This satisfying smoothie has it all- sweet, rich, and healthy all in one glass! This is my go-to drink when I'm hungry in between meals. It also makes a delicious breakfast on-the-go! 

1 cup non-dairy milk of choice
1 frozen banana
2 dates, pitted
1 TBS peanut butter
1 TBS cacao or cocoa powder
1 TBS hemp seeds
1 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 ice cubes

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Double this if you want to share!

Note: If you want to really jazz this up, add 1/2-1 cup baby spinach and a TBS of mixed ground chia and flax seeds. 

Feel free to substitute any nut butter for the peanut butter.

Enjoy!

The Avocado Mama

These cool days still have me looking for warm, comforting meals- and I found just that in the following Creamy Cauliflower Soup recipe from Engine 2. Serve this with a light salad, and/or a hunk of crusty bread, if bread is your thing.

Here's the recipe for Kole's Creamy Cauliflower Soup from Engine 2 Diet:

Ingredients:

4 cups chopped onion
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 1/2 cups water, divided
3 cups diced potatoes
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 large carrots, diced
1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
2 Tbsp peanut butter or other nut butter
4 Tbsp low-sodium tamari
sea salt and cracked pepper to taste

Heat onion, salt, and 1/2 cup water, then simmer on low for approximately 20 minutes, or until the onions cook down to a nice mush. Check to make sure the water is sufficient, and then add 1/4 cup water as needed, so the onions don't burn on the bottom of the pot.

Add the potatoes, celery, carrots, and cauliflower along with 2 cups of water and the vegetable broth. Simmer until all of the vegetables are soft- about 20 minutes. Add the nut butter and tamari.

Pour in batches to blend in a blender, or mash with a potato masher (or use an immersion blender) until the soup is mostly smooth.Season with cracked pepper and sea salt to taste.

Variations: Add one bunch of freshly chopped kale, mustard greens, or collard greens 5 to 8 minutes before serving for extra tasty nutrition!

The holidays are here, and for many of us, that means food, food, and more food. We are a fortunate bunch to be able to enjoy the holidays in abundance. I am always grateful that my family can participate in these holidays of plenty. I know that times are hard for many, and simply getting enough food may be a challenge. While I normally strive to feed my family as organically as possible, I know that it is sometimes difficult to find or afford organic foods. However, I just can't bend on keeping the most heavily sprayed foods away from my children's plates. For instance, if conventional (non-organic) strawberries are on sale for a great price, and there are no organic strawberries in sight, I am not willing to compromise my children's health just to save a little money. We simply skip the strawberries in this case. If you can keep your children's diets organic, that is wonderful. If you can only afford to purchase the "Dirty Dozen" organic, that will make a tremendous difference in the amount of pesticides you keep out of your children's diets. Pesticides can compromise our children's health even more than our own because their bodies are smaller and still developing. Not all produce have equal levels of pesticides, however. For instance, a non-organic avocado or banana is rather low in pesticides compared to the high pesticide levels found on non-organic (conventional) strawberries, bell peppers, and potatoes. The Environmental Working Group has a printable list of the "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean 15".  Print up your copy for your holiday shopping trip, and keep pesticides off your plate.

By now, you have probably heard something about GMOs and the health issues they have been found to be linked to.

There is so much evidence that GMOs are dangerous to the health of humans, animals, and the environment.

http://www.carighttoknow.org/

But with the upcoming election, we have a chance to change this. California voters can vote YES to Proposition 37 and get GMO foods labeled. If you don't live in California, you can still help by financially supporting this movement, with as little or as much as you can. With large corporations pouring money into opposing the passing of Prop 37, every dollar to get it passed helps.

Learn more about Proposition 37 and/or donate here:
https://prop37.nationbuilder.com/donate_to_know

Let's get GMOs labeled and let companies know that as consumers, we want to know what we're eating and what we're feeding our children.

In the meantime, you can take precautions by avoiding the most common GM foods, or only purchasing them when listed as organic.

Cotton, papaya, soybeans, corn, canola, and cow's milk are some of the foods to be aware of. To avoid the genetically modified version, choose organic. For a Non-GMO Shoppers' Guide from the Center For Food Safety, click here: Non-GMO Shoppers' Guide.

By: Jennifer Gloodt

It's that time of year again- Halloween is here! I have to say that this holiday has evolved to a very different experience for me than when I was a child. As a child, I didn't think twice about candy- I just ate it- especially the chocolate that I'd hide from my brothers.

Today, I am responsible for the health of four amazing children, and I take that responsibility seriously. This is not to say I never allow any "fun" foods, but I do tread carefully in the land of junk food and make sure it doesn't become a staple in my kids' lives. What I want for my kids is for them to see junk food as either not food or holiday food (preferably not food).

Last year, I lucked out when my oldest daughter (6 years old at the time) decided to trick-or-treat for UNICEF. She didn't even accept the candy being offered to her. "No, thank you", she said. When she and her siblings came home from their neighborhood walk, we had a great time trick-or-treating in our house. My husband, teenage son and I each handed out healthier treats that our younger children love, as they knocked on closet and bedroom doors that we pretended to be our "houses".

This year, my oldest daughter (now 7) wants to trick-or-treat for the animals. She plans to collect money to donate to www.mercyforanimals.org

My younger daughter is still excited about the candy that she'll collect, even though she'll filter out a large portion of it to the "toss" pile, due to animal-derived ingredients. This will leave only a few pieces of candy that she may or may not want. Either way, she will still get to enjoy the homemade goodies we'll hand out when the crew comes home from their walk.

Yes, the thought of those few pieces of candy is grating on my mind, so here is another thought. Wouldn't it be great if people handed out something other than candy? Stickers, glow bracelets, organic raisins... Ok, maybe not organic raisins. I tried that last year, and a boy threw his box of raisins back into our yard when he thought I wasn't looking.

Disease Proof has a great article about Halloween candy alternatives:
http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/healthy-parenting-how-can-you-turn-halloween-into-a-funfilled-time-for-your-children-while-keeping-it-not-too-frightening-for-you.html

No need to take all of the fun out of Halloween. If we start with our children, we can create a future where the holiday season doesn't kick off with a bag of poor nutrition. Change the contents of the bag, and you will change the health of the children.

By Jennifer Gloodt

Welcome to The Avocado Mama!

I'm Jennifer, and I am a passionate vegan and raw food lifestyle coach and artist.
I am also a busy mama, as I know many of you are. In my "free time", I immerse myself in all things health-related and green.
I keep up to date on the latest scientific research, and love to share what I find!

So what is the site all about?
It's about YOU and your health!

I am so excited to share the best and latest information on healthy, green, plant-based living, as well as updates on my Avocado Mama Healthy Living classes, e-books, and programs.

Take a moment to browse my Shop page for my upcoming June classes!

Thanks for stopping by! :)