I myself am all too familiar with the constant chaos and juggling acts that it can take to keep up with our family life – but if there’s one thing I have always tried to be conscious of, it’s making healthier choices for our family. When Hain Celestial reached out and asked us to be part of their Hacks to Habits campaign, sharing simple and manageable hacks that can be easily integrated into everyday life, we couldn’t wait to participate! Introduced by Hain Celestial, the Hacks to Habits movement has set forth with the determined goal of showing Canadians how small, daily changes can have a greater impact on overall health and happiness – something we already strive towards in our own home. Hain Celestial is dedicated to providing products that not only taste good but allow you to feel good too, so you can stay committed to your healthy lifestyle and habits without compromise!
My Healthy Hack to Habit #1: Meatless meals with satisfying sides by simply swapping traditional ground meats for Yves Veggie Cuisine® Ground Round and serving Tilda® Ready to Heat Basmati Rice.
One thing we’ve become particularly conscious of over the past year or so, is trying to consume less meat throughout the week. But sharing a dinner table with two meat-loving carnivores (Craig and Ella) means I have to ensure our vegetable fueled dinners are full of flavour, alternative sources of protein, and leaves everyone feeling satisfied. Oh, not to mention finding meals that can be prepared with ease and simplicity to accommodate our family’s fast-paced lifestyle. In the past, this was an overwhelming task to say the least. However, upon discovering Hain Celestial products like Yves Veggie Cuisine® Ground Round and Tilda® Ready to Heat Basmati Rice, I quickly realized I could still reference all of our favourite recipes and cookbooks for delicious meal ideas by simply “hacking” the recipe. For instance, swapping traditional ground meats like ground beef, turkey, or chicken for the vegan ground round, and preparing ready-to-heat rice in place of our usual side dish stand-ins.
When looking to “hack” our go-to meaty recipes, Yves Veggie Cuisine® Ground Round provides us with a healthier option boasting 90% less fat than regular ground beef while remaining an excellent source of protein and fibre. Because it is cholesterol-free, free of artificial preservatives, flavours or colours, and is verified non-GMO, it’s a product that I can incorporate into our kitchen with confidence! As for introducing Tilda® Ready to Heat Basmati Rice into our meals, this “hack” is one I haven’t given a second thought to, it’s already a habit! Our entire family loves this fluffy and pre-steamed basmati rice. Like the ground round, the basmati rice flavours are free of artificial preservatives, flavours or colours, and are verified non-GMO; not to mention gluten-free, a delicious alternative for vegetarians, and an affordable and convenient family-friendly ingredient.
We’re sharing our favourite (and insanely yummy) ways to serve Yves Veggie Cuisine® Ground Round and Tilda® Ready to Heat Basmati Rice which we guarantee will be a hit at the dinner table with your family, making meatless meal times an effortless habit in your home!
Healthy Chipotle Sweet Potato Skins with Yves Veggie Cuisine® Ground Round
*A recipe from Half-Baked Harvest Cookbook, by Tieghan Gerard, substituting Yves Veggie Cuisine® Original Veggie Ground Round for ground turkey.*
Ingredients:
- 4 medium sweet potatoes
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 package Yves Veggie Cuisine® Original Veggie Ground Round
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 or 2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo, plus 1 tablespoon of the adobo sauce
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon of salt, plus more as needed
- 2 cups of baby spinach
- Juice of 1 lime
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnishing
- Ground pepper
- 1½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- Sliced avocado, for serving
- Plain greek yogurt, for serving
Step by step:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork. Place directly on the oven rack and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until tender.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on high. Add the Yves Veggie Cuisine® Ground Round to cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned all over.
- Add the garlic, chipotles, adobo sauce, chili powder, oregano, cumin, and salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, until fragrant. Add the spinach and cook until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the head and stir in the lime juice and cilantro.
- Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and carefully halve them lengthwise. Let cool for 5 minutes. Scoop out the flesh, leaving just enough around the edges so the skins don’t collapse. Place the skins on a baking sheet, flesh-side up. Brush with remaining olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer back into the oven and bake for 5-10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, stuff with Yves Veggie Cuisine® Ground Round mixture, and top evenly with the cheese. Return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes more, or until the cheese has melted.
- Serve hot with cilantro, avocado, and yogurt.
Tilda® Ready to Heat Cilantro and Lime Basmati Rice Bowls
Ingredients:
- 1 package of Tilda® Ready to Heat Cilantro and Lime Basmati Rice
- Corn from the cob
- Black beans, drained and rinsed.
- Purple cabbage, shredded
- Baby Spinach
- Avocado, diced
- Lime juice and cilantro for garnish
Step by step:
- Cook Tilda® Ready to Heat Cilantro and Lime Basmati Rice according to the packaging instructions which pertain to your preferred method of cooking.
- Divide the rice amongst approximately 4 bowls.
- Top rice bowls with corn, black beans, purple cabbage, baby spinach, and avocado.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
- Mix to combine.
My Healthy Hack to Habit #2: Managing the morning mom-hustle with homemade lattes and chia pudding.
The weekday morning rush is a time of day that I know most moms continually struggle with. Between packed lunches, remembering to triple-check your kid’s backpacks before they’re out the door, and keeping a close eye on the clock before you’ve missed the bus (again!), it’s no wonder that us moms are left starting our day feeling flustered and overwhelmed; continually convinced that the coffee drive-thru is our only option for a latte and an easy backseat breakfast for the kids. Ever since we’ve introduced Cashew Dream™ with Coconut and Almond Dream™ into our morning routines, we’ve ditched the sugary cereals and empty carbs for good, and I’ve even found time to savor a delicious latté at home while the kids and I prepare for our day ahead.
Cashew Dream™ with Coconut and Almond Dream™ both offer an amazing taste while remaining lactose, dairy, and cholestoral free. Like other Hain Celestial products, they’re free of artificial flavours, colours, preservatives, and carrageenan, and remain non-GMO. Cashew Dream™ with Coconut and Almond Dream™are both suitable for vegans, just another reason I love keeping them both on hand. We’ve created two delicious recipes that promise to ease you into your mornings (the chia pudding you can even make the night before!); I’m so addicted to each of these flavourful recipes I’ve been known to whip them up and enjoy them in the evenings, too! I can almost guarantee that if you give them a try for yourself, you won’t miss the overpriced coffee beverages that were once needed to get you through your hustle!
Celestial Peppermint Tea and Cashew Dream™ with Coconut Latté
Ingredients:
- Celestial Peppermint tea
- ½ cup of Cashew Dream™ with Coconut
- 1 tablespoon of maple syrup
Step by step:
- Pour boiling water over Celestial peppermint tea bag, and steep tea to your preference.
- Once your tea bag has been removed, add maple syrup and stir.
- Froth Cashew Dream™ with Coconut in milk frother. Gently pour over the steeped tea.
Almond Dream™ Chia Pudding
Ingredients:
- 1½ cups of Almond Dream™
- ⅓ cup of chia seeds
- 1 banana
- Pinch of Himalayan sea salt
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Additional items for garnishing like granola, almond butter, shredded coconut, berries.
Step by step:
- Blend Almond Dream™, chia seeds, banana, salt, and cinnamon in the blender on high for 1 minute.
- Pour the mixture into small mason jars, refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours until set.
- Garnish with your favourite healthy toppings.
My Healthy Hack to Habit #3: Indulging in healthier snack options during games night with family and friends.
We live for the weekends and absolutely love having friends and family over – especially during the summer months! But there’s something about these carefree and casual get-togethers that often encourages us to abandon our healthy eating habits and get caught up with the snack foods being served. When we’re at the cottage for example, family games night goes hand in hand with chips and dips, usually being devoured within minutes. So hacking our much-loved games night snacks with Celestial products was a challenge we were definitely up for, and upon trying TERRA Chips I knew this switch would easily become a habit!
Unlike many other varieties of chips, TERRA’s Exotic Originals Chips are a source of fibre, low sodium, free of cholesterol and trans fats, contains no artificial preservatives, colours, or flavours. They’re gluten-free, kosher, and suitable for vegan and vegetarian diets, so you can serve TERRA chips with ease knowing everyone can enjoy. And the best part – the tasty medley of taro, sweet potato, yuca, batata, and parsnip doesn’t compromise on crunch, so indulging is sure to leave your cravings satisfied. We couldn’t wait to serve these with a mouth-watering caramelized onion dip, the perfect snack-time companion TERRA chips.
Caramelized Onion Dip with Terra® Exotic Originals Chips
Ingredients:
- 1 bag of Terra® Exotic Originals Chips (we used the original flavour)
- ½ an onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- Container of Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup of minced chives, and additional for garnish
- 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire
- 1 teaspoon of hot mustard powder
Step by step:
- In a skillet, sauté diced onion in olive oil on low-medium heat. Stir until onions are soft and caramelized, onions should be amber or golden in colour. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Empty the entire container of yogurt into a bowl and stir in Worcestershire and mustard powder. Once mixed, gently fold in cooled caramelized onions and fresh chives.
- Refrigerate the dip for at least 4 hours before serving, best if left overnight.
- Serve with your favourite Terra® Exotic Originals Chips.
Throughout our Hacks to Habits challenge, we’ve felt inspired by Hain Celestial to make some simple changes in improving our habits for the better and for the long-term. Hain Celestial is not only committed to becoming the leading manufacturer and provider of organic and healthy product alternatives, but is also dedicated to employing environmentally sound business practices and manufacturing processes. For our family, these changes were seemingly effortless and we can’t wait to hear everyone’s feedback! Are Hain Celestial products already part of your family’s healthier lifestyle? Do you have your own Hacks to Habits that we should share? Reach out, we’re all in this together!
Photography by Roxanne West Studios
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