Food Swap?

Why not make some simple changes to improve the way you eat?

Having Trouble Waking Up?

The days are getting shorter and the mornings getting darker; getting out of bed can be difficult.
Maybe one of these delicious energy boosting smoothies can help you wake up..

1. Morning Sunshine Smoothie

Packed with vitamin C, this sweet and tangy citrus smoothie will inspire smiles on even the rainiest morning.

2-3 freshly-juiced tangerines

1 ruby red grapefruit (juiced)

A handful of frozen strawberries

Peel and juice the tangerines with the grapefruit, and puree the blended juice with the frozen strawberries.

4. Berry Boost Smoothie

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup blackberries

1/2 cup cherries

1 banana

1 cup almond milk

1 tablespoon flax oil

1 teaspoon honey

dash of cinnamon

Blend all of the ingredients together until smooth and creamy.

7. Strawberry Fields Forever Smoothie

1 cup strawberries

1/2 a frozen banana, sliced

1 cup coconut milk

1 teaspoon honey or agave syrup

Puree all of the ingredients in your blender, and adjust sweetener to taste (if desired).

12. Melon Melody Smoothie

1 cup watermelon cubes

1 cup cantaloupe cubes

1/2 cup honeydew melon cubes

1 cup frozen strawberries

Puree all ingredients until creamy and smooth. This is an amazingly re-hydrating elixir.

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/20-juice-and-smoothie-recipes-for-energy-and-vitality.html

Healthy and Interesting Summer Salads!

Salads are the perfect light and healthy dish for the warmer weather, but it doesn't just have to be limp lettuce with the usual olive oil dressing so read on for more exciting ideas..

ingredients:

For the salad:

8 ounces pasta (I used Rotini)
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup grape tomatoes
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup diced orange or yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup sweet corn (can use frozen corn)
1 large avocado, peeled, seeded, and diced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 lime, for juicing over the salad
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

For the Creamy Avocado Dressing:

2 ripe avocados, peeled and seeded
3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt (I use Chobani)
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1 small jalapeño pepper, chopped and seeds removed
2-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and stir in the pasta. Cook until al dente. Rinse with cold water and set aside.

2. While the pasta is cooking, make the Creamy Avocado Dressing. Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

3. In a large bowl, combine pasta, black beans, tomatoes, peppers, red onion, corn, and chopped avocado. Pour dressing over pasta salad and stir until salad is well coated. Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the salad, so the avocados don't brown. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve at room temperature or chilled.

Note-you may have leftover dressing, depending on how "dressed" you like your pasta salad. If the dressing is too thick, add more buttermilk.

ngredients:

2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
Pinch of salt
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup chopped cucumber
1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup feta cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To make the dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano

directions:

1. Using a strainer, rinse the quinoa under cold water. Add quinoa, water, and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Let quinoa cool to room temperature.

2. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, tomatoes, cucumber, kalamata olives, red onion, and feta cheese.

3. To make the dressing, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, and oregano in a small bowl. Pour dressing over the salad and stir until mixed well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

ingredients:

For the Dressing:

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey or agave nectar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the salad:

2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small bunch asparagus, about 15 spears, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup frozen peas
1 avocado, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup chopped basil

directions:

1. In a small bowl or medium jar, combine the dressing ingredients. Whisk to combine or shake with the jar lid on tight. Set aside.

2. Add water, quinoa, and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

3. While the quinoa is cooking, cook the asparagus. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the asparagus and fresh lemon juice. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the peas and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

4. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, asparagus, peas, and avocado. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir until well coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the fresh basil and serve.

recipes from http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/20-summer-salad-recipes/ 

Warming Veggie Chilli Recipes!

(Recipes Courtesy of 'ABeautifulMess')

Let's get a few things straight. 1. Yes, these are all vegetarian. I'm not a big meat eater. If you are feel free to add ground beef or shredded chicken or whatever. 2. This is chili, 3 ways. Not chili 3—way. We can talk about 3—way sometime. If you want. To me, it's a Steak n' Shake thing.

Anyway. Glad we got through that. Now we can focus on chili. I really love chili in the fall. It's the perfect fall meal. My favorite way to serve it is over Fritos. You gotta have Fritos. Here are three different recipes for chili, each focusing on different flavors. I'll tell you my favorite, maybe.
Curry Chili, makes 2-3 servings.

Needed: 2 tablespoons olive oil,1/2 yellow onion, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1 can pinto beans, 1 can black beans, 1 chipotle pepper (in adobo sauce), 1 can diced tomatoes, 1/2 tablespoon toasted curry, a pinch of cumin, cinnamon and red pepper.

In a medium/large pot heat the oil over low heat. Dice onion and bell pepper, mince garlic. Add to the pot and turn the heat up to medium. Saute until onion begins to soften. Chop chipotle pepper and add to the pot, if you like it spicy add a little of the sauce too. Add diced tomatoes with juices and all the spices and cook for 2-3 minutes. Here I like to use a immersion blender to puree things slightly. Or you can leave the mixture more chunky and rustic. Drain and rinse the bean and add to the pot. Once everything is warmed through check to see if you need to add any salt or pepper. Serve with cheese or sour cream.
Pumpkin Chili, makes 2-3 servings.

Needed: 2 tablespoons olive oil,1/2 yellow onion, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1 can pinto beans, 1 can red beans, 1 chipotle pepper (in adobo sauce), 1 can diced tomatoes, 1/2 can pumpkin puree, a pinch of cumin, cinnamon and red pepper.

In a medium/large pot heat the oil over low heat. Dice onion and bell pepper, mince garlic. Add to the pot and turn the heat up to medium. Saute until onion begins to soften. Chop chipotle pepper and add to the pot, if you like it spicy add a little of the sauce too. Add diced tomatoes with juices, pumpkin and all the spices and cook for 2-3 minutes. Here I like to use a immersion blender to puree things slightly. Or you can leave the mixture more chunky and rustic. Drain and rinse the bean and add to the pot. Once everything is warmed through check to see if you need to add any salt or pepper. Serve with cheese or sour cream.Black and White Chili, makes 2-3 servings. This is the most like classic chili.

Needed: 2 tablespoons olive oil,1/2 yellow onion, 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1 can great northern beans, 1 can black beans, 1 jalapeno pepper (remove seeds and veins), 1 can diced tomatoes, a pinch of cumin, cinnamon and red pepper.

In a medium/large pot heat the oil over low heat. Dice onion, jalapeno and bell pepper. Mince garlic. Add to the pot and turn the heat up to medium. Saute until onion begins to soften. Add diced tomatoes with juices and all the spices and cook for 2-3 minutes. Here I like to use a immersion blender to puree things slightly. Or you can leave the mixture more chunky and rustic. Drain and rinse the bean and add to the pot. Once everything is warmed through, check to see if you need to add any salt or pepper. Serve with cheese or sour cream.

http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2012/10/chili-3-ways.html

Healthy Christmas Dishes!

Christmas is certainly a time to indulge in family time, a deserved rest and delicious foods. Delicious doesn't always have to mean calorie laden however as the recipes below prove..

Spiced Apple Cider 

Start your meal off with this spicy (and slightly spiked) 

cider. Brown sugar, cloves, and cinnamon add the classic 

holiday flavors, while keeping each cup under 200 calories. 

And be sure to make an alcohol-free batch for the kids. 

Roasted Green Beans

This simple side combines olive oil, balsamic vinegar, tarragon, and green beans to create a delectable dish. You'll get 4 grams of figure-friendly fiber for only 50 calories. 

Garlic Mash

Small amounts of butter and milk give this recipe a rich texture, but garlic finishes the dish with an added zing. Plus, this recipe calls for unpeeled potatoes, which means you're getting all of the heart-healthy fiber in the skin. 

Brussel sprouts and Roast Chesnuts

Add some serious seasoning to your sprouts with this low-cal side dish recipe. Caraway, chestnuts, and just the right amount of olive oil are the perfect addition to this mild veggie. If you have the means, roast your own chestnuts, but bottled chestnuts will save you time if you're in a rush. 

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20327055_4,00.html

Low Cal Pasta? Bare Naked Foods!

Bare Naked Foods was a product recently featured on Dragon's Den, pitched by nervous and emotional Ross, the clever entreapeneur eventually managed to gain an investment from multi-millionaire, Peter Jones.
The product he brought in was an incredibly low cal and gluten free range of noodles..

They are a healthy alternative to other pastas and rice in recipes such as stir fries and chow meins.. below is a recipe provided by Ross on how to incorporate his noodles into a delicious and easy dining experience:

stir fry veggie

a great light and tasty way to fill your belly.

5 minutes

step 1

prep your ingredients, you'll need some fresh salad veg, noodles and some sweet chilli sauce

2 minutes

step 2

get your wok or pan nice and hot

1 minutes

step 3

rinse your noodles and add them to the pan

5 minutes

step 4

throw in your veg and cook for 5 mins

2 minutes

step 5

add your cooking sauce

2 minutes

step 6

let simmer for 2 mins then serve

enjoy!

• low fat
• no carbs

https://www.barenakedfoods.co.uk/recipes/vegetarian-stir-fry