I have found that when it comes to elimination diets such as the paleo diet, or a plant-based diet you must have healthy ingredients made into snacks on hand at all times. Otherwise, it is easy to stray off the elimination diet. And while that would be fine if the diet was just a diet, but you are here to heal. Therefore having healthy snacks prepared, cut up, chopped up, and ready to go is the way to optimize these diets so that you thrive.
Why Tahini butter?
Tahini butter is also known as sesame seed butter is a great nut-free replacement for nut butter in smoothies. It's also an approved seed butter on the Paleo diet. Most smoothies advertised use peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter. Some recipes get creative and go with pistachio butter, macadamia butter, walnut butter. And when it comes to allergies and food sensitivities there are other options such as Sunbutter aka sunflower seed butter, pumpkin seed butter, hemp butter, and coconut butter. And lastly, there is sesame seed butter also known as tahini which is highly underrated and makes a creamy and delicious sesame smoothie.
Tahini butter is loaded with plant-based protein and healthy fats fitting perfectly into the paleo diet. This smoothie also happens to be dairy-free, refined sugar-free, naturally sweetened, nut-free, corn-free, soy-free, and gluten-free which also fits under the provisions of the Paleo diet. Last but not least our smoothies should taste good, even if there are hidden veggies inside them, even if the smoothie follows a diet template. Tahini butter masks those hidden veggies and makes this smoothie delicious!
What is the Paleo diet?
The Paleo diet is a diet that restricts certain foods with an aim to clean out the body and drastically reduce chronic inflammation.
What is not allowed on the Paleo diet?
- Gluten
- All grains
- Dairy (except ghee if tolerated) (some eat grass-fed butter on the Paleo diet)
- Soy
- Corn
- Quinoa
- Legumes
- Peanuts
- *White Potatoes (this was changed a few years back to allow white potatoes)
- Processed foods
- Refined oils
- Refined sugars
Is Whole 30 the same as the Paleo diet?
No, Whole 30 is a more strict version of the Paleo diet that doesn't allow any sugar except in the form of fruit and doesn't allow processed foods. It is a time-frame diet. Meaning that it is meant to be done for 30 days. The purpose of Whole 30 is to dramatically reduce chronic inflammation, remove toxins, discover food allergies/sensitivities, discover what bothers the body when certain foods are added back. An unintentionally great perk is weight loss.
Why smoothies are great as a snack or breakfast meal on the Paleo diet
If you are not used to eating fully whole foods and non-processed then this Paleo diet can be hard. And it feels SO good to know you have a delicious smoothie that is easy to make daily. This way you know that you have your breakfast or your healthy snack nailed. It makes you have to think about one thing less, and on this diet that is a highlight.
To make my smoothies even more compliant I always opt for unsweetened nut and seed butter, as well as unsweetened plant-based kinds of milk. I bet you never realized that there is actually added sugar in milk and nut butter which is not compliant with the Paleo diet. You have to check those sneaky labels. Once those sneaky labels are checked and you have your ingredients you are ready to go!
Speaking of smoothies for breakfast I highly recommend these smoothies too. Rotation is best!
Ready to gather your ingredients?
Sesame Chocolate Smoothie
Equipment
- high-speed blender
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsweetened coconut milk or hemp milk
- ¼ cup good quality coconut water
- 1 tablespoon good quality coconut water
- ½ large frozen banana
- ½ cup frozen broccoli
- 1 handful spinach
- ⅓ cup skinless cucumber, chopped
- 1 ¼ tablespoon tahini butter (sesame butter)
- 1-2 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ of the inside of a vanilla bean
- 4 drops pure liquid stevia
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon cardamom
- 2 teaspoon hemp seeds
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon maca root powder
- 1-2 tablespoon chocolate powder or raw cacao
- ¼ cup ripe pear optional
Instructions
- In a high-speed blender add the liquid and frozen broccoli and blast until smooth.
- Then add the banana, spinach, cucumbers, optional pear and blast again until creamy.
- Once blended add in the remaining ingredients: nutmeg, cardamom, chocolate powder, maca root, hemp seeds, stevia, vanilla, and chia seeds. Blast on medium-high until well blended to your creamy desire. Add ice, blast again, and serve over ice with a straw.
Notes
- If you don't have all superfoods on hand, you can omit them. Just don't omit the chocolate or the spices.
- If you don't have nutmeg or cardamom you can try cinnamon
Love and paleo smoothies,
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