These energy balls are lifesavers! When you’re hungry in between meals, running out the door without breakfast, or craving a wholesome little treat, these energy balls will come to the rescue. They’re the perfect healthy grab-and-go snack.

This recipe is made with oats, honey, nut butter, and toasted nuts and seeds, though it’s endlessly adaptable to suit your preferences. I designed it to offer sustained energy from the whole grains and nuts. One ball is just sweet enough to taste like a treat, and offers a healthy dose of protein and fiber.

This recipe was inspired by my husband’s mom’s interpretation of my no-bake granola bars. She always has a batch in the fridge for her grandkids, and they’ve become a staple in our house, too. I crumbled one over my yogurt just this morning, and they’ve kept my energy level up through this postpartum phase. They’re a perfect homemade gift for anyone who’s in a busy season of life, that’s for sure.

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You’re going to love this strawberry smoothie. This recipe is cold, creamy and satisfying, and its nutty strawberry flavor is truly crave-worthy.

In their most basic form, these strawberry smoothies require just four ingredients—frozen strawberries, frozen bananas, almond milk and almond butter.

This smoothie recipe tastes like a strawberry milkshake, and you can make it for breakfast! I’ll be sipping on these pink drinks all summer, and I hope the recipe becomes a staple in your home as well.

If you ask me, smoothies should be super simple. I don’t want to pull a bunch of ingredients out of my fridge and pantry every morning just for a smoothie. I am not a morning person! Plus, these smoothies are easy to whip up in the afternoon or after dinner if you get a craving for a sweet treat.

You can change up the recipe by adding flax or oats for a nutrition boost, or a light drizzle of maple syrup to make them taste even more dessert-like. I’m plenty satisfied with the four-ingredient formula, though, and I think you will be, too!

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Meet my favorite granola bar recipe. These granola bars are delicious and easy to make with basic pantry ingredients. You don’t even have to bake them!

These granola bars can pass as a quick breakfast, and they make a perfect snack. I love to pack these bars for road trips and flights, and I love hearing from moms who make these granola bars regularly for their kids. They’re a big hit with all ages.

As you’ll see, the recipe is versatile, so you can easily incorporate your favorite flavors, like nuts, chocolate and dried fruit. You’ll find my go-to flavorings in the recipe below if you want to follow my lead.

These granola bars have spared me from some hangry moments lately. They’re satisfying, just sweet enough, and stick with me for a few hours. Granola bars to the rescue!

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This blueberry smoothie recipe is “basic” in the best of ways. It’s cold, creamy, nutritious and delicious. I crave this smoothie in the morning and it keeps me going until lunch. What more can you hope for in a smoothie?

All you need to make these blueberry smoothies are four basic ingredients: frozen blueberries and bananas, almond butter and almond milk. Blend them up for a luscious, plant-based treat!

I’m too tired in the mornings to make fancy breakfasts. Give me a dependable, energizing, dare-I-say “basic” breakfast like this blueberry smoothie, and I’m a happy camper.

I could drink this smoothie every morning for breakfast this summer. In fact, I think I will!

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What took me so long to make almond butter? I just enjoyed homemade almond butter on toast for breakfast, and I must say—it’s far superior to store-bought almond butter. Homemade almond butter is ultra thick and creamy, and it tastes like warm, freshly roasted almonds.

Now that I know the difference, I can’t go back to buying jars at the store. I blend a tiny bit of cinnamon, vanilla and maple syrup into mine to make it taste extra special. Why not?

Homemade almond butter is more affordable, too. The math is simple. One pound of almonds yields one pound of almond butter (or 16 ounces), which is the size of the standard almond butter jar at the store. Just compare the price of one pound of raw almonds to the price of your favorite almond butter.

The cost savings depend largely on the almond butter. I’ve bought jars of almond butter at Trader Joe’s for seven dollars, so there’s not much savings opportunity there.

However, I’ve seen almond butter on shelves demanding seventeen dollars per jar. Seventeen dollars! For blended-up almonds! This is highway robbery, and I will not be robbed.

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Bircher muesli is a healthy make-ahead breakfast that tastes like a treat. It’s basically overnight oats with fresh apple and applesauce, oats, raisins, nuts, and nut butter. Or, think of it as a special muesli with a wonderful apple flavor.

Start your day with a hearty bowl of Bircher muesli for stable energy levels! I’ve been perfecting this recipe since I figured out how to make overnight oats tasty, and I’m confident you’ll love it.

Bircher Muesli History

Bircher muesli was created in the early 1900s by a Swiss physician named Maximilian Bircher-Benner. He claimed to have cured his own jaundice by eating raw apples, and encouraged his patients to eat raw fruit and vegetables to cure their ailments.

Bircher-Benner’s original recipe was inspired by a “strange dish” that he and his wife were served while hiking in the Swiss alps. His recipe called for lots of fresh apple with a small amount of oats, lemon juice, nuts, cream and honey. He served it to his patients as a healthy appetizer before most meals.

His concept reminds me of my mom’s advice when I was little. When I complained that I was hungry before dinner, she always told me to eat an apple!

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I’ve been making batch after batch of overnight oats, and taking notes. Overnight oats are a healthy, make-ahead breakfast option, but they’re not always enticing enough to get me out of bed.

I’m sharing my best tips and my favorite overnight oats recipe today. Ready? These overnight oats are legitimately delicious, and so easy to make!

Overnight oats are typically served chilled, straight from the refrigerator. That makes them perfect for warmer months, but you can certainly enjoy overnight oats year-round.

Overnight oats keep well in the refrigerator for up to five days. So, prepare your oats on Sunday night, and you’ll have breakfast covered for the workweek. If you really want to get ahead, you can freeze jars of overnight oats and defrost individual jars overnight in the refrigerator.

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I love this time of year! The days are long and filled with sunshine. After a rough winter, this month has been entirely rejuvenating. Today, I’m bringing you a refreshing dinner recipe from Phoebe Lapine’s new book, The Wellness Project. It’s an ideal option for warm summer evenings.

This dish starts with soba noodles, which are tossed with zucchini noodles (“zoodles,” if you will) and a delicious, savory almond butter sauce. I wouldn’t have thought to top this concoction with quick-pickled cucumber and radish, but they’re perfect—crisp, colorful and tart.

You may know Phoebe from her blog, Feed Me Phoebe. In her new book, she walks us through her year-long experiment to regain her health, from drinking more water and less alcohol, to gut health and physical therapy. Each chapter concludes with actionable tips based on her experiences.

Phoebe has Hashimoto’s, a thyroid disorder, but the book is entirely relatable to anyone who has struggled with chronic health issues or is craving a voice of reason in the wellness sphere. The book is an easy and informative read, and I love Phoebe’s frank, conversational writing style. She shares her encounters with crazy naturopaths and her switch to natural skincare products, but my favorite part was when she writes about the benefits of dog ownership.

Dogs are, no surprise, excellent “rewilding” agents. Meaning that all the dirt and “environmental detritus” they bring inside actually “increase the immunity of their families by maximizing their exposure to all matters of microbial diversity. In fact, children who grow up with furry friends have far fewer instances of allergies and asthma than their dog-less peers.” That, my friends, is reason no. 45 for why everyone needs a dog.

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Is it too soon for soup? When I had a full-blown cold last week, soup sounded like just the ticket. I flipped through Angela’s new cookbook, Oh She Glows Every Day, and landed on this creamy, plant-based soup bursting with vitamin A and other goodness.

Carrots, sweet potato, and warming Thai curry blended with an unexpected ingredient—almond butter—made it a sweet and spicy, rich soup. I wish it could say it cured me for good (if only soup could), but it definitely made me feel better that evening. And the next morning, when I heated up leftovers for breakfast. Thank you, Angela!

Fans of Angela’s first book, The Oh She Glows Cookbook, will find tons of new favorites in her new one. Fun vegan breakfasts, smoothies, salads and soups, hearty plant-based dinners—this book has it all, with beautiful, bright and light photos by the lovely Ashley of Edible Perspective.

Blogging has a lot of perks, and meeting wonderful people through the blog is the best one. I’m so glad to have gotten to know Angela and Ashley over the years. I emailed Angela for cookbook advice a couple of years ago, and I’m so thankful for her generous advice and support. She’s a really hardworking lady, and I know that every recipe in this book has been tested over and over again to make sure it works. I hope you’ll get a chance to pick up her new book soon.

Watch How to Make Creamy Thai Carrot Sweet Potato Soup

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It’s been two days since I published my gift guide and I’ve made no progress on my holiday shopping list. I have, however, consumed lots and lots of this simple, maple-sweetened caramel corn. I can’t help myself!

This is the one time of year that I wish I worked at an office, just for the homemade, powdered sugar-dusted cookies and chocolate peanut butter buckeyes.

I’ve managed to appease my holiday cravings with my own homemade treats. Case in point? This popcorn. It’s dangerously easy to make and I’m powerless in the presence of its salty-sweet, cinnamon-flavored crunchiness.

Most caramel popcorn is made with corn syrup, which is an ingredient I’d rather avoid, plus a lot of butter. This healthier, dairy-free, homemade version is made simply with reduced maple syrup, nut butter, spices and the best stovetop popcorn. And it is delicious.

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