Bagels can be a satisfying and delicious addition to your healthy lunches and breakfasts.
I try to keep my bagel breakfast balanced with the addition of fruit, veggies, and protein.
Light cream cheese is great, but one of my favorite combinations is a bagel topped with my homemade Healthy Honey Almond Cream Cheese, which includes cottage cheese as a secret ingredient. It is terrific on English muffins, spooned over Croffles (one of my favorite Korean Recipes), or spread over top of a plain bagel from your local bagel shop.
My favorite is this spread on a blueberry bagel, especially Dave’s Killer Bread cinnamon raisin Bagels.
Ingredients and Tips
Cottage Cheese – I prefer a full-fat cottage cheese for the most flavor.
Honey – In a pinch, you can swap for maple syrup.
Almonds – I prefer to use toasted almonds. It will give the spread more flavor. If you have food allergies to almonds, you can use sunflower seeds.
Vanilla Extract – You could swap for almond extract
Salt – I use flakey sea salt or kosher salt
Step-By-Step Instructions
In a food processor, blend the cottage cheese until smooth.
Add the chopped almonds, honey, vanilla, and salt to the food processor. Blend well.
Taste the mixture and adjust the honey to your liking.
Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Enjoy your homemade honey almond cream cheese spread on bagels, toast, or as a dip for fruit.
Creating a Balanced Breakfast
You may have heard breakfast is “the most important meal of the day” for many, and this is true. Numerous studies have found eating a balanced breakfast regularly is associated with a range of health benefits including reducing the risk of obesity, type II diabetes, and better school performance in children and adolescents.
A balanced breakfast includes a variety of nutrients in appropriate proportions to provide energy while promoting satiety.
I like to start my day with a balanced breakfast because it kickstarts my healthy eating for the rest of the day. You might be thinking, but Sarah, bagels are NOT healthy. Au contraire, my friend.
Bagels have carbohydrates, fiber, and protein. But most of all, I love the taste! I especially love bagels because I engage in regular exercise. Bagels are a convenient and tasty way to fuel my workouts.
Tips On Creating a Balanced Breakfast
Here are some tips for creating a balanced breakfast.
The Cinnamon Raisin Remix and Boomin’ Berry Bagels pair oh so well with this recipe. It’s important not to get too hung up on the numbers but here are a couple of reasons why I love to include Dave’s Killer Bread Organic Bagels in my diet.
With 11 to 12g of protein and 12 to 14g of whole grains, these bagels are baked to keep you fuller longer. Pair The Cinnamon Raisin Remix Bagel with a heaping 1/4 cup of my Honey Almond Cream Cheese and you are eating 18g of protein.
Pair that combo with a piece of fruit and you’ve got yourself a balanced breakfast or healthy lunch any dietitian would be proud of! Fruit adds additional fiber, vitamins, and minerals making it a smart addition to a balanced breakfast.
More Healthy Recipes
Enjoy these other breakfast recipes that are vibrant, nutritious, and tasty.
This Honey Almond Cream Cheese is sweet, creamy, and delicious. Compared to Panera's Honey Walnut Cream Cheese, this recipe is a awesome alternative because it contains higher levels of protein and lower amounts of both fat and sugar. Enjoy your homemade "cream" cheese on bagels, toast, or as a dip for fruit.
My Healthier Version of a Peanut Paradise Smoothie
Enjoy this Peanut Paradise Tropical Smoothie Copycat recipe anytime! I love this popular smoothie recipe because it is:
Simple to make
Contains easy ingredients
Super nutritious
A quick breakfast
Pleases my taste buds
This smoothie is a delicious and less expensive version of Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s Peanut Paradise Smoothie. It is just as good, if not better.
Why You Will LOVE This Recipe
I drink a lot of protein-fortified smoothies while training for marathons and half marathons. These protein shakes ensure I am achieving my protein goals week by week.
Smoothies are a quick and easy way for me to get the essential nutrients I need to ensure adequate nutrition while I train.
Ingredients and Tips
Milk: Chose the type of milk based on your preferences. I enjoy soy milk. However, dairy-free options include coconut milk, almond milk, or option to use cow’s milk..
Ripe Bananas: I prefer to use frozen banana chunks for creamy texture smoothies.
Creamy Peanut butter: Option to use chunky or smooth. This is an essential flavor in this smoothie and provides a dose of healthy fats. If you don’t have peanut butter you can create another easy recipe variation with nut butters.
Non-fat Greek Yogurt: I usually have unflavored, Greek Yogurt in my fridge. I like to add this for boost of extra protein and thickness If keeping this smoothie vegan, the option to omit the yogurt and swap for plant-based milk or yogurt.
Vanilla: Vanilla Extract for extra flavor
Optional: Vanilla protein powder ( chocolate protein powder will work too for a chocolate peanut butter smoothie) Also, check out this smoothie if you love peanut butter and chocolate.
Dates: Feel free to use more or less dates based on your sweetness preference. I like to limit the added sweetness to my smoothies and adding dates allows me to eliminate added sugar in my smoothie recipes. If you want an even sweeter smoothie or don’t have dates on hand, maple syrup works well.
Optional – Ice cubes: I say ice cubes are optional because I don’t usually use them. The frozen bananas and yogurt keep this smoothie thick and flavorful.
How to Make This Smoothie
Add Ingredients
Starting with the Milk, add all ingredients to a blender.
Blend
In a high-speed blender, blend the ingredients on high speed until you achieve a smooth and creamy consistency. Taste the smoothie and adjust the flavors to taste. I.e. add more peanut butter 1 tsp at a time, vanilla, or dates for sweetness. This ensures you have a tasty smoothie suited to your preferences.
Serve and Garnish
Once you are satisfied with the taste and consistency, pour your smoothie into a glass. Garnish with date caramel, crushed peanuts, whipped cream, a sprinkle of turbinado sugar, or warmed peanut butter drizzle. Enjoy!
Note: Other Add-ins include flax meal, collagen powder, or chia seeds. This smoothie is best consumed day of but if you do have leftover smoothie, you can freeze it in ice cube trays to add to your next peanut butter smoothie creation! This smoothie is very similar to my variation of Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie recipe, another delicious drink with cocoa powder and chocolate protein powder for chocolatey goodness!
FAQ (Ask a Dietitian!)
What is in a peanut paradise at Tropical Smoothie?
Typically this smoothie has Peanut butter, bananas, yogurt, milk, and ice. My version of this recipe incorporates dates, vanilla extract, and protein powder too!
Is Peanut Paradise Tropical Smoothie healthy?
Yes, A peanut paradise tropical smoothie is healthy! It is always important to consider portion sizes, added sugars, and ingredients customized based on an individual’s nutrition needs, allergies, and intolerances.
How many calories are in the Peanut Paradise Smoothie from Tropical Smoothie Café?
Supposedly, the Peanut Paradise smoothie from Tropical Smoothie Café has 600 to 700 calories in a 24-ounce smoothie.
My variation of this smoothie includes 366 calories per serving and 21g of protein. The beauty about making your copycat smoothies from home is you can customize the ingredients to exactly what you want. Not only is the smoothie super delicious but it is also way less expensive to make the smoothie from home!
Enjoy This Smoothie Recipe? Try These Smoothies Too!
Starting with the Milk, add all ingredients to a blender.
Blend
Blend the ingredients on high until you achieve a smooth and creamy consistency. Taste the smoothie and adjust the flavors to taste. I.e. add more peanut butter 1 tsp at a time, vanilla, or dates for sweetness.
Serve and Garnish
Once you are satisfied with the taste and consistency, pour your smoothie into a glass. Garnish with date caramel, crushed peanuts, whipped cream, or warmed peanut butter drizzle. Enjoy!
Notes
Other Add-ins include flax meal, collagen powder, or chia seeds.
Southwest Grain Bowls are a superb option for a healthy breakfast on the go.
I love how this bowl is so pleasantly zesty and fresh that I had to recreate it at home.
With tomato season emerging, this is a great recipe to have in the queue for when you are swimming in tomatoes. This recipe is gluten-free, vegan, versatile, and best of all easy.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Healthy
This Southwest Quinoa Bowl is protein and fiber-packed.
With yummy veggies and fresh flavors, this recipe is nutritious and delicious.
To make this recipe even more fulling and satisfying, add more protein! I like to add a plant-based protein like Baked or Air Fryer Tofu.
Quick and Easy
This recipe is easy to throw together and can be ready for lunch or dinner in under 30 minutes.
Perfect for Leftovers
I love to make a big batch of this recipe.
It is superb for leftovers, tasting, perhaps, even better the next day after the flavors have melded.
Versatile
I love this recipe because it is so versatile!
You can choose to use black beans or pinto beans, brown rice or quinoa, sweet potatoes, red bell peppers, green bell peppers, or poblanos. In the vinaigrette, you can use olive oil or avocado oil.
Moreover, you could add a bit of our sour cream to the top of your bowl, or finish the southwest bowl with lots and lots of fresh cilantro or lime juice.
Lastly, you can further top this southwest quinoa bowl with store-bought rotisserie chicken, grilled southwest chicken thighs or breasts, slow-cooker pulled pork, or baked tofu.
Ingredients For Southwest Bowl & Notes
Quinoa
You can’t have a quinoa bowl without quinoa. However, if you wanted to take this recipe and use a different grain for a Southwest Grain Bowl, Farro, Sorghum, and even rice would pair well with the ingredients.
Black Beans and Corn
These two ingredients are quintessential when making a southwest-style bowl or salad.
Don’t have black beans? I would recommend pinto, kidney, or red beans.
Cherry Tomatoes
You don’t have to limit this recipe to tomato season, but I encourage you to make this at least once with local, farm-fresh, tomatoes. Tomatoes season can range from May through October.
Jalapeno’s can add a lot of heat, so to keep this recipe milder remove the seeds and ribs from the jalapeno before dicing it.
If you love fresh herbs like me, you can add more cilantro to the top of the dish as a garnish.
Ingredients for Southwest Vinaigrette and Tips
This vinaigrette can be used with this recipe but it also works well in a different meal. It’s simple, easy, and ready in under 5 minutes.
Olive oil
I prefer to use olive oil in this vinaigrette but avocado oil works well too.
Apple Cider Vinegar
I like the slight sweetness of apple cider vinegar but white vinegar works as well.
Lime
I use lime zest and fresh lime juice.
Seasonings
Similar to taco seasoning, I use dried oregano, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. For a bit more kick, the option to include red pepper flakes.
Interested in learning more about this dressing and marinade? I have a whole article dedicated to it called Southwest Chicken Marinade.
How to Make this Southwest Quinoa Bowl
Bowl Prep
Cook quinoa per package instructions. Add all the bowl ingredients to a large bowl and set aside.
Southwest Vinaigrette
In a jar, add all vinaigrette ingredients. Place the lid on the jar, and shake until combined.
Finish Off the Quinoa Bowl
Drizzle the southwest vinaigrette over the bowl ingredients. Using a rubber spatula mix the ingredients until combined.
Taste the recipe and add salt, pepper, herbs, and additional lime juice as needed per the cook’s preference.
Southwest-Quinoa-Bowl-and-vinaigrette
Great Pairings
This recipe is magical when paired with many varieties of foods.
Depending on your mood or how you are eating this Quinoa Bowl, you can eat it alone as a hearty and healthy snack.
Alternatively, you can pair this recipe with some cooked protein and veggies.
The last time I served this Southwest Quinoa Bowl, I made a big ole batch of it. We saved about half of the recipe to take for lunches during the week, and the other half we served alongside
This is a healthy Southwest Quinoa Bowl with a zesty and citrusy vinaigrette. This grain bowl is made with quinoa, corn, black beans, cherry tomatoes, and other fresh flavors.
Today, I am unveiling a homemade marvel, an irresistible blueberry drop biscuit. These better-than-Bojangles blueberry biscuits are bursting with the natural sweetness of blueberries and buttery flakey love. Furthermore, they are so much better than a copycat recipe.
Why I Made This Recipe
There is a special place in my heart for biscuits. In fact, during my undergraduate years, I dedicated my experimental foods project to exploring dairy milk alternatives in drop biscuit recipes. You could say I’m a true “biscuit enthusiast.”
However, my reasons for creating this recipe go beyond my love for biscuits.
Blueberry Season: Blueberries are in season! What a great way to use up some of your latest summer blueberry hauls. However, when blueberries are not in season, I always have a bag of frozen blueberries in the freezer (it’s Jacob’s absolute favorite food). And, frozen blueberries work just as well in this recipe.
Easy: Perhaps it’s the countless times I made drop biscuits during that undergraduate experimental foods class, but making biscuits is a breeze. They are ready in under an hour with zero proofing time, chilling time, or any lengthy waiting time.
Even after devouring a multitude of biscuits that year, my love for them remains unwavering.
Comfort food Perfect for Sharing: Few things can rival the comfort of a warm biscuit slathered with butter.
Sure you could share a plate of box brownies, or break and bake cookie dough, but sharing a batch of made-from-scratch, freshly baked biscuits takes sharing to a whole new level of “caring”. Trust me, this recipe is a crowd-pleaser. I would know, I’ve shared these biscuits on numerous occasions.
Ingredients For Bo Berry Biscuits with Lemon Glaze
Biscuits
Bread Flour or all purpose flour
Baking Powder
Kosher Salt
Sugar
Cold Butter
Fresh or Frozen blueberries
2% milk or buttermilk
Lemon Zest
Vanilla extract
Sweet Lemon Glaze
Lemon juice
Powdered sugar
How to Make Bojangles Blueberry Biscuits Recipe with Lemon Glaze
Blueberry Biscuits
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the cold cubed butter to the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or your fingers. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs the size of peas.
In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients into the bowl. Gradually pour the wet ingredients with the dry and gently mix with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon just until the dough starts to come together. The dough will be sticky and lumpy.
Gently fold in the blueberries.
Using a large spoon, or a 2” ice cream scoop, drop mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Leave 2 inches of space between each biscuit.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the biscuits are lightly golden on the tops.
The Lemon Glaze
While the biscuits are baking, mix lemon juice and powdered sugar together.
Once the biscuits are finished baking, allow them to cool slightly, perhaps on a wire rack or a separate plate.
Using a spoon drizzle the glaze over the biscuits before serving you homemade biscuits.
Serving Suggestions
In this recipe, I change things up by adding a mouth-puckering lemony icing glaze. Here are some other easy ways to serve up these .
Served simply, unglazed, with butter and honey
Paired with blueberry preserves
Alongside fresh blueberries or berries
Served with a plain or sweet cream cheese
Crumbled over a yogurt parfait
The biscuit for a breakfast sandwich
Unglazed alongside some golden brown fried chicken
Before storing these biscuits, allow them to cool completely.
At room temperature, you can store the biscuits in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
For refrigeration, keep them in the fridge for 4-5 days, maintaining their delightful taste and texture.
Freezing is the best bet for extended storage. These biscuits can be frozen for up to 6 months.
When you are ready to enjoy, take as many biscuits out as you would like and let them thaw at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes. If desired you may reheat in the oven at 350degrees F for 5-7 minutes until warmed through.
Enjoy This Recipe? Try These Wonderful Sweet Recipes
From their buttery and flaky texture to the burst of blueberries in every bite to the mouth-puckering sweet glaze, these biscuits effortlessly blend comfort and indulgence in one bite.
Below are some other breakfast recipes you will love.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the cold cubed butter to the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or your fingers. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs the size of peas.
In a small bowl, combine the wet ingredients into the bowl. Gradually pour the wet ingredients with the dry and gently mix with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon just until the dough starts to come together. The dough will be sticky and lumpy.
Gently fold in the blueberries.
Using a large spoon, or a 2” ice cream scoop, drop mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Leave 2 inches of space between each biscuit.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the biscuits are lightly golden on the tops.
Lemon Glaze
While the biscuits are baking, mix lemon juice and powdered sugar together.
Once the biscuits are finished baking, allow them to cool slightly, perhaps on a wire rack or a separate plate.
Using a spoon drizzle the glaze over the biscuits before serving.
Is Trader Joe’s Harvest Blend Good? A Dietitian’s Review
Here is a Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend Review from a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with a Master’s in Nutrition. My review might surprise you!
In this review, I discuss versatility, taste, nutrition, and more!
Please note that this article contains affiliate links. These links incur no additional cost to you but may provide a small commission to support the upkeep of our site. Thank you for your support and understanding.
What is Trader Joe’s Harvest Blend?
Before I jump into the Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend Review, let’s review what the product is!
The Harvest Blend at Trader Joe’s, also called Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend contains the different grains of Israeli couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo beans, and red quinoa.
This product comes in a 16oz bag and can be found in the pasta and grain aisle in Trader Joe’s.
Trader Joe’s Harvest Grain Product Scorecard
I scored Trader Joe’s Harvest Blend across five categories and allotted points from 0 to 10. The scores below reflect the rating for each category.
Overall Score: 8.25/10
Meal Variety: 10/10
Nutrition: 7/10
Ease of preparation: 8/10
Taste: 8/10
+PRO
You can do so much with this grain mix. It is a fantastic ingredient to add to meals and recipes.
Dinner ready in under 30 minutes
12g of protein (37% calories coming from protein, for a grain mix this is great!)
320 calories or ½ cup dry mix
xCON
Only 4g fiber – this is a con light. 4g is pretty good but it could be better
Needs additional protein sources, veggies, and flavorings for this to be a balanced meal.
Available on Amazon However, you have to buy a pack of three and it is more expensive than purchasing in store.
Applications of Trader Joe’s Harvest Blend
Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend is excellent in a variety of dishes.
It is a great product for when you don’t know what to have for dinner andyoudon’t have much time.
A Dietitian’s Nutrition Analysis
I wish this product had more quinoa or legumes. So, to bump up the fiber and protein, I add more quinoa and some lentils into my mix!
Incorporate the Harvest Grains Mix with your favorite combination of veggies and some protein for a balanced meal, such as goat cheese, pine nuts, chicken, fish, or tofu.
Ease Of Cooking
A Harvest Blend dinner can be ready in under 30 minutes.
The directions say to bring water or chicken stock (you could also use vegetable stock, or vegetable broth) or to a boil then stir in the Harvest blend with one tablespoon of butter (avocado, coconut, or olive oil work well too).
Then bring the mixture back to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer, covered for 10 minutes. Please note, that cooking times may vary slightly from stove to stove.
You can eat this immediately or make a batch in advance for some meal prep! This recipe tastes just as good served the next day.
Taste of Trader Joe’s Harvest Blend Recipes
This product makes so many different delicious recipes. I love the varieties of textures, sizes, and shapes of the grains included. However, alone Harvest Grains Blend does not have tons of flavor.
This product requires you to add your seasoning because they are not included in the package. However, this makes this product super versatile.
You can add so many seasoning combinations from garlic and herb (minced garlic with fresh parsley, dried oregano, and thyme) to lemon pepper (lemon juice, lemon zest, and black pepper) to olive rosemary (olive slices, red pepper flakes, and as the grain mix cooks include a spring of fresh rosemary to infuse the mixture.
Who is this product suitable for?
I recommend this product as an easy weeknight meal staple. It brings fiber and protein to the mix and pairs well with many varieties of foods.
It is excellent for vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians alike!
Please note, thatthis product is not gluten-free.
The Bottom Line
The next time you are strolling the isles at Trader Joe’s consider picking up a bag of their Harvest Blend.
Like this Trader Joe’s Product Review? Check Out These Other Related Trader Joe’s Product Articles!
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