Mindful Avocado, Author at Mindful Avocado

My Food Photography Equipment

So let me guess. You’re here because you love to cook and now you want your photos to be stunning.

Food photography equipment is slightly different than portrait or landscape photography because the subjects are all so different. Whether you’re a professional or a food photography newbie, this list is a great start for diving into taking delicious food photos!

Please note this post may contain affiliate links which do not impact the cost to you but gives me a small commission. Thank you for your support!

glass bowl full of three bean salad on marble background

Classic Three Bean Salad (Naturally Vegan and GF!)

This classic three bean salad is all in the name – three beans! Kidney beans, chickpeas, and green beans tossed in a refreshingly light dressing. Perfect for potlucks, cookouts, or simply an easy side dish for dinner.

I’m kicking off Summer with a classic. Something I grew up eating and if you didn’t, well you’re about to!

Let’s just start with the things that I love about three bean salad:

Healthy
Super EASY to make
Cheap ingredients
Refined sugar-free
Great for cookouts or BBQs
Perfect make-ahead recipe
Naturally gluten-free and vegan
Freakin’ delicious

Super Easy Charcoal Lemonade!

When life hands you lemons, just add some activated charcoal and make lemonade! Charcoal lemonade is the PERFECT way to stay hydrated, detox, and get a taste of Summer all in one sip. Activated charcoal, fresh lemons, and maple syrup make this charcoal lemonade deliciously good.

Charcoal lemonade might look weird (or super cool) depending on how you look at it, but it’s packed with some crazy detox powers.

Lemons and maple syrup are a metabolism boosting combo and when charcoal is added to the mix, it becomes a really healthy (and delicious) beverage! I swear this stuff tastes JUST LIKE regular lemonade.

What is activated charcoal?

Activated charcoal is NOT the charcoal you use for grills. It’s charcoal that has been heated at high temperates to make it more digestible. It’s gaining popularity for natural skincare, but it can have the same detoxing benefits for your body as your skin!

It can come in a capsule or powdered form. I like the powdered form, but make sure to measure it and not just “eyeball”!

vegan banana nice cream in cones with walnuts and chocolate chips on grey background

Chunky Monkey Banana Nice Cream + VIDEO

No-churn banana nice cream is what dreams are made of. Frozen bananas and creamy coconut milk make up the base and its jam-packed with chocolate chips and nuts! Best part is all you need is a food processor and five ingredients to get the job done. Enjoy ice cream without the guilt this Summer!

What is banana nice cream?

Perhaps you’ve heard the term before, or maybe you just think there’s a typo, but NICE CREAM is a thing! It’s a delicious vegan substitute for ice cream and instead of cream, we use frozen bananas. The banana base turns into a creamy, indulgent ice cream that is totally dairy-free AND healthy!

But of course, I don’t stop there. In this nice cream recipe, I add cold coconut milk for extra creaminess (and healthy fats).

Peanut Noodle Vegetable Spring Rolls + VIDEO

Soba noodles blanketed in a peanut sauce topped with vegetables and wrapped in a rice paper roll! These vegetable spring rolls are to die for! Dip em in extra peanut sauce, you know, just for good measure. See how easy it is to make this healthy recipe even if you are a spring roll newbie!

Don’t limit yourself to salads as the weather gets warmer. Coming from a true salad lover, this shows how highly I think of these spring rolls.

Spring rolls are a great no cooking option and are PERFECT for lunch or dinner. It’s an easy way to pack all your carbs, vegetables, and protein in one little (or big) roll to take with you on the go. They are so easy to make ahead so you can have meals planned out for days. That leaves more time for you to enjoy the warmer weather!

stack of vegan pancakes topped with fresh fruit on white plate

Vegan Banana Pancakes – 3 Ingredients!

Hip hip for pancakes! Delicious pancakes that take virtually no time to whip up and only require THREE INGREDIENTS? Sign me up, please! These vegan banana pancakes are great for weekend breakfast or brunch and are so comforting, you won’t believe they are entirely plant-based! Grab some maple syrup and come join me for a pancake party!

Are you team pancake or team waffles? Personally, I’m team both BUT if I had to choose, pancakes take the cake. I catch myself making pancakes on the weekend far too often, as if that’s such a thing. I wanted a recipe that was easy to make for one, but also easy to scale up when cooking for friends. This recipe is perfect for that and not to mention calls for ingredients that are always on hand (at least in my household).

baked and breaded tofu bites on light pink background with parsley

Baked Tofu Bites (5 Ingredients!) + VIDEO!

rose mimosa with grapefruit juice on marble counter with flowers

Rosé Grapefruit Mimosa

Calling all my champagne lovers! This blush drink has stolen my heart. Mimosas made with rosé champagne and grapefruit juice are so delicious and result in a stunning pink hue. Perfect for all types of brunches, you need to get your hands on this rosé grapefruit mimosa recipe. Cheers!

Mimosas are the simplest mixed drinks and they are great for any occasion. Mix champagne and juice (usually orange juice) and you have yourself a mimosa! But what makes mimosas so great are the flavor combos are virtually endless.

What sparked my idea for this grapefruit mimosa recipe was a celebratory one.

My amazing friends bought me this bottle of rosé after making the top 100 plant-based blogs list! This is a huge accomplishment for me because I’ve built this baby from the ground up and I love that I’m making an impact in the plant-based community! So what better way to use this rosé than make a recipe for my blog?!

Okay, back to mimosas, because that’s why you’re here right?

bowl of vegan peanut butter mocha energy bites on dark blue napkin

Peanut Butter Mocha Energy Balls (Vegan)

What better ingredient for energy bites than a little dose of caffeine? These no-bake energy balls are the perfect bite-sized snack! Loaded with peanut butter, dates, coffee, chocolate, and dusted with cocoa powder, these are perfect for pre and post workout or just a snack on to go!

Energy bites, protein balls, energy balls, whatever you wanna call em, they have achieved major popularity in the healthy food world. They are packed with healthy ingredients all in a perfect portion.

I made some coconut lime energy bites awhile back and I honestly cannot believe it took me this long to test out a chocolate coffee version. Well probably not the best-suited recipe for children (they have too much energy as is), you can omit coffee to make them kid-friendly. Chocolate peanut butter energy balls are still delicious and definitely a kid-approved flavor combo.

I, however, am I huge coffee fan and coffee flavor foods are no exception. The coffee stays for me and I love these mocha energy bites! Let’s get you to love them too.

vegan lemon loaf on wood board with glaze

Vegan Lemon Loaf with Lemon Glaze + VIDEO

Prepare to be wowed by this vegan lemon loaf recipe! Moist lemon cake covered in a perfectly sweetened lemon glaze is what dreams are made of. Whip up this lemon loaf with a handful of simple ingredients!

This lemon loaf recipe is everything to me, and maybe I’m slightly biased because I, for one, am a huge lemon dessert fan. Give me lemon cake, lemon scones, lemon cookies any day over anything chocolate.

Don’t get me wrong, chocolate is amazing too. I’m a major sweets fan, but light citrusy desserts are where it’s at.

Mindful Avocado