by Carmen Ohling | Jul 27, 2019 | Clean Eating, Eat., Food Prep, Recipes
Five Simple Healthy Recipes You Can Make At Home!
Here’s the thing, so many of you think that eating healthy is expensive- and I agree, it can be if you are relying solely on the store to do all of the work! This week I am bringing you 5 recipes (including how-to videos) for simple and healthy recipes that you can make at home to save a ton of money. Also, by making these recipes at home for items you’d normally buy at the store, you control the ingredients. When you control the ingredients of your food, it makes it so much easier to be healthy, lose weight and actually enjoy the food you’re eating. Each of these recipes are gluten free, dairy free, soy free and refined sugar free. But hey, you’d never know because they are so delicious!!
Product recommendations:
Protein Powder: Tone it Up (Plant Based Protein)
Chia Seeds: Bob’s Redmill
Cacao Chips: Pascha Chocolate Chips
Below are the recipes and be sure to check out the videos too for my tips!!

Day #1: Pickled Red Onions
12 Servings, 2TB
GET THIS:
· 2 Medium Red Onion (medium-large, thinly sliced or spiralized)
· 3/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
· 1 tsp Chili Powder (optional, sub garlic powder)
· 1/4 cup Water
· 1 tsp Stevia Powder
· 1 tsp Sea Salt
DO THIS:
- Thinly slice the onions, leaving them in rings. Carefully place the rings into a pint size mason jar and sprinkle with the salt and other seasonings.
- Pour the vinegar and water over the rings to fill the jar and put the lid on. Leave at room temperature for two hours so flavors can meld.
- Transfer to the refrigerator for up to two weeks (though ours are usually gone in a couple of days!).
Day #2: Cashew Milk
4 Servings, 1 Cup
2g protein, 3g carbs, 4g fat
GET THIS:
- 1 cup Cashews (soaked, drained and rinsed)
- 4 cups Water
- 2 TB Pitted Dates
- 1/8 tsp Sea Salt (optional)
DO THIS:
- Soak cashews overnight, or for 12 hours, in water with 1/2 tsp sea salt.
- Drain the soaking water and rinse the cashews well. Do not keep this water to re-use as it contains phytic acid and is best to discard it.
- In high-speed blender combine cashews and pure water along with vanilla, sweeteners, or any other optional ingredients. See the notes for some flavor suggestions.
- Blend 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Mixture will expand some, so make sure your blender is not full before starting it.
- Strain mixture into a large bowl through a sprout bag, cheesecloth, or thin kitchen towel.
- Pour into glass jar or pitcher and store in refrigerator for up to four days.
Day #3: Cashew Butter
16 Servings, 2 TB Each
5g protein, 11g carbs, 16g fat
GET THIS:
- 4 cups Cashews (raw)
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract (optional)
DO THIS:
- Preheat oven to 325F and place raw cashews on a medium-sized baking sheet. Spread evenly in one layer and toast for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly golden. Let cashews cool on pan for 10 minutes. Place slightly cooled cashews in bowl of food processor and cover with lid. Then, grind your cashews in a blender then transfer to food processor. This is not necessary, but I find that the cashew blend better that way.
- Add the remaining ingredients, then blend in food processor. After blending for 5 minutes, scrape the sides of the processor and mix, let the processor cool then begin blending again for another 5 minutes. It usually takes about 15-20 minutes unless you have a high powered food processor.
- Transfer cashew butter into jar with lid and store in fridge.
Day #4: Chocolate Protein Bars
5 Servings, 1 bar
15g protein, 33g carbs, 16g fat
GET THIS:
- 1 cup Pitted Dates
- 1/2 cup All-Natural Peanut Butter (sub cashew or almond butter)
- 2 TB Unsweetened Cacao Powder
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt (if peanut butter is salted, leave this out)
- 1 TB Of Water (if needed)
- 2 TB Organic Dark Chocolate Chips
- 1/2 cup Chocolate Protein Powder (sub collagen powder)
DO THIS:
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Add dates, nut butter, protein powder, cocoa powder and sea salt into the base of your food processor. Process until everything is combined and peanuts are broken down into tiny bits.
- At this point the mixture might be sticking together well and forming a ball of dough. If so, great! If not, it may be dry and not really sticking together (it will depend on how moist your dates were). If this is the case you’ll want to add a little water. Add 1 Tablespoon, run the food processor and see if the mixture starts holding together. If not, add another tablespoon and blend again. You’ll likely only need to add 1-3 Tablespoons of water.
- Once the mixture is holding together, transfer into the loaf pan lined with parchment. Fold the parchment over top and press the mixture evenly into the pan. Once even, add chocolate chunks and press those into the top of the mixture as well.
- Place the mixture in the freezer for 1 hour to harder up before removing from pan and cutting into 5 bars or 15 squares. A serving would be one bar or 3 squares.
- Store bars in fridge for up to 1 week or wrapped up in the freezer for 2 months. Enjoy cold or at room temperature.
Day #5: BBQ Sauce
16 Servings, ¼ cup
1g protein, 9g carbs, 0g fat
GET THIS:
· 3 cups Water
· 3/4 cup Tomato Paste
· 2 TB Stevia Powder (sub monkfruit)
· 1/4 cup Honey
· 1/4 cup Coconut Aminos
· 1 tbsp Liquid Smoke
· 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
· 2 tspSea Salt
· 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
· 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
· 1 tsp Black Pepper
· 1 tsp Onion Powder
· 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
DO THIS:
- Dump all ingredients into a sauce pan, bring to a boil and reduce to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and cool. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks in a tightly-sealed container.
Enjoy making these delicious recipes at home and be sure to check back often to my blog for more!
Eat Real Food. Be Healthy. Feel Amazing!
by Carmen Ohling | Jul 23, 2019 | Eat., Live., Uncategorized
I do not find it fair to ask if you have struggled to stabilize your hunger because the truth is we all have at some point in our lives. The real question is, what are you doing to create those hunger cravings and what have you done to satisfy those cravings?
Below are some feelings that have probably crossed your mind:
- I am hungry but have no idea what the ”right” thing is to eat!⠀
- If I eat another boring, flavorless meal I’m going to explode!⠀
- I do great during the day with eating healthy foods, but when night time comes, I eat whatever I can get my hands on- healthy or not.
- I wish there was an easier way to eat healthily, lose weight and break free from food that makes me feel like shit.
Stop right here and let me tell you, I FEEL YOU! ⠀
And you know what? So do a ton of other women just like you!⠀
Look at the list below. What resonates most with you? What steps can you take to break these patterns? Keep reading below for my tips…
- STRESS – You will make the worst food decisions when you are stressed because you will reach for “comfort food.”
- BOREDOM – Simply reaching for food to pass the time even when you are not hungry.
- LACK OF SLEEP – Find the sweet spot when it comes to the amount of sleep your body needs to perform. Personally, this is where I have struggled in the past.⠀
- CUTTING FOOD GROUPS (without medical necessity) – Cutting food groups will lead to binge eating. Try not to do this! For example, if you are a sweets person, why would you take sweets from yourself? If you like chocolate, have a square now and then, shoot have one daily. Why? Because this will help keep you from having a whole bag of chocolate at the end of the week. It is important to eat the things you enjoy in moderation, this will lead to a healthier relationship with food. ⠀
Use my “make your plate” guide to be sure you have the following at each of your meals:
- Greens/Fiber (aka veggies- 2-4 cups)
- Quality protein (3-6oz)
- Healthy fats (1-2 tbsp) at each meal
This magic combo will help fill your stomach, keep you full longer, and minimize your cravings. If you focus on nourishing your body at each meal and stop the “eat less” mentality, you will find that it will be easier to finally be able to be free from food! If there are any other food challenges you are struggling with or have a question about certain food groups etc., reach out! Send me an email at carmen@carmenohling.com or find me on Instagram @carmenohling. Lastly, don’t be hard on yourself. This is a learning process for all of us (even me) and I am here to help you!
Carmen
by Carmen Ohling | Jul 19, 2019 | Live.
Starting today, I encourage you to keep your commitments that you have set for yourself.
What does this mean?
It means scheduling the time and doing the things that excite you and make you so damn proud of yourself. The commitments that you make for yourself may challenge you to get to that next level of personal growth or simply spark you to do something you have been wanting to do. Your personal commitments may look something like this:
* Setting a budget to achieve financial freedom
* Going to the gym 3 days a week
* Taking a leap of faith and starting your own business
* Taking a moment to self pamper and spend a few hours at the spa getting your glam on
It is SO important you make these commitments not only with yourself but for yourself. Often times, people feel guilty about taking the time to pursue things that are only for themselves because they feel selfish and aren’t sure if it will benefit other people. But here is the thing… Going after your own goals will become the driver of your day and will keep you on track with your own needs and happiness. And guess what? Listen up! The happier you are the better you are at being able to take care of your family’s needs, work needs, and everything else around you.
Let’s talk about what this feels like…⠀
When you actually keep your commitments to yourself on a daily basis, you will feel like one powerful woman, and you are! Being able to plan and successfully meet your mini goals during the day will build momentum in your life- leading to finally meeting your goals! SO, SET THEM & ACHIEVE THEM!
Is there something stopping you from being able to set your personal commitments?
⠀
No problem! Let’s dig deep within and look at the things you’re ignoring, look at the ways you are numbing out and self-sabotaging. Are you –
* Spending your evenings mindlessly watching television because you feel like it’s an escape?
* Ignoring warning signs that you need a break?
* Spending time reinventing the wheel?
* Deferring decision making to other people to avoid personal responsibility?
As you go through this mental check of what has been holding you back remember to be kind to yourself because feeling blocked generally occurs during times of stress, anxiety, and being overwhelmed. Take a deep breath and remember your feelings are valid! Being stressed and overwhelmed makes you 100% human.
What steps can you take today to stop numbing, to stop self-sabotaging, and stop giving up on yourself?
Start by being transparent with yourself and begin confronting all that is holding you back so you can press forward. Remember, you are an incredible woman who is capable of anything. I believe in you! You can and will hit this next level of personal growth as you stay true to your commitments.
Take it day by day. Start with a small list of personal commitments if needed to build your confidence. After you begin getting the hang of living for you again you will begin to radiate full self-love.
⠀
Make a commitment to start today. ⠀
I have several specific tips and tricks up my sleeve and would love to shed some light on you. If you need more insight or a little extra push to get there I am here for you. Reach out to me, I want to get to know you!
by Carmen Ohling | Jul 12, 2019 | Eat.
What is all the hype about preparing your food ahead of time? I’ll start by saying, batch cooking is a freaking game changer and an absolute must-do each week in my home! For starters, it is an easy way to meet your health and fitness goals. When it’s 2:30 and you feel like you’re starving, it keeps you from grabbing those foods you know you shouldn’t. It also prevents you from feeling like crap after eating those foods! Simply put, batch cooking will leave you feeling like you are all-around winning.
So, you’re probably asking yourself what’s the difference between batch cooking and meal prep, right?
Well, meal prepping is preparing entire meals- usually with multiple steps and ingredients. The area I struggle with when it comes to meal prepping is that you are restricted to exactly what is in that Tupperware, and if you are not feeling that particular meal, it feels like you’re on a diet, don’t have options and are eating the same thing over and over again.
On the other hand, batching cooking is making simple foods, in large quantities. This offers you flexibility in your meals but the cooking that takes the largest amount of time is done!
Here are four simple steps for you to get started –
- Pick some protein, I recommend 2-3 different protein sources.
-Free Range Chicken, Wild Caught Fish, Grass-Fed and Finished Beef, etc.
- Pick some carbs, I also recommend 2-3 different carbs.
-Sweet Potato, Rice, Quinoa
- Pick some veggies (3-4 is good!)
-Mushroom & Asparagus, Broccoli/cauliflower Mix, Bell Peppers Onions, etc.
- Pick simple seasonings
– My go-to seasoning mix is pink sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne.
When you’re ready to eat you can eat the food just as you made it OR use the food as a base to make other fun meals such as a salad, tacos, stir fry, bowls, scrambles or anything you can think of. This offers you flexibility in your meals but the cooking that takes the largest amount of time is done!!
Pro Tips:
- Cooking with Chosen Foods avocado oil spray to limit fat in cooking allows you to add fats in your creative meals throughout the week (think avocado, almond butter, seeds, etc.)⠀
- Utilize your oven, stovetop, BBQ, AirFryer, Crockpot, or Instapot at the same time to get your batch cooking done in 1 hour each week.
I encourage you to give batch cooking a try! Tag me @carmenohling on Instagram while you are getting down and dirty in the kitchen putting your batch skills cooking to the test. I would love to not only be part of the fun going on in the kitchen but also part of your health and wellness goals.
by Carmen Ohling | Jul 9, 2019 | Clean Eating, Eat., Food Prep, Recipes, Uncategorized
MAKE AHEAD HEALTHY SNACK BAR RECIPE
Tired of relying on snack bars full of crappy ingredients, sugar and artificial shit that you can’t even pronounce? I’ve got your back! Try out this blender bar recipe this week! These bars are super quick to make and you can store them in the freezer for when that sweet tooth hits. All you have to do is pop everything into the blender, form in the pan, bake for 20 minutes, cool & cut, then store in the freezer. This recipe is also gluten, dairy and soy free but packed with flavor and nutrition!! Grab the recipe by clicking below.
Want more recipes like this each week? Stay tuned because I am working on something special for you to be released at the end of July!!
Nutrition Per Bar
Calories: 97
Fat: 2g
Carbs: 18g
Fiber 3g
Protein: 3g
Eat Real Food. Be Healthy. Have Endless Energy!