Many people are suprised when I tell them to snack on unsalted nuts. They don't consider eating them because of their fatty nature & high calorie content.
In reality NUTS are PACKED WITH PROTEIN & a great source of HEALTHY FATS, not to mention all the VITAMINS & MINERALS they contain.
Nuts can be looked upon as nature's vitamin pills! Studies have proven that eating nuts has many health benefits including to help lower bad 'LDL' cholesterol, and reducing the risk of heart disease.
A portion the size of your palm of these nutrient rich nuts is all it takes to satisfy hunger till the next meal - the key is not to overeat! Choose from:
WALNUTS - incredibly healthy for the heart.
ALMONDS - full of vitamin C.
CASHEWS - lower in fats than most nuts.
PECANS - with at least 19 vitamins & minerals.
BRAZILS - high in the antioxidant selenium.
MACADAMIA - good for lowering cholesterol.
Eat nuts whole, flaked, ground or in the form of nut butters. Add to meusli, use in baking or sprinkle over salads.
Obviously please do not eat if you know or suspect you have a nut allergy!
Happy snacking! Bev
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
Monday, 21 March 2011
SCRUMPTIOUS MEUSLI BARS
Are you looking for a delicious mid morning or afternoon snack that is full of natural ingredients with no additives or preservatives? Then look no further - I made these meusli bars on Sunday - they are really good! You need a small non stick loaf tin.
1. Preheat oven to gas 5 or 190c/375f.
2. Put 275g DRIED FRUIT (dates, figs, apricots, prunes, pears, raisins - a mix of whatever you fancy) in a food processor & blitz till well chopped.
3. Do the same with 50g UNSALTED NUTS.
4. Warm 80ml FRUIT JUICE (orange, apple or grape) & 30ml HONEY in a large pan.
5. Add the dried fruit, nuts, 75g MIXED SEEDS & 15ml CINNAMON or GINGER to the pan.
6. Finally add 60g sifted WHOLEMEAL FLOUR & 125g ROLLED OATS.
7. Mix well & tip into loaf tin.
8. Bake for 20 mins in the centre of the oven.
9. Cool in the tin.
10. Cut into 12 slices & keep in an airtight container.
For those who want to know there are 160 calories in a slice, or have half a slice for 80!
Happy eating!
Bev
1. Preheat oven to gas 5 or 190c/375f.
2. Put 275g DRIED FRUIT (dates, figs, apricots, prunes, pears, raisins - a mix of whatever you fancy) in a food processor & blitz till well chopped.
3. Do the same with 50g UNSALTED NUTS.
4. Warm 80ml FRUIT JUICE (orange, apple or grape) & 30ml HONEY in a large pan.
5. Add the dried fruit, nuts, 75g MIXED SEEDS & 15ml CINNAMON or GINGER to the pan.
6. Finally add 60g sifted WHOLEMEAL FLOUR & 125g ROLLED OATS.
7. Mix well & tip into loaf tin.
8. Bake for 20 mins in the centre of the oven.
9. Cool in the tin.
10. Cut into 12 slices & keep in an airtight container.
For those who want to know there are 160 calories in a slice, or have half a slice for 80!
Happy eating!
Bev
Monday, 14 March 2011
SIZE MATTERS!
While shopping at my local supermarket on Saturday I saw a mother give her children a bag of crisps each. Ok you say - a treat on the weekend? Maybe, but they were large bags of crisps - not the small packets I remember.
This made me think about PORTION CONTROL.
I had a look at the snack aisle & found that if you want the small 25g bag of crisps you have to buy a multipack of 6! The alternative is to buy a 35g single bag with extra fat, salt & calories!
The Food Standards Agency recently announced that many popular foods now come in bigger sizes. A slice of medium white bread has gone up 10g in weight providing an extra 22 calories per slice. Premium, luxury or special food products tend to be larger than the standard varieties, & the £2 billion us Brits spend on ready meals every year is buying us bigger meals.
Is it any wonder the nation is getting fatter?!
So if you want to downsize, get an idea of what portion sizes should look like. A portion of roast chicken is 75g, the size of a deck of cards, and a jacket potato 175g, the size of a computer mouse. When plating up a meal, fill more than half the plate with vegetables so as not to overdo the carbs and protein. You can also serve your meals on smaller plates.
A portion of healthy nuts or raisnins for a snack is 25g - the size of a golf ball.
And avoid munching from tubs, packets or jars. Put the food onto a plate so you can see how much you have.
Happy Eating!
Bev
This made me think about PORTION CONTROL.
I had a look at the snack aisle & found that if you want the small 25g bag of crisps you have to buy a multipack of 6! The alternative is to buy a 35g single bag with extra fat, salt & calories!
The Food Standards Agency recently announced that many popular foods now come in bigger sizes. A slice of medium white bread has gone up 10g in weight providing an extra 22 calories per slice. Premium, luxury or special food products tend to be larger than the standard varieties, & the £2 billion us Brits spend on ready meals every year is buying us bigger meals.
Is it any wonder the nation is getting fatter?!
So if you want to downsize, get an idea of what portion sizes should look like. A portion of roast chicken is 75g, the size of a deck of cards, and a jacket potato 175g, the size of a computer mouse. When plating up a meal, fill more than half the plate with vegetables so as not to overdo the carbs and protein. You can also serve your meals on smaller plates.
A portion of healthy nuts or raisnins for a snack is 25g - the size of a golf ball.
And avoid munching from tubs, packets or jars. Put the food onto a plate so you can see how much you have.
Happy Eating!
Bev
Monday, 7 March 2011
KEEP YOUR SPRING VEGS FRESH
I highly recommend eating FRESH FOOD to maximise your intake of vitamins & minerals, but, from the moment vegetables are harvested they begin to slowly lose vital nutrtients.
So unless you are eating them on the day of purchase you should consider freezing them.
When FROZEN PROPERLY VEGETABLES will RETAIN all their FLAVOURS & NUTRIENTS. Great vegs for freezing that are IN SEASON NOW are leeks, spinach, cauliflower, purple sprouting broccoli & also parsley - this is brilliant to freeze so you always have a little on hand when it's needed in a recipe.
The best method is to drop a handful of FRESH VEGETABLES at a time in a pan of boiling water for 30 seconds. Then remove using a slotted spoon & plunge into a bowl of iced water. This method will prevent them from going brown when frozen.
Once chilled, remove from the iced water, drain, & scatter on a tray lined with kitchen paper. Freeze the vegetables on the tray first & then transfer to a freezer bag to store.
Then enjoy eating!
Bev
So unless you are eating them on the day of purchase you should consider freezing them.
When FROZEN PROPERLY VEGETABLES will RETAIN all their FLAVOURS & NUTRIENTS. Great vegs for freezing that are IN SEASON NOW are leeks, spinach, cauliflower, purple sprouting broccoli & also parsley - this is brilliant to freeze so you always have a little on hand when it's needed in a recipe.
The best method is to drop a handful of FRESH VEGETABLES at a time in a pan of boiling water for 30 seconds. Then remove using a slotted spoon & plunge into a bowl of iced water. This method will prevent them from going brown when frozen.
Once chilled, remove from the iced water, drain, & scatter on a tray lined with kitchen paper. Freeze the vegetables on the tray first & then transfer to a freezer bag to store.
Then enjoy eating!
Bev
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