellow. For him, a berry smoothie that’s bright green is just wrong. However, one day it dawned on me that I might get away with adding spinach to our usual apple and almond smoothie. Apples can be green, right?

Green Apple and Almond Smoothie (Vegan / Dairy-Free)

I decided to give it a try when he arrived home from school one day. Here’s how the conversation went…
“Hi!” I call out. “I’ve made you a smoothie!”
“Great! Thanks!” he replies enthusiastically. I hand him the smoothie and there’s a pause, followed by a despondent “Oh…. it’s green”.
“Yep, it’s a green apple smoothie. Give it a try. I’m sure you’ll love it”.
With trepidation he takes a sip. “Mmm, it’s really nice!” he says with surprise. Then there’s a pause…. “So what’s making it green?”
Darn, 10 year olds are sharp. Clearly the ‘green apple’ thing won’t wash with him, so I decide to own up and tell him it’s spinach. He thinks about it for a moment then decides it doesn’t matter after all. Green or not, it tastes really good.

Hallelujah, the green smoothie hang up is finally over! In hindsight, I wish I’d introduced green smoothies when he was much younger. That way, he would have grown up thinking that green berry or tropical smoothies are normal. Never mind, he’s on board now and I’m really excited to try out lots more concoctions over the coming weeks.

So if you’ve got any green smoothie phobes in the family, I highly recommend trying this one on them. Start with a small amount of spinach so it’s a delicate light green rather than scary green and see what they think (just don’t mention the spinach until they’ve given it a thumbs up).

Recipe Card

Apple and Almond Smoothie

This smoothie is perfect for breakfast or as a post-school or exercise snack. It's sweet and flavourful, and the spinach is not detectable in the slightest (so a great way to encourage kids to enjoy their greens!) Unlike regular fruit smoothies, this one is a source of slow-release energy and will keep you feeling full up for hours.
Print Recipe
Hands-on time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Breakfast, Drinks, Snack

Ingredients
 

  • 240 ml 1 cup fortified soya milk or other non dairy milk
  • 1 small-medium organic sweet apple (e.g. Gala) cored and chopped (no need to peel if you have a high speed blender)
  • 1 small very ripe frozen peeled banana sliced into coins
  • 1 handful of fresh spinach leaves
  • 1 TBSP almond butter
  • 1 TBSP chia seeds
  • maple syrup optional

Instructions
 

  • Place all the ingredients in a high speed blender. Add a touch more milk or some maple syrup, if desired.
Keyword After School Snack, Breakfast Smoothie, Post Exercise Snack, Vegan Smoothie
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 If you make this smoothie, I’d love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for adaptations! Tag your photos with #bitofthegoodstuff on social media – I always love to see your creations! You can also connect with me on my social media channels here: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest.   

With love,

Sharon xx