Miranda Malisani – Nutrition Expert

Holiday Stress = Homemade Holiday Chocolate

It seems wrong to pair the words “holiday” and “stress” together because the very definition of the word holiday is “a day of festivity or recreation when no work is done”.  Whoever came up with that definition might not have had children or an extended family! As a kid I can remember the suspenseful and magical feeling when we counted down the days to Winter break, with anticipation of gifts and holiday treats. Well years later I realized the stress sometimes comes from having to make this magic happen. It’s a beautiful thing to watch, but it takes some serious…

What I Stock Up on For Cold & Flu Season

  Cold and flu season is here… when you hear these, only thoughts of dread follow! With young kids in school I know that it’s just a matter of time before they pass the cold like a game of hot potato but it’s a stuffy nose, burning eyes, congested chest potato and sooner or later one of the boys bring the potato home. It’s inevitable. Getting sick is miserable, but there is some value in challenging our children’s immune systems as this builds strength in the body so that when they are older they can fight off the bugs easier.…

Superfood Pairs ( and recipes) with JAMIE OLIVER!

    I kept my composure during the segment, but inside I was doing cartwheels!! This was one of those surreal feeling moments when I got to share a segment on The Marilyn Denis Show with someone who I’ve watched and admired for years! Jamie Oliver organically and passionately demonstrates his love for cooking real food and has put a huge spot light on how we can change our health and our children’s health with a focus on getting back to the basics, simply cooking. I had the INCREDIBLE task of putting Jamie (and the cutest crew of elementary students…

Witches Brewberry Smoothie

Dead leaves, seaweed, rotten eggs, too. Stir them in my witches’ brew. I got magic, Alakazamakazoo. Spider web, moldy bread, mucky mud, too. Stir them in my witches’ brew. I got magic! Alakazamakazoo ooo – My witches’ brew – ooo What’s it gonna do to you? Boo! (Witches Brew, Hap Palmer) There isn’t moldy bread, rotten eggs or mucky mud in this smoothie, but seaweed would have been a great idea. Seaweed has a crazy amazing amount of minerals that are needed to boost the immune system after the sugar gorge fest a.k.a Halloween. Although this holiday is not high…

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

If you’re my friend, you know that this is my go-to treat to bring to parties, when I have company, or when I am in need of a little chocolate/peanut butter therapy. I even brought them on The Marilyn Denis Show as a healthy halloween treat last October. Once you make a batch they last for a few months in the freezer, so these bad boys are ready for you when you want a bite or two. With only 6 ingredients that you probably have in your cupboard right now! Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups  Makes 24 minis Ingredients: 2/3…

Kale-Berry Pancakes

Today’s dinner consisted of one of my boys eating his fish and not eating his broccoli and purple potatoes, the other one would only eat his broccoli and potatoes. Together they make a nutritionally balanced kid, but apart they like to make me work for it. Of course I told them to eat it and they declined saying that they don’t like it, and you know how it goes from there. The food tug of war that no one ever wins… So I walked away slightly annoyed and decided they are on a need to know basis for the next…

Chocolate Chip Avocado Mini Muffins

  After my Chocolate Avocado cake disappeared into the bellies of my boys in ONE day, I just had to bake something more with this creamy combo. I love how an avocado acts as the perfect fat once smoothed out, I didn’t need any oil for this recipe. I decided to use my Vitamix for this recipe because it’s my favourite kitchen toy and it gets the avocado to a pureed state without any little pieces. Here’s the recipe:  Chocolate Chip Avocado Mini Muffins Makes 24 mini muffins Ingredients:  1 ripe avocado 1 ripe banana 1/4 cup raw honey 7…

Gluten-Free Chocolate Avocado Cake

This cake speaks for itself.  Creamy chocolate, creamy avocado. Not much more to say but YUM. From a nutritional perspective, it’s a heart healthy cake. I used avocado and olive oil in this recipe which contain a significant amount of monounsaturated fat which help to support and strengthen the cardiovascular system. Raw cacao is rich in the mineral magnesium which helps to relax your heart and you in general. I gave it to the boys for dessert tonight and after doing 20 laps around the house they slipped into dream land faster than usual. I’m going to thank the magnesium…

Post Thanksgiving 1-Day Detox

Feeling stuffed after your turkey feast?! Try this 1-day detox to get back on track. FIRST THING and sip throughout the day too (Make night before) Ginger, Lemon & Mint Water  Ingredients: 1.5 liters of filtered water 2 thumbnail sized ginger root (peel and slice, mince or shred) 2 organic lemons handful of fresh mint Directions: Wash produce well Remove rind from one lemon, slice and add to water. Squeeze the juice from the the other lemon. Add ginger and mint Stir and let infuse over night in the fridge Pour a glass first thing in the morning By 9…

Blu-cado Smoothie

It’s fall, but we aren’t ready to give up our summer smoothie just yet. This combo is loved by the boys for it’s creamy and sweet and has a fun purple colour. We call it Blu-cado because blueberries and avocado are the stars of this smoothie. Not only do these two taste yummy together, but the Vitamin K in the blueberries is better absorbed with avocado’s healthy fat. Blueberries are a super fruit for the brain. You could even call them brain-berries for they help to improve memory, and protect nerve cells for healthy cognitive function. Avocado is also a…