5 Tips for Being Healthy

One - Eat Slowly! By chewing your food properly and taking longer to eat a meal you are much more likely to become full on a smaller amount of food than you'd think! Also it doesn't help to have some table etiquette!

Two - Don't be scared of Fat!! Eating fat does not make you fat. Most body fat gained comes from unused carbohydrates (grains, legumes, sugars) which are high-calorie and slow-release foods. (Great if your Paula Radcliffe.. not if you sit behind a desk all day).  Focus more on getting some Fat on your plate than Carbohydrate (it's less inflammatory and just as fulfilling). For 1 meal a day try replacing any grains (rice, bread, pasta, cous cous) or legumes (peas, beans, lentils) with healthy FATS:
                                            - Avocado
                                            - Olives
                                            - Nuts
                                            - Seeds
                                            - Eggs

Three - Use healthy oils like Olive oil or Coconut oil when cooking. Stay away from any kind of Vegetable oil (they're very deceptive). Also when you buy semi-processed healthy foods like nut butter ALWAYS check the ingredients. Most peanut butters and even ol' Quaker Oats are full of sugar. Your much better off with simple, organic foods.

Four - Get in the Kitchen and start cooking!! By baking all your own cakes, biscuits, cookies etc.. you are much more aware how much butter, sugar, chocolate you are eating. (It's easier to ignore the nutritional value label on the back of the packet that it is seeing 300g of sugar being weighed into a bowl!!). Also home cooking provides a much greater sense of achievement!

Five - Drink lots and lots and lots of water. With every meal, in-between meals, when you wake up, when you're going to bed ... just don't stop! Drinking water helps flush your food down and keeps everything going through your digestive system. It's good for your skin too!

Sweet Potato, Green Bean and Sundried Tomato Frittata (Vegetarian)

 

Ingredients
3 Eggs
11-12 Green Beans
1 Sweet Potato
4 Sundried Tomatoes
Salt
Pepper

 

Method
Firstly preheat a grill to medium heat.

Peel your sweet potato and cut up into little cubes. Wash your green beans and slice finely. Add them to a saucepan of boiling water and leave to soften for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile crack your eggs into a bowl and whisk together. Season with salt and pepper and drop in the sundried tomatoes (leave the sunflower oil on them - it makes the frittata crispy!)

Once the tats and beans are soft, drain in a colander and throw them onto a pre-heated pre-(olive) oiled frying pan on a medium heat. Allow them to sizzle for a few seconds.

Pour over the egg mixture and leave to sit for 4 minutes. Once the bottom appears to be solidifying (as if you were cooking an omelette and can lift up the sides with the edge of your spatula) transfer the pan to the pre-heated grill.

Grill for 10-12 minutes until the top has browned and you can see no liquid egg floating on the top.

Remove from the grill and leave to cool (this way it will hold together much better)

Once cool remove from the pan by sliding a butter knife around the edges. Cut into pizza-like slices. You can serve it straight away cold or reheat it.

Frittatas can be eaten as breakfast, lunch or dinner (with a leafy salad) or act as perfect lunch box material! 

Lime Chicken Pot & Sweet Potato Mash

 

Ingredients
3 Skinless Chicken Breasts
2 Sweet Potatoes
1 Lime
2 Tomatoes
4 Mini Courgettes
Sundried Tomatoes
 Pumpkin Seeds
Sesame Seeds
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt
Pepper

 

 

Method
In a saucepan bring some water to the boil. Meanwhile peel your sweet potatoes and cut into cubes. Add to the boiling water, cover and allow to cook until soft (around 20 mins)

 

Cut up your chicken, tomatoes, limes (quarters) and courgettes and place on an oven dish with olive oil, salt and pepper and either BBQ or grill for 20-25 mins until the chicken is cooked. Remember to keep returning to the grill/BBQ and stir the chicken in with the veg to allow the meat to soak all the juices.

 

When your potatoes are ready, drain the saucepan of water and with the back of a fork mash together. You may want to add a bit of butter or milk (I used 2 tablespoons of almond milk) to get that creamy mash consistency.

 

Pile your cooked chicken and veg into the serving pot, drizzle over some balsamic vinegar and squeeze what is left of the cooked lime. Now simply add a few seeds and season to your preference.

 

Voila!

3 Ingredient Breakfast Muffins

Dairy-Free    Gluten-Free   Vegetarian     Wholefood

 

This easy 3-ingredient recipe provides the bust student with a 'grab-and-go' alternative to the standard omelette. Nutritional and simple, this is a useful trick of the kitchen.

 

 

Ingredients:

4 eggs (roughly 1 egg per muffin)

Veg variety (I used 1 large tomato, 1/4 yellow pepper and 1/4 green pepper)
Salt
Pepper

 

 

Method:

Firstly gather all your ingredients. For these muffins I have gone for Tomato and Pepper but you can out whatever you like in it! I used Kale before and it worked really well!

 

 

Now in one bowl finely chop your vegetables and season with salt and pepper. I am aiming for medium sized muffins so I use 1 large tomato and 1/4 of a yellow pepper and 1/4 of a green pepper. Obviously if your using a bigger muffin tray to make your muffins the more veg you use.

 

In another bowl crack the eggs and whisk together.

 



 

Once the eggs are whisked, pour in the veg and mix together gently.

 

Using a ladle, pour a portion of the mixture into each muffin tray compartment so each is about 3/4 full. (It should work out as 1 egg per muffin so 4 egg = 4 muffins but sometimes you might have bit left over to make a 5th)

 

 

Place your muffin tray in a pre-heated oven at 170 degrees and leave to bake for 30 mins!

 

Enjoy!