I posted a picture of this miso soup on Instagram today and drove all of my friends and family crazy because I didn't share the recipe along with it. So, before I get any hate mail, here it is!

The miso and shiitake mushrooms are good for fighting off the sniffles that seem to be everywhere right now. Enjoy!


Miso Soup With Soba Noodles
(Lightly adapted from Whole Living Magazine, Feb 2013 issue)
Serves 4

Per serving: 408 calories, 13g fat, 56g carbs, 20g protein, 9g fiber.

I read an article a little while back that claimed that there are two kinds of people: those that thrive on variety and crave novelty, and those that prefer the predictability and comfort of the same routine day after day. While I tend to get bored very easily, I do stick to routines for the more practical parts of life. Like grocery shopping, for example! I know which stores have the items on my list and even where the items are located inside those stores. That saves me time which, with my grocery-store-hating little people in tow, is precious.

When I was asked to create a healthy breakfast recipe for Save Mart Supermarkets, I had to try something new.

I had never been to Save Mart before this week and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the customer service was great and I was able to find all of the ingredients that I needed for the breakfast oatmeal bars that I had dreamed up for this challenge!

For my breakfast recipe, I wanted to create something that could be a grab-and-go breakfast for busy families and something that was easy to make with simple, familiar ingredients. For everyone that says that healthy food is weird or hard to make or contains ingredients that are impossible to find, this is for you! These bars are super healthy, vegan, and gluten free. In spite of all that, though, they are moist and yummy and made from easy-to-find, simple ingredients which can be purchased in any mainstream grocery store (including Save Mart!).

Breakfast Oatmeal Bars
Makes 9 vegan, gluten-free bars

2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup non-dairy milk (almond, soy, rice, coconut, etc.)
1 large extra-ripe banana
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons nut butter (almond, peanut, etc.)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup non-dairy yogurt (soy, almond, coconut, etc.)
1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)