I love using a smoothie as a way to get extra nutrients into my diet. They are great as a snack or main meal (depending on what’s in it) if you are on the go or just don’t have the time to prepare a meal. Try my greens smoothie for the extra vitamin/mineral nutrient kick. I much prefer smoothies to juices as you are not losing out on any of the fibre from the fruit or vegetable.
Ingredients
1 handful baby spinach
1 chunk of cucumber
1/2 avocado
1 kiwi fruit
1/2 apple
1 teaspoon barley grass powder
200ml coconut water (or water if you are trying to keep the sugar content down)
As promised - a delicious soup recipe that is high in beta-carotene rich vegetables. Have a read of last weeks blog to learn about the benefits and why we should all be making an effort to include foods rich in beta-carotene in our diets.
2 x red peppers
1 x large orange sweet potato
100g cherry tomatoes
2 x carrots
1 x onion
1 x clove of garlic
400ml of vegetable stock
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 180degrees
Dice the carrots sweet potato and red pepper up into about 1cm size cubes. Leave the cherry tomatoes and garlic whole.
Add the vegetables (except the onion) to a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and roast for about 30minutes
Following on from my post of FSC’s High Potency High Potency Whole Bulb Garlic I thought I would share a tasty way of including raw garlic into your diet. It’s such a quick and easy recipe to make, with the added benefit of knowing exactly what went into your pesto.
Remember one of the main compounds found in garlic is allicin. Allicin is produced when the garlic clove is chopped or crushed - it also gives garlic its strong smell. Allicin has been found to reduce inflammation and has antimicrobial properties. Unfortunately its destroyed when heated - so to get the full benefits from garlic we need to eat it raw and ideally leave it to rest for 10-15minutes or so after chopping/crushing.
With Easter a few days away I thought I would share some of the benefits of including dark chocolate in your diet. Unfortunately i’m not talking about milk chocolate here, it needs to be dark, the darker the better and ideally organic high quality chocolate which does come with a bigger price tag.
Have a read below to learn some of the benefits of adding this delicious treat to your diet.
Fights free radicals - Dark chocolate is an excellent antioxidant. Cocao powder has been shown to have higher antioxidant activity than other ‘superfoods’ like blueberries and açai berries. Antioxidants are needed to neutralise free radicals which are causing havoc in our bodies. Free radicals cause inflammation, and inflammation is the route cause of most illnesses so it’s something you want to avoid and how amazing that a delicious treat can help!
Avocados are known by most to be really healthy - but do you know why? Have a read below to learn why you should be adding this fruit to your diet!
Avocados can reduce your risk of metabolic syndrome, which is the name given a group of conditions that increase your risk of developing heart disease.
Avocados are rich in fat soluble vitamins and contain lutein which is a carotenoid that protects eye, skin and hair health. Avocados can even be used topically as face or hair masks!
Studies have shown avocados to have the ability to help fight off certain cancers thanks to the powerful phytochemicals they contain.
Excellent for digestive health - avocados can contain anywhere between 10-17g of fibre per a fruit! Fibre is important for our gut health as it helps increase the good bacteria and keep
Pancakes don’t just need to be saved for a weekend treat - these can be eaten daily. Batch cook them and keep a stash in the freezer. Just pop in the toaster for a quick nutritious breakfast!
Ingredients
1 egg
1/2 cup chickpea flour
1 cup plain flour
1 banana
1 tablespoon hemp hearts
1 teaspoon baking powder
250ml milk
Butter or coconut oil to grease the pan
Method
Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until well mixed.
If the mixture is looking too thick add a bit more milk until you get the desired consistency.
Heat a pan and add a 1/2 teaspoon of butter or coconut oil
Home made tomato soup may not be as easy as opening a can of soup, but its much more tastier and no hidden additives! Double up the mixture and you can freeze extra portions for a quick soup the next time round.
800g tomatoes cut into quarters
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon oregano
500ml vegetable stock
Sprinkle of salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 180degrees.
Place the tomatoes and garlic in an over proof dish and drizzle with olive oil followed by the oregano, salt and pepper.
Place in the oven.
After about 15minutes give the tomatoes a stir to make sure they are roasting evenly.
Cook for another 15-20minutes or until tomatoes are starting to darken.
This delicious meal will warm you up from the inside out! It’s an excellent way to add lots of tasty nutrients to your diet.
Ingredients
2kgs stewing beef
2 brown onions diced
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 carrots cut into coins
2 sweet potatoes chopped into 50p coin size
2 sticks of celery diced
500ml beef bone broth
1 tin of chopped tomato
1 tablespoon of marmalade
Method
If you have a slow cooker turn on to the sauté setting, if not you can use a stock pot. Add the olive oil and diced onion and cook for about 3-5minutes until the onion has softened.
If you are looking for a healthy alternative to your usual sugar cookie or ginger bread man recipe give this one a go! Tasty with no refined sugar!
Ingredients
250g almonds
1/2 cup cake flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon bicarb
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger (optional)
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons coconut oil
Method
Pre heat over to 180degrees
Add the almonds and blend until they are a fine crumb, then add all the other ingredients to a blender and blend until at a smooth consistency. The dough should come together.
Place the dough in-between two sheets of baking paper, using a roller - roll
I try include raw garlic in my diet as much as possible to get the most health benefits. One of the main compounds found in garlic is allicin. Allicin is produced when the garlic clove is chopped or crushed - it also gives garlic its strong smell. Allicin has been found to reduce inflammation and has antimicrobial properties. Unfortunately its destroyed when heated - so to get the full benefits from garlic we need to eat it raw and ideally leave it to rest for 10-15minutes or so after chopping/crushing.
Try my home made pesto recipe - a delicious way to include raw garlic in your diet!
