Tag: nutrition

Meal Planning Made Easy

Hi! Good to be back! It’s been very busy indeed, with plenty of study and a fair amount of experiments in the kitchen.

Speaking of cooking … a blessing or a curse?  A pleasure for some but a headache for others.  Would you like some tips on  how to make your meal planning easy?

I came across “Planning Meals” in my course work Childhood Nutrition and Obesity Prevention and it inspired me to share these tips with you.

As a working mother, I always found meal planning very helpful.  But when my children left home, I was less fussed about planning meals. Old habits die hard and when I came across this section in my notes, it rekindled a passion from the past.

Historically, I used to spend a good couple of hours, typically on a Sunday afternoon, leafing through my cookery books.  I love it; so relaxing (agreed – not everybody’s cup of tea!) But the advent of the Internet changed all that!

From my course work I picked this very good tip – “theme nights” – which inspired me to write this piece and share it with you. Here goes …

Write down your “theme nights” – example: Monday – pasta; Tuesday – fish; Wednesday – mince / grains / pulses; Thursday – rice; Friday – soups / salad; Saturday – kids’ favourite meal; Sunday – family treat out / old favourite recipe.

There are various meal planning apps these days. Alternatively, you can go for a more flexible approach and run a search for the food you’d like to eat. Keep your searches simple – do not choose complicated recipes with plenty of ingredients – unless you are blessed with time on your hands.  The trend is five-ingredient recipes.

Refine your searches as you go – browse by ingredients instead of recipes.  If you have leftover pasta in the fridge and a broccoli head that’s losing it’s bright green colour, Google “pasta with broccoli” and presto! You end up with a number of recipes to choose from. It’s that easy!

Ask your kids for their suggestions, even if they’re still young.  Involving your family with meal planning will make it less likely you have complaints at supper time and instills good habits in kids.

What are the benefits of meal planning?

  • Meal planning saves time, effort and stress;
  • It’s cost effective;
  • You have all your ingredients readily available;
  • You can work around commitments by preparing ahead.

 

The secret behind successful meal planning is not how detailed your plan is, but how varied.  Make it interesting – present a rainbow of colour and texture with every meal.  Ensure meals contain carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats to meet your family’s nutritional needs.  Look for seasonal offers, especially at your vegetable man and buy local produce.  Local fruit and veg in season, is likely to save you money and give you a product that’s more fresh than it’s imported counterpart.

Download your weekly menu planner, courtesy of Future Fit Training School of Nutrition, to get you started.

Weekly Menu PlannerWeekly menu planner (1)

My thanks go to:

Future Fit Training School of Nutrition
Lifehacker.com – Five Best Meal Planning Apps
Allrecipes.com – 5 Ingredient Recipes
Seriouseats.com – Dinner tonight: Pasta e Broccoli Recipe

 

Colette CumboLeave a comment

Lose 4 Kilos By Summer

Are you following my blog from Malta?  Would you like to shake off those kilos that crept in under your winter sweater? You’re sick and tired of yo-yo dieting? Or maybe, you would like to go for the in-thing, and kick start your new, healthy lifestyle?

If you answered, “Yes,” to any of the above questions, join my Nutrition and Weight Management Programme, starting on 4th May.

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Fruit and Veg

This is not a diet clinic to give you a beach body.  At the end of eight weeks, you do not “come off” your diet (and start piling the weight back on!)  But you will feel confident and motivated to take control of your weight and manage it brilliantly, on your own.

The programme is made up of eight one-hour sessions, starting Thursday, 4th May.

During this programme we will be discussing:

*your eating habits

*guidelines for a healthy diet

*principles of weight management

*healthy eating plan

*nutritional value of meals

*physical activity vs exercise

*emotions, food and body image

*progress made and motivation

Old habits die hard. But if you are committed to change, this Nutrition and Weight Management Programme is just for you.

Contact me for further information or to book your place.

Colette CumboLeave a comment

Breakfast like a king …

Do you eat breakfast?  In the UK, one in five adults miss out on breakfast (not to mention children).  Reasons given for skipping breakfast vary from – not enough time; to cut down on calories or I’m not hungry first thing in the morning.

How important is breakfast?

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  As you sleep your sugar levels start to fall and by the time you wake up they’re pretty low.  In order for your body to function properly, you need to fuel up on foods which are low in “free” sugar.

Research shows that breakfast not only gives you the energy you need to start the day, it also

  • helps you control your weight
  • improves concentration levels
  • helps lower cholesterol levels.

 

What makes a good breakfast?

You can choose from a number of foods to start your day in a healthy way. My all-time favourite is good old porridge; but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

Some suggested options are:

  • ready-made cereals (low in sugar and sodium);
  • home-made muesli
  • one slice of wholegrain toast spread with avocado and 20g of crumbled Feta cheese
  • baked beans on wholegrain toast
  • one poached egg with grilled mushrooms and tomatoes
  • plain Greek yogurt served with a few fresh berries
  • a bowl of fresh fruit salad.

Avoid jams, marmalade, chocolate spreads or butter. An overdose of too much “free” sugar puts your body under stress.  When your sugar levels are on a roller-coaster ride, you feel crappy all day.  You are also more likely to reach out for the biscuit tin at eleven and eat even more sugary carbohydrates as the day goes on.

If you decide to go for an English breakfast, grill your bacon and sausages; avoid fried food.

Breakfast on the go

Unless you go for the full Monty every day, breakfast shouldn’t take more than 10-15 minutes.  Make the effort, wake up 10 minutes earlier and eat a decent breakfast before you leave the house.

With a little bit of planning, you can prepare some oat breakfasts from the night before.

Here are some ideas I came across

Maple Pecan Overnight Oats – by Pamela

maple-pecan-oats

Strawberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bowls by Kath

strawberry_oatmeal_breakfast_bowls_hero

Mocha Overnight Oats by Davida

mocha-coffee

These recipes are so quick and easy to make.  You can get them ready the night before, or prepare ahead for a few days.  If you are running late, grab a jar on your way out and eat it  on the hoof [don’t forget your teaspoon :-)].

I hope you like these few ideas I shared with you today.  Here are some more overnight oat recipes, brought to you courtesy of Honest Cooking.

If you have any quick breakfast recipes you’d like to share, please drop me a line and I’d be happy to post them on my blog.

Until next time… it’s goodbye.

My thanks go to

WebMD
The British Heart Foundation
Kath Eates Real Food
My Man’s Belly
The Healthy Maven

 

 

 

 

Colette Cumbo2 Comments

5 basic steps how to make homemade soups

Have you ever thought how easy it is to make your own soups?  Vegetable soups can make an excellent detox meal or a warming comfort food, come cooler weather. Follow these five basic steps and you’re on your way to making hearty soups in time for autumn.

1. Basic ingredient

Most soups start with sauteing the onion and / or garlic or leek (leeks have a milder taste to onions).

When the onion is translucent, but not burnt, add any spices or herbs (if using).  Saute stiring continuously for one or two minutes.

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2. Other ingredients

Once the onion is coated with any spices (if using), tip in the pulses – lentils, beans, dried peas etc.- (wash pulses under running water before use).

Cut the vegetables into small pieces – keep them of a similar size so they cook evenly. If using root vegetables put these in first, cause they take longer to cook. Stir for a couple of minutes until your ingredients are coated with the onion mixture before adding the stock.

3. Stock

Add the stock – you can make your own homemade stock or add hot water to a stock pot or bouillon.  If using the latter, check out the sodium content of the product and go easy when seasoning your soup. You can easily ruin your soup by adding too much salt.

Once you add the stock, bring it to the boil and lower the heat to allow the soup to simmer. Cooking time depends on your choice of ingredients but a lot of vegetable soups cook in just under 30 minutes.

4. How to serve

Serving your soup is a matter of preference.  Some people like chunky soups, others prefer smooth.  Some like thick soups, whilst others prefer a thinner consistency to their soups.  Go for what you prefer; there’s no hard and fast rule.

For a chunky soup squash your ingredients with a potato masher or pulse in a food processor.  A vegetable mill (if you have one) gives your soup a thick, rustic texture.

To obtain a smoother result, process your soup in a food blender or a smoothie machine.

If you’d like to thin out your soup, add some hot water.  If your soup is too runny, add two tablespoons of quinoa, quinoa porridge or bulgur wheat in the simmering stage to thicken the consistency.

You can serve your soup with crusty bread or unbuttered toast to add substance and make it more filling.

5. Benefits of homemade soups

Homemade soups are quick and easy to make.  Once you master the basic steps you will appreciate the benefits of homemade over the convenience of buying ready made soups, anytime.

Homemade soups are

  • a nutritious meal in a bowl;
  • a good lunch box item;
  • good hearty suppers on a cold day;
  • refreshing when served chilled;
  • quick and easy to make;
  • economical.

Try making your own soups and find out how good you are at doing so!

Sharing is caring; share your favourite soup recipe or follow me on Pinterest to get soup recipes and ideas.

My thanks go

 

Colette Cumbo1 Comment

How to make tasty quinoa in 5 easy steps

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is one trendy super-food which boasts plenty of benefits. Quinoa is packed with protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. No wonder it has taken the markets by storm over the past 2 – 3 years and is widely available in supermarkets and restaurants.

I have a natural liking to grains, however, I have friends and colleagues who find quinoa bland and tasteless.  I guess it’s one of those foods which you either love or hate.

If you’d like to give your quinoa a bit of a kick, try the cooking method below and let me know how you get on.

5 easy steps to tasty quinoa

  1. rinse one cup of white quinoa under running water (drain well)
  2. put one tablespoon olive oil in a large pan and sauté one finely chopped onion, three cloves crushed garlic and quarter teaspoon crushed red chillies (optional) saute onion and garlic
  3. tip the quinoa with the onion mixture and toast until the quinoa is dried from all water and coated with the mixture – stirring continuously add quinoa and toast
  4. add 1½ cups hot water – stir well – cover with tight fitting lid and bring to boil add hot water and bring to boilcover with tight fitting lid and simmer
  5. lower heat to minimum and simmer for 15 minutes – turn off the heat and stand (covered) for an additional 5 minutes – fluff, add finely chopped parsley and quinoa is ready to serve.add finely chopped parsley

How can I use quinoa?

Quinoa is pretty versatile. You can use it instead of couscous, rice or barley.  I use is as a side dish with fish or as a salad base topped with grilled vegetables.

I have also used quinoa to thicken soups.

Lately, I found breakfast porridge made with quinoa instead of oats.

You can also use quinoa flour for baking.

Share your quinoa recipes

If you have any quick and easy quinoa recipes you’d like to share, contact me and I will publish your recipes for others to enjoy.

Colette Cumbo4 Comments

Some fat is good for you

I came across this video which I thought I’d share with you.  I appreciate it is advertising a new book, but the message of the video is worth bearing in mind.

So much for low fat foods! In order for food to be stripped from its fat content it has to be processed; no thanks.  How can cheese slices  be called cheese? They remind me of plastic! Starchy foods – rice, potatoes, pasta – are OK in moderation (unless, you’re Lionel Messi).

I am inclined to go for real food … from the earth to the table.  Thanks to progress, we have to be mindful of the amount of pesticides and chemicals used, but I believe it is still the better option.

A friend of mine left a very relevant comment on my “Strawberries” post the other day, “…we have to go backwards to go forwards” – so true!

What do you think?

 

 

 

Colette Cumbo1 Comment