Tag: clean eating

Dinner

Moroccan Chickpea & Sweet Potato Stew

This stew is a great winter warmer. It is jammed packed full of anti-inflammatory ingredients to help keep colds at bay! You can make it on the hob or it works equally well in a slow cooker.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 medium onions, diced
  • 2 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 tsp curry powder
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • Âź tsp cinnamon
  • 3 small sweet potatoes
  • ½ cauliflower
  • 1 tins chickpeas, rinsed
  • 1 tins tomatoes
  • 250ml vegetable stock
  • Large bunch of fresh coriander, chopped
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice

Method:

  1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sautĂŠ for about 2-3 minutes
  2. Add spices and toss to coat. SautĂŠ until onions become soft
  3. Peel and chop the sweet potato into 2” cubes. Add to the pan and stir well to coat with the seasoning
  4. Add chickpeas, tomatoes, and stock. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes
  5. Chop cauliflower into large florets. Add cauliflower to the pot and stir well
  6. Cook for a further 10 mins until the cauliflower is fork-tender
  7. Turn off the heat and add lemon juice
  8. Serve into bowls and top with fresh, chopped coriander
  9. If desired, serve with cooked brown rice or quinoa
Lunch

Pumpkin, Red Pepper and Tomato Soup – Vegan & Gluten-Free

This is a great autumn soup, hearty and healthy. Pumpkin is in season and we are just coming to the end of British tomato season, this is a great way to use up and left over tomatoes. Pumpkins contain Vitamin A which aids vision, beta-carotene which plays a role in fighting cancer , fibre which can help you lose weight and help your skin and Vitamin C to help ward off colds.

Ingredients:

Makes 6 portions

  • 1 small pumpkin (or butternut squash)
  • 3 red peppers
  • 10 tomatoes
  • 5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1tbsp Coconut oil
  • 1tsp smoked paprika
  • 1tsp ground cumin
  • 1tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 litre vegetable stock
  • 2tbsp tomato puree
  • 2 tins chickpeas (or any beans you fancy)
  • 3 large handfuls of spinach

Method:

  1. Cut the pumpkin into chunks, about 2” in size, cut the peppers and tomatoes into quarters
  2. Place the pumpkin, pepper, tomatoes, spices and coconut oil into a large saucepan. Put a lid on the pan and heat the vegetables to allow them to caramelise slightly
  3. Add the stock and tomato puree and boil until the pumpkin is soft
  4. Using a hand blender roughly blend the soup so that there are still some chunky bits in it
  5. Add the chickpeas and heat them through
  6. Serve the soup and place a small handful of spinach on top of each bowl
Snack

Healthy, Vegan Lemon Truffles

I love these healthy, vegan lemon truffles, they are a great treat for when I’m craving something sweet. I like to make a batch and freeze them and then take a few out in a morning so they are defrosted by mid morning ready to have as a snack. 

Don’t like coconut? Simply roll them in something else such as rose petals, cacao or leave them plain.

As well as being a good source of energy and fibre dates are packed full of vitamins and minerals including: calcium, iron, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium and zinc.

Combined with the almonds these vegan lemon truffles are a great way to boost your brain power and help you to push through the mid-afternoon energy slump!

They may be healthy but they still need to be eaten in moderation. When I have clients who need a bit of support to eat in moderation I suggest making a batch and freezing them to remove the urge to eat them all in one go.

Vegan Leon Truffles Ingredients:

Makes 20, depending on size

  • 125g raw almonds
  • 170g pitted dates
  • 2 lemons
  • 20g desiccated coconut

Method:

  1. Place the almonds on a baking tray and bake for 10mins at gas mark 4/180C. Alternatively you can buy unsalted roasted almonds
  2. Chop the almonds in food processor
  3. Juice the lemons then add lemon juice and dates into the machine. Blend until they are all coarsely mixed
  4. Put the coconut into a small bowl
  5. Using your hands, roll the mixture to form little balls
  6. Roll the balls in the coconut and place in an air tight container

They will keep for about a week if stored in an airtight container. Alternatively as mentioned above they can be frozen, simply place in  a tupperwear tub and put them in the freezer.

I’d love to hear how you’ve got on with this recipe so leave me a comment and photo below.

If you’ve enjoyed these healthy, vegan truffles then why not check out more of my healthy snack recipes.

Drink

Bone Strengthening Smoothie

I’m loving being able to have green smoothies again, during the early stages of my pregnancy I couldn’t face green smoothies but really missed them! This smoothie is quick and easy to make as well as being delicious! The spinach provides a good source of iron and the lemon helps the absorption of the iron.

Apples, bananas and spinach all help to strengthen your bones. Apple skin contains the flavonoid phlorizin which may help to prevent bone loss associated with the menopause. Bananas contain high levels of potassium which slows urinary calcium loss associated with a diet high in salt. Whilst a single serving of spinach provides twice the RDA of Vitamin K, which is important for maintaining healthy bones.

Ingredients:

  • ½ a banana
  • ½ an apple
  • 1 handful spinach
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 1 tbsp almond butter
  • 250ml almond milk

Method:

  1. Peel the banana and remove the core from the apple
  2. Place all of the ingredients in a high speed blender and blitz until smooth
Lunch

Quick and Easy Butternut Squash 7 Grain Salad

This recipe was inspired by a recipe from Rachel Kelly’s book The Happy Kitchen. I made a few tweaks to it including adding 7 grains to it to make it more filling. I love this recipe it is super easy to make and can be made in advance, just leave adding the avocado until ready to serve so it doesn’t go brown.

Spinach is great for every part of the body as it is high in niacin and zinc, as well as protein, fibre, vitamins A, C, E and K, thiamine, vitamin B6, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and manganese.

Spinach is particularly good for your colon due to the high levels of flavonoids which protect the body from cholesterol and free radicals. The folate in spinach is good for a healthy cardiovascular system, and magnesium helps lower high blood pressure. Studies also have shown that spinach helps maintain your brain function, memory and mental clarity.

Ingredients:

Serves 6

  • 1 butternut squash
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • Sprinkle chilli flakes (to taste)
  • 1 250g packet of quick cook 7 grains
  • 200g spinach (washed and ready to eat)
  • 2 avocados
  • 3 spring onions
  • 2 tbsp mixed seeds

For the dressing:

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp tahini
  • 2 tbsp soya sauce
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp maple syrup

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6
  2. Peel the butternut squash and cut into 1” cubes, place on a baking tray and toss in the oil and chilli flakes
  3. Bake the butternut squash for 20-30 minutes, until tender. Once cooked remove from the oven and leave to cool
  4. Cook the grains according to the packaging, I got them from Tesco and they just need to be boiled for 10 minutes. Once cooked drain and leave to cool
  5. To make the dressing , place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a fork
  6. Chop up the spring onions and avocado
  7. Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well, add the dressing and stir well
Drink

Super Energy Boost Green Smoothie

This smoothie is packed full of energy boosting ingredients and makes a great breakfast. It only has one piece of fruit in so won’t cause your blood sugar to spike. It’s super versatile so you can swap or remove any ingredients you’re not keen on.

Ingredients:

  • 2 large handfuls of spinach or kale
  • 1 apple
  • Small piece of fresh ginger root
  • 2” piece of cucumber
  • 1 avocado
  • 10 raw almonds
  • 1” piece of lemon
  • Water (the amount will depend on the consistency you like your juice to be)

Method:

  1. Remove the skin and pip from the avocado
  2. Simply put all of the ingredients into a blender and bend until combined
Lifestyle

How to Eat Clean All Year Round

In 2016 we heard a lot about ‘clean eating’ but what does it actually mean and how do you make it part of your everyday life? At this time of year, it’s easy to jump on the bandwagon of any seemingly healthy detox you can get your hands on, but did you know that the body detoxes itself all of the time? So rather than paying a lot for the latest detox supplement or health programme I thought I would share some tips to help you stay healthy, eat clean and support your body to detox all year round. After all detoxing is just removing waste and toxins from the body. There are five major organs involved in the elimination of waste from the body: the lungs, skin, colon, kidneys and liver.

The body cleans itself naturally but only if it is given the chance to do so. The key to detoxing the body is to be kind to it, you really are what you eat. If you put in healthy nutritious food then your body will be able to process the foods quickly and easily, enabling you to use what you need and remove what you don’t. Personally, I try to follow an 80:20 rule, after all no one can be perfect all the time. This is where you eat well 80% of the time and over the week allow for 20% leeway for eating out, treats etc. It doesn’t mean having a chocolate bar and packet of crisps every day.

So, what is clean eating, and how to you make it part of your lifestyle?

For me clean eating is about making and eating as much fresh food as you possibly can, it’s not about cutting out food groups altogether. It’s not a fad diet, counting calories or depriving yourself.  It’s about making healthy, informed choices, eating tasty food and avoiding processed foods as much as possible. It’s ok to go out for a meal every now and then and have something you really fancy as long as you don’t do it all the time. If you are making foods from scratch then you know how much salt, sugar and fat is in it and equally important how many portions of vegetables, protein, and carbohydrates there are.

I love fresh juices and smoothies so I try to have one a day, however one or two a week is perfectly fine. It needs to fit into your lifestyle and not be a chore. The key to a healthy juice is to make sure that you don’t have too much fruit in it to avoid a sugar high followed by a low. I use mostly vegetables and add a piece of fruit to sweeten along with an avocado to make it super creamy and packed full of essential fatty acids.

We often hear about antioxidants and the latest ‘super food’. In my opinion the key is to ensure that you eat a balanced diet by having a colourful plate of food at every meal. It is unlikely that any one ‘super food’ will be able to provide you with the wide variety of antioxidants your body requires. For example, if you ate nothing but blueberries for a week you would have a bad tummy and be sick of the site of them! It’s good to include ‘super foods’ in to your diet but variety is just as important.

Including an extra portion of vegetables into every dish you make is a great way to make small changes. Last night I made Thai curry and out of interest I counted how many portions of vegetables I put into it. There were 8 different types of vegetables included and each one was the size of one portion of vegetables. This meal fed 3 people giving them nearly 3 portions of the recommended daily intake of vegetables in one meal.

Exercise is important to help the blood circulation, stimulate the lymphatic system and remove toxins from the muscles and fatty tissues. Exercise has to fit into your daily routine otherwise you will always be putting it off. You don’t have to spend hours on a treadmill or do hundreds of sit ups, little and often works well too. Rather than spending hundreds of pounds on a gym membership that you never use why not take some time this January to explore what you like to do and find time to fit it in. Can you park further away from work and then take the stairs instead of the lift? How about going for a walk at lunchtime. The exercise will not only improve your circulation but the fresh air will also help to clear your head making you more productive in the afternoon. Personally I love yoga I’ve found that not only has it improved my health and fitness but it has helped to calm me down and reduce my stress levels. I started doing 10 minutes every morning and really noticed the difference, now that I’m a yoga teacher I do longer sessions every morning and I do find that one of the best things to do is to build in breathing and stretches into my day.

If you would like to find out more about how to support your body throughout the year then do get in touch, I run regular workshops, retreats and yoga classes as well as tailor made 1:1 nutrition consultations.

Contact me by emailing jenny@active-eat.co.uk or call 07738 160 575