A Smoothie Can't Fill You Up?

Hi friends!

*Guess what!?! Steph 2 Chef is now on Instagram! Check it out here!! (@steph2chef)

I wanted to talk about a common misconception amongst many people in the wider community (outside the people in know ;)- in that smoothies cannot fill one up.

And sure, I would agree with that. Especially if you're smoothies consist of half a banana, a handful of berries and some water. There is no way your stomach isn't going to be eating your entire body 30 seconds later (I'm not one to exaggerate much, huh?).

But for those in the know... we know that you can add some sneaky secret stuff to your smoothies to keep you as full as a large bowl of oats stacked with nut butter would. Don't believe me? I dare you to try out some of these additions to your next smoothie.

So below, I have my top tips for creating a smoothie that lasts:

1. Use a milk instead of water

Now, that doesn't have to be cows milk or even soy milk, there are so many great alternative milks out there (almond, macadamia, coconut, rice, oat) which have fortified versions with extra protein/ calcium/ even vitamin D and B's added! I almost always have some form of milk in my smoothies and generally in the form of my next point:

2. Add some soaked oats

Generally I will wake up, pour some rolled oats in a bowl, top with almond milk, stir and leave to sit while I check my emails/ Facebook/ blog/ school stuff (no, that is not in the order of priorities.. exactly... :P)

Those 10-12 minutes is all it takes for the oats to soak up all that creamy milk and form thick oats that will cream up and thicken and make into a sort of cake-batter for your smoothie! They're also filled with filling fibre and the goodness of wholegrains- give it a shot!

3. Add nut butter

My other favourite thing to add is a big heaping spoon of nut butter. Not only does it give the smoothie an awesome nutty flavour but it adds to the creamy thickness and the added benefits of the filling nature of healthy unsaturated fats.

4. And on that note: Add avocado!

One of my favourite ways to make an ultra-thick smoothie is to add 1/2 chopped frozen avocado. With all the other add-ins you can't taste it, yet it's so thick and creamy-it's like the ultimate healthy thick-shake! (Especially if you add in some raw cacao powder- check out my creamy green monster!)

5. Greek yoghurt- a creamy filling machine

If you don't eat dairy, any yoghurt will do! Just watch the sugar content. Greek yoghurt gives a beautiful tang and creaminess and has high protein= filling powers to boot!

6. Sneak in those veggies!

Spinach, kale, frozen zucchini, avocado- they've all found their ways (sometimes separately, sometimes altogether in one delicious drink) into my smoothies and they all offer extra volume without affecting the taste in any way at all as to their subtle, not over-powering flavours!

7. Finally- bring a spoon

The addition of all these ingredients will likely make your smoothie mighty thick (I LOVE IT!) and a spoon will most definitely become necessary and I believe add to the filling factor of the smoothie!

Take this guy for example: My most recent smoothie creation:

This guy had frozen banana, frozen zucchini and frozen cucumber, with kale, spinach, greek yoghurt, mixed nut butter, raw cacao powder, cinnamon and water:

He wasn't one of my sweetest creations but I was more after creaminess and filling-ness (it had to get me through a full five-hour no-break shift at work) and he definitely did the job!

Spoon thickness- check!


I love smoothies and the fact that they are slurped not crunched doesn't affect me or my ravenous monster hunger at all!

What about you?
Do you find yourself starving after having a smoothie for breakfast?
Do you stock your smoothies full of all the good stuff?
Favourite sneaky/ not sneaky ingredient to add to your smoothie? I love the sneaky powers of avocado!

I hope you all have a lovely, lovely day, do something you love, spend time with those you love and as always; eat something delicious! bye for now friendly friends! :D

A Week of Steph-Style Breakfasts!

Guess what!?!

You: What!?!

I love breakfast!

You: *rolls eyes because that is the most obvious thing, I mean have I even read this blog??

Anywho- I do. I love it, I love it, I love it and if I could only eat breakfast foods I would. Although the things I have for breakfast wouldn't really be considered your typical breakfast foods/ meal types... but still!

So, scrolling through the many food pics on my phone recently I decided that because I took pics of my- very delicious- breakfasts for the entire school week (public hol on Monday.. so starting Tuesday) that I would share what a typical week of breakfasts looks like for a Steph with a raging appetite and love for desserts- Steph- style!!

Ready for some inspo for your spoon to fill with and your tummy to adore? Of course you are!

Tuesday:

Don't you love back to school/ work Tuesdays. You're already there. Wednesday is tomorrow- that's half the week done. It's practically Friday already! (Ok, maybe I'm getting a bit ahead of myself!)

Anyway- this brekky was super delicious, nutritious, filled with ALL the good stuff! I call it, Choc Oat Truffles with a side of deliciously creamy Strawberry  Banana Fro-yo:

The truffles were simply some oats, Cinnamon, chia seeds and wholemeal cheerios mixed together and then rubbed together with some warmed choc nut super spread and almond milk- popped in freezer for 30 mins to cool.

To make the fro-yo simply whiz together in a small food processor 1 chopped, frozen banana, a handful of frozen strawberries and half a cup of greek yoghurt (or omit the yoghurt altogether and simply make strawberry banana ice cream!)

Super delicious, filling and an awesome way to start your day!

Nom.

Wednesday:

See? Wednesday already! And for today's ultimate brekky...

An almost empty jar of delicious crunchy peanut butter filled with warm cherry cheesecake oats (You can find the recipe here).

There's nothing like a warm, filling deliciously sweet and yet tart jar of oats with the best 'surprise' (I totally planned it that way!) at the bottom:

Thursday:

One of my current favs (I know it's popped up on the blog quite a lot too... similar to the time I went through that smoothie bowl obsession :)

The only difference between this and a smoothie bowl.. well I guess you can see. They're separate! You see, for some reason now I prefer to have the warm, fudgey and crispy outside granola on it's own and then wash it down with a cool, creamy, thick smoothie:

In the mix today was mixed nut butter granola (3/4 cup oats, spoon of oat bran, cinnamon and warmed mixed nut and seed spread with almond milk rubbed in and then baked at 180 degrees celsius for 15 mins- until golden brown and crispy on top) with my much loved creamy dreamy smoothie- this one had added frozen zucchini chunks and kale as well as spinach- get those veggies in!:

Friday:

Hello Friday, how I love the! And how I also love PANCAKES!!!

These bad boys were spelt/ rye flour, cinnamon, baking powder, oats, chopped dates and almond milk with a splash of water- whisked until smooth. Popped onto a heated non-stick pan with some oil and cooked/ flipped until golden brown on the outside (and extremely delicious on the inside!)

Topped with the mixed nut and seeds spread mentioned above- so good!
Hello warm caramel-y dates: (happy with that addition :D)

On the side? A big cup of banana fro-yo (1 large frozen banana whazzed up with some greek yoghurt until smooth and deliciously creamy (again, feel free to omit the greek yoghurt for some creamy dreamy banana ice cream!):

And the only way to eat them?

As pancake tacos!

And that's my week of breakfasts! Happy, happy days!

In all honesty I probably ensure I have as much time/ patience available as I give myself on weekends because making, preparing and enjoying my breakfasts is something I truly value in the mornings and something I try to give myself quite a bit of time for each morning (whether that be by making my lunch the night before or getting up a little earlier, or doing an extremely high intensity, yet quite short workout before... breakfast gets priority!). Not going to lie, though. Those Friday morning pancakes did involve some side reading of my human bio text book for an upcoming test that day and a review of my debate I was also giving that day! But still- I enjoyed it! :D

I hope you got some inspiration from these brekky's and are fired up and excited to make your own delicious creations in the kitchen. I literally love going to bed because I know that in the crazy short time when you close your eyes and then they open again, it will be brekky! It's like a time machine!!

What about you?
Are you a more sweet/ savoury brekky person? I tried savoury, I gave it a good ol' shot, but in the end I just love my dessert-like breakfasts far too much!
What did you have for breakfast today?
If you could only eat one breakfast for the rest of your life what would it be? I think I would go with my beloved banana peanut butter toastie... but then that would mean no oats!! Ahhhh!!

I hope you all have a great week, filled with love and laughter and delicious foods because as always; eat something delicious!! Bye for now friendly friends! :D

Raw Vanilla Protein Blondies!

Happy Sunday folks!

And what makes Sundays even happier?

Was it the little extra sleep-in I finally managed to get? Or the lovely long walk with my dog in the early morning rays?

Yes and yes.

But you know what really made my Sunday happy...

BREAKFAST!
And this wasn't just any breakfast- oh no! This was the ultimate, fudgey, caramel-y, vanilla-y delicious-ness of a huuuugggee raw vanilla blondie!

This was too good not to share and so below you will find yourself eternally gifted with the awe-inspiring (ridiculously easy) recipe to make your very own single serving batch! Quite similar to this recipe if you want the dark, fudgey, rich chocolate version!

Raw Vanilla Protein Blondies:
Ingredients:
1/2 heaped cup rolled oats
1/2 heaped teaspoon cinnamon
1 large scoop vanilla protein powder
2 dates, pitted
1 LARGE tablespoon nut butter of choice (I used a mixed nut and seeds spread)
1/4 cup almond milk (or milk of choice/ water)

Method:
1. Place everything in a small food processor and process to combine- until smooth and lump-free
2. Line a small container/ mini loaf tin with baking paper
3. Scoop mixture into tin and press down to cover base
4. Place in freezer for at least 30 mins (I put mine in for 40-45mins) until cold and set
5. DEVOUR!!

Flourless, filling, full of fiber... and tastes like a really decadent dessert. YES!

I served my blondie with a side of berry fro-yo, which was just a large handful of frozen mixed berries whazzed up with three big spoons of greek yoghurt in a mini food processor until smooth and then popped in the freezer to harden up slightly for around 10-15 mins.

I simply can't get over the fudge factor of these blondies and the extremely satisfy, stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth mouthfeel:

There are so many variations I can't wait to try with the endless possibilities of this brownie/blondie creation (think lemon bars, berry cheesecake blondies, choco orange decadent delights!!)

But right now I'm happy drooling over my gone-too-soon breakfast of the day:

Happy, happy days.

 Nom.

Your turn:
Brownies or blondies?
Ever had a raw brownie?
Favourite thing to add to your brownies to take them to that next level?

Well, I hope you all have an absolutely brilliant Sunday- whatever you are doing and as always eat something out-of-this-world delicious!

Food for Thought

Hidily hodily friendly friends!

Today I want to discuss something that I think a lot of people trying to lose weight would tend to say they struggle with.

Now, I'm no expert, I definitely don't have any qualifications and I don't want anyone to take what I say as 100% accurate, etc. etc. because let's face it, I'm a 17 year old girl passionate about food, health, cooking and well being in general who simply has a voice and a need to share it. :)

So with that out of the way let's get on with the post that developed from the taking of waaayyyy too many pictures of a- albeit quite delicious- breakfast that resulted in me making up an entire post to coincide with said photographs! :D You can't get a more succinct and to-the-point intro as that, am I right? ;)

Anywho, this thinking of the topic I'm about to delve deeper into developed from another camp I went on recently (again, extremely rewarding, super fun and filled with so many great memories) wherein the food was a little different to my usual affair and in turn my hunger levels were a little different to their usual affair. Entire hulk-hungry Steph :D

You see a usual breakfast for me at home is one I've cooked up, very rarely involving anything packaged/ artificially sweetened/ processed/ high salt (you catch my drift- I'm not one for sugary cereals, or salty bacon, yupo?)

Instead I might toast up two slices of home-made spelt/rye bread spread with all natural choc nut spread and sliced bananas in a sandwich press until melt-y, gooey and oh-so-delcious (dessert for breakfast, it doesn't get much better!)

Quick appreciation time:

Along with this (no, that is not all Steph consumes for the most important meal of the day!) comes a big bowl of frozen blueberry, zucchini, kale and greek yoghurt fro-yo:

So let's think about this brekky- slow-release carbs with all natural fruits filled with important fibre and vitamins, along with healthy filling fats from the nut spread and filling protein and bone strengthening calcium from the plain 2% greek yoghurt. Not too mention a couple serves of veggies thrown in there- breakfast of champions (who like desserts :)

Now compare that to a typical camp brekky I still enjoyed but is definitely a little different to the usual Steph special (in size, calories, fillingness etc.). Some Weet-bix in milk with a banana and some toast with peanut butter.

Now that may seem like a great brekky that should keep me full for ages but I'm not going to lie- it lacked the filling fibre of a low-gi carb (white toast just will not keep me full for longer than 5 minutes). It left me with a little headache from the sugar/ salt from the heavily processed generic brand of peanut butter and quite honestly, it's probably only a little more than half of what I would usually chow down on in terms of kilojoules etc.

Without the high protein, low-processed, healthy fat grown essentials of a typical Steph brekky, I found myself quite famished when lunch rolled around, in need of a huuuuuge plate of food to feed the beast. Which, ofcourse brings me to my next point- lunch.

A typical camp lunch would usually involve a roll/ bread once again (predominantly white) with salad and sliced meats for everyone else. Yep, being a vego on camp can be a little sparse at time, resulting in the loading up of grated cheese onto a salad for added protein and fats. Once again, not a typical Steph lunch which would involve quite a lot of protein (be it beans, lentils, eggs, tofu, nuts, seeds, peas, avocado etc.)

Come dinner time and another white, highly processed carb of choice with limited fat/ protein options for the vego... you could say the hunger bug holding residents in my stomach was turning into one of those cranky neighbours who complain about your dog barking... this time complaining about the lack of filling food.

It's experiences like this that make it clear to me how I've figured out how to deal with my raging hunger levels, ensuring I don't turn into a crazy eating machine at my next meal and instead feel comfortably peckish to sit down and enjoy a beautiful meal and that's through the addition of a high protein, healthy fat included, low-gi carb meal, like the breakfast I have been bombarding you with pictures of this entire post!

And I guess that's where I'm going with the advice I would give for people trying to lose weight. Whilst I was eating typical 'healthy' foods (in that I wasn't eating sweets/ chocolate/ biscuits) I still wasn't eating the right foods to keep myself satisfied or sustained throughout the day.

Low-fat products are generally extremely processed and generally contain a lot of sugar (known to cause spikes in energy levels, dizziness and headaches- which I definitley found through the consumption of many processed foods in the past few days.)

'White' carbs are also generally over-processed and lacking in the essential nutrients they once beheld. Shunning fats altogether- even those great, cholesterol lowering ones, will leave your body searching for food and never truly feeling a sense of satisfaction with what you're eating.

So how do I think one should lose weight? Scrap the diet mentality. Focus on the healthy eating/ living mentality. Fuel your body with the essential kilojoules, proteins, fats, carbohydrates (those nutrient-rich ones- also filled with more protein than their counterparts for extra filling power!). In short; eat. Eat enough. If you're bodies starving it's starving for a reason, and even a few days of feeling ravenously hungry between meals made it clear to me that I needed food- different food to what i was eating and food my body would thrive on.

So, here we are, back to a shot of my beautiful leg and a pice of gooey choc-banana toastie with a bite taken out of it- representing whole, beautifully nutrient-rich food to keep both me and everyone else happy, satisfied and thriving with the best nutrition and well being there is!

What are your thoughts?
Do you ever find going away and changing your diet significantly affects your hunger levels?
What's your perfect ratio/ intake/ necessary requirements for a meal to satisfy you? 
What did you have for breakfast today? Just out of curiousity because that's what the weirdo inside of me finds interesting! ;)

Well that is it from me today, I hope you enjoyed the post that contained way too many pictures of a way too delicious breakfast and also got something from the little breaks of words in between! Have a fabulous day, be kind to your body, fuel it with the beautiful foods it deserves and as always; EAT SOMETHING DELICIOUS!! Bye for now friendly friends! :D