Ever find yourself running late in the morning with not much time to create a hearty & healthy breakfast? If you're anything like me then it probably happens a lot — sometimes those extra 10 minutes in my warm cozy bed are too irresistible. To combat unhealthy decisions on those hectic mornings, add a bit of caffeine to breakfast with an easy & undeniably delicious bowl of mocha oatmeal.

I'm making 2017 the year of personal bests by feeling good about myself & taking care of myself. Self-love & self-care, y'all! In order to keep myself on track, I created this breakfast recipe to save time & still fill me up.

I've made this so many times, it's essentially foolproof. It'll give you a nice kick of caffeine while simultaneously filling you up for hours on end. Keep reading & you'll find out how to make this simple mocha oatmeal recipe. Let's get started!

Ingredients

1 cup soy milk

1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal

1 cup water

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1 tablespoon freeze dried coffee
1 teaspoon Truvia® Natural Sweetener Spoonable

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan bring soy milk & water to a boil.
2. Stir in oatmeal. Reduce heat & simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. After 5 minutes or when your oatmeal is almost to your desired texture, mix in the cocoa powder & coffee. Stir until thoroughly combined. Let sit for 2 minutes.
4. Remove pan from heat & stir in Truvia® Natural Sweetener Spoonable.
5. Add desired toppings & enjoy!

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 7 - 10 minutes, depending on preference
Servings: 2

This recipe is simple & I absolutely love using Truvia® Natural Sweetener Spoonable since it's a zero-calorie, stevia-based sweetener. Oh, & it's effortless to use. I bought my Truvia® Natural Sweetener Spoonable at Ralphs. You may find it in the baking aisle along with your cake mixes, flour, & sugar. Truvia® is easy to spot because the packaging is bright green!

Make this mocha oatmeal once & I promise you'll never look back. It's insanely delicious. The proportions are straightforward & easy to remember. This recipe makes two servings, one to share or one for tomorrow. The Truvia® Natural Sweetener Spoonable adds the perfect amount of sweetness since it provides the same sweetness as two teaspoons of sugar, making it the perfect natural sweetener for those looking to reduce calories.


You can make your bowl of oatmeal even more beautiful by adding toppings like chia seeds, flaxseeds, fresh berries, chopped nuts, or more Truvia® Natural Sweetener Spoonable. We can make wiser decisions this year. Let's start breakfast off right. :]

Salad doesn't have to be boring! It's not all lettuce and tomatoes! If you're tired of salad, you're doing it wrong. This is a sweet out-of-the-ordinary salad perfect for serving on a hot summer's day. This refreshing salad pairs fresh fruits with fresh ingredients. The fragrant strawberries and tart juice of the limes tantalize the taste buds. Try this easy cheap vegetarian recipe! 

1. Simply chop cucumbers, carrots and strawberries. Mix together and add to a bowl.
2. Cut key limes in half. Squeeze into bowl of minced veggies.
3. Toss in the balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
4. Add a pinch of salt & pepper to taste.
5. Bon Appétit!

Ingredients:

1/4 onion

1/2 cup green beans

1 carrot

5 florets of broccoli

1/4 cup cauliflower

1/2 yellow squash

2 cups cabbage

2 cups pasta

1/4 cup cashews

1 citrus fruit

All measurements are approximations and do not need to be followed exactly.

1. First things first, heat up your pan to medium heat and add some oil. Chop your onion and green beans. Toss the onion into the pan. Wait until it cooks a bit then drop in the green beans until both begin to brown.

2. Slice your broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower and yellow squash. Chuck them all in the pan on medium heat, stir and cover it up. Let the veggies cook for about 15 minutes. Since there's a large amount of vegetables, it needs time to thoroughly get warmed up.




4. Mix in some spices with your veggies. Mine includes basil, black peppercorns, coriander, garlic, mustard seed, oregano, paprika, parsley, red chili pepper, rosemary, sea salt and thyme.  But you can use whatever you have in your pantry.

6. Now for the final touches! Top off the dish with cashews, citrus and Thai peanut sauce. My peanut sauce is from Sprout's and it's completely vegan. But I've found a vegan version at Target too. That's all, friends. Enjoy!


When it comes to my meals, I like to keep them tasty but easy. Try out my healthy vegetarian recipe out tonight! Everyone, especially you, will be impressed by your culinary skills.

Spaghetti Squash Salmagundi

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash

any vegetables in your fridge

seasoning

In case you were wondering, salmagundi is a medley, hodgepodge, mixture, jumble. This healthy vegetarian recipe is simply a general guide to making a delicious spaghetti squash dish, not anything exact. You can include a mishmash of veggies. You may add any and every vegetable you have at your place.

Spaghetti squash is an excellent substitute for pasta, hence the name.  This is a low carb healthy vegetarian recipe/ According to Better Nutrition, spaghetti squash is a watermelon-shaped squash that's low in calories and carbohydrates and high in beta-carotene, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. Dang, this squash has got it all! 

Alright, let's get started!

1. The first thing you need to do is cut your spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. This can be tough because they're pretty thick. Then take a spoon and scrape the goopy insides and seeds. You can save the seeds and bake them if you want. 

3. Now chop up your veggies. Veggies are a huge part of any healthy vegetarian recipe. I cut onion and green beans and added them to a pan on medium heat. After those cooked and browned a little bit I tossed in asparagus, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, and red bell pepper. Cover the pan and stir occasionally. It takes a while to cook since there's quite a mass of vegetables in there.

4. Your spaghetti squash ought to be ready by now. Take a fork and poke it. If it's soft and goes through easily, it's ready. If not, keep baking it. Once you remove the squash from the oven, get a large bowl and a fork. Start scraping! It's super easy to do. It breaks apart into spaghetti-like pieces. Rad, right? Add more spices and seasoning. I included a no salt seasoning, which included garlic, onion, basil, oregano, rosemary and parsley.

5. Everything should be ready to go. Mix cooked veggies and the squash together. Now's the time to add more spices, if necessary. I'm a taste-as-I-cook kind of gal. I added pepper, thyme and an everyday seasoning which included sea salt, mustard seeds, coriander, onion, garlic, paprika and chili pepper. 

Okay, so that's the easy cheap vegetarian recipe for ya. This makes quite a lot of food. Serve for friends and family or save for leftovers. Plus, this dish is extremely versatile. One day I added tomato sauce for a yummy pasta dish. The next day I put a dash of teryaki sauce for an Asian-inspired meal. 

Please let me know if you decide to try this healthy vegetarian recipe out!

Bon Appétit!

When I come up with easy cheap vegetarian recipes, it usually involves me opening the fridge, seeing what's in there, then mixing random ingredients. This is a classic example. I've been purchasing an abundance of fresh produce these days, so I have to use them up before they go bad. This recipe is somewhat similar to Soyrizo Surprize, but has a lot more veggies. The more the merrier though, am I right? 

Well, this scrumptious Carmen Varner concoction contains six, you heard me, six veggies. That's almost one's entire daily recommended intake of vegetables. Say what?! It's insanely easy to eat healthy when it tastes so darn good and fills you up for hours. Here you go! Try this easy cheap vegetarian recipe yourself.

1 zucchini

1 green bell pepper

2 cups spinach

1/2 onion

1. Chop up all ingredients. Heat a pan on the stove. Add olive oil.
2. Add chopped potato and onion. These take longer to cook thoroughly.
3. Once the potato/onion mix begins to look cooked or starts to brown, add green beans.
4. Once the green beans begin to brown, add zucchini and yellow squash. Since there's a plethora of veggies, this part takes 10-15 minutes for everything to cook. But it condenses greatly. 
5. Once the zucchini/yellow squash is soft, add bell pepper. Cooking tip: How do you know if it's soft? Answer: Taste it.
6. Now add in your spinach. It looks massive at first, but spinach shrinks into an itty bitty little thing.
7. After the spinach is all shriveled and shrunken, add in your soy chorizo. The chorizo itself takes hardly any time to cook.

Before we get started, Brussels sprouts contain protein, fiber, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin A, & folate. All of which are necessary daily nutrients. I've heard so many references about Brussels sprouts being disgusting, but they're not at all as gross as one would assume. Add them to any meal to create a healthy vegetarian recipe.

Step 2: Cut Brussels sprouts in half.

Step 3: Add olive oil, salt, & pepper. Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees or until outermost layer starts to brown.

That's pretty much it. This is simple & it tastes scrumptious. Make these for an easy cheap healthy vegetarian recipe for one or for all! Alternatively, you may add garlic salt, rosemary, vegan butter, or other spices if you so wish. This is a basic template to get your Brussels sprout taste buds flowing. Go out to the store, pick out a few good looking sprouts, & get to cooking! 

Bon appétit!

Since I'm vegetarian and incorporate a lot of veggies, greens, and plant-based foods into my diet, I've been asked countless times how I can survive on "rabbit food." Frankly, I've never had a rabbit, so I'm not entirely sure what they eat. But if rabbits eat what I eat, then I wouldn't mind being one. Anyway, I was extremely hungry and scoured my fridge to see what was hidden within. The result was kind of random as far as healthy vegetarian recipes go, but it was totally yummy. So that's how the Nutty Rabbit Salad came into the universe. This is a not-so-average salad. I think the rabbits of the world would be proud.

2 cups spinach

1 cup chopped green beans

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1 tbsp sunflower seeds

First, add a little bit of extra virgin olive oil to a pan on medium heat.  Let it warm up then dump in your green beans. Let the beans simmer for a few minutes, until they start to look slightly cooked. Green beans are versatile so you can add them to most meals to make it a healthy vegetarian recipe. Next, you need to add the almonds, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds. Sauté until the green beans look fully cooked and the nutty mixture turns slightly brown.

The next step is to wash your spinach and shredded carrots, then add it to a large bowl. Add in the cooked concoction and stir altogether so that it forms a delicious goodness. The dressing is up to you. In this particular rendition of the Nutty Rabbit Salad, I used Archer Farms Thai Peanut Sauce, which was superb. Add some oil and balsamic vinegar. Maybe some lemon and pepper. You're the one eating it, so make it how you want it. 

This is an excellent appetizer or dinner salad. This Nutty Rabbit salad is a delectable healthy vegetarian recipe that you can always enjoy.You can make it for yourself. You can share it with a friend. Whip this up and impress your date (I recommend this one).  This will satiate your appetite, while giving you that fabulous home-cooked meal feeling in the pit of your stomach.

Bon appétit!

*Rabbit-approved meal.

Pita Pocket of Perfection

Ingredients:

1 whole wheat pita

1/2 an avocado

1/2 a tomato

1/2 cup spinach

1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts

Add mustard, garlic salt, & pepper to taste.

No directions necessary. This is another easy healthy vegetarian recipe, especially for all the starving college students out there. Take a break from your normal sandwich and give this Pita Pocket of Perfection a try instead! The whole wheat pita tastes fabulous if you warm it up on the stove first. Plus, this pita sandwich packs several veggies in one serving. Spinach is low in calorie and nutrient-dense, including vitamins A and K, fiber, folate, and magnesium.  Normally, I despise tomatoes, but I added a few pieces to mine because I know how good they are for me. I could barely taste it because the amazing avocado invaded my taste buds. Avocados have nearly 20 essential nutrients. Seriously, just add an extra vegetable to your meal and you'll supply yourself with that many more of your daily nutrients. Try it out this healthy vegetarian recipe as soon as possible! Bon Appétit!

If you're anything like me, you're a very busy bee. You don't have an extra hour to cook a nice meal for yourself, nor do you have the money to purchase an abundance of fancy ingredients and products. You go to school several days a week to broaden your knowledge. You labor for hours on end to earn your dollars. In addition, you have a social life you try your best to maintain. 

Life is busy, but that doesn't mean you have to eat poorly! You want an easy and healthy vegetarian recipe, because you don't want to slave away for an hour in the kitchen. I've come up with a really quick, simple, and healthy recipe for you to enjoy. Always keep in mind that health is in our hands. Since experimenting with veganism, I've been eating noticeably more natural foods. I haven't used the microwave in a couple of weeks. I make everything fresh. And I love it! I feel great.

I was inspired by the items in my refrigerator for this healthy vegetarian recipe. It's fast and boy, is it scrumptious. Try it out!

Soyrizo Surprize

Ingredients:

  1/2 package of Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo

1/2 of a green bell pepper

1 cup spinach

1/2 cup shredded carrots 

1/2 cup mushroom

It's literally that easy. The soyrizo has an amazing, slightly spicy taste. It's ideal for any healthy vegetarian recipe, especially breakfast. The veggies add flavor, texture, and vibrant color. The ingredients are fresh. It's something different. You can leave out any vegetable. You can add any vegetable. You can add anything, really. Or you can leave it as is!

This healthy vegetarian recipe takes under 15 minutes to prepare and cook. That's pretty time-friendly for a person who's always on the go.  I make Soyrizo Surprize during my 2-hour long break between classes; then I make tea with my roommate and we watch something quick on Netflix. This recipe is quick, so you can have time for what's truly important in life. It's simple.

Reviews:

"That smells good." -my roommate's friend

"Not only is it so bright and colorful, the spiciness it what really makes it special." -my roommate

Bon appétit!