I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve been living on anything cold or frozen lately, and smoothies have been saving my life. This heat in Texas is brutal!

I love anything pina colada flavored, tropical fruity things are my favorite. So I knew that I had to create a nutrient-packed smoothie that would give me those tropical vibes even when I’m not at the beach. This delicious smoothie takes minutes to whip up, and is PACKED with all the good stuff.

Let me give you the run down ->

bananas – potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6, and fiber
pineapple – vitamin C, manganese, fiber, and digestive enzymes
spinach – folate, vitamin C, iron, and fiber
protein powder – I used Orgain vanilla protein in this recipe because I love their products. This one even has added probiotics for digestion
matcha powder – packed full of antioxidants, helps detoxify the body, contains clean caffeine so you won’t feel jittery

All of the amazing benefits of these ingredients are exactly what we need in the summer time. Smoothies like this will keep up hydrated and give us the energy and nutrients we need during the hottest months of the year.

So blend up a pina colada smoothie and imagine yourself on a tropical island!

The post Pina Colada Matcha Protein Smoothie appeared first on The Wheatless Kitchen.

30 WEEKS! I can’t believe this pregnancy is flying by as quickly as it is! We are definitely on the downhill slope now, not much longer to go! With every week that passes, mine and Kenny’s excitement just grows. We can’t wait to meet this little girl, but we are also enjoying the last few weeks where it is just the two of us.

How I’m Feeling

I felt pretty great during most of the second trimester! My nausea went away, I had more energy, and I felt SO much better than I did in the first trimester. We were able to take advantage of this by traveling a ton this summer. We went to Houston to visit family, and then were able to go one a couple of really fun vacations to Miami and Austin.

Right around the 28 week mark (the start of the third trimester) is when my energy started to take a dive again. I’ve been told by just about everyone that this is totally normal, and you definitely start to feel tired during the third trimester. I’m back to taking daily naps, and trying to get as much sleep at night as I can. I have to take advantage of it now and sleep before the baby gets here, right?!

I still haven’t really had any issues with swelling in my feet and legs yet. Hallelujah!

Food -> Cravings + Aversions

My appetite for most of the foods that I couldn’t handle in the beginning came back, and I was feeling like a normal person again! I have definitely noticed that my appetite is much smaller than it used to be. I’m assuming that is because as the baby grows, she is pressing on my stomach and making it more difficult to fit much food in there. I get full a lot faster, so I feel like I’m constantly snacking instead of eating big meals.

I’m still craving fruit like crazy and could EAT MY WEIGHT in watermelon and peaches right now. I’m pretty sure that the amount of watermelon I eat is the main thing that keeps me hydrated in this summer heat.

I can tolerate chicken again, but it really just depends on the day. At least I’m back to eating vegetables, though!

Exercise

I’m still teaching my CycleBar classes, as well as my barre classes. I have definitely backed off on intensity and frequency throughout the past few months, but I’m feeling good! I haven’t really dealt with too much back or hip pain, which I’m still shocked about! I figured by now I would surely have been feeling it more in my back, but not yet.

I really do credit my consistency with working out to the fact that I really haven’t had too many aches and pains throughout this pregnancy. I have kept my body moving (with modifications) the whole time, and it has been a lifesaver! I stretch and do a little yoga every single day, and then either cycle or do barre a few times a week. This has really kept the blood flowing, which I think helps with swelling. It has also kept my muscles and joints limber, and not stagnant. I know this will only help me feel my best during that tough postpartum period.

Self-Care

I have really made it a point to take good care of myself during this time. Self-care doesn’t always have to look like massages and bubble baths (even though those things have definitely happened!). It is also about the little everyday things that make a big difference in how you feel, like moving your body, eating well, and taking your prenatal vitamins.

I am making it a point to keep lots of nutrient dense foods in my everyday diet, and always take my prenatals and omega-3 supplements. I’m definitely getting lots of nutrients from all the fruit I’ve been eating.

Epsom salt baths are still a regular occurrence too. I probably sit in an epsom salt bath about once a week, and I try to make sure I do this to take care of my muscles after my workouts. It has been helpful for my back and hips after I teach my cycling classes.

Like I said before, I take the time to stretch, meditate and relax almost every single day. This not only helps my body feel great, but it helps me calm my mind as well. My mind has the tendency to wander from time to time, so taking a few minutes every day to relax has made me feel much calmer over the past few weeks.

One of the biggest things that I’ve been doing is giving myself permission to sleep more. I tend to feel guilty if I sleep in too much, or am taking too many naps and not being productive. But during this entire pregnancy, I have been giving myself a little more grace and sleeping as much as I can. Naps, early bedtimes, later mornings, all of it. I mean, I’m growing a human, it’s hard work! ha!

Highlights

I said this in the 20 week update post, but my favorite thing is still to be able to feel her move around in there! I know that those kicks are going to be the thing that I miss the most about pregnancy.

My belly is definitely starting to get more uncomfortable as the days progress. She is getting bigger, and taking up a lot more room that I just don’t have. My baby bump is pretty tight (or so I keep getting told when people rub my bump), and I have definitely been FEELING that tightness. It is just a crazy feeling to have, and it is only more intense when she is rolling around in there. And let me tell you, she is ACTIVE. I’m pretty sure she never stops moving, she is going to be a very busy little girl. But, I’m not complaining because as uncomfortable as it is, watching my belly move and feeling her kick is my favorite thing ever.

The post 30 week pregnancy update! appeared first on The Wheatless Kitchen.

Warm summer days are going to be slowly coming to an end soon, so I’m eating all the summer fruit and drinking all the kombucha mocktails that I can in the meantime. Who else can eat their weight in watermelon right now? Just me? Okay fine.

Now on to this BOMB mocktail that I created for you guys.

It is made with kombucha and sparkling water, so you get a nice little refreshing fizz. It is slightly sweet, low in sugar, and packed full of good-for-the-gut probiotics. This is the perfect drink to serve at your summer backyard barbecue, for a healthy happy hour, or for a fun girls’ night!

I found the pineapple peach flavored kombucha from Kevita, and just knew that I HAD to use it for this recipe. I mean, you can’t really get more summery than pineapple peach flavored anything, am I right?! Then of course add some lime flavored sparkling water, fresh lime juice, crushed mint, and you have yourself a party.

And I think the best part of these drinks is that you can make them extra special by serving them in these gorgeous copper mugs. I am in love with these from Moscow Muled, and I have been drinking any and all beverages out of these mugs lately, because I’m fancy like that.

They are made out of 100% pure high-grade food safe copper, and are lined with high-grade nickel. They are handcrafted and each one is hand-hammered to give them that special, personal touch. They are so perfect for icy drinks (think mocktails, cocktails, teas, iced coffees, etc.) because they lock in the drink’s coolness and help keep ice frozen for longer. I have been drinking my iced teas and kombuchas from the mugs lately, and can definitely confirm that they really do keep your drinks colder longer.

Get yourself some fancy copper mugs from Moscow Muled, then go make some super fun and refreshing mocktails for all of your friends. You better hurry though, summer will be over before we know it!

I was not compensated for this post, but Moscow Muled generously sent me their beautiful copper mugs to try.

The post Pineapple Peach Mint Kombucha Mocktail appeared first on The Wheatless Kitchen.

You guys know at this point that breakfast/brunch is my favorite meal of the day. You can probably tell by the approximately 98456 breakfast recipes on the site. I’ve noticed lately that my go-to breakfasts that I’ve been craving have pretty much been entirely plant-based. I almost never crave meat in the morning, and lately I haven’t really even been wanting eggs.

So in order to not get into a rut and get bored with my plant-based breakfasts, I decided to head over to the archives of all of my own breakfast recipes and round up a few ideas for all of us that need a little breakfast inspiration.

(note: there are a couple of recipes that call for honey, but you can easily sub maple syrup or any other sweetener to make it completely vegan)

Creamy Carrot Cake Oatmeal

Quinoa Oat Breakfast Bowl

Mixed Berry Matcha Protein Smoothie

Breakfast Baked Acorn Squash

Apple & Fig Crumble

Pumpkin Gingerbread Granola

Mocha Coconut Overnight Oats

Creamy Maple Turmeric Oatmeal

Steel Cut Oatmeal -> 5 ways

Maple Roasted Butternut Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

The post 10 Vegan Breakfast Ideas appeared first on The Wheatless Kitchen.

I think we all like to have those go-to, super quick, nutrient dense breakfasts that will hold us over until lunch. Am I right?

Enter, breakfast stuffed sweet potato.

This loaded breakfast has everything you need in the morning. Complex carbs, healthy fats, protein, antioxidants, and even some probiotics to start your day off right. It is super filling without feeling heavy, and is packed with lots of nutrients.

This breakfast will come together in 3 minutes flat if you have the sweet potato prepped beforehand. My suggestion is to throw an extra sweet potato or two in the oven while you’re doing your meal prep on Sunday to have them ready and waiting for you throughout the week. This makes it so convenient to just grab your cooked sweet potato out of the fridge, throw on all of your favorite toppings, and breakfast is served!

For this one, I went with a little Kite Hill almond yogurt, fresh blueberries, a drizzle of creamy almond butter, hemp seeds, and a little bit of honey to top it off. This is probably my favorite combo at the moment, but you can use whatever fresh fruit, nuts/seeds, and yogurt that you have on hand. Bananas are another favorite of mine if you don’t have berries.

Make this one time, and I promise it will become a staple in your breakfast routine.

The post Breakfast Stuffed Sweet Potato appeared first on The Wheatless Kitchen.

I think every pregnant woman deals with back pain (at least to some extent) at some point during her pregnancy. So many things can cause it –> carrying a bowling ball in your belly, added weight, poor posture, weak core and glutes, and the list goes on.

I definitely dealt with some lower back pain (especially in the third trimester) during my pregnancy. Luckily, it wasn’t severe, but it was enough to annoy me and interfere with my workouts as well as my sleep quality.

I did some preventative things throughout my entire pregnancy to make sure that I took care of my body from the beginning, before the pain actually began. But once the back and foot pain did finally show up, I made sure to adopt some new habits to help control it. Here are a few things that I did to relieve my foot and back pain during my pregnancy…

1. yoga/stretching

We all know that yoga and consistent stretching can do wonders for your back. I made sure to up my stretching game during my pregnancy. It helped loosen up my sore muscles, kept me limber, and helped my lower back pain tremendously. Even if it was just 5 minutes, I made sure to do some prenatal yoga or at least stretch my entire body every single day.

2. good posture

Practicing good posture throughout the day is something we should all be doing, whether you are pregnant or not. Slouching puts extra pressure on your neck, shoulders, lower back, and even your core. Any time I was sitting at my desk, on the couch, or in the car, I tried to remind myself to sit up straight and practice good posture. I also did a meditation every morning where I would make myself practice perfect posture, and I always felt SO good afterward.

3. supportive shoes

I think I only wore heels once or twice during my entire pregnancy because it was just so difficult to wear uncomfortable shoes when my center of gravity was off. Wearing supportive shoes is so important during pregnancy for several reasons –> it is safer because your equilibrium is off and you don’t want to take a chance of tripping and falling, it is better for your back, as well as more supportive for your feet and ankles.

During pregnancy, your body releases a hormone called relaxin, which relaxes the ligaments in the pelvis, as well as the rest of the body. This can put you at more risk for injury simply because your ligaments are loose, which means you can sprain an ankle or pull a muscle pretty easily. This is why wearing flat, comfortable shoes is a must.

But I took it a step further and wore these SUPER comfortable inserts in my shoes. These Wiivv inserts were created specifically for me, and gave me custom support from the ground up. They gave me a custom arch that was digitally mapped to my feet FROM MY PHONE. What? Crazy.

I wore them in pretty much all of my shoes, from my tennis shoes when I worked out or was walking a lot, my cycling shoes when I taught my classes at CycleBar, and even my casual everyday slip-on sneakers. They have a really nice cushion to them and are SO much better than any stock insole that I’ve ever tried. They really are like a Posturpedic mattress for your feet!

I think my favorite part was getting to use the Wiivv app to map the insoles to my feet and then getting to design them with whatever graphic I wanted to put on them!

* Wiivv is having a Black Friday sale on all of their products that lasts through tomorrow! (Monday 11/26) You can BUY ONE GET ONE 70% OFF! This includes all of their products as well as their gift cards, go take advantage because you will LOVE these insoles!

4. chiropractic care

I work in a chiropractor’s office, so I have been fortunate enough to get to learn about the amazing benefits of chiropractic care. If you live in Lubbock, go see Dr. Matt at Infinity Wellness Center, he is the bomb.

I had been getting adjusted since before I was even pregnant, and obviously continued that throughout my pregnancy. I would go once a week to get adjusted, and it did wonders for my back and hips! It just keeps everything aligned properly, allowing your body to do what it needs to do to grow that baby, and to also keep the baby in a good position. In my experience, it really relieved the pressure in my lower back, every time I left there, I always felt so much better.

source

5. sleep support

Until I got pregnant, I never knew that pregnancy insomnia was a thing. Geez! I had such a hard time sleeping! From all of the hormone changes, to the growing belly making it hard to find a comfortable position, I was just not getting very restful sleep. That is, until this pregnancy pillow was recommended to me. Oh my gosh, it was like a Christmas miracle. Pretty much every woman I know recommended that I get some sort of pregnancy pillow, and they were right, it helps so much. It supports your back and belly, as well as gives you something to put between your knees for added hip support. Do yourself a favor and get one of these!

*Wiivv generously gifted me their insoles and sandals, but all opinions in this post are my own.

The post 5 Ways to Relieve Foot & Back Pain During Pregnancy appeared first on The Wheatless Kitchen.

I’ve been seeing people use jackfruit in recipes for so long now, I’ve just never given it a try in my own recipes. I was always a little intrigued by the idea of a fruit that is supposed to have a taste and texture that can replace meat in recipes. So when The Jackfruit Company let me try some of their products, I was SOLD!

The Jackfruit Company has so many different types of meals, I was so impressed! They have everything from full meals that you just have to heat up, to marinated jackfruit that you can use in your own recipes. For this taco soup recipe, I used that tex-mex flavor, and it is SUH GOOD.

Before trying it, Kenny was a little skeptical, but he is always up for trying new things. So when he actually tasted the soup, his exact words were “whoa, this is actually good. This is a fruit?!”

Why yes, yes it is. And it actually makes you think that you are eating chicken in this taco soup! Let me tell you a little about jackfruit, it’s pretty cool…

• it is nutritionally dense and high in fiber
• it has a meaty, firm texture that shreds like pulled pork
• the jackfruit tree is hardy, easy to grow, and resistant to drought and heat. So it is easily adaptable to changing climates.
• the flavor of young jackfruit is subtle, so it absorbs the flavor of spices and seasonings it is cooked with
• as a jackfruit matures, it softens, sweetens, and its flavor becomes more distinctly tropical

I have learned so much about jackfruit through this company! I had no idea how versatile it was. I can’t wait to try more of their products, but for now I’m loving the tex-mex flavor in this taco soup!

It has all the components of a traditional taco soup, except we subbed chicken for jackfruit! This is the perfect soup to keep you warm throughout the rest of this cold winter.

*The Jackfuit Company generously sent me free product to try, but all opinions are my own.

They have even offered you guys a coupon to try jackfruit for yourself, just use this link!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thejackfruitco/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejackfruitco/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thejackfruitco

The post Vegan Jackfruit Taco Soup appeared first on The Wheatless Kitchen.

I rarely have store-bought salad dressings in my fridge for two reasons. One, there aren’t many pre-made dressings out there that don’t have some kind of ingredient that I don’t want in my salad dressings, whether it is sugar, or some weird processed oil or preservative. And two, they are SO easy to make, and most of the time you already have all of the ingredients you need right in your fridge or pantry!

My two favorite oils to make dressings and vinaigrettes with are extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil. Today, I used avocado oil from NOW Foods in all of these vinaigrettes, I love the neutral flavor that avocado oil gives to these recipes. It is such a subtle flavor that you can use it in almost any kind of vinaigrette and it won’t overpower the other flavors.

Benefits of Avocado Oil ->

• very high in healthy fats, including oleic acid
• has beneficial effects on cholesterol levels, and may also raise HDL “good” cholesterol levels
• contains antioxidants that are good for eye health
• contains fatty acids that are beneficial for the skin
• has a high smoke point, which means you can cook with it, thus making it easier to add into your diet

Here are 3 vinaigrettes that each only require a few ingredients, and can be added to pretty much anything. Salads, roasted veggies, used as marinades, and the list goes on…

Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup avocado oil
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• pinch of salt and pepper

Dijon Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup avocado oil
• 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• pinch of salt and pepper

Honey Soy Vinaigrette

• 1/3 cup avocado oil
• 3 tbsp GF soy sauce (or liquid aminos)
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• pinch of black pepper
• pinch of garlic powder

• Now Foods generously sent me their avocado oil to try, it is delicious and all opinions are my own.

The post 3 Easy Homemade Salad Dressings [with Avocado Oil] appeared first on The Wheatless Kitchen.

One of my husband’s best friends doesn’t like chocolate.

Yes, you read that right. He doesn’t like the taste of chocolate. I mean, I’m not even sure how we are still friends at this point.

Kidding. Kind of.

I haven’t met too many people that just don’t like chocolate, but I figured that for the crazy people that are in this boat, I would do a round-up of some of my favorite non-chocolate desserts that I’ve made over the years.

Raw Raspberry Tart + Coconut Cream

Apple Fig Crumble

Grain-Free Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

Raw Peach Tart

Peach Blueberry Crisp

Grain-Free Strawberry Birthday Cake Donuts

Paleo Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

Gluten-Free Cranberry Lemon Cookies

Grain-Free Blueberry Donuts + Sweet Lemon Glaze

Grain-Free Shortbread Cookies

The post 10 Non-Chocolate Desserts appeared first on The Wheatless Kitchen.

I always forget how quick and EASY it is to make rice krispie treats. It is definitely one of those desserts that you can bring to a party, potluck, or family gathering and everyone is impressed when they find out you made them yourself.

But you don’t have to tell them that they only took you about 15 minutes to throw together. You only need a couple of ingredients to make basic rice krispie treats, but today we are taking it up a notch.

Enter, ROCKY ROAD.

Rocky road has always been one of my favorite ice cream flavors, so I knew that I had to put it into some rice krispies. And they are still SO easy. Just add some cacao powder and almonds and you have yourself some ROCKY ROAD RICE KRISPIES that you can impress all your friends with.

Or, if you’re like me, just eat them all yourself.

The post Rocky Road Rice Krispie Treats appeared first on The Wheatless Kitchen.

When you become a mom, it is way too easy to just focus on your baby and let pretty much everything else go right on to the back burner. I have experienced this several times since having Sloane, and I am constantly reminding myself that I need to take care of myself so that I can BETTER take care of her. There are so many simple things that we can do to take care of our mind and body, and it shouldn’t be complicated.

Here are a few things that I think every new mom can benefit from…

1. Drink more water!

The easiest thing we can do, yet also the hardest! I swear I go hours and hours forgetting to drink water, and then all of a sudden realize that I feel dehydrated. I keep a reusable water bottle with me at all times, and it helps SO much to remind me to drink up! This is especially important if you are breastfeeding, it helps so much with milk supply.

2. Fuel your body

We have to eat the nutrients that our body needs in order to have the energy to chase our babies around all day. I love to load up on produce at the farmer’s market on the weekends to set myself up for easier meals during the week.

3. Get Outside

Getting fresh air and sunshine does wonders for my mood and sanity. Sloane and I go for walks around the neighborhood most days. It is nice for both of us to get outside, soak up some vitamin D, and get a little change of scenery that looks differently than baby toys.

4. Move your body for at least 10 minutes every day

While we’re on the subject of getting outside, this can be your form of movement every day. All it takes is 10 minutes to get the blood flowing and lift your mood. If I’m not going on a walk outside, then I’ll at least get a stretch in every day. On days that I have a little more time, I will pop in a workout DVD, or even find a yoga workout on YouTube and do it while Sloane plays on the floor next to me. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just move your body in whatever day makes you feel good.

Having comfortable and stylish workout clothes always motivates me a little more to actually want to workout. I have been loving Vie Active lately. These pink leggings are suuuuper smooth and soft, and have just enough compression to hold everything in in the right places. And this tank top is one of my favorites because it can be worn long, but also looks super cute tied up. You can use code ‘candace20’ to get 20% off workout apparel on their website!

It is starting to get extremely hot here in Arizona, so I need something that is sweat-wicking and anti-microbial so that I can stay dry and smelling fresh

Vie Active is a company that I think we can all get behind because they are so dedicated to empowering women with stylish, performance-driven activewear.

5. Get some ‘me time’

It is SO important to take a few moments for yourself every day. Whether that is a 10 minute shower after the baby goes to bed, or waking up 30 minutes before the baby to enjoy your morning cup of coffee in peace. You can recharge in these small moments.

6. Put your phone down

I am guilty of picking up my phone to check my email or scroll Instagram WAY too many times per day. I am really making an effort to put my phone away while Sloane is awake during the day to focus my attention on her and not be distracted. It is doing wonders for my mind, and makes me feel like I’m being more present.

7. Talk to Someone

We all have moments where we feel overwhelmed, and those are the moments where we NEED to talk to someone that we trust. Whether it be your husband, your mom, your best friend, or a therapist. Don’t hold your feelings in, it will weigh on you and affect you and your baby.

8. Ask for help

And while we’re on the subject of talking to someone you trust, ask them for help! I have a hard time with this sometimes because I want to just handle everything, and I let my pride get in the way because I want to just be ‘strong enough’ to do it all myself. But we don’t have to do it ALL, all by ourselves. People want to help, so let them.

9. Give yourself a break

Women, in general, are way too hard on themselves. And when you become a mom, that goes to a whole new level. I have had several meltdowns since Sloane was born because I felt like I was failing at something. Whether Sloane wasn’t napping well, or I was experiencing mom guilt, or the million other times when I have been too hard on myself for no reason at all. I am finally starting to learn that there is no perfect mom, we are all doing the very best we can and loving our babies in the best way that we know how. So keep going, mama. You are doing great!

10. Savor your baby

I think the best thing every mom can do is just savor the time that we DO have when our babies are little. They grow up so fast, and I know that we are going to miss the sleepless nights and wet kisses in a few years. Just slow down, and enjoy these precious moments.

This post was in collaboration with Vie Active. They generously sent me their product, and all opinions are my own.

Don’t forget to use code ‘candace20’ to get 20% off workout clothes!

The post 10 Healthy Habits for Every New Mom appeared first on The Wheatless Kitchen.

I’m a salty & sweet dessert person. My favorite kind of chocolate bars are the sea salt and almond ones, and I LOVE anything salted caramel. So when I was trying to come up with a recipe using these grain-free pretzels from FitJoy, you know I had to pair them with something sweet.

I bet you’ve never made GRAIN-FREE peanut butter pretzel bars before. That’s because these pretzels from FitJoy are the first grain-free pretzels on the market! They are made with cassava flour and chickpea flour, and are just as good (if not better) than any other gluten-free pretzel I’ve had. They are super crunchy, and nice and salty from the Himalayan pink salt that they sprinkle on them, and don’t have any weird ingredients.

They make the perfect combination of salty and sweet when paired with peanut butter and chocolate. And the best part about these bars (besides the fact that they are delicious!) is that they only require SIX ingredients, most of which I bet you already have in your pantry right now.

It’s really just two layers. You have your peanut butter pretzel layer, and then the chocolate layer. And then of course we have to crush up some more pretzels for the top, DUH.

They come together quickly, and are seriously the best summer dessert to take to a fun get together with friends. They look kind of fancy, but only you will know how easy (and healthy!) they are.

If you are looking for a delicious grain-free protein bar option, FitJoy has DELICIOUS bars too!

• this post is sponsored by FitJoy Foods, all opinions are my own, and their pretzels made this recipe taste amazing.

The post [Grain-Free] No Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars appeared first on The Wheatless Kitchen.