20 Delicious And Healthy Veggie Balls Recipes

Whether you are a vegetarian for life or a “Meatless Monday” follower, vegetarian balls are a very popular and versatile healthy option to include in your diet. You can snack on them, or have them for lunch or dinner with a salad, pasta, or rice. Almost every culture and cuisine has recipes of some form of meatballs or their vegetarian equivalent. They travel well, so they are great for lunch boxes and a great way to include more vegetables in your child’s diet.

Veggie balls are nutritious, satisfying, and delectable. These tasty and easy recipes (below) will not disappoint anyone — even meat-lovers.

1. Vegan Swedish Meat(less)balls with Gravy

Serve this vegan recreation of a classic with lingonberry jam for a Nordic treat. Nutmeg and cardamom give this dish its distinct round and flavorful taste.

2. Lentil-Bulgur Meatballs Recipe

These wholesome veggie balls are made with bulghar wheat and red lentils.

3. Malai Kofta

Fancy a curry? You’ll find many varieties of veggie balls in Indian cuisine. They are called “Koftas”. This dish of vegetable dumplings in a rich curry sauce is fit for a king!

4. Vegan Aubergine ‘Meatballs’

Aubergines are a great substitute for meat in these veggie balls.

5. Carrot Cake Balls

Can dessert be delicious and healthy? Try these low fat and gluten free energy bites for a quick healthy snack.

6. Veg Manchurian 

More and more vegetarians are turning to the vast repertoire of Indian cuisine for delicious recipes. For those of you unfamiliar with Indian Chinese cuisine, this one may strike you as rather unusual. But if you like flavoursome and spicy Indian street food, I promise you this will be a revelation. This Indian concoction is made combining Chinese style of cooking with everyday Indian ingredients.

7. Healthy Zucchini Falafels

These are made with wonderful zucchini and are not deep-fried. An interesting piece of equipment makes these a healthier option.

8. Broccoli Parmesan balls

The secret ingredient that adds texture to these delightful bites is ground almonds. Serve with a dip of marinara sauce.

9. Vegan Greek Keftedes

This vegetarian version of the traditional Greek delicacy doesn’t disappoint. Serve them with a Greek Salad and Tzatziki, as part of a Greek meze. Bake them for a healthier version.

10. Vegetarian meatballs from Daniel Holzman

This recipe comes from the chef and owner of The Meatball Shop on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Coming from a restauranteur specialising in meatballs, this is a must try recipe!

11. Italian Wedding Soup with Veggie Balls

Vegetarian Giro d’Italia is just like Nonna used to make them, but with vegetables instead of meat.

12. Spinach and Ricotta Vegetarian Meatballs

These flavoursome light faux meatballs will satisfy those meat cravings, while sticking to your vegetarian diet. Buono apetito!

13. Lentil Meatballs with Indian Fenugreek Sauce

Looking for a healthy show-stopping meal for entertaining friends? Try these black caviar lentil veggie balls, with a gorgeous coconut and fenugreek leaves sauce, adding complex flavor notes.

14. Sweet Potato & Kale Balls

This super food rich veggie ball recipe can be served cold or warm

15. Baked Mushroom Arancini (Risotto Balls)

How can you re-purpose leftover risotto? Try these with Romano cheese and herbs….Yum!

16. Raw Vegan Lemon Meltaway Balls

Who doesn’t love a healthy yummy sweet treat? If you love lemon bars, here’s a healthy alternative to enjoy with your evening Cup-O’-Joe.

17. Vegetable Balls

Serve these on cocktails sticks for a simple yet impressive party appetizer.

18. Spaghetti and Vegetarian Meatballs

Do you love Quinoa? These mushroom and quinoa balls are shallow fried to ensure crispness.

Handy tip: Use an ice cream scoop to ensure same-sized balls.

19. Cheese and Vegetable Quinoa Bites

These baked veggie bites are versatile and can be made with whatever vegetables you have in your fridge.

20. Roasted Red Pepper and Red Bean “Meatballs”(Meatless Monday)

Roasted red peppers and kidney beans mimic not only the color, but also the meaty taste too. You will be surprised!

Featured photo credit: Jeffrey W via albumarium.com

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How To Change Negative Thinking Into Positive Thinking

Negative thinking can start a downward spiral — we’ve all been through it at one point or another. At some point, you’ve got to haul yourself up and embrace positivity. Positive thinking can be the cure-all you need to start down a happier path in life. Here are some suggestions to help you out with that.

1. Remind yourself to think positively every day

With hard work, determination, and strength, nothing is impossible. Negative thinking is common, but too often it is harmful to the body, mind, and soul. Each time you have a negative thought, redirect it to a positive channel. Find the positive in the negative. It is going to be difficult, but it becomes easier with practice. In the long run, you will be relaxed more often and enjoy life a whole lot more.

2. Start reading positive quotes

Reading positive affirmations helps give you the motivation you need for the day. It’s time to turn the television off and get reading. It will lift the spirits and help you feel more alive and radiant. If you don’t have an appropriate book on hand, go online and do some Google searches. Or, drop by the library and spend some time among the bookshelves there. You are bound to come up with a ton of quotes to help you feel better. Just get up and be proactive. You will be grateful for it soon enough.

3. Begin meditating and picturing nature in your mind

Picturing nature in your mind helps you feel more relaxed and positive. When you have an internal sense of peace and bliss, you are more mindful of your surroundings. Practicing meditation has been shown to reduce stress, improve calm, and increase happiness and mindfulness. Like anything, it takes continual practice to reap the full benefits. Imagine a calming destination and transport yourself there. You’ll be surprised with how rewarding this can be.

4. Take time to do the things you like

When you start looking forward to something, your mind stays proactive. You feel fully functional. So, plan a day with things that give you real happiness and aid you in your quest to think positively. Life is too short to only do what you are forced to do. Go skiing, travel the world, run with the bulls — do anything that makes you step outside of your comfort zone.

5. Believe that you can change your thoughts

Sometimes, the belief is all that matters. As they say, you can do anything you put your mind to. If you think you can’t change your thinking, then it’s likely that you won’t. However, with a positive mindset, just about anything is possible. Just believe that good things will happen, and things tend to fall into place.

6. Remember that nothing is permanent

Nothing is permanent — that’s one fact that nobody can undermine. If you take the time to truly digest it, it’s a lot easier to start thinking positively. Nothing is set in stone and you can work on changing the things that you are unhappy with. Whether it be your relationships, your health, your professional life — there are things you can do right now to be happier in the future.

7. Embrace the negative and positive

Sometimes, you’ve got to remind yourself that where there is darkness there is also light. The truth is that no matter how hard we try, we are going to have some sort of negativity in our lives at times. Life is a mixed bag. Everyone has there own struggles, and most of us come out unscathed on the other side. Just remember to look for the good in every situation — maybe you’ll be surprised.

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5 Qualities & Attributes which Lead to Success

Success is in the eye of the beholder. What one views as success, the other may not. What is certain is that it doesn’t come as easy as we may believe. These five qualities will lead you to the pinnacle of success. Just make sure to have those blinders on. You never know when you’ll need them! As you put in effort each day, you will see the fruits of your labour slowly unfolding before your very eyes! I assure you, it is a beautiful sight to behold.

1. Dedication

Without dedication, nothing is possible. You have to be dedicated day in and out to achieve what you term “success.” Relentlessly pursuing what you dream about is dedication. Continuing to do what brings you near your goal is dedication. Dedication has so many forms. When an obstacle arises, you find a way through it, and give your dream one more shot.

2. Perseverance

Perseverance is a lot like dedication; however, when we talk about perseverance we talk about the courage, bravery, and confidence that is needed to overcome each of the given obstacles in your way. Difficult times get the most of us; they drain us of our energy and capacity, as well as our capability to move on. The key in perseverance is always holding your head up high. Never let anyone tell you that you can’t. Instead, make yourself so strong that when you are told this, you show the capability to prove you can do anything. In today’s age, anything is possible.

3. Commitment

Commitment to what you believe in is probably one of the most important factors in determining whether you will be able to attain success. You have to want it more than air, food, or sleep. Committing yourself promises that you really want whatever you are chasing. It is probably the most important factor that will end up determining if you have success or not.

4. Resilience

Holding on to dear life and your goal when the circumstances are not in your favor is termed resilience. It is just as important as the other factors listed here. Pushing through, and trudging, where there is no tomorrow, or no hope, is coined resilience. Resilience empowers you and motivates you. It teaches you to get back up one more time when you feel like no more fuel is left in you. It helps you become a stronger person able to come out of situations with a smile and determination on your face and body!

There is nothing more tangible than resilience when it comes to your success! Resilience is key to attaining success in any given field. Never ever give up! No matter how you may feel at the present, if you push through and set your mind, you can do anything! The sky is the limit!

5. Able To Handle Failures

Being able to handle failures and continue moving on is a part of life. It also has a lot to do with success. More often than anyone hopes, failure is self sufficient. It teaches you a lot along the way. It comes easier than success, but it teaches more than success does. It tells you to keep pushing yourself, even when you think you have given a hundred percent. It just goes on to show you that sometimes a hundred percent is not the limit, and that nothing is perfect.

We have to keep on motivating ourselves to move one step ahead because there are an infinite amount of possibilities out for you. Just keep on pushing yourself to do your very best. Each time you think you have done the best job you can do, think again! There is always room for improvement. We are all humans and humans can never be perfect. Just keep on doing better. You always have room to do so!

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8 Hard Truths About Success That You Don’t Want To Hear

When people think of success, they think of all the good outcomes. They think of the cars, the money, the houses, the fame and they often forget to look at what it actually takes to be successful. Successful people will tell you their struggle if you ask them. There are many that have been broke, homeless, and heartbroken before anything actually happened. Success takes drive, dedication and persistence. Here are some harsh truths about success from eight people who had a vision and did what they could to make it a reality.

1. Success doesn’t always mean being rich

Dr. Martin Luther King’s goal in life was to make sure everyone has equal rights. For anyone, of any color, be able to sit in front of the bus and drink from the same water fountain. It took a lot of protests, preaching and faith for him to work at his goal. He said, “I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.” America has made many strides in the civil rights movement, largely because of Dr. King’s work. His vision of success was not to gain any profit but to gain civil rights.

2. If you get caught up in the failure, you will fail all together

Henry Ford believes that “obstacles are those frightful things that you see when you take your eyes off the goal”. The road to success is lined with thorns that are designed to get you caught up. If you focus on pain or hardships instead of the end result, it’s going to be one tough journey.

3. You will work harder than your peers and in return, you will lose some friends

“The average person puts only 25% of his energy into his work. The world takes off its hat to those who put in more than 50% of their capacity and stands on its head for those few and far between souls who devote 100%,” is something Andrew Carnegie once said. You will have to work harder than most of your peers if you are truly set on being successful. You will start to lose some friends, whether from greed, or losing touch because their goals are not the same as yours. Don’t worry, the ones that stay are in it for the long run.

4. If it is not your passion, you will have a tough time reaching your goal

J.P. Morgan believed that “a man always has two reasons to do anything: a good reason and the real reason.” Make sure what you do is your passion. In the business world, sometimes money is enough and other times, it is not. You will often find yourself bankrupt, scammed and let down. This is where you can find out if that coffee shop is really something you want with all your heart and soul or if you were just trying to find a way to get rich.

5. You will make some enemies climbing the ladder, and you will need to be okay with it.

You are bound to step on some toes on your way up. Cornelius Vanderbilt made it clear to anyone that he would ruin them if they wronged him in anyway. He once said, “If you have undertaken to cheat me, I won’t sue you, for the law is too slow. I’ll ruin you.” In order to be successful you need to take what you want and protect what you have worked hard for and if that means making some enemies, then it’s a step you must take.

6. You will need to make tough decisions

“Don’t be afraid to give up on the good to go for the great,” was said by John D. Rockefeller, and he was right. Sometimes, you will become complacent and be satisfied with where you are at. Though it may not be the end result you wanted, it is comfortable. In order to be successful, you need to have the drive to trade what is easy and good for what you really want.

7. You can never plan for everything, sometimes you need to just jump in and wing it

Planning does not always help you. There are so many different variables that could change your plan of action and you only planned up to back up plan C. “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing,” is some advice from Walt Disney. There cannot be enough planning in the world to make you successful with every little thing life throws at you so just jump on in! You need to be brave and take action instead of wasting time on planning solutions for what ifs.

8. There will always be someone doing better than you

Some words of wisdom from Angela Merkel, the #1 Woman on the Forbes list of 100 Most successful woman: “The question is not whether we are able to change, but whether we are changing fast enough.” There will always be someone doing better than you and in order to reach your goal, you need to be the best. You need to constantly reassess yourself and make sure you are on track because no one else will.

Featured photo credit: Romedalstinden- Johan Kistrand via flickr.com

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5 Start-up Entrepreneurs Share Their Recipe To Success

In today’s world, successful entrepreneurs have become real Rock stars. Their companies and products reflect their unique personalities and their ‘from 0 to 1’ stories encourage other people to leave their comfort zone and start their own movements. They often appear on the cover of magazines, are interviewed regularly by the media, and have thousands of social media followers around the world. While none of them followed the same path, all these successful startup founders share some common traits that set them apart from the rest and helped them achieve their goals. Here you have some of the key ingredients of their homemade recipe:

1. Nick d’Aloisio: Learn through trial-and-error

“I think some entrepreneurs focus too much on the idea, but not enough on the planned implementation. There are so many resources available online that the primary goal of someone wanting to succeed should be to teach themselves all of the necessary skills e.g. programming, business development, design, marketing etc. Be fearless and don’t be afraid of failure. There is no better way to learn than through trial-and-error.”

2. Evan Spiegel: Find something you aren’t willing to sell

“I am now convinced that the fastest way to figure out if you are doing something truly important to you is to have someone offer you a bunch of money to part with it. The best thing is that, whether you decide to take the money or not, you’ll learn a lot about yourself in the process. If you sell, you will know immediately that it wasn’t the right dream anyways. And if you don’t sell you’re probably onto something. Maybe you have the beginning of something meaningful […] Find something you aren’t willing to sell.”

USC Marshall Undergraduate Commencement

3. Brian Wong: Ask a stranger for advice

“Don’t hard sell anyone, especially when first reaching out. Ease into the conversation with a relaxed and friendly tone, maintaining an openness about your intentions. The other person will come up with their own ideas on how they want to work with you and get excited about the prospects.

At the end of the day, the worst-case scenario is you learn something new. So go ahead – ask a stranger for advice.”

How a Cold Email Can Land You Funding

4. Ben Chestnut: Stay

“It’s hard. And just when you think it can’t get any worse, it does. There’ll be times when it just keeps getting worse and worse and worse. Meanwhile, everyone else around you is getting better and happier and richer. You’ll feel like the only one who hasn’t figured it out yet. You’re sinking, your life sucks, and your business isn’t going anywhere. Oh yeah, and you’re not getting any younger, either. And just when you think about finally throwing in the towel, and saying “f* all this!” that right there is the test that all founders are eventually faced with: when things get too hard, you decide to stay, or you decide to quit. My advice is this: Before you decide, look at all those great, successful businesses that inspired you to start your own. They stayed.”

DoesWhat interview

5. Caterina Fake: Make time less precious

“Make time less precious. We are way too efficient, making use of every hour, every minute. When you were a kid, didn’t you just spend hours poking sticks in the mud, climbing trees and sitting in them, looking at shells and seaweed that washed up on the shoreline? Time was not precious then, we weren’t trying to stuff an accomplishment into every minute every day, we had time for thoughts and feelings. That was good! Any day spent that way was a day of joy and order. There was so much time.”

Featured photo credit: TechCrunch via flickr.com

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Here’s Why Curiosity Is Extremely Important

You may have heard the phrase “curiosity killed the cat” when you were young and let that keep you from living on the edge. Unfortunately, it’s also kept you from excitement, discovery, and passion.

All children are naturally curious about the world around them. They experiment with everything they see, which is why parents of toddlers can be a little neurotic. Ironically, as adults, we tend to lose this inquisitive nature. This is despite knowing more about the world around us and being more capable of exploring safely. Many of us are afraid to take a step outside of our comfort zone because of the potential for injury — whether physical or mental.

However, taking a risk is what sets people like Jane Goodall and Steve Irwin apart from the rest of us. Sure, Jane could have easily not been accepted into gorilla society and could have met with an untimely death. But she wasn’t. Like I said, curiosity can include putting yourself in danger. Steve Irwin was aware of the dangers he faced, but he was the Crocodile Hunter — a legacy that he created through his passion.

Being curious as a child meant going out and jumping in puddles just to see what would happen. Being curious as an adult means doing something you normally wouldn’t do. Perhaps that’s a new sport or an unlikely travel destination. Being frightened or experiencing failure are normal parts of the process. It’s okay to fail. You’ll feel much more satisfied with yourself for trying something new, successful or not, than if you had just spent the day on the couch.

Who knows, the steps you take today might make you world-famous tomorrow.

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20 Things Everyone Deserves in a Relationship

Are you in a happy relationship? A good relationship brings out the best traits in someone, making them happier, more open, loving and accepting. However, a bad relationship can be emotionally damaging. Check out these 20 things everyone deserves to have in a relationship.

1. Laughter

Your partner may have a totally different sense of humor than you, but they should still make you laugh and smile. Loving someone means wanting to see them happy, so a happy relationship is normally filled with side-splitting laughter and silly inside jokes.

2. Someone to go on adventures with

The world is filled with interesting places, from the places you haven’t explored in your town to other countries. A happy relationship involves two people who want to share new experiences and adventures with each other, not people who hold each other back and keep each other inside.

3. Security

An important part of a happy relationship is being able to rely on your partner. You should be able to be able to have a bad day where you feel upset or angry without fearing that your partner will leave you.

4. Someone who is always excited to see you

After a few years of being with each other, you may not have butterflies in your stomach when you first see each other, but you should still be happy and excited to see each other. Even when you’re in a terrible mood, seeing your partner should make you feel happier, rather than worse.

5. Passion

Spontaneous kisses and passionate sex are a lot of fun. Even if it doesn’t happen often, you should know that your partner loves you and finds you irresistible.

6. Someone to stay up late with

From staying out drinking to sitting up outside gazing at stars, every once in a while your partner should make you want to stay up so you can enjoy the world and have fun.

7. Someone who challenges you

In a happy relationship both partners look up to each other and admire each other. Instead of bringing each other down, you deserve to feel challenged by each other, and to open each other’s minds to new ideas and concepts.

8. Little gestures

Little gestures like cooking your favorite meals or making you a homemade birthday cards, show that you love each other. These little gestures show your partner that you think about them all the time, and that you know and love them for who they are.

9. Understanding

Maybe you cry whenever you watch romantic comedies, and maybe you like to dip your chips in melted chocolate–if so, your partner should understand that. Even if they don’t want to do it with you, they should understand that you are your own person with your own quirks. They should love you for every little quirk.

10. Someone to be silly with

Life is hard, and it is important that your partner is someone who you can let go and be silly with. From dancing in the kitchen as you cook to play-fighting, you should be able to relax and have fun with your partner even when times are hard.

11. Someone who cheers you on

In a great relationship, both partners are each other’s cheerleaders, cheering each other on with every decision they make. It can be tough living without support, and your partner should offer you unlimited support.

12. Mutual trust

Your partner shouldn’t worry that you will cheat on them, or that you will take all the money from your joint bank account. You love each other and support each other, and trust is an essential part of that.

13. Respect

In a good relationship, both partners admire and respect each other. After all, you chose to commit to them so you must think they are pretty awesome.

14. A partner in crime

From sneaking alcohol into the cinema to covering for you when you lie to your mom and say you can’t come over because you’re ill, your partner should always be your partner in crime.

15. Freedom

In a healthy relationship, both partners understand that they both need freedom and space from each other to see other people and do their own thing.

16. Someone who stands up for you

After a long, hard day, you may struggle to stick up for yourself. But if you’re in a happy relationship, your partner should always be in your corner.

17. Someone who will listen to you vent

The new girl in the office is terrible at her job, and your partner is happy to listen to you vent about this for three hours. Instead of telling you to be quiet, they smile with understanding and pass you a cup of coffee–because they know you will do the same for them when they have a hard day.

18. Intimacy

From holding hands to sharing secret looks, your partner should be physically intimate with you as well as emotionally intimate.

19. Open communication

Communication is one of the most important things in a relationship, and you and your partner should both feel like you can openly discuss anything with each other without fear of being dismissed.

20. A best friend

Your partner should be more than your lover; they should be your best friend, strengthening your bond and loving you unconditionally.

Can you think of anything else that everyone deserves in a relationship? Leave your ideas in the comments.

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