Medjool Date Snacks

Medjool Date Snacks - 10+ easy and healthy ways to create the perfect mates for dates! 

Snacks don’t have to be complex and include every ingredient in your pantry. If anything, snacks need to be simple. They need to be a quick grab-and-go and something to whip up fast as you need something ready before or after your workout, to help stabilize blood sugar, or to tie you over before a late dinner reservation. 

So that is why I’m showing you my favorite carb source - medjool dates and the many medjool date snack ideas you can do to make sure your date is macro balanced, less than 5 ingredients, and is a quick grab and go snack! 

The OG lately, medjool date + goat cheddar cheese + prosciutto. The perfect blend of sweet, smokey and salty! I also like it because it’s very reminiscent of having a charcuterie board in one bite! (*bonus if you elevate it with honey or balsamic glaze drizzle and crushed nuts like pistachio.)

Other great medjool date snack combinations are: 

salted chocolate peanut butter date

Ex: stuff the date with peanut butter and top with an almond and some crunchy sea salt and dip the bottom in dark chocolate

Cheese + nut combo date

Ex: Stuff the date with cheese like a slice of brie and a nut like pecan.

Italian inspired date

Ex: Stuff the date with goat cheese and some sun-dried tomato pieces, and top with basil chiffonade.

Wrapped in bacon date

Ex: Stuff the date with cheese of choice like goat cheese, wrapped in bacon and cook in the oven for 350 degrees - 10 min on both sides or until bacon is crispy! Sprinkle with pistachio and honey if desired.

Edible Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Edible Pumpkin Chocolate Cookie Dough - Super delicious and packed with fiber and protein to keep you satisfied. Dairy, gluten, and grain-free.

Not only is this cookie dough safe to eat, it’s chock full of nutrients thanks to chickpeas' excellent source of soluble fiber and protein. When you combine it with nut butter and pumpkin puree, it’s a nutritional powerhouse! 

Professional Cycle Syncer? This is a luteal phase recipe as it contains ingredients like sunflower seeds, pumpkin, and chickpeas that are great sources of B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and fiber. During this phase, your body needs more calories and slow-burning complex carbs and beans provide calories while stabilizing blood sugar.

Bonus! PMS symptoms? Chickpeas are a great source of magnesium. They also contain vitamin B6 so when taken together, help reduce PMS symptoms! 

You can eat this for dessert, bring to a family or sports event, or simply grab a spoon and eat it straight from the fridge! 

You can most definitely use regular dark chocolate chips for this recipe, but I love using Hu Kitchen chocolate! For this recipe, I used one bar of hazelnut butter dark chocolate and used their grain-free cookies (chocolate chip and ginger snap) as the “spoon”! 

They just came out with seasonal dark chocolate bars: gingerbread and pumpkin spice and I BET that would truly level up this cookie dough! 

I love using their products because of their simplistic ingredient list: 

Organic cacao

Unrefined organic coconut sugar

Organic fair-trade cocoa butter

That’s. It.

Again, you don’t have to use these products to make this recipe, but if you want to, here the website or my SHOP PAGE and code FROMTHEROOTS for 15% off your first order! 

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Edible Pumpkin Chocolate Cookie Dough - Super delicious and packed with fiber and protein to keep you satisfied. Dairy, gluten, and grain-free.

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ cup sunflower or nut butter

• ¼ cup pure maple syrup

• ¼ cup pumpkin puree

• ¼ cup dark chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar (chopped)

• 1 tsp pumpkin pie seasoning

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Flaky sea salt for garnish 

Directions 

1. Place drained chickpeas in a medium saucepan and add the baking soda. Cover the chickpeas with water and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat for 5-10 minutes or until the chickpeas look bloated. In a fine mesh strainer, drain the chickpeas and run cool water over them. No need to peel the chickpeas now that they are soft and should create a creamy texture!

2. Transfer cooked chickpeas and the rest of the ingredients except for chocolate in a food processor. Puree mixture until completely smooth and creamy in texture. May need to pause a couple of times to scrape down the side of the processor bowl. 

3. Transfer mixture into a bowl and fold in chocolate chips until evenly distributed.  Refrigerate until ready to serve and garnish with flaky sea salt. 

Adrenal Cream Cider

Adrenal Cream Cider - If hot apple cider and a creamy chai latte had a balanced, blood sugar baby - you would have adrenal cream cider! Adapted from the original adrenal cocktail - fall version

We are nearing the end of our blood sugar series this week and I just had to save the best for last! 

1| Because we are entering fall

2| I’m sure everyone is tired of the pumpkin spice latte

And even though I do have a great pumpkin spice latte recipe to share with you guys - this is not the time. Haha. 

The time is for the adrenal cocktail - fall version! You heard it right, the traditional adrenal cocktail version that is made with simple ingredients (fresh fruit juice, coconut milk/cream, hydrolyzed collagen powder, and sea salt) has now been transformed into a warm and comforting fall drink. How? Let’s break it down! 

Organic Apple Juice - Has a notable amount of vitamin C, a key component of the body’s immune system and is needed when your adrenal glands are producing cortisol during stressful situations. Bonus* Apples contain an adequate amount of fiber and malic acid which may improve the digestive rate and can support liver function. 

Coconut Cream/Milk - Coconut milk has stable saturated fatty acids that help stabilize blood sugar levels and provides your body with energy. Depending on your preference in texture you can use either unsweetened coconut milk or cream. Personally, I think the cream is better and provides that “latte” texture to the drink! 

Hydrolyzed Collagen Powder - Collagen acts as a blood sugar regulator and provides essential amino acids to support and build a resilient gut and boost cortisol production. 
Cinnamon - Is that special spice that helps to naturally balance blood sugar, don’t skimp on it! 

Sea Salt or pink Himalayan sea salt - contain essential electrolytes and minerals like potassium, sodium, and magnesium that are key for energy production, blood pressure, and adrenal function. 

All of these power forces create a hot apple cider meets chai latte taste. It’s just so hard to put into words how amazing this drink tastes! 

Before you make your new favorite fall drink, head over to the OG adrenal cocktail post for more nutrition facts on how this is supporting your adrenals and when you should be drinking the adrenal cocktail. 

Are you a visual person? Me too! That’s why I created a video on how to make the Adrenal Cream Cider on IG reels below.

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If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with! 

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Adrenal Cream Cider - If hot apple cider and a creamy chai latte had a balanced, blood sugar baby - you would have adrenal cream cider! Adapted from the original adrenal cocktail - fall version

Ingredients

• 4-8 oz 100% apple juice

• 2-4 Tbsp coconut milk or cream

• 1 scoop of collagen

• ½ - 1 tsp cinnamon

• Generous pinch of sea salt

• Cinnamon sticks

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, add a cinnamon stick and apple juice and cook on medium-high heat until slightly boiling and fragrant, about 5-10 min. Take off heat.

2. In a milk frother, blender or a glass using a handheld frother - add coconut milk or cream, collagen, cinnamon, and sea salt and blend until smooth and creamy. 

3. Transfer hot apple cider to a glass and pour cream over. Stir to combine and enjoy!

Creamy Coconut Lime Mint Frozen Margarita

Creamy Coconut Lime Mint Frozen Margarita - A light and refreshing tropical escape - Made with healthy fats and protein - great as a blood sugar stabilizer. Mocktail version is great as a snack option! 

If you have been with me long enough, you know tequila-based cocktails are my favorite! Hello, chili lime mango smoothie, the perfect Paloma, and spicy watermelon margarita. But I think this one may be my new favorite! 

Why, do you ask? Maybe it’s because coconut is my favorite fruit. Or that the song, Coconut - Harry Nilsson showed me that limes and coconuts should be married. Or that this cocktail literally takes me on a virtual tropical vacation. 

And yes, those things are true, but what I love about this recipe is that it’s great as a mocktail. Very similar to the adrenal cocktail, if you add a scoop of collagen to the recipe, you will have an even ratio of fat to protein to carb, making this a great blood sugar stabilizer! 

Even if you are still enjoying this as a libation, coconuts have a stable, saturated fatty acid that helps to stabilize blood sugar levels as well as to decrease the rate of alcohol absorption. But that doesn’t mean you need to overconsume! 

Cocktails can be great if consumed in a balanced way so cheers and drink responsibly! 

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If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with!

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Creamy Coconut Lime Mint Frozen Margarita - A light and refreshing tropical escape - Made with healthy fats and protein - great as a blood sugar stabilizer. Mocktail version is great as a snack option! 

Ingredients

• ½ cup ice

• ½ cup coconut water

• ¼ cup coconut cream

• 3 oz tequila

• Juice of one lime

• A small handful of fresh mint

• 1-2 Tbsp sweetener (pure maple syrup, honey)

• Pinch of sea salt

• 1 scoop collagen (optional)

(makes 2 servings)

Directions

1. In a blender, blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy. Taste test -may need to add more lime juice, fresh mint, or sweetener for desired taste. 

2. Pour into a salted rim margarita glass and garnish with coconut flakes, lime wedge, and fresh mint. Enjoy responsibly!

Tropical Papaya Chia Pudding

Tropical Papaya Chia Pudding - A simple and nutritious breakfast escape! Meal prep, blood sugar stabilizer, and healthy fat friendly!

During the summertime, I want to eat all the tropical fruits - mango, dragon fruit, coconut, guava, pineapple, you name it!

But one of my favorite tropical fruits that I can’t seem to get enough of these days are papayas! Now, I have noticed that people don’t typically put papaya in their grocery cart. They either have no clue what to do with them or they don’t want to buy a large semi-expensive fruit and worry if they will like the taste or not. Well, I am here to give you the low down on this sweet tropical “nectar of the gods” fruit while providing my favorite go-to breakfast recipe!

Before I unpack the nutritional value, papaya - when eating ripe, is sweet and has a flavor comparable to a melon. If you pick unripe papaya, you may have little to no flavor at all. 

Tip: Papaya is fully ripe when it is bright yellow so look for papayas that are mostly yellow and a little green to fully ripen at home from the grocery store! Also look for firm, smooth skin, and heavy for their size. 

Now that you know how to pick ripe papayas, here are the nutrition facts:

• Immune system booster as it contains an absorbent amount of vitamin C.

• When eating a balanced amount, papaya has a hypoglycemic effect on the body which decreases blood glucose levels. 

• Plays a major role in fighting inflammation as it contains the enzyme, papain, which is a group of proteins that help regulate inflammation. 

• Bloating or constipation issues? The high fiber and water content help to improve digestion by reducing bloating and easing constipation while encouraging regular bowel activity. 

So now that we have established that papayas are pretty amazing, let’s dive into my go-to breakfast recipe - chia pudding! Even though we know that papaya is a fruit, it still contains an adequate amount of natural sugar. So to make sure we are balancing our blood sugar for the morning, we are pairing this fruit with protein and healthy fats that come from the chia pudding mixture. You can use any chia pudding recipe as the base for this recipe, but I like to #levelup with canned coconut milk, vanilla extract, and fresh ginger! The ginger is my favorite part if you like a more Thai inspired dish but if you don’t, that’s okay! Keep it simple with just vanilla extract. 

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with! 

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Tropical Papaya Chia Pudding - A simple and nutritious breakfast escape! Meal prep, blood sugar stabilizer, and healthy fat friendly!

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp chia seeds

• ½ cup of canned coconut milk

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger (optional)

• ½ cup papayas (diced)

Garnish

Shredded coconut flakes, fresh lime, bee pollen, raspberries, honey

Directions 

1. Soak the chia seeds with minced ginger (optional), vanilla, and milk for at least an hour or overnight - stirring occasionally until a gel forms. You can make your chia seed pudding thicker or thinner by reducing/adding liquid. You can also use your favorite plant-based milk for this recipe as well! 

2. Pour the chia seed pudding into 2 serving glasses, top with diced papayas and top with the garnishes. 

3. Store in the fridge as a leftover, enjoy chilled or at room temperature. Great for breakfast, dessert, or a snack! 

Notes

• Don’t have papaya? That’s okay! Use whatever tropical fruit that pairs well with ginger like mangoes, pineapple, kiwi. This recipe is very versatile and any fruit/topping combination will work as long as you have the chia pudding ratio right! 

• Need more protein? Add a scoop of collagen peptides to the mixture and add ¼ cup more milk to the mixture. You can also drizzle nut butter over chia pudding when ready to eat.