Almond milk. Coconut milk. Oat milk. Pea milk. The ‘dairy’ aisle sure doesn't look like it used to!  If your eyes have crossed while trying to select from shelf after shelf of artisanal “mylks” or a $7 bottle of pistachio milk has ever spoiled in your fridge simply because you did not know what to do with it—even though you really wanted to be that person—rest assured you are not alone. We are right there with you.   

We love the idea of using plant-based milk as a base to our smoothies. They offer a variety of flavor and nutritional profiles that will keep things interesting your blender, and hey, it’s always fun to experiment.  So, we went on a *little* deep dive on the topic and enlisted the culinary wizardry of everyone’s favorite holistic chef, Heidi to conjure up the very best plant-based milk pairings for our smoothies. Here are our findings on all things plant-based milk: 

Roll Call: The Most Popular Plant-Based Milks 

Almond Milk:  The homecoming queen of plant-based milk. People love it for its mild flavor, versatility, and low-calorie count.   

Things to know: While actual almonds are great sources of protein (6 grams in a single nut!) almond milk is relatively low in protein—just 1 gram per glass.  If you’re looking for a nutrient boost, you may want to go for the fortified version. Fortified almond milk typically contains vitamin D, calcium and protein, making it more similar to regular milk in nutritional content. However, almond milk is naturally rich in several vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin E. And as always, be sure to read the label as almond milk can be full of added sugar and fillers. Simple rule? The fewer ingredients, the better.  

Oat Milk: You’ve probably seen this deliciousness popping up on the chalkboard menu at your favorite coffee shop. Oat milk offers a creamy, slightly sweet flavor that pairs well with your latte, among other things. And because oats absorb more water than nuts when soaked, more of the oat (and therefore, the oat’s nutrients and creamy texture) make it into the milk.   

Things to know:  While its protein content is still lower than cow’s milk or soy milk, it’s higher than most nut milk varieties. It’s higher in carbohydrates and fiber than fat, but that is its energy-giving secret sauce. 

Coconut Milk: Believe it or not, coconut milk does not occur naturally in coconuts (that would be coconut water). Coconut meat is blended with water to create what we know as coconut milk, in all it’s thick and creamy glory. Coconut milk is versatile, used in both sweet and savory dishes. It also makes a great addition to your smoothie. The flavor is not as mild as oat and almond milk, so play to the flavor!  

Things to know: Coconut milk is calorie-dense and high in healthy fats. This will help keep you satiated and help your body better absorb all the vitamins and nutrients in the coconut milk. Canned coconut milk will be thick and extra rich, while carton coconut milk has a thinner consistency.  

Pea Milk: It may be a funky concept, but don't sleep on it: pea milk is creamy, tasty, and has an impressive nutritional profile. It’s an excellent source of plant-based protein (8 grams!) and is rich in potassium, iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, and calcium. Certain brands are also fortified with omega-3's. Total nutrient powerhouse! 

Things to know: While unsweetened pea milk is relatively low in carbs and sugar, be wary of the flavored varieties, which may contain added sugar and other ingredients.   

 CHEF HEIDI’S GUIDE TO PLANT-BASED NUT MILK PAIRINGS 

1. Pina Colossal: This blend pairs best with a full-fat coconut milk (yes, the kind that comes in a can!). The fatty content of the milk allows the tangy flavors in this smoothie to blossom and complements the overall flavor profile very well. 
2. Unbelievaberry: This berry blend pairs best with a vanilla-flavored almond milk. The sweetness and vanilla flavor add a complimentary zing to this tangy berry blend that helps to round it out while offering an interesting twist. 
3. Greens With Envy: Oat milk is a wonderful complement to Greens With Envy. The mild flavor of this nut milk works very well with the complex flavors in the green smoothie blend. Almond milk also offers a nutty twist that brings out the almond flavor of the blend. 
4. Ripe Rebound: Heidi recommends blending this immune booster with oat milk. Of the dairy alternative milks, oat has the mildest and smoothest flavor, and of our blends, Ripe Rebound has the most complex and robust flavor profile. Plus, oat milk adds a creamy finish!

Summer is in full swing, meaning a few good things are happening: schedules are relaxed, skies are blue, and social calendars are full.  And while these are all very good things, the summer hustle can make it difficult to stay on a wellness routine. Is it possible to NOT need a vacation after your vacation? We had to know.

For some real life, I-can-totally-do-this wellness tips to take on the road this summer, we tapped Vanesssa Kahler, a Functional Nutritionist, Health Coach, and founder of Kahler Wellbeing Academy.  Here are her tips:

Stick to a morning routine.

Wake up at a set time each morning. Sleep is one of the most well researched areas of well-being and its indisputable that we all need a good night sleep to thrive. Research shows us that a lack of sleep affects heart health, immunity, diabetes, cognitive function, moods. It is recommended that we create a regular wake up time and bed time to maintain our circadian rhythm and achieve ideal 8 hours sleep each night. Recent studies show that people with a regular wake-up time reported being more satisfied overall in every area of their lives.

Wake up your mind and your body.  Before you dive into your day, aim for 5-10 minutes of stillness. Instead of jumping out of bed, give your body a few minutes to enjoy waking up. And if you’re up for it, add  5-10 minutes of stretching and/or yoga once you're upright. 

Start your day with glass of water. Water is all you need, but if you have the time and the ambition, adding lemon, cucumber or ginger  add extra health benefits and a little flavor.

Bring your smoothie ritual on the road.

A quick, healthy smoothie packed with nutrients ensures you start the day with a concentrated easy-to-digest, nutrient dense breakfast.  Here's the simple math: hydration + a low sugar, nutrient-dense breakfast = maintained mood and energy throughout the day.  Here are my picks:

Greens With Envy, a source of chlorella, spinach, and chia provides a nutrient dense start to the day. 

For an afternoon pick me up try Ripe Rebound with turmeric and ginger.  (Also great for a morning after an indulgent evening!) 

Treat Yourself.  It's Vacation! 

...and have an idea of when and how you’ll indulge so your energy levels won’t suffer.  

Be mindful of indulgences. If your afternoon involved ice cream with the kids, opt for fruit after dinner. 

Try to make 2 out of the 3 meals balanced. Opt for a balance of protein, carbs and fats to keep you feeling good throughout the day.  

Try to save the sweets for after meals. A sweet meal or snack on it's own can spike blood sugar and make it difficult to maintain your energy levels.

Whatever you’re eating, enjoy it.  Be present, eat slowly, savor, and enjoy. 

Make time to relax and restore.  

Take time to slow down while you’re away, even if that means saying “no” to a few things on your bucket list. Part of not “needing a vacation from your vacation” is taking the time to fill up your cup…both literally and figuratively. Getting good sleep and maintaining a morning routine will be a great start, but try to build in a few other practices that will help you relax, reset, and restore: 

Make time for movement.  Bring sneakers for morning walks, play tag with the kids, or sign up for a yoga class in town.  

Book a spa treatment. Even better, choose the relax or detox treatments.  And if the spa isn’t in the cards, bring some bath salts and essential oils to create a spa-like evening bath routine. Maybe with a cocktail in hand! 

Grab that beach read. Take your favorite book or audible that you have had on your list for months.

And most of all….slow down, breath deep and enjoy! 

Your Comprehensive Guide To Chia Seeds
Everipe was born from a not-so-crazy notion: that good nutrition needs to be doable in today’s lifestyle.  We’re all about practical ways to eat clean, and chia seeds just vibe with that idea. They’re nutrition powerhouses, mild flavored, and super versatile. That’s why you can find them in every Everipe smoothie. Let’s take a deep dive into the greatness of the chia seed: 

 Mankind’s Love of Chia Goes Way Back (Yes, Even Before the '80s)

Chia-based foods are popping up everywhere and in every form (pudding! tortilla chips! baked goods!) but the truth is, their street cred goes way back—even before the cha-cha-cha-chia days. Stay with us here, because this is pretty interesting: chia seeds originated in Mexico and Guatemala as a food staple for the Aztecs and Mayans. Cultivated as early as 3500 BC, “chia” is the Aztec word for strength (see?) and were offered as a gift to Aztec gods in religious ceremonies. They were a major crop for Native American tribes, used for both food and medicinal purposes. And it’s true, the ancient seed took a hard left and became a novelty item for a number of years, but thankfully, that course has been righted (although chia pets are forever awesome) and the mighty seed is back again in mainstream cultures as a functional food. 

Though She Be But Small, She Is Mighty

If chia seeds ever had a LinkedIn profile, it would read something like this:

Superfood, 3500 BC-Present.  Resume highlights include:

• Fiber Powerhouse

• 7 grams of polyunsaturated fat per serving

• 4.4. grams of complete protein per serving 

• One serving contains 18% of the RDV for calcium

• Abundant in trace minerals like manganese, phosphorus, copper, selenium, iron, magnesium, zinc and calcium

• The richest plant source of omega-3 fatty acids  

• Very big deal during the holiday season in the 1980s

What’s In It For You? Potentially A Lot.

The fiber in chia seeds can help support digestion and keep you full for longer.  According to Everipe’s resident Holistic Chef and Nutrition Consultant Heidi Kutzelnig, chia seeds contain an “insoluble fiber, meaning the body doesn’t fully break it down during the digestion process. Instead, chia seeds pass through the digestive tract intact. This helps in two major ways: to gently clean out your intestines of debris and allow you to feel full longer." Outside the digestive tract, fiber has been shown to support heart health, lower inflammation, and speed up metabolism.  Keep in mind, there is oodles of fiber in fruits and vegetables and chia seeds should be a balanced part of your overall intake. 

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, those oh-so-good-for-you omega-3 fatty acids found in chia seeds have a “beneficial effect” on cardiovascular health, particularly by lowering cholesterol, regulating blood pressure, and decreasing inflammation. That being said, your diet should include multiple sources of Omega 3’s, as research has shown that some sources are more accessible to the body than others. 

The minerals in chia help with a variety of systems and processes in the body, like heart health, bone health, tissue maintenance, metabolism, muscle development, and nerve health. Pretty important stuff, right? And some of the minerals in chia, like copper and manganese, are lacking in a modern diet, so three cheers for covering your bases! 

As always, remember that chia seeds are best served as part of a balanced, well-rounded diet with plenty of fruits, veggies, and lean protein.  

Our Favorite Uses 

Chia seeds can be found in every blend of Everipe smoothies for all the super benefits listed above, and because they become gelatinous when blended, which is part of secret sauce in making our smoothies so creamy.  

Chia seeds can be enjoyed raw, soaked, cooked or toasted. Because they are so versatile and have such a mild flavor, chia seeds are a go-to nutrient booster in baked goods and snacks.  And since they’re such an easy ingredient to work with (that whole #doablenutrition thing) we’ve got a versatile, fool-proof, holistic chef developed recipe for chia pudding:

CHEF HEIDI’S CHIA PUDDING 

There are many ways to prepare this lovely recipe. Here is a base recipe for chia “pudding.” Ready for this?

INGREDIENTS:

Non-Dairy Milk 
From Heidi: Go nuts here! Coconut milk is my personal favorite, but rice, oat, and almond also work great (or try a flavored variety!).  Also, feel free to use dairy milk—I just prefer the taste/texture of the alternatives for this recipe.  Plus, they keep longer.
Chia Seeds
Vanilla Extract and/or Cocoa Powder

DIRECTIONS (for a single serving):
1. Add 3 Tbsp. chia seeds per 1 cup of liquid.
2. Place in a container, shake well.
From Heidi: I like mason jars best – they seal tight and keep longer. 
3. Refrigerate to set overnight. This will keep for a week. 

FLAVOR COMBOS TO TRY:
1. Chocolate flavored milk alternative sweetened with maple syrup 1-2 tsp (to taste). Shake first and then add your chia seeds. Top with ripe banana slices and nuts. 
2. Vanilla flavored milk alternative sweetened with maple syrup 1-2 tsp (to taste). Shake first and then add your chia seeds. Top with sweet berry chunks and crunchy granola
3. Plain milk alternative with 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice blend (you can find this at any major grocery store) and 1-2 tsp brown sugar (to taste) added to it (blend this first for best results, then add your chia seeds).  Top with banana slices.
4. Vanilla flavored milk alternative with 2 tsp. black sesame seeds and 1-2 tsp. maple syrup (to taste) added to it (blend this first for best results, then add your chia seeds). Top with ripe sweet blueberries and black sesame seeds
5. Coconut milk (I like the canned stuff best – full of flavor and no junk added) with 1-2 tsp. agave syrup (to taste) and 1/2 tsp. lime juice (blend this first for best results, then add your chia seeds). Top with fresh tropical fruit(s) like kiwi, mango, or papaya.

TOPPING SUGGESTIONS 
From Heidi: I like to add crunch on top, best to add after pudding has set/at time of serving so they stay crispy

• Seed Blends
• Crispy Granola 
• Nuts