Energy Boosting Infused Water Recipes

Are you looking for infused water recipes that boost your energy levels?

You'll find lots of fruits, vegetables, and herbs that can aid in giving you a much-needed energy boost.

When you feel more energized, you're much more productive. It also makes it easier to stick to a healthy lifestyle.

So, which infused water recipes should you focus on for energy-boosting benefits?

Here are some of the best-infused waters for energy.

Lemon infused water

The most straightforward energy-boosting infused water recipe is simply lemon. While you can add numerous other ingredients to boost its health benefits, lemon-infused water alone is highly
effective at boosting energy levels.

Of all the different fruits, this one is considered one of the healthiest due to its low sugar content. It will also help the body detox, flushing out harmful toxins.
All you need is a lemon and water, so why not make this your beginner-infused water recipe?

It only...

When does soup hit the spot?  When it's cold outside and you can make a healthy high-fiber, vegetable soup in minutes. Try a quick, healthy breakfast idea here.  

I used this soup recipe while Triathalon training but still make it now.  I serve it to guests and everyone loves it, even the meat lovers.  This recipe is vegetarian-friendly.  

One great thing about this soup is you don't need fresh cauliflower on hand to make it.  A frozen bag of cauliflower can always be waiting in your freezer.  With just a few ingredients, which you probably already have, it can be ready in about 15 minutes. 

Recipe

Cauliflower, White Bean and Cheddar Soup

Ready in 15 minutes

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 3 cups vegetable broth (I like low sodium)
• 1 16-oz bag frozen cauliflower
• ¼ cup onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 15-oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
• ½ cup cheddar cheese, grated
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation 

1. ...

In Southern California, there is no shortage of Mexican food restaurants and you don't have to drive far for a taco shop.  We love our Mexican food and a platter of loaded nachos with a good margarita or Corona is always fun to share with a group.

I'm always looking for a substitute for the chips in the nachos because they are the one thing that takes an otherwise healthy meal to unhealthy. 

Sweet potatoes, in place of chips, can be thinly sliced and crisped in the oven before adding the rest of the toppings. 

Use all the fresh toppings you want.  It's an easy-to-make meal that only requires a bit of chopping and slicing.    

RECIPE

Sweet Potato Nachos  

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 2-3 sweet potatoes sliced in 1/4" rounds
• 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
• cheddar cheese shredded or your favorite cheese
• 1 TB olive oil
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1...

Healthy Hot Breakfast Idea

On a cold rainy day, a breakfast smoothie doesn't sound as appealing as something hot.  This hot breakfast idea hits the spot and is ready in 7 minutes.  Have these healthy staples on hand to whip up this balanced breakfast and keep your hunger at bay for hours!

Quick Hot Breakfast Idea: What's in the bowl?

This 7-minute breakfast bowl has steel-cut oats sprinkled with chia seeds and pepitas, topped with a fried egg, blueberries, and sliced tomato.  The best thing about this hot meal is it's a balanced breakfast.  When you eat carbohydrates, protein, and fat in a meal, you stay full much longer.  Let's break it down. 

Quick Cooking Steel Cut Oats

Steel Cut Oats are a high-quality complex carbohydrate with a good amount of fiber and protein.  Complex carbohydrates aren't as refined as simple carbs and keep you full longer. 

Your body uses a complex carb over a long period of time instead of burning it quickly like a...

RECIPE

Honey Roasted Carrots 

Ready in 20 minutes

Things you need:

• carrots 1-2 lbs
• cookie sheet (baking pan)
• foil
• olive oil
• honey
• salt, pepper

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line baking pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray.

2.  Trim, peel and cut carrots on a diagonal into 1/2" thick pieces.

3.  Toss carrots with olive oil to lightly cover and spread on baking pan.  Season generously with salt and pepper.

4.  Bake until tender and golden brown on edges, about 20-25 minutes.

5.  Remove from oven and drizzle with honey.

6.  Serve while hot. ENJOY!

Get the vitamins from this veggie without the cooked carrot taste.  These come out of the oven tasting more like candy than a vegetable. 

Until next time,

Be fit, be strong, use honey in a new way

Here’s a great way to use up any leftover vegetables sitting in your refrigerator. If you don’t have the vegetables used here, feel free to substitute any sturdy veggie you have on hand, such as carrots, fennel, parsnips, eggplant, and cauliflower.  

Roasting deepens and intensifies the inherent sweetness of vegetables; so don’t be surprised if this becomes a new family favorite!

RECIPE
Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40-45 minutes

Ingredients 

• 1 lb. bag mini sweet peppers, seeded and cut in half 

•  1 lb. Portobello mushroom caps, sliced

• 1 large red onion, sliced

• 1 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half

• 2 t. garlic powder

• 2 t. Herbs de Provence (or Italian seasoning)

• 2 T. extra virgin olive oil

• 2 T. balsamic vinegar

• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Add peppers,...

Chia seeds are small white or black seeds which when wet become a sticky, gel-like substance that helps clear out your large intestine as it travels through.  This tiny seed packs a big nutrient punch.  It's rich in healthy fats and satiety-boosting fiber.  Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids along with B vitamins, fiber, protein and calcium round out the list of reasons to eat this super-food.  Aside from adding chia seeds to salads or smoothies, you can sprinkle them in yogurt, bake in breads or muffins and make an instant pudding out of them! 

Here is an easy first-timers recipe for Chia pudding.

RECIPE

Chia Seed Pudding

Time to build: 10 minutes      Ready in:  1-2 hours after refrigeration  

Things you need: 

• Chia seeds (black or white doesn’t matter) - 3-4 Tablespoons
• Milk (dairy or non-dairy of your choice) - 1 cup
  I like almond milk but cashew or coconut milk are good options too.
  
• Spices...

With a heat wave hitting us this week I broke out an old recipe that sounded good and I know my family loves it.  Frozen bananas!  With dark chocolate of course because chocolate makes everything better.  There is something about a frozen banana that tastes better than a regular banana.  Maybe it's just me but if you haven't eaten one give this super easy recipe a try.  Seriously, two ingredients and you're done. 

RECIPE

Chocolate Covered Frozen Bananas

Ready in 10 minutes

Things you need:

• 3-4 bananas
• A bag of chocolate chips (dark chocolate of at least 60% cacao is healthiest)
• Cookie sheet 
• Wax paper or parchment paper
• Popsicle sticks or wooden skewers 

Where to start:

1. Cover cookie sheet with wax paper

2. Peel bananas.  Cut bananas in half and insert stick or slice bananas.  (My family likes the banana bites better than the half banana on a stick.)

3. Melt chocolate in double broiler or microwave in safe dish.  (I...

Summer time brings lots of peppers in our garden.  Peppers of all types are a favorite at our house so we tend to plant many and I like to find different ways to eat them.  I pickled some for the first time and brought you the recipe in case you'd like to try.  It's super easy and fits the bill when you need to add something tangy to a meal.  Banana peppers are good on sandwiches, on top of pizza,  or straight out of the jar.  This variety of pepper is also known as the yellow wax pepper or Hungarian pepper.

RECIPE
Pickled Banana Peppers

Ready in 20 minutes

Ingredients

• Banana peppers (about 10 = 1 pound)
• Garlic 1-2 cloves
• Distilled white vinegar 3 cups
• Water 2 cups
• Salt 2 tablespoons
• Sugar 1 tablespoon

Preparation

1. Wash and slice 1 pound of banana peppers.  
2. Peel and smash a clove or two of garlic. Put in a glass mason jar and then add the sliced peppers.  
3. In a medium pot bring 3 cups vinegar and 2 cups water to...

This time of year our garden is going crazy and the first veggies to mature are the squash.  Anyone who's planted zucchini and yellow squash knows you get many, many (sometimes more than you know what to do with) vegetables from each plant.  I'm always trying new ways to prepare these and this is one of my favorite.  I've included a meat filled option for more protein and a vegetarian option for those who prefer.   

You will need:

• cookie sheet
• aluminum foil
• zucchini and yellow squash (I used yellow crook necked)
• olive oil
• salt, pepper, garlic powder
• Parmesan cheese shredded
• ground beef
• mozzarella cheese shredded
• fresh garlic
• onion
• marinara sauce

First: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Then cover cookie sheet with a piece of aluminum foil and set aside.

Next: Cut squash into 3 inch sections and then cut each of those sections lengthwise, creating two halves.  Make a V- cut into center of each half and remove.  Make deeper or wider cuts if you...