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Nutrition

Posted on September 20, 2018

A simple green smoothie recipe for beginners

recipes

As you probably know from my recent Instagram story, celebrity chef Rachel Allen has recently teamed up with Herbalife to create some nutritious healthy shakes recipes and as a self-proclaimed foodie and avid smoothie lover, I couldn’t wait to plug in my blender when my luxury Herbalife* hamper arrived last week.

The hamper was filled with two Herbalife Formula 1 Healthy Meal tubs, a blue Herbalife shaker cup, a blue apron, an olive wood serving board and of course, two of Rachel Allen’s delicious recipes.

The recipe I will be sharing today is called the Green Goddess. It is light, fresh and has a lovely zesty flavour to it. Best part? You can enjoy it at any time of the day! So without further ado, here is what you need to make Rachel Allen’s Green Goddess shake 🙂

Ingredients:

  • 26g Herbalife Formula 1 Vanilla flavour
  • 100g raw celery, roughly chopped
  • 100g raw cucumber, roughly chopped
  • 100g raw spinach
  • 3 tbsp lemon or lime juice
  • 250ml milk
  • 150g ice

Instructions:

  1. Start by putting the milk and formula 1 powder in a blender.
  2. Blend together and then add in remaining ingredients before blending further.
  3. Blend until completely smooth.
  4. Add in some extra lemon or lime juice to suit your taste! (I added a tsp of spirulina powder for added benefits).

This shake is so easy and convenient to make, especially for beginners! It has appx 220 kcal per serving when made per instructions! Are you a fan of smoothies? If so, be sure to give this shake a try! For more recipes with Rachel, check out the Herbalife website here! 🙂

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*The Herbalife products were gifted to me, but all views remain my own. 

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Posted on November 28, 2017

5 healthy snack bars for your inner #FitFam

Nutrition

If there is one thing that keeps me happy when I’m out and about, it’s the reassurance that I have nibbles in my handbag. I know, I know…. I am worse than a toddler – just feed me and I’ll be happy! I either make my own healthy treats at home or settle for the next most convenient thing: store-bought snacks a.ka. the lazy way out.

Now I have no doubt that the words store-bought might make some of you dedicated foodies wince. But worry not, I can assure you that not all store-bought snacks are bad, especially when you go by my logic – the less ingredients, the better!

Without further a do, here are some of the snacks I like to keep at handy 🙂

1. Pulsin & Beond Organic Fruit and Nut Bars*

There’s no way these could not have made it to the top of the list – these truly taste heavenly! They’re made with high quality natural ingredients and are vegan friendly – free from gluten, dairy, soya, refined sugars and non GM.

To top that off, they’re cold pressed to give the most nutritional value.

The first of the three flavours I tried was chocolate; it exceeded my expectations because I am not a chocolate fan (unless it’s white) so I wasn’t expecting much. But the mix with peanut butter was just perfect. My favourite flavour was the raspberry and acai, you can just tell it’s made of natural goodness! The blueberry is also mouth-watering, but it is on the sweeter side of things.

If you want something less sweet, go for the chocolate flavour but if you want a perfect balance then go for raspberry and acai, You can buy these fruit and nut bars online and filter by flavour, diet and size – as they come in bigger packages too 🙂

2. Homemade Protein Balls

Protein balls

Protein balls

There isn’t a single person who has tried these no bake protein balls and not liked them – these bite-sized balls are both easy & fun to make. Of course you can choose a protein powder that fits your dietary requirements. But regardless of what protein powder you use, they will taste amazing once you combine it with the other ingredients!

Find the full recipe here 🙂

3. Cashew Crush Bars

The Foodie Market Cashew Crush Bar

The Foodie Market Cashew Crush Bar

The first time I tried one of these bars, I was completely taken aback by how good it tasted – I just wasn’t expecting it at all. Much like anyone other foodie, I had this skewed perception that a cheap “healthy bar” in Aldi wouldn’t taste so good – or be that healthy.

But after trying Cashew Crush and other products from The Foodie Market range in Aldi, I have to say I’ve been proven wrong. Cashew Crush bars are made entirely from cashews and dates and have no preservatives or added sugar. They are not overly chewy or overly sweet – they are just right!

You can buy them in a five pack in Aldi or sepeartely for 89c each 🙂

4. Sesame and Honey Bars

Sesame and honey bars

Sesame and honey bars

I have had similar bars to this & found them to be a little bit too sweet for my liking, so I took it upon myself to start making my own. These sesame and honey bars actually taste better than a lot of the store-bought stuff I have tried in the past – and this isn’t me bragging!

While I used honey in my recipe, I have no doubt that stevia syrup would work for vegans. Have a look at the full recipe here 🙂

5. Herbalife Protein Bars*

Herbalife Protein Bar Vanilla Almond

Vanilla Almond Herbalife Protein Bar

As tasty as they are, I treat these Herbalife protein bars as more of a healthy “cheat” due to some of the ingredients in them. I have quite a restricted diet in general, but every now and again I do like to indulge and have something that I normally wouldn’t consume. These protein bars allow me to indulge while remaining on the slightly healthier side of things.

It does contain dairy protein and other dairy products so it isn’t suitable to vegans or anyone with intolerance to lactose. However, the dairy ingredients help increase lean muscle body mass and contributes to increased metabolic rate.

Most snacks are supposed to have about 150 calories, but one of these bars have 10 calories less than your average snack – always a plus! You can order these online or from a Herbalife member by getting in touch with one in your local area 🙂

What are your go-to pick me ups? I’d love to know! 🙂

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*Products marked with an asterisk were sent to me for review purposes, however all views remain my own.

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Posted on October 21, 2017

High protein quinoa porridge (vegan)

recipes

If you follow me on social media, then you would know that I was recently sent some products from Pulsin & Beond, an award-winning health conscious food brand that specialises in guilt-free snacks and protein powders.

As someone who’s spent the last couple of months using Pulsin Pea Protein powder, I was excited to try other products from this brand. But seeing that I was running out of protein powder in the house, I decided to get stuck into a recipe as soon as my parcel arrived!

This is the first thing I made using Pulsin Pea Protein, an unflavoured plant-based & heat stable powder. One scoop contains 8.0g of protein (nearly half as much protein as you need at every food sitting).

So without further ado, here is the long-awaited quinoa porridge recipe – Lord knows I shared enough snaps of this on my Insta story! 🙂

Ingredients:

  • 3 spoonfuls cooked quinoa
  • 2 scoops Pulsin Pea Protein
  • 2 tbsp chia seeds
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • Vanilla essence (optional)
  • Honey to sweeten (optional)

Directions

1.  Place the cooked quinoa in a sieve and run under cold water.

2.  Put rinsed quinoa in a saucepan and bring to a medium heat with water.

3. Once the quinoa starts to boil, add in dry ingredients.

4. Whisk until the the mixture thickens and add in desired sweetener(s).

5. Once the porridge has desired consistency, remove from heat.

6. Serve with desired toppings.

This recipe can be enjoyed hot or cold! You can add in some almond milk for added protein if you’d like. It is incredibly filling and will keep you fuelled for a good couple of hours! Let me know how you get on 🙂

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Posted on July 14, 2017

Egg-free protein pancakes

recipes

A few months back I got a food intolerance test done for my skin. I was told I needed to avoid eggs, wheat and yeast to prevent my breakouts. It came as such a shock to me because there was a time in my life where I couldn’t imagine going a day without eating eggs – I absolutely loved them, and I still do. If you cooked up a dippy egg in front of me, a little part of me would probably break. However, I did eliminate eggs from my diet and I noticed a significant change in my skin.

And now,with the realisation that the big 30 is only around the corner, I’ve decided to start taking my diet more seriously. I’m slowly cutting out wheat and yeast from my diet and started taking a plant-based protein supplement also. I chose a pea protein powder because milk products don’t always agree with my body.

All in all, I am more serious about health this year than I ever was. If I didn’t like red meat so much I would likely be vegan, but I’m not sure I am quite ready for such a commitment just yet – baby steps! 🙂

So this recipe is me moving in a slow pace towards a healthier body, mind and soul:

Ingredients:

  • 300ml warm water
  • 2 tbsp milled chia seed
  • 250ml almond milk
  • 75g honey (optional)
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp vanilla essence
  • 250g quinoa flour
  • 2 scoops protein powder (I use Pulsin Pea Protein)

Method:

1. Mix the water and chia seeds in a bowl and set aside until it thickens.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk the coconut oil and honey.

3. While waiting for the chia seed mixture to coagulate, measure in the remaining dry ingredients.

4. At this point, the chia seed mixture should be ready. Add it to the bowl of honey and coconut oil and then fold in the dry ingredients. Whisk it up and gradually add in milk until the batter has your preferred thickness.

5. Grease a pan with an oil or butter of your choosing, I like to use this avocado oil spread.

6. Pour ladlespoons of the batter on your pan until you get through it all (makes about large pancakes 7)

7. Stack up and top up using your favourite toppings! Enjoy 🙂

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Posted on October 10, 2015

Quinoa Sushi Rolls

recipes

quinoa sushi

Today’s blog post was actually supposed to be on one of The Body Shop’s scrubs that I am absolutely addicted to – I seriously need to get a review up before I finish it all! However, seeing it is my mother’s birthday and she loves sushi as much as I do, I decided to treat her with a lovely little lunch in bed. And since I always take pics of every little step when it comes to cooking (weird habit), I thought I’d share the recipe with you guys too!

So if you’re a fan of traditional sushi, but are also looking to cut down on white carbs, then this quinoa sushi recipe is for you 🙂

Ingredients:

  • 150g quinoa, cooked
  • 3 sheets of nori
  • 6 crab sticks
  • 1 slice of salmon

Directions:

1. Cook the quinoa as per instructions (be sure to add about three drops of vinegar to the quinoa while cooking). Once the quinoa is cooled for about 10 minutes, put four tablespoons on a sheet of nori.

quinoa sushi 1

 

2. Use the back of a metal spoon to spread it across the sheet and flatten it out. Be sure not to put too much on the border closest to you and leave or the one furthest from you.

quinoa sushi 2

3. Place two crab sticks (or your preferred filling) side by side, at the end closest to you.

quinoa sushi  6

4.Tightly roll over the filling, pressing down as you go upwards. Continue to do so until you get to the very end.

quinoa sushi  3

5. Use a sharp knife to cut the sushi into 6 to 8 parts and put a small piece of salmon over the cut pieces.

quinoa sushi  4

6. Repeat process with the other two sheets and then serve with pickled ginger, soy sauce – or both!

quinoa sushi  5

Top tips:

  • Try not to overload the nori with qunioa as your sushi will be harder to roll and most likely fall apart when you try cutting it.
  • Always leave a border around the edges, particularly the one furthest from you.
  • If you squeeze tightly, and press downwards you have a better chance of making sure the sushi rolls stick.
  • If the edges don’t seal properly,  dip you fingers into water and gently wet the edges of the nori before trying again.
  • Have fun with it!

Oh and it’s pronounced keen-wa! 🙂

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Posted on September 28, 2015

Baked Kale Chips

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baked kale chips recipe

As you probably already know, kale is quite popular among healthy eaters. Not only is it low in fat and calories, but it is great for helping with digestion due to its high fibre content. I normally add kale to my green smoothies, but every now and again, I like a crunchy treat.

If you have a weak spot for crispy goodness or even want a guilt-free crispy treat, then this 20-minute recipe is definitely worth giving a shot.

Ingredients:

  • 3 handfuls of curly kale, washed and dried
  • 1 tsp of coconut oil
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp mixed herbs
  • Other herbs of your choice

Directions:

1. After washing and drying the kale, cut into smaller pieces and remove the stems.

kale chips recipe 1

2. Mix the coconut oil with the herbs and then drizzle over the kale in a baking tray. Use your hands to ensure that the oil is evenly coated.

kale chips 2

3. Bake at 145C for about 15 minutes, or until brown and crispy.

kale chips recipe 3

4. Enjoy as a guilt-free snack!

kale chips 4

As you can see, this is such an easy snack to make and it is so good for you. Since I started making it, I have my mother is hooked! Hopefully, you get the chance to give this recipe a try, I look forward to getting some feedback! 🙂

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Posted on September 15, 2015

Homemade chicken goujons

recipes

homemadechicken goujons

I can be a bit funny about chicken – I know, it doesn’t exactly fit the stereotype! But, surprisingly enough, I go through phases where I don’t go near chicken at all. Now part of the reason for that is that I am a big fan of fish and often regard it as my main source of protein.

However, I can’t rely on the likes of tilapia or even turkey as my only source of protein. Especially since chicken breast is the ‘classic’ muscle building food.

I originally saw these goujons made by @edel_wade on Instagram, but like always, I’ve changed a few things to suit my taste buds. So if you’re ever running low on ideas of what to make with your chicken breast, then here’s a simple recipe for you guys!

Ingredients:

  • 8 tbsp oat bran
  • 1 tsp cajun
  • 1 tsp mixed herbs
  • 2 beaten eggs
  • 2 chicken breasts
  • coconut oil

Method:

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

goujons dry

2. Cut the chicken breast into pieces.

goujons chicken

3. Dip each chicken piece in the beaten eggs and then coat in the oat bran mix.Continue to do so until you’ve gone through all the pieces.

goujons covered

4. Heat up coconut oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the chicken pieces in a low heat.

goujons fry

 

5. Once the chicken is ready, remove from heat and serve with your favourite condiment.I think these would be perfect with some Cajun sweet potato fries! #FoodPorn

goujons 2

To vote for my blog in the Health & Wellbeing category, please choose ‘7 reasons your diet isn’t working’ here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PPBJNMZ

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Posted on July 31, 2015

No-bake protein balls

recipes

protein balls

I’m sure many of you have come across my infamous protein bar recipe.  And if you’ve tried making them at home, then you would know that they are highly addictive. Whenever I make my protein bars, they barely last four days in the house, never mind a week! My father loves them, the boys love them and even my three year old niece – we all know that kids never lie!

So to switch things up a bit, I’ve decided to start making protein balls as well. To be quite honest, these require much less effort. Once you have your ingredients, all you need is a spoon, a mixing bowl and your talented little hands to turn them into edible, bite-sized balls!

Ingredients:

  • 100g quick oats
  • 2 tbsp protein powder
  • 3 tbsp peanut butter
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds
  • 1 tbsp ground almond

Method:

1. Put the oats in a clean bowl and then add in the other ingredients (make sure the coconut oil is melted)

protein balls 1

2. Mix it all up until the oats are evenly coated and  there are no lumps of PB or honey.

protein balls 2

3. Use your hands to roll the mixture into bite-sized balls and place on a plate or tray.

protein balls 3

4. Put in fridge for about an hour, remove when firm.

protein balls 4

5. Enjoy as an afternoon pick me up or snack throughout the day!

protein balls 5

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Posted on July 8, 2015

Cajun sweet potato fries

food/ recipes

cajun sweet potato fries

I wouldn’t be the biggest sweet potato fan out there. For a very long time, the thought of sweet potato muffins or sweet potato pancakes made me want to gag. But now that I’ve made a lot of changes to my diet, a lot of sacrifices have been made too.

If I want to have my body sculpted for my trip to Portugal in a few weeks, then I have to make wiser food choices. I need to take a step back from starchy foods and find healthier  alternatives. Enter, sweet potatoes, an excellent substitute to white potatoes minus the added calories.

There are so many different ways to make sweet potatoes: you can grill them, steam them, add them to soups. It’s up to you really. But I find that making crispy fries out of them really makes them more bearable to eat- for me, anyways. When sweet potatoes are flavoured the right way and baked to crispy perfection, I can have them again and again!

So without further ado, here’s how I make my crispy sweet potato fries.

Ingredients:

  • 2 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cleaned
  • 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
  • 1 ½ tsp powdered paprika
  • 1 ½ tsp dried oregano
  • 1 ½ tspn dried thyme
  • ¼ cajun powder
  • ¼ tspn black pepper
  • 1 ½ tsp powdered garlic
  • ½ tsp salt

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 220C

2. After scrubbing and cleaning the two sweet potatoes, cut them up unto thin fries and set aside in a large bowl.

sweet p 1

3. Put the coconut oil in a small bowl and heat in the microwave until completed melted.

sweet p 2

4. Once melted, add all the herbs and spices to the oil and give it a good mix.

sweet p 3

sweet p 4

5. Pour the mixture over the sweet potatoes, making sure that all the fries are evenly coated. Toss the bowl around or use your hands if you must!

sweet p 5

6. Transfer to a baking tray and bake for 35 minutes, while turning regularly. Remove from oven once the edges are dark brown and crisp.

sweet p 6

7. Serve plain, with your favourite dip, or with a tomato instead of tomato sauce! Lol, enjoy 🙂

sweet p 7

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    Today was a very productive day: I made my very own Nutella.That's right, I made a thick and gooey hazelnut spread with a touch of cocoa that tastes very much like the much-loved 'breakfast' spread, Nutella itself. Now I know it doesn't look like the most appetising chocolate spread out…
Posted on June 9, 2015

Healthy homemade Nutella

food/ recipes

homemade nutella

Today was a very productive day: I made my very own Nutella.That’s right, I made a thick and gooey hazelnut spread with a touch of cocoa that tastes very much like the much-loved ‘breakfast’ spread, Nutella itself.

Now I know it doesn’t look like the most appetising chocolate spread out there and I’m probably losing a lot of points for presentation here, but it just tastes so damn good!

What I used:

Directions:

1. Arrange the hazelnuts on a lined and rimmed baking tray and then toast for about 20 minutes at 150C. Once the skins begin to crack, remove from heat and allow to cool.

2. Remove as much skin from the hazelnuts by rubbing them in a clean kitchen towel – don’t worry if you don’t manage to get it all off!

nutella 1

3. Once you have most of the skins peeled. Put the peeled nuts in a food processor and then process until creamy. You can stop to scrape down the sides if needs be.

nutella 2

nutella 3

nutella 4

4. Once you have a smooth butter (usually takes about 5 – 6 minutes with a decent food processor), add the coconut sugar, cocoa powder, coconut oil and 3 tbsp of water and blend, blend, blend!

nutella 5

5. Keep processing the mixture until it reaches your desired consistency. If it’s too thick, add one tbsp of water at a time. If it isn’t sweet enough (although I think it should be), you can add some honey to it. Store the finished spread in a sealed container in the fridge for no more than a week.

If you decide to try this recipe, let me know how it goes. Remember, it tastes 100 times better than it looks! xx 🙂

homemade nutella

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Posted on June 2, 2015

5 drinks every ‘dieter’ should try

Health/ Nutrition

5 drinks every dieter should try 2

I’ll be honest, I’ve never been big into dieting. I don’t even like using the word ‘diet.’  I just think that moderation is key when it comes to healthy eating or weight management, and that nobody should ever deprive their body of what it needs. So if you want to practice healthy eating habits and shed a few pounds along the way, then here are five drinks you might like to try:

Coconut water

Anyone who knows me well would tell you that I am a completely addicted to coconut water. Not only because it’s unbelievably refreshing, but because I do notice an instant boost in my energy levels when I consume it. It also keeps me pretty full on the days when I don’t have a big breakfast. If you’re looking after your weight and want something that is low in fat, calories and sugar then this is your winning ticket. I wrote a full article on the many benefits of coconut water here.

Green tea

The antioxidants in green tea have a lot of health benefits for your body. As well as stimulating the body’s metabolism and speeding up the weight loss process, they also stimulate your muscle cells to use more fatty acids when exercising.  That means your body uses carbs at a slower weight. With more carbs in your body, you can exercise for much longer time and burn more calories which helps with the whole weight loss process. I like to call it the Domino effect!

Lemon water

Poor digestion could be a reason why losing weight may be difficult for people. If your digestive system isn’t working properly, it stops your body from getting the nutrients it needs to burn fat. Drinking lemon water can help improve digestion by increasing acidity in the stomach. Lemon water is definitely my go to drink when I feel guilty about having a cheat snack, it is also a great hangover cure! (everything in moderation right?)

lemon water

Beet Juice

Beets are widely-known for helping the natural detoxification process of the body. They help toxins be excreted from the body, keeping the blood and liver purified. Beet juice can facilitate weight loss by increasing stamina. It’s been said that those who had a glass of beet juice before their workout lasted up to 15% longer. So if you’re a fitness junkie, then you might want to stack up on some of this stuff! Here’s how I make my homemade beet juice.

Cucumber water

Cucumber water is another one of my faves. Since it adds a bit of  flavour to regular water, it makes drinking 8 glasses a day a lot easier! Not only that, but cucumbers act like a natural diuretic to help get rid of excess water and bloating – hello bikini body! 🙂

Although there are several other drinks out there to help you achieve your fitness goals, I think these five are a good start!  So rather than reaching for calorie – laden beverages over the summer, try one of these instead.There’s no way you won’t fall in love with at least three of them! 🙂

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Posted on May 20, 2015

Sesame and honey bars

Health/ recipes

sesame and honey bars cover2

I have a terrible habit of eating on the go. For some strange reason, I feel like time passes quicker when I’m chewing! So unless I have some sort of healthy snack prepared with me when out and about, I just end up at a corner shop buying something that makes me feel like I’ve wasted my morning workout –my inner dialogue never stops judging me for it!

My go-to snack have always been my infamous protein bars. But I’ve decided to give peanut butter and nuts in general  a bit of a rest for a change (no pun intended!) and start reintroducing more seeds to my diet.

Sesame seeds are flat little seeds with a nutty taste. You’ve probably come across white ones in baking, but they also come in yellow, black and even red. For this recipe I will be using white sesame seeds and like most of these recipes, there is always room for variety! Once you get the swing of things, you can start adding your favourite nuts and seeds to this recipe.

For now, you will need the following ingredients to make basic sesame and honey bars –

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 140g sesame seed
  • 280g honey
  • A pinch of sea salt (optional)

 Directions:

1. Heat up the oil in a saucepan and then add in the honey. Bring to boil before adding the seeds.

sesame 1

2. Throw in the seeds and mix continuously for about 8 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken and caramelise.

seasam seeds boil

3. Once the seeds begin to change colour, you can remove from the heat and flatten onto a lined baking tray or in this case, greased tin foil.

sesame seeds flattened

4. Cover up and put in the freezer for about an hour. Once it hardens, remove from freezer and break into parts.

sesame seeds honey

Although they are quite hard to break, these bars have quite a chewy texture. They are perfect for conquering sugar cravings without the guilt! If you want to have them for snacking on the go, wrap each bar individually with tin foil!

Hope you get the chance to try this recipe out! These bars are so simple to make and yet so tasty! 🙂

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