With the recent blog posts about the macronutrients and the importance of understanding that we really are wat we eat – I have had some general feedback from the readers saying that while they understand the concepts presented in each post, they don’t necessarily know how to take them and apply the knowledge into their everyday lifestyles. In light of this I have selected a few of my favourite healthy recipes to share with you guys to help everyone in learning to apply the lasting lifestyle recommendations to their lives. Anyone that has chatted to me about nutrition and my views on how to go about healthy eating will know that I believe the only way to achieve success with this is by following two simple guidelines; firstly living a balanced lifestyle and secondly making sure that this lifestyle fits into your daily routine. People often fall off the wagon with healthy living because everyday living feels too hectic and overwhelming to continue making healthy food preparation and exercise a priority. And while I have no idea what it is like to be a busy parent I know that failing to plan is planning to fail. I have learned that the best way to stay on track is by making healthy living as easy as I can for myself. One of the ways I do this is by choosing simple recipes (like the recommendations I have made below) that are easy to prepare and keep well if prepared in advance. Every Sunday I plan my meals for the week and head to the grocery store with a list of everything I need – this makes shopping easy, stress free and keeps me from buying unnecessary and often unhealthy foods. Then as I arrive home I make sure that I prepare everything that can be prepared for the week in advance. I peel and freeze vegetables and fruit for smoothies, I will make some hard boiled eggs, chop carrot and celery sticks, and cut cheese slices for easy to grab snacks/ to build lunch boxes. I will roast a variety of vegetables to be easily reheated during the week as a side or to accompany a salad for lunch in the day. I will cook up a whole pot of rice and curry or stew for the week and freeze some for the days when I get home too late to make a full meal. I find that in being prepared and always having a healthy option in the fridge/freezer at home I seldom land up buying take-out or the convenient food options that are often high in bad fats and refined carbohydrates. Some of these recipes are more like concepts to give you creative freedom to change them to your liking and make them fit into your life. They are intended to help illustrate how to go about healthy eating and do not need to be adhered to like a strict diet plan. Freedom and balance is what allows us to stay interested in healthy eating! BREAKFASTScrambled eggs on low GI toast with lightly fried tomatoes: Add some spinach or other chopped up vegetables like bell peppers to your eggs to increase the fibre content and nutrient density of this simple meal. Egg muffins with low GI or rye toast: (click on recipe title above to follow link to full recipe) Make these in advance and freeze some as they can be easily defrosted and reheated in the microwave. Try different vegetable and cheese combos. Increase the protein content by adding some canned shredded tuna or left over roast chicken. Breakfast Smoothies: (click on recipe title above to follow link to full recipe) Remember to be creative and try different combinations you might like. I use a standard recipe of plain yoghurt, water, oats, protein and Herbalife powder as a base for all my smoothies. I love to play around with different fruit combinations and adding flavours like cinnamon and cocoa powder to spice things up. Yoghurt, Oats and Fruit bowl ½ cup low fat plain yoghurt ¼ cup rolled oats ¼ tsp cinnamon 1 tsp goji berries 1 tsp vanilla chia seed mix (Dischem lifestyle food brand) 1 tsp dessicated coconut Light drizzle of honey on top This is one of my favourite combinations because it has the healthy fats from the roasted seeds, antioxidants from the superfood goji berries, complex carbohydrates from the oats and protein from the yoghurt. Prepare it the night before for a delicious pudding-like breaki on the go and play around with flavours and add some fresh fruit. Fully Loaded Oats Bowl ½ cup rolled oats ½ cup milk of your choice 1 cup boiling water ¼ tsp cinnamon 1 tsp vanilla chia seed mix (Dischem lifestyle food brand) 1 tsp dessicated coconut Light drizzle of honey on top Cook your oats to your liking with water, milk and cinnamon. Top with seeds, coconut and honey. Play around with different flavour combinations. Cook your oats with fresh blueberries or top with cut up banana. Oats is a great low gi breakfast option and it’s the perfect canvas for fruit, nuts and seeds. Be creative! LUNCHLow GI Bread with Avocado smash, sliced Chicken Breast, sliced Tomato and Leafy Greens Rye bread, low GI bread and seed loafs are generally your best choices when choosing a sandwich bread as they digest slowly and are packed with fibre and other nutrients that more refined breads lack. Avocado is great on sandwiches as it adds the creaminess you often look for in unhealthy spreads like mayonnaise while providing healthy fats and making us feel full. Healthy nutrient dense bread + vegetables + lean protein = Perfect Sarmie! Upside down salad in a jar (click on recipe title above to follow link to full recipe) Healthy lunch in a jar! What could be better? I love this idea because I love salads, but taking them for lunch never works. There are a ton of wonderful recipes out there for mason jar salads but the concept is so simple you can take it and apply it to your favourite salad combo. Just follow the rule – all ingredients that can be wet at the bottom with the dressing (i.e. protein/legumes) and work your way to the top with the dry ones (i.e. leaves). These keep well if made in advance and all you have to do is tip the jar over onto a plate and BOOM – salad made!! Brown Pasta or Couscous Salad (click on recipe title above to follow link to full recipe) Substitute the couscous for some brown pasta for a change. I love tossing my roast veggies in some basil pesto before adding them to the couscous. I often add a sprinkle of mixed roasted seeds to this salad as they bring an extra crunch and delicious savoury flavour to the dish – plus they are so good for you! I recommend again the Lifestyle brand from Dischem – Roasted Mixed Seeds. DINNERHealthy Cottage Pie (click on recipe title above to follow link to full recipe) The linked video by Ashy Bines is a good show of the concept for this recipe but please make it your own! Every time I make this I use different veggie combinations and it is one of my favourite recipes because you don’t even realize how much and how many different kinds of veggies you can get in with one bite. Sweet potato is also a great low GI alternative to normal white potato mash. It is higher in vitamins, minerals and fibre so it keeps you fuller for longer. I love using frozen vegetable mixes like the McCain stirfry blend because its so easy to just pop it in and fry it up with the mince. Moms – this is a very sneaky way of getting the munchkins to munch their veggies! Just make sure the sauce is well flavoured and they won’t even know about it!! For a vegetarian option – substitute the mince for a mix of canned lentils, rated/ground up carrot done in a food processor and sliced mushrooms. Butternut and Chickpea Curry with Brown Rice (click on recipe title above to follow link to full recipe) This is one of my favourite vegetarian dinner recipes. With the cold winter nights – there is nothing more satisfying than a good hearty meal like a curry or a stew. This recipe is high in fibre, the chickpeas provide enough protein and the flavours are just incredible! I often eat this meal with a dollop of cold plain yoghurt and a salad of chopped up tomato and cucumber on the side for added nutrition and to cool the palate if it gets too hot. Play around with the recipe and find a curry paste that suits your heat levels. If there must be meat added – add some diced chicken breast to the mix. Now... don't just look at the pictures and imagine what it will taste like... Get in the kitchen and try the one that looks the best to you!! :-DDon't forget to leave comments on how your meals came out! Even post a photo of your plate! Or send feedback to [email protected]
Happy cooking!
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AuthorDanielle Gemeliaris has been dancing for half her life and has always been passionate about food, nutrition and the science behind them. The knowledge she gained through her studies, as a dancer and her experience as a health and wellness coach through Herbalife, has made her uniquely qualified to help dancers better understand nutrition and the role it plays in their lives. She hopes to offer the readers of this blog the opportunity to gain a basic working knowledge of nutrition, the role it plays for dancers and learn how to make better more informed food choices in the future. Archives
April 2019
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