We're sharing five festive recipes for you to sneak in that extra collagen boost, and have your taste buds singing!
Getting in the holiday spirit normally means indulging in a few extra treats during these months. Whether it’s baked goods, dense comfort foods, or sweet frozen delights, we can all agree that our taste buds look forward to this time of year! This season, you can create the treats your body is craving while easily incorporating more collagen peptides into your diet.
You may have noticed collagen peptides are gaining more popularity recently, and for good reason! Collagen is responsible for providing your skin with structure and strengthening your bones, along with other important functions of the body. Fully hydrolyzed collagen easily absorbs into liquid, making it a cinch to include it in drinks and recipes!
But what exactly is hydrolyzed collagen peptides? We’re going to cover that, along with the benefits that come with this protein, and sharing five festive recipes for you to sneak in that extra collagen boost that will have your taste buds singing right along with all of the holiday music playing this season.
What is Collagen?
Collagen is the most abundant protein within your body, and is the connective tissue that makes up your muscles, skin, and tendons. (1) It has many important functions including improving your hair, skin, nails, and joint and bone health. As we age, our skin health, along with our joints and bone strength tend to decline. Because of this, increasing your collagen consumption can help immensely in enhancing your skin or supporting joint and bone health. (2)
The Hydrolyzed Collagen Peptide Breakdown
Hydrolyzed collagen peptides means that the molecular structure of collagen has been broken down, making it much more easy for our bodies to digest. The digestive enzymes your body produces when you eat helps to break down the collagen in food into individual amino acids and peptides. Hydrolyzed collagen in powders and supplements have already been broken down, and therefore is absorbed much more efficiently than the collagen found in foods.
Supplementing with a clean, grass-fed collagen peptide can help ensure your body is not only getting enough collagen in order to repair and replenish, but is actually absorbing the protein as well. (3) Not only is BalanceGenics Clean Collagen hydrolyzed, it is unflavored and odorless — making it a perfect addition to any recipe!
Ready to up-level your treats all season long by adding in a collagen boost? Try out these five festive recipes to help you increase the nutrient density of your sweets.
Warming Apple Ginger Smoothie
This blend of apples and pumpkin quickly delivers that satisfying winter spice that we all crave. Paired with the heat that the ginger provides, you won’t even realize that you are sipping on this chilly beverage during the winter months!
Serves 1
Ingredients
- ½ cup pure organic apple juice
- 1 apple, halved and seeded
- ⅛ lemon slice, skinned
- ⅛ “ slice fresh ginger root
- ⅛ teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 1 scoop of BalanceGenics Clean Collagen
Directions
- Place all ingredients in a blender.
- Place on lowest speed and increase to highest.
- Blend for 2 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Chocolate Gingerbread Smoothie
Who doesn’t love a good gingerbread cookie? If you are feeling nostalgic and want to relive your days of decorating gingerbread cookies in your grandmother’s kitchen, then this healthy smoothie will take you there with just one sip!
Serves 1
Ingredients
- 1 frozen, ripe banana (can chop and freeze ahead of time)
- 1 ½ tablespoon cacao powder
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- ¾ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- ⅛ “ slice fresh ginger root
- 1 scoop of BalanceGenics Clean Collagen
Directions
- Place all ingredients in a blender.
- Place on lowest speed and increase to highest.
- Blend for 2 minutes.
- Optional: Garnish with bananas and chia seeds
- Serve and enjoy!
Paleo Hot Chocolate
Sipping on a cup of hot cocoa this time of year can really hit the spot! This recipe is not only dairy free, but also packs a punch of protein with collagen peptides residing within each cup.
Serves 1
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tablespoon cacao powder
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1 scoop of BalanceGenics Clean Collagen
Directions
- Mix maple syrup, cacao powder, and vanilla together in a small bowl until combined.
- Add all ingredients together in a saucepan over high heat, using a whisk to break up any clumps that may form.
- Keep heating until smooth and hot.
- Pour into a mug and enjoy!
Baked Turmeric Apple Fritters
These collagen-enhanced baked apple fritters provide your body with an extra boost of protein, along with the added health benefits of turmeric!
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 1 Granny Smith apple, cut into small pieces
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 ½ cups of gluten-free baking flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 scoops of BalanceGenics Clean Collagen
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a muffin tin with coconut oil and set aside.
- Cut up granny smith apple and place in a bowl.
- In a large bowl add eggs, almond milk, maple syrup, applesauce and vanilla. Mix until well combined.
- Add in more maple syrup and collagen peptides. Mix until both are dissolved.
- Add in apple pieces, gluten-free flour, coconut flour, cinnamon, turmeric and baking powder. Mix for a few minutes until a thick dough is formed.
- With an ice cream scooper, place heaping scoops of batter into greased muffin tin.
- Sprinkle cinnamon on top and drizzle some raw honey if desired.
- Bake at 375 for 20- 22 minutes. Edges will turn golden brown when finished. They should pull apart easily and have a fluffy and doughy consistency.
- Let cool for 5 minutes and enjoy!
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Nothing says cozy winter season like this traditional staple that we all know and love. Not only are these cookies gluten, refined sugar, and dairy free, but they, too, have a protein boost with added collagen!
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons of maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/3 cup almond butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk
- 1 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ cup of chocolate chips
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup of BalanceGenics Clean Collagen
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Whisk egg in a large bowl then pour in maple syrup, melted coconut oil, almond butter, vanilla and almond milk and whisk again.
- Stir in almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon, collagen and sea salt. Fold in chocolate chips.
- Place parchment paper over a baking sheet and use a spoon and spatula to drop batter, dividing it into 12 cookies.
- Place in the oven for 12 minutes on the center rack. Then turn the oven on broil and cook for two additional minutes - keep a close eye on it because they can burn quickly!
- Take out of the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before enjoying!
In Conclusion
Whether you are wanting to start your day with a warming smoothie or bake a dozen cookies this season, sneaking in some collagen peptides can be very easy and effective! This is a great way to get creative in increasing your consumption of this power-packed protein in order to reap the benefits of collagen that your body craves!
QUICK DISCLAIMER
This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of medical advice or treatment from a personal physician. Readers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Neither the author(s) nor the publisher of this content take responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All readers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program.
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