Vegan Protein Fruit Smoothie Ice Lollies

The summer days are pretty sweltering at the moment, but I refuse to complain about it (whenever I'm tempted to, I just think back to our last winter's cold, dark, wet days, then count my blessings)! Instead, I'm trying to make the most of the summer fun by getting outdoors, swimming in rivers or the sea as much as possible, and I've been making these really healthy vegan fruit smoothie ice lollies - they're incredibly refreshing and taste so good! Plus, they're packed with antioxidant and vitamin-rich berries, with only 38 calories per popsicle. The added vegan protein powder is optional, but by adding it these healthy summer treats also provide a little protein hit to help you recover and repair from your exercise and help you on your way to your fitness goals! All you need is an ice lolly mould and some fresh fruit! 

Vegan Protein Fruit Smoothie Ice Lollies Recipe

Ingredients (makes 10 lollies):

• 1 banana

• 100g strawberries

• 100g raspberries

• 100g blueberries

• 1 scoop Vivo Life vanilla protein powder (optional)

• Water

Method:

Wash the berries and remove leaves from the strawberries, then chuck along with the peeled banana into a food processor or blender. Top up about half way with water (better to start with less water as you can always add more depending on how thick you like it). Add the Vega protein powder, then blitz everything until smooth. Pour into lolly moulds then pop in the freezer for a few hours until set. 

Nutrition (per lolly):

• Protein: 2.4g (Women: 4.8% / Men: 4.4%)

• Iron: 0.4mg (Women: 2.7% / Men: 4.6%)

• Calories: 38 (Women: 1.9% / Men: 1.5%)

• Sugars: 3.4g (Women: 3.8% / Men: 2.8%)

• Total Fats: 0.5g (Women: 0.6% / Men: 0.5%)

• Saturated Fat: 0.1g (Women: 0.5% / Men: 0.3%)

• Salt: 0.1g (Women: 1.7% / Men: 1.7%)

• Fibre: 1.8g (Women: 6.0% / Men: 6.0%)

See the Nutrition Info page for more details on % of Dietary Reference Values for men and women.

Crispy Sesame Coated Baked Tofu

This recipe is everything you want in a tofu dish - it's quick and easy, very healthy, crispy on the outside and tender in the middle, and has a delicious subtle sesame flavour that develops a nutty aroma when baked. And it's so nice have a tofu recipe that goes truly crispy just in the oven - no deep fryer necessary! This crispy tofu is delicious eaten as it is, or goes well with your favourite dipping sauce - sweet chilli, teriyaki, peanut, or even barbecue sauces all taste great with it. It's perfect as a high-protein vegan snack or starter, but also can take centre stage served with stir fried veggies or to top a hearty salad. And check out the nutrition information at the bottom of this post - this crispy tofu provides over half of both your daily protein and iron requirements! 

vegan crispy sesame coated baked tofu recipe 

Ingredients (serves 2):

• 1 block firm tofu (350g)

• 5 Tbsp cornflour

• 5 Tbsp unsweetened soy milk

• 1/2 cup golden or panko breadcrumbs

• 1/2 tsp onion powder

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast

• 3 Tbsp sesame seeds

• Olive oil spray (optional)

• Spring onions (scallions) for garnishing

This sesame coated baked tofu also goes brilliantly with the vegan Turkish aubergine dish imam biyaldi

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180C (360F).

To prepare your tofu, first remove it from the packaging and shake off excess liquid. No need to wrap in kitchen towels as some recipes advise - I find gently squeezing the tofu between my hands over the sink to be the best way and only takes about 30 seconds! Just be careful not to squeeze too hard and break or crumble the tofu. 

Now slice the tofu into small squares, rectangles or triangles.

Prepare your coating mixture by making three dipping bowls. In the first, add the cornflour. In the second, the soy milk, and in the third, mix the breadcrumbs, sesame seeds, nutritional yeast, onion powder, and garlic powder. 

Take a tofu piece, toss to coat in the flour, then dip in the soy milk, then press into the breadcrumb mixture to coat generously on all sides and place on the baking tray. 

Repeat for all the tofu pieces. Now you can spritz lightly with the olive oil spray (this is optional but will help the coating to brown). Pop the tray into the oven for approx. 20 minutes until the coating is crisp and golden brown. 

Garnish with spring onions and enjoy on their own or with your favourite dipping sauce! 

Nutrition (per serving):

• Protein: 29.1g (Women: 58.2% / Men: 52.9%)

• Iron: 7.8mg (Women: 52.7% / Men: 89.7%)

• Calories: 459 (Women: 23.0% / Men: 18.4%)

• Sugars: 2.7g (Women: 3.0% / Men: 2.3%)

• Total Fats: 18.9g (Women: 27.0% / Men: 19.9%)

• Saturated Fats: 2.9g (Women: 14.5% / Men: 9.7%)

• Salt: 0.6g (Women: 10.0% / Men: 10.0%)

• Fibre: 6.3g (Women: 21.0% / Men: 21.0%)

See the Nutrition Info page for more details on % of Dietary Reference Values for men and women.