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Guide to: Eating Healthy on a Budget

February 25, 2017 Danijela Unkovich

Shopping healthily on a budget can be challenging. The weekly food bill takes a big slice out of our budget, and when finances get tight filling our trolley with healthy foods can feel near impossible or far less imperative than we may like.

There's no denying with high quality food can come extra cost - but fortunately, to a degree. There's plenty of tips, tricks and middle ground that can help us avoid compromising on nutrition, while still shopping inexpensively (because it's important to keep in mind that financial stress can be unhealthy too!). Here's my list of absolute top tips for eating healthy on a budget:

1. Plan out your weekly meals
Planning your weekly meals is crucial on a budget. It ensures that a) you're only purchasing ingredients you absolutely need for the comings weeks meals, and b) will encourage you to use leftover ingredients in the fridge/freezer/pantry, which will help cut unnecessary spending. Another huge perk is that it will also take off the stress when it comes to the meal time during the week as you'll know exactly what you're cooking each day. If you're new to menu planning, try this approach:

  • Before you go shopping check what's avaliable in your pantry and refrigerator (be food safe and throw out any expired or old food while you're at it!).
  • As you go write down any ingredients you come across that could easily serve you a few more meals the coming week e.g. frozen veggies, leftover tins or open bags of grains. 
  • Loosely plan out some meal ideas across Monday-Sunday using those ingredients. Maybe you have a half-empty bag of rice, a few eggs and some frozen veggies - bingo, egg fried rice. Or maybe a few tins of tomatoes, a tin of lentils and some pasta - bingo, lentil bolognese.
  • Fill in the rest of the days gaps with meals, note down the ingredients needed for each and compile it all into shopping list. This leads onto our next point...
     

2. Shop with a grocery list
Shopping without a list can be a one-way ticket to overspending, and with a tight budget everything entering your trolley often counts. Unless you have a supersonic memory that can recall with great precision what's still in your fridge/pantry, it can be very easy to overspend while food shopping. For example, a bag of rice may only cost a few dollars, but if you have another bag at home that still has enough servings for another weeks meals and you buy a bag anyway (because you sort of remembered it was half-empty, but really half-full), your bill will very easily start to creep up. Take a pen with you and make sure to check off each item as you go to keep on track. 

  • Try and shop when you have extra time available - this way you can read the back of packets, consider and compare purchases, and look for sale items. Always make sure to turn over the back of the packet and check how many servings you're getting per packet - this is a great way to check value for money. 
     

3. Eat seasonally
Local and seasonal produce will always be cheaper then out of season produce (and homegrown even cheaper then that!). The cost of fruit and vegetables can vary tremendously in price, mimicking local supply and demand. When produce is in season there's plenty available locally, so naturally prices drop. With out of season produce, it often travels from afar to get to us, incurring a hefty food milage, which pushes costs up. 

  • Shop seasonal at the supermarkets - look for produce that has been grown in New Zealand (or your own country if you're reading this abroad!).
  • Alternatively, farmers markets are a great place to pick up cheap fruit and veg, while also supporting growers in the area. Going towards the end of the day is when you're most likely to score yourself an extra bargain.
  • Grow your own! If you're new to gardening start small with dark leafy greens and salad, and watch your food bill drop. A garden may require a small investment to get going, but will pay you back in produce 100 times over. 
  • Don't forget tinned/frozen produce. Tinned and frozen fruit and veggies are a great way to get in nutrients, while still being uber economical.


4. Go for generic brands
Most supermarkets will offer cheaper brand alternatives for most foods, where the price difference may be nothing to do with product quality itself, but more so the branding and packaging. For staples such as rice, pasta, tinned foods, the generic brands are often just as great as the more expensive alternatives. If you have any concern around nutritional quality, it's best to compare the ingredients panel of a product, rather then let the packaging do the talking.
 

5. Be mindful of cooking and food waste
Food waste is a big deal. Not just on our wallets, but also on the environment. Be mindful of how much food might be skipping your lips and heading straight to the bin - it can be a real eye-opener as to all of the neat things we can do with foods we'd might think to traditionally bin. 

  • After having roast chicken, use the chicken carcass for making a chicken stock to use the following week as the base of a homemade chicken soup. 
  • If you've harvested a whole lot of fruit, and have no idea what to do with it, make your grandparents proud and use it to make preserves - strawberry jam anyone?
  • Green leafy veggies have a very short life span. To avoid them going soggy and smelly before you have a chance to eat them all, blend half of your bag of spinach, pour into ice cube trays and then freeze, for green smoothie cubes.
  • Use old stale bread to make bread crumbs, by popping them in the food processor for a minute or so. 
  • Save veggie skins for homemade stocks, or use leftover potato skins to make chips!
  • ...and when all else fails, compost! It's great for your garden and the environment. 
     

6. Keep a tidy fridge/freezer/pantry
If our fridge or pantry is cluttered, it can be difficult to keep up with what's ready to be eaten and what's expired. By keeping an organised storage space, we can help minimise food spoiling, which is better for our health, our wallets and the environment.

  • Do a regular stocktake and clean of your fridge once a week, and pantry every few weeks. Dispose of expired food if needed.
  • Freeze leftovers if you've cooked more then you can realistically eat before the food expires.
  • Label and date food items you're planning on freezing and eating later - it's no fun playing the "guess what's in here" game two months later (or was it four months ago?).
     

7. Buy in bulk
Bulk buying on staple items, such as tinned foods or grains, may see you spending a little extra at the time, but you may get more bang for your buck in the long run. When a really great sale is on a product you use all the time, it'd make sense to make the most of the price difference! However it's a double-edge sword - only bulk-buy where necessary and only if it fits in with your budget.

  • Keep realistic when buying in bulk, and make sure to check best before dates. It will only save you money in the long-run if you'll actually use everything up before the items expire. 
     

8. Use cheaper cuts of meat
Meat can take up a huge chunk of the bill, although different cuts of meat will come at different costs. When it comes to beef, anything that needs stewing is ideal. Mince is a good option too and is uber kid-friendly, particularly in bolognese or meatballs. Chicken thigh or leg will be cheaper then breast, and usually hold more moisture when cooked. 

  • Slow cooking can help make even the toughest of meats tender and juicy. 
  • For a real saving on chicken, buy a whole one, cut it up yourself and use different parts for different dishes across the week.
     

9. Eat meat-free, more often
Ever noticed how vegetarian dishes are often a little cheaper to buy then their meat-containing counterpart? Animal proteins can make up a big proportion of our groceries, and so opting for a few (or more) meat-free meals each week can make a real difference to the bill. Plant-based proteins such as lentils, chickpea and beans are not only nutritionally rich, but are also significantly cheaper then animal protein. 
 

10. Use beans/lentils to stretch out your meals
Following on from the last tip, plant-based proteins, such as beans and lentils, are excellent at bulking out dishes and work well as a strategy to stretch our meals, particularly in dishes like taco mince or bolognese sauces. Try cutting the amount of meat in half, and subbing in a few tins of your favourite plant-based protein - for example, instead of 1kg of mince meat, go for 500g with 1-2 tins of brown lentils. Here's some recipe ideas on Healthy Always to get you going:

  • Beef and Lentil Meatballs 
  • Lentil Bolognese
  • The Best Vegetarian Chili


11. Make smart substitutions
I've been notoriously terrible at this in the past. If a recipe calls for a tablespoon of freshly chopped oregano, I'd have totally bought an entire packet just for that one tablespoon, thinking I'd use the rest in another meal (didn't happen). Unless it’s for a special occasion, making smart substations where possible in cooking is a clever way to cut down costs - the challenge will make you a better cook too. 

  • Swap fresh herbs for dried
  • Swap meats for whatever's in your fridge/freezer
  • Swap vanilla pods for essence.
     

12. Relieve the pressure
This blog doesn't often contain fancy/hard to source ingredients. Why? I don't think they're necessary to be healthy. Good healthy food is just simple food - the basics; our fruits and veggies, eggs, fish, meats, grains and legumes. Sure, it would be ideal if we could all eat organic, but organic produce can get expensive (one reason, among many, to have an organic garden), and if you're budgeting it's far more important to ensure you're just eating vegetables in the first place, rather then fretting whether they're organic or not. Take the pressure off yourself, and do the best you can for the place you're at - that's all you can ask of yourself. 

In Nutrition, guideto
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Hi, I'm Danijela! I'm a nutritionist from New Zealand. Welcome to my blog, a space I share healthy easy recipe ideas and wellness inspiration. 


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Spending Saturday night in with veggie bowls and a movie🤙 These are loaded with sesame-carrot and chickpea fritters, roasted beets (from the garden💃) and kumara, sliced avocado, homemade hummus and smoked paprika, and a few handfuls of arugula with a sprinkle of tamari-roasted sesame seeds. Vitamins, minerals, fibre and plant-based protein galore tonight🌈 #dinnerideas #saturdaynight #eatarainbow #eatyourveggies #plantbasedmeals #healthymealideas #dinneridea #nutrition #nourishbowl
Rainbow platter🌈🌈 Loaded with dips, veggie sticks, crackers, nuts, fruit, olives, @regalsalmonnz smoked salmon, chickpeas, dark chocolate, and a few cheeses! My friends at Regal Salmon approached me to create my ultimate platter, and I think this is it ! I loooove platters - they’re so much fun to eat, and are always a welcomed addition to any social gathering...you’re bound to get a collective ‘oooooh’ when you place a loaded board in front of a crowd of hungry guests😋. When putting a platter together I think two things are key - firstly, go colourful! Colour is fun, and different colours are also indicative of different nutrients! Aim to include a variety of veggie sticks, fruits and dips to really make your board pop💥. Secondly 'less is more' does NOT apply to platters. Abundance really is the WOW factor - load it up, and fill in the gaps with small items like berries or nuts - this will make your platter look like it's overflowing! The salmon I used here is cold-smoked and the pastrami slices - I adore salmon, as it’s delicious, as well as a great source on anti-inflammatory omega-3. This type of salmon is the variety of king salmon, famed for being a culinary superstar with it's high oil content, which contributes to its buttery texture and flavour - the kind of salmon that melts in your mouth. It's also one of the most naturally rich sources of omega-3 essential fatty acids, which are well-documented for their anti-inflammatory effects, and role in aiding brain, heart and joint health👍. Try making your own platter at your next social gathering - they’re loads of fun to whip up! #platter #grazingplatter #delicious #yum #tasty #regalsalmon #kingsalmon #nutritious
✨WIN ME✨ It has been a blast taking over the @skinbyecostore Instagram today and to finish up I'm giving away my four favourite skincare products from the range to two individuals (a friend and a buddy!). To be in the draw to win, simply:
⭐️Tag a friend in the comments below - feel free to tag as many friends as you'd like, I'll count each tag as a single entry
☝️Anndddd that's it! @skinbyecostore are giving away the same pack on their page so head over and enter there for another chance to win! A winner will be selected at random on Friday evening at 6:30pm (NZ time). I'd like to acknowledge that this promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram. By entering, entrants confirm they are 16 years of age, release Instagram of responsibility and agree to instagram terms of use. Open NZ wide. Enjoy✨💫
🍪The simplest 5-ingredient apricot dark chocolate cookies ever! Save the recipe guys - these are nutritious, cheap, easy-to-make, yummy, and require the simplest-of-simple ingredients list. Seriously, we're talking mashed banana, rolled oats, coconut (I ran out so I didn't include it in these), dried apricots, a sprinkling of chocolate chips, and that's it!  They're also totally kid-friendly - get them involved in mashing the bananas, counting out the apricots and mixing all the ingredients together with their hands - it'll get a bit messy, but fun! Here's the recipe: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🍪Dark chocolate and apricot cookies🍪
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Ingredients
4 mashed ripe bananas⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2 1/2 cups of rolled oats⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1/2 cup shredded coconut⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
12 dried apricots, diced⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1/4 cup chocolate chips ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Method⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1) Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line an oven tray with baking paper.
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2) Add all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix together until well combined (a big wooden spoon or just your hands will do!).
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3) Spoon out heaped tablespoons of the mixture and assemble into cookie shapes on the oven tray. I say assemble as it will get a little messy! You might need to spend a little time shaping them. A quick way to do it is to  get a cookie cutter and fill each one up with the mixture - when you remove the cookie cutter you'll get even circle shapes.
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4) Bake the cookies in the oven for 12-15 minutes. Keep an eye on them for the last few minutes to make sure they don't burn.
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5) Take them out of the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes before digging in. Enjoy!
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Makes 10-12 cookies depending on how big you make them. #cookie #cookierecipe #healthyrecipe #homebaking #yum #bakingcookies #nutrition #nourish #darkchocolate #nzfood
Any Greek salad fans?🙋🙋‍♂️I love a classic Greek salad🍅🥗. Total salad perfection/party-in-your-mouth. Here's a variation on the classic, but with the addition of avocado, lettuce annnnd cannelloni beans, a legume that's packed with plant-based protein and dietary fibre! This has still got all of the flavours of a Greek salad, but the beans help bump up the protein content, turning it more into a balanced main meal👍 I often use canned varieties as they're quick and easy, but cooking dried beans from scratch can offer more texture and flavour. They're so budget-friendly too.  Recipe over on the blog now of you'd like to make it - it's delicious! Awesome on its own or served alongside chicken, fish or tofu. Happy Sunday✨ #greeksalad #saladideas #nutrition #plantbasedprotein #legumes #salads #mealideas #healthymeals #healthymealideas
Dinner after an afternoon at the nutrition clinic🍳🍅Sourdough toast topped with smashed avocado and sliced cherry tomatoes tossed with chopped dill and crumbly feta, a handful of fresh rocket, and a fried egg sprinkled with chilli flakes. So yummy, but simple. Off to finish meal plans😊 #dinnerideas #dinneridea #avocadotoast #easydinner #nutrition #nourish #friedegg
Happy Easter from Bondi Beach!🐰🌊 I hope everyone has a lovely day. I've had a few questions about staying healthy over Easter, and I just wanted to say that it's really okay to enjoy your favourite Easter goodies!💛 Food is more then nutrients, it's also about pleasure and joy. Eating delicious foods are one of life's great pleasure. I really think that when we give ourselves permission (without guilt) and take the time to enjoy what we're eating, we feel more in control during these more indulgent times of the year anyway- and this can really help with nurturing a happy healthy relationship with food💛 Sometimes when we say no (when we actually want to) or label a food good or bad, then guilt or overeating can kick in🙏🏻 Have a happy and safe Easter everyone xx #happyeastereveryone #bondibeach #bondi #sydneyaustralia #easter #bondisunrise #sunrise #mornings #travels
Berry yoghurt bowl for breakfast☀️ This has been on high rotation the last week, because it's equally yummy and easy to put together👍 Just add to a bowl 1-2 servings of fruit (I did about 1/2 blueberries and 1/2 cup raspberries), about 1/2 cup thick creamy yoghurt, a small handful of almonds, a few tbsp of sunflower seeds and linseeds and a sprinkle of cinnamon. I also added a tsp of honey from our bee hives, but totally optional🍯 It's packed full of antioxidants from the berries (which help repair and prevent damage to our cells), vitamin E and nourishing fats from the almonds and sunflower seeds, probiotics (good bugs for our gut!) and protein from the yoghurt, and the antinflammatory omega-3 from the linseeds. If you're vegan or dairy free sub the dairy yoghurt for coconut yoghurt😀#breakfastideas #healthybreakfast #antioxidants #berries #blueberries #freshfruit #nutrition
Sunday platter with the tastiest homemade pumpkin hummus ever!✨ Loaded with oat crackers, baby carrots, fresh fruit, cucumber, nuts, dates and dark chocolate. Homemade hummus is the best - when you use good quality ingredient like olive oil, fresh garlic, and creamy tahini, it is just magic in your mouth✨ So nourishing too! Packed full of healthy fats from the olive oil, fibre for a happy gut from the chickpeas, anti-inflammatory properties from the garlic, and vitamin-e rich tahini which our skin and immune system loves. Below is the recipe for the pumpkin hummus - it's by my friends at @foodboxnz who have loads of healthy recipes on their website that celebrate fresh produce. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Ingredients:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1x tin of chickpeas ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2 garlic cloves ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1 cup pumpkin purée (dice a fresh pumpkin, roast for 40 mins and then blend)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2 tbsp tahini ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2 1/2 tbsp olive oil ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Juice of half a lemon ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Salt to taste ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1 tsp paprika and 1 tsp cumin ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Method: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1. When pumpkin has cooled add to a blender with all ingredients. Blitz into smooth paste. Taste test and adjust to your preference.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days🙏🏻 Enjoy! #hummus #pumpkinhummus #homemadehummus #platters #platter #pumpkin #nutrition #nutrients #colourfulfood
This totally hit the spot🤤 Dinner tonight was buttery scrambled eggs, oven-roasted tomatoes, sautéed silverbeet from the garden, smoked salmon and a sliced avocado. Jam packed with omega-3, nourishing fats and protein - this satiating combo leaves me feeling fuelled for hours💃 Super easy to whip up too - because, it's Friday after all😴 #dinnerideas #eatyourveggies #nutrition #nzfood #freerange #fromthegarden #avocado #avocadolove
Quick and easy veggie chicken stir-fry for dinner tonight👍 Such a speedy dinner to whip up after a long day, and a good way to use up the veggies in your fridge - I just added diced garlic and ginger to a hot pan, sizzled them for a few seconds, then added diced chicken and a light drizzle of sauce, then tossed the chicken until it was cooked on the outside, then added diced veggies and continued jiggling and tossing! A few minutes later, and one more drizzle of soy sauce, and it was all done👍 I'm serving this with vermeciili noodles for dinner which are super skinny rice noodles (you just dunk them in boiling water and leave for a few minutes and they'll soften - easy too!🍜). What are you guys having for dinner?  #dinneridea #veggiestirfry #stirfry #eatyourveggies #eatyourvegetables #eatarainbow #healthydinner #dinnerideas #colourfulmeal
Fresh garden salads - the perfect sidekick to lunch or dinner, especially when the suns shining and you're craving something light and refreshing!🥒 ⠀
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When it comes to making epic salads here's some tips:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🥗Wash your produce first, and then leave it to dry before dressing!Otherwise when you coat it, it can get a bit thick and weighed down.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🥗 Add exciting things like seeds and nuts to your salad for abit of extra texture and crunch! This totally helps to elevate a dish and bumps up the nutritional content. ⠀⠀⠀
🥗 Chop veggies into bite size pieces, to make it nice and easy to eat.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🥗Go for seasonal produce - in seasonal produce is cheap, fresher (as it hasn't had to travel too far to get to us!) and often tastier too. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🥗 Make your own homemade dressing - it's easier then you'd think! Store-bought dressings are often filled with cheap, processed ingredients that don't often much from a nutritional perspective.
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On the topic of salad dressings, here's a fun fact: while dressings primarily help make a dish taste even better, they can also aid nutrient absorption. Certain nutrients in veggies, deemed fat-soluble vitamins (for the nutrition enthusiasts, this is vitamins A, D, E and K🌈), need the presence of dietary fat to be properly absorbed, so we can uptake these lovely nutrients. By adding a fat-rich food, like olive oil in your dressing to a salad, you're encouraging the absorption of these nutrients. A total win-win, for your taste buds and health! I've shared a recipe over on the blog for a simple garden salad, along with a yummy homemade honey mustard dressing if you'd like to give it a whirl (have to put our recent honey harvest to good use🍯🤤). #gardensalad #gardengreens #nutritious #nutritiousanddelicious #vitamins #vegetablegarden #homemade #saladideas #salads #salad
Avocado chocolate mousse with yoghurt and fruit✨🍓Fun fact about avocado: they're also sometimes called alligator pears🥑😭 Another fun fact: you can blend avocado to make a chocolate mousse - it's so easy to make, totally delicious, but also kind of weird yes😂 And no it doesn't taste like avocado hehe🙏🏻 This was one of the first 'healthier' desserts I tried years ago, and one of the few recipes I've kept around in high rotation because it's legit really yummy! It's a vegan-friendly mousse idea for my plant based friends, it's packed full of body-loving fats, and will completely satisfy a chocolate craving. Here's there recipe:
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Easy Avocado Chocolate Mousse
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Ingredients
2 ripe avocados
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup cacao/cocoa powder
1/4 cup maple syrup, or less to taste
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Method
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1. Peel avocado and pop all of the green flesh into a food processor. Add your other ingredients and blend until you have a lovely smooth mixture.
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2. Taste test and adjust to your preferences - add more cacao if you want a deeper chocolate flavour or add a touch more sweetener if you want to sweeten it further.  Blend again.
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3. Pop mixture into a bowl/serving glasses and keep in the fridge for an hour to firm up. Pair with fresh fruit and yoghurt (coconut yoghurt if vegan) to serve. I also added a sprinkle of bee pollen here💛 Enjoy!
Serves 3-4
#chocolatemousse #plantbased #healthierdessert #nzfood #fruitdessert #dessertideas #healthydessert
Beach walk with my furry friend🐶 I got this wee pup a number of years ago when I was going through a rough patch with illness (I've spoken a little about this on my blog), and he was, and still is, the biggest ray of sunshine☀️ Animals are the best mood boosters, and I reckon so good for mental and physical health!💛I love him to bits🐶 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Exercise is another thing great for mental and physical health. You don't have to jump the highest, run the longest or put any pressure on yourself, what's important is just doing something you enjoy and that makes you feel good. It can take a while to build a routine that's consistent, but I think some keys for this is:
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1. Finding things you enjoy. There's so many different ways you can move your body, and like anything some you'll prefer way more then others. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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2. Listen to your body. Some days you might prefer and need something more intensive, other days just a short walk or gentle stretch. This has helped me see exercise as not a chore I had to tick off, but something for me. What's important is just getting out there and moving. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
3. Change your perception of exercise. I attempted a half marathon a few years back and as a way to get me the end I must have repeated a million times in my head during the run now lucky I was to have legs that could get me to the finish lines. It really helped put one leg in front of the other. Let's be grateful for our bodies. Lets exercise because we love and appreciate them, not because we hate them. ⠀
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4. Keep accountable. Pair up with a friend, join a training group, or create a checklist to track your sessions. Accountability can help you show up, and then once you feel the mental benefits and see physical results you'll just want to keep going🙏🏻
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☁️☁️ Gear is @lornajanenewzealand - I've worn their clothes for years and years, and love how comfy they are, long-lasting and breathable🙏🏻It's so exciting to have them in NZ now! #exercise #beachwalk #movenourishbelieve #lornajanenewzealand #active #moveyourbody #outdoors #howickbeach
Fresh garlicky basil pesto tossed with spaghetti🤤🍝 Our basil bushes have been out of control in the garden, but if there's one recipe that can obliterate a bush in a heart beat it's basil pesto. Traditional pesto is made with parmesan cheese, fresh basil, olive oil, garlic and olive oil, which has been smashed/blitzed together into a thick delicious paste. It's incredible with pasta, spooned over salads, or spread on crackers. It's only downside is that it can be a little pricey to make - so to make it cheaper go wild with substitutes. Try swapping out the pine nuts for walnuts/sunflower seeds/almonds, or if you want to make it dairy-free simply drop the cheese! Still so yummy. Basil is super nutritious - it's packed with antioxidants and vitamins. Being a herb, it's not really something you'd eat crazy amounts alone, so a pesto is a good way to maximise its nutrients!
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Here's a recipe for it:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Ingredients:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
4 packed cups basil leaves⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1/2 cup pinenuts⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, or more to taste⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1 small lemon, juice⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Salt, to taste⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Olive oil, enough to make a thick paste
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Method:
1. Into a blender add the basil leaves, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon juice and salt. Generously drizzle over olive oil.
2. Blend until its turned into a thick chunky paste (stopping to scrap down sides if needed). 3. Season with salt. Blitz again to incorporate.
4. Taste test, and adjust flavours if needed - add more cheese, oil, salt until you're happy.
#basil #basilpesto #pestopasta #eatyourgreens #nutrition #nourish #eatgreen #garden #nzgarden #gardenharvest
Plant-based lunch today🥕 I'm having roasted beetroot, carrot and chickpeas, garden salad greens and a dollop of hummus. This was *almost* a one tray-wonder – you can bake the carrots, beetroot, chickpeas and broccoli altogether, and then just add a few handfuls of salad when you pile it on a plate. Easy as!👍
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In the widely confusing, and often contradicting, world of nutrition, a piece of advice that has stood the test of time is the importance of eating vegetables. They're just so good for us, and are jam-packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fibre and all sorts of goodies that support our health. It's true that most of us can benefit from eating a little more vegetables - so here's some tips on incoporating more plant-based meals and veggies into your week:
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1. Experiment with plant-based versions of your favourite dishes! Think pizza, pasta and burgers. There’s many vegan/vegetarian versions of meat-based dishes online, which are delicious and still have the flavours you love. ⠀
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2. Do a 50/50 meat swap for legumes. You can reduce the meat in your favourite bolognese or burger patty recipe for a tin or two of brown lentils. I usually trade 500g mince for 1x 400g tin of lentils. Lentils work really well, and take on the flavours and characteristics of mince well. They’re cheap as chips too!
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3. Commit to a day (or a few!) times a week where you try a new plant-based meal. There’s a #meatlessmonday movement, where on Monday you skip meat in favour of veggies. There’s tonnes of recipe inspiration online for Meatless Monday. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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4. Grate veggies into your meals. This works so well for soups, pasta sauces, curries, lasagnes and soups, and will add flavour, moisture and nutrients. Carrot and zucchini are my go to’s! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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5. Get out a few nifty plant-based cook books out of the library for meal inspiration. It’s amazing what dishes you can prepare with veggies! My favourite is anything by @thugkitchen (so hilarious and insanely tasty!). Trial a new recipe each week. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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6. Add a handful of greens to smoothies. Spinach is an awesome entry-level leafy veggie, that doesn't alter taste too much.  #eatplants #nzfood #healthyalwayssalad
Peppermint chocolate bliss balls🍫 These are a yummy treat that'll satisfy any sweet tooth! Make up a batch and they'll keep in your freezer for months - the future you will be very thankful😉 Here's the recipe:
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Ingredients:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1 cup dates, pitted ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2 tbsp smooth peanut butter⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2 tbsp coconut oil ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1/2 cup coconut flour (or sub for almond meal) ⠀⠀⠀⠀
1/2 cup almond meal ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1/2 cup cacao/cocoa powder ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2-3 drops vanilla essence ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
A few drop peppermint essence, or to taste ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Method:
1. Add dates to hot water and leave for ten minutes. Drain. 2. Add to a food processor dates and oils. Blend. 3. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend for a few minutes. If the mixture isn't sticking together add a little water and blend again until it does. 4. Roll into balls and decorate with toppings e.g. Sunflower seeds, goji berries, sesame seeds... 5. Keep in the refrigerator or freezer.⠀⠀
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This yummy recipe is from @foodboxnz , who deliver quality local, seasonal produce and ingredients. On their blog there's lots of healthy and seasonal recipe ideas - check out the tab Jenny's Kitchen for more. I love trying out others recipes - one of my favourite things about Instagram is the endless inspiration from the food community🍌🌽🥕 #blissballs #yum #sweettreats #nourish #nutrition #healthysnacks #nzfood #nzfoodie #wholefoodnutrition #naturalfood #healthyrecipeshare
Sushi bowls for dinner🍙 These are really easy to make - just load up a bowl with a few handful of colourful veggie sticks, edamame beans (you can find these in the freezer section of your supermarket), smoked salmon slices (skip to keep vegan/vegetarian friendly - edamame beans are protein rich anyway💪), salad greens, avocado, a nori sheet, and a little soy sauce to drizzle over. -
I usually serve this with rice, and then it basically becomes 'deconstructed' or lazy sushi😂. But for a lighter/lower carb/salad option, drop the rice and up the veggies. You can also swap the salmon for another protein-rich source e.g. chicken, or tofu for another vegan friendly option. Easy as👍Most recipes can be adapted to suit your own needs - aim to eat in a way that nourishes you and leaves you feeling good. We're all so different and what fuels one person may not optimally fuel another. You do you🙏🏻#sushibowl #sushi #dinneridea #healthydinneridea #nutrition #nourishbowl #nourish #avocado #eattherainbow #eatyourveggies #nzfood #nzfoodie
Spending Saturday night in with veggie bowls and a movie🤙 These are loaded with sesame-carrot and chickpea fritters, roasted beets (from the garden💃) and kumara, sliced avocado, homemade hummus and smoked paprika, and a few handfuls of arugula with a sprinkle of tamari-roasted sesame seeds. Vitamins, minerals, fibre and plant-based protein galore tonight🌈 #dinnerideas #saturdaynight #eatarainbow #eatyourveggies #plantbasedmeals #healthymealideas #dinneridea #nutrition #nourishbowl Rainbow platter🌈🌈 Loaded with dips, veggie sticks, crackers, nuts, fruit, olives, @regalsalmonnz smoked salmon, chickpeas, dark chocolate, and a few cheeses! My friends at Regal Salmon approached me to create my ultimate platter, and I think this is it ! I loooove platters - they’re so much fun to eat, and are always a welcomed addition to any social gathering...you’re bound to get a collective ‘oooooh’ when you place a loaded board in front of a crowd of hungry guests😋. When putting a platter together I think two things are key - firstly, go colourful! Colour is fun, and different colours are also indicative of different nutrients! Aim to include a variety of veggie sticks, fruits and dips to really make your board pop💥. Secondly 'less is more' does NOT apply to platters. Abundance really is the WOW factor - load it up, and fill in the gaps with small items like berries or nuts - this will make your platter look like it's overflowing! The salmon I used here is cold-smoked and the pastrami slices - I adore salmon, as it’s delicious, as well as a great source on anti-inflammatory omega-3. This type of salmon is the variety of king salmon, famed for being a culinary superstar with it's high oil content, which contributes to its buttery texture and flavour - the kind of salmon that melts in your mouth. It's also one of the most naturally rich sources of omega-3 essential fatty acids, which are well-documented for their anti-inflammatory effects, and role in aiding brain, heart and joint health👍. Try making your own platter at your next social gathering - they’re loads of fun to whip up! #platter #grazingplatter #delicious #yum #tasty #regalsalmon #kingsalmon #nutritious ✨WIN ME✨ It has been a blast taking over the @skinbyecostore Instagram today and to finish up I'm giving away my four favourite skincare products from the range to two individuals (a friend and a buddy!). To be in the draw to win, simply:
⭐️Tag a friend in the comments below - feel free to tag as many friends as you'd like, I'll count each tag as a single entry
☝️Anndddd that's it! @skinbyecostore are giving away the same pack on their page so head over and enter there for another chance to win! A winner will be selected at random on Friday evening at 6:30pm (NZ time). I'd like to acknowledge that this promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram. By entering, entrants confirm they are 16 years of age, release Instagram of responsibility and agree to instagram terms of use. Open NZ wide. Enjoy✨💫
So I've ventured out of the comfort of static images and made a VIDEO😃🎥 I'm a big fan of edible gardening, and as a nutritionist have been managing a gardening and cooking program in the community for a few years🌱 I've come to experience the many perks of growing your own food - it helps reduce environmental impact, it's great exercise, being under the sun with your hands in soil is a wonderful mood booster, it saves money on food shopping, you can control how you grow your food (e.g. organic), it makes produce incredibly accessible, it's educational for the whole family, it helps foster a deeper understanding of where food comes from and eating seasonally, BUT my favourite perk of all is that freshly picked seasonal garden goods taste SO GOOD! Seriously there's nothing fresher tasting than picking your own produce, taking it back to the kitchen, whipping up something and then digging in with a fork (pun, of course, intended🥗🍴). So here's a video showing that process💓 You can totally scale a garden to fit your situation - no matter whether you have a rolling field in your backyard or live in an apartment there's options for all. Even a small pot of herbs on your windowsill is enough to reap benefits👍
Thanks to @jonny_goose for your video skills🎥, and 
@cosmos_midnight - 'Mind Off' for the epic tune🎶 #dingwallgardens #dingwalltrustgardens #gardening #garden #ediblegarden #seasonalfood #seasonaleating #organicfood #organicgardening
🍪The simplest 5-ingredient apricot dark chocolate cookies ever! Save the recipe guys - these are nutritious, cheap, easy-to-make, yummy, and require the simplest-of-simple ingredients list. Seriously, we're talking mashed banana, rolled oats, coconut (I ran out so I didn't include it in these), dried apricots, a sprinkling of chocolate chips, and that's it!  They're also totally kid-friendly - get them involved in mashing the bananas, counting out the apricots and mixing all the ingredients together with their hands - it'll get a bit messy, but fun! Here's the recipe: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🍪Dark chocolate and apricot cookies🍪
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Ingredients
4 mashed ripe bananas⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2 1/2 cups of rolled oats⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1/2 cup shredded coconut⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
12 dried apricots, diced⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1/4 cup chocolate chips ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Method⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1) Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line an oven tray with baking paper.
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2) Add all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix together until well combined (a big wooden spoon or just your hands will do!).
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3) Spoon out heaped tablespoons of the mixture and assemble into cookie shapes on the oven tray. I say assemble as it will get a little messy! You might need to spend a little time shaping them. A quick way to do it is to  get a cookie cutter and fill each one up with the mixture - when you remove the cookie cutter you'll get even circle shapes.
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4) Bake the cookies in the oven for 12-15 minutes. Keep an eye on them for the last few minutes to make sure they don't burn.
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5) Take them out of the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes before digging in. Enjoy!
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Makes 10-12 cookies depending on how big you make them. #cookie #cookierecipe #healthyrecipe #homebaking #yum #bakingcookies #nutrition #nourish #darkchocolate #nzfood Any Greek salad fans?🙋🙋‍♂️I love a classic Greek salad🍅🥗. Total salad perfection/party-in-your-mouth. Here's a variation on the classic, but with the addition of avocado, lettuce annnnd cannelloni beans, a legume that's packed with plant-based protein and dietary fibre! This has still got all of the flavours of a Greek salad, but the beans help bump up the protein content, turning it more into a balanced main meal👍 I often use canned varieties as they're quick and easy, but cooking dried beans from scratch can offer more texture and flavour. They're so budget-friendly too.  Recipe over on the blog now of you'd like to make it - it's delicious! Awesome on its own or served alongside chicken, fish or tofu. Happy Sunday✨ #greeksalad #saladideas #nutrition #plantbasedprotein #legumes #salads #mealideas #healthymeals #healthymealideas Dinner after an afternoon at the nutrition clinic🍳🍅Sourdough toast topped with smashed avocado and sliced cherry tomatoes tossed with chopped dill and crumbly feta, a handful of fresh rocket, and a fried egg sprinkled with chilli flakes. So yummy, but simple. Off to finish meal plans😊 #dinnerideas #dinneridea #avocadotoast #easydinner #nutrition #nourish #friedegg Happy Easter from Bondi Beach!🐰🌊 I hope everyone has a lovely day. I've had a few questions about staying healthy over Easter, and I just wanted to say that it's really okay to enjoy your favourite Easter goodies!💛 Food is more then nutrients, it's also about pleasure and joy. Eating delicious foods are one of life's great pleasure. I really think that when we give ourselves permission (without guilt) and take the time to enjoy what we're eating, we feel more in control during these more indulgent times of the year anyway- and this can really help with nurturing a happy healthy relationship with food💛 Sometimes when we say no (when we actually want to) or label a food good or bad, then guilt or overeating can kick in🙏🏻 Have a happy and safe Easter everyone xx #happyeastereveryone #bondibeach #bondi #sydneyaustralia #easter #bondisunrise #sunrise #mornings #travels Berry yoghurt bowl for breakfast☀️ This has been on high rotation the last week, because it's equally yummy and easy to put together👍 Just add to a bowl 1-2 servings of fruit (I did about 1/2 blueberries and 1/2 cup raspberries), about 1/2 cup thick creamy yoghurt, a small handful of almonds, a few tbsp of sunflower seeds and linseeds and a sprinkle of cinnamon. I also added a tsp of honey from our bee hives, but totally optional🍯 It's packed full of antioxidants from the berries (which help repair and prevent damage to our cells), vitamin E and nourishing fats from the almonds and sunflower seeds, probiotics (good bugs for our gut!) and protein from the yoghurt, and the antinflammatory omega-3 from the linseeds. If you're vegan or dairy free sub the dairy yoghurt for coconut yoghurt😀#breakfastideas #healthybreakfast #antioxidants #berries #blueberries #freshfruit #nutrition Sunday platter with the tastiest homemade pumpkin hummus ever!✨ Loaded with oat crackers, baby carrots, fresh fruit, cucumber, nuts, dates and dark chocolate. Homemade hummus is the best - when you use good quality ingredient like olive oil, fresh garlic, and creamy tahini, it is just magic in your mouth✨ So nourishing too! Packed full of healthy fats from the olive oil, fibre for a happy gut from the chickpeas, anti-inflammatory properties from the garlic, and vitamin-e rich tahini which our skin and immune system loves. Below is the recipe for the pumpkin hummus - it's by my friends at @foodboxnz who have loads of healthy recipes on their website that celebrate fresh produce. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Ingredients:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1x tin of chickpeas ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2 garlic cloves ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1 cup pumpkin purée (dice a fresh pumpkin, roast for 40 mins and then blend)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2 tbsp tahini ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2 1/2 tbsp olive oil ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Juice of half a lemon ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Salt to taste ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1 tsp paprika and 1 tsp cumin ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Method: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1. When pumpkin has cooled add to a blender with all ingredients. Blitz into smooth paste. Taste test and adjust to your preference.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days🙏🏻 Enjoy! #hummus #pumpkinhummus #homemadehummus #platters #platter #pumpkin #nutrition #nutrients #colourfulfood This totally hit the spot🤤 Dinner tonight was buttery scrambled eggs, oven-roasted tomatoes, sautéed silverbeet from the garden, smoked salmon and a sliced avocado. Jam packed with omega-3, nourishing fats and protein - this satiating combo leaves me feeling fuelled for hours💃 Super easy to whip up too - because, it's Friday after all😴 #dinnerideas #eatyourveggies #nutrition #nzfood #freerange #fromthegarden #avocado #avocadolove Quick and easy veggie chicken stir-fry for dinner tonight👍 Such a speedy dinner to whip up after a long day, and a good way to use up the veggies in your fridge - I just added diced garlic and ginger to a hot pan, sizzled them for a few seconds, then added diced chicken and a light drizzle of sauce, then tossed the chicken until it was cooked on the outside, then added diced veggies and continued jiggling and tossing! A few minutes later, and one more drizzle of soy sauce, and it was all done👍 I'm serving this with vermeciili noodles for dinner which are super skinny rice noodles (you just dunk them in boiling water and leave for a few minutes and they'll soften - easy too!🍜). What are you guys having for dinner?  #dinneridea #veggiestirfry #stirfry #eatyourveggies #eatyourvegetables #eatarainbow #healthydinner #dinnerideas #colourfulmeal Fresh garden salads - the perfect sidekick to lunch or dinner, especially when the suns shining and you're craving something light and refreshing!🥒 ⠀
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When it comes to making epic salads here's some tips:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🥗Wash your produce first, and then leave it to dry before dressing!Otherwise when you coat it, it can get a bit thick and weighed down.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🥗 Add exciting things like seeds and nuts to your salad for abit of extra texture and crunch! This totally helps to elevate a dish and bumps up the nutritional content. ⠀⠀⠀
🥗 Chop veggies into bite size pieces, to make it nice and easy to eat.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🥗Go for seasonal produce - in seasonal produce is cheap, fresher (as it hasn't had to travel too far to get to us!) and often tastier too. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🥗 Make your own homemade dressing - it's easier then you'd think! Store-bought dressings are often filled with cheap, processed ingredients that don't often much from a nutritional perspective.
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On the topic of salad dressings, here's a fun fact: while dressings primarily help make a dish taste even better, they can also aid nutrient absorption. Certain nutrients in veggies, deemed fat-soluble vitamins (for the nutrition enthusiasts, this is vitamins A, D, E and K🌈), need the presence of dietary fat to be properly absorbed, so we can uptake these lovely nutrients. By adding a fat-rich food, like olive oil in your dressing to a salad, you're encouraging the absorption of these nutrients. A total win-win, for your taste buds and health! I've shared a recipe over on the blog for a simple garden salad, along with a yummy homemade honey mustard dressing if you'd like to give it a whirl (have to put our recent honey harvest to good use🍯🤤). #gardensalad #gardengreens #nutritious #nutritiousanddelicious #vitamins #vegetablegarden #homemade #saladideas #salads #salad Avocado chocolate mousse with yoghurt and fruit✨🍓Fun fact about avocado: they're also sometimes called alligator pears🥑😭 Another fun fact: you can blend avocado to make a chocolate mousse - it's so easy to make, totally delicious, but also kind of weird yes😂 And no it doesn't taste like avocado hehe🙏🏻 This was one of the first 'healthier' desserts I tried years ago, and one of the few recipes I've kept around in high rotation because it's legit really yummy! It's a vegan-friendly mousse idea for my plant based friends, it's packed full of body-loving fats, and will completely satisfy a chocolate craving. Here's there recipe:
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Easy Avocado Chocolate Mousse
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Ingredients
2 ripe avocados
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup cacao/cocoa powder
1/4 cup maple syrup, or less to taste
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Method
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1. Peel avocado and pop all of the green flesh into a food processor. Add your other ingredients and blend until you have a lovely smooth mixture.
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2. Taste test and adjust to your preferences - add more cacao if you want a deeper chocolate flavour or add a touch more sweetener if you want to sweeten it further.  Blend again.
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3. Pop mixture into a bowl/serving glasses and keep in the fridge for an hour to firm up. Pair with fresh fruit and yoghurt (coconut yoghurt if vegan) to serve. I also added a sprinkle of bee pollen here💛 Enjoy!
Serves 3-4
#chocolatemousse #plantbased #healthierdessert #nzfood #fruitdessert #dessertideas #healthydessert Beach walk with my furry friend🐶 I got this wee pup a number of years ago when I was going through a rough patch with illness (I've spoken a little about this on my blog), and he was, and still is, the biggest ray of sunshine☀️ Animals are the best mood boosters, and I reckon so good for mental and physical health!💛I love him to bits🐶 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Exercise is another thing great for mental and physical health. You don't have to jump the highest, run the longest or put any pressure on yourself, what's important is just doing something you enjoy and that makes you feel good. It can take a while to build a routine that's consistent, but I think some keys for this is:
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1. Finding things you enjoy. There's so many different ways you can move your body, and like anything some you'll prefer way more then others. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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2. Listen to your body. Some days you might prefer and need something more intensive, other days just a short walk or gentle stretch. This has helped me see exercise as not a chore I had to tick off, but something for me. What's important is just getting out there and moving. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
3. Change your perception of exercise. I attempted a half marathon a few years back and as a way to get me the end I must have repeated a million times in my head during the run now lucky I was to have legs that could get me to the finish lines. It really helped put one leg in front of the other. Let's be grateful for our bodies. Lets exercise because we love and appreciate them, not because we hate them. ⠀
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4. Keep accountable. Pair up with a friend, join a training group, or create a checklist to track your sessions. Accountability can help you show up, and then once you feel the mental benefits and see physical results you'll just want to keep going🙏🏻
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☁️☁️ Gear is @lornajanenewzealand - I've worn their clothes for years and years, and love how comfy they are, long-lasting and breathable🙏🏻It's so exciting to have them in NZ now! #exercise #beachwalk #movenourishbelieve #lornajanenewzealand #active #moveyourbody #outdoors #howickbeach Fresh garlicky basil pesto tossed with spaghetti🤤🍝 Our basil bushes have been out of control in the garden, but if there's one recipe that can obliterate a bush in a heart beat it's basil pesto. Traditional pesto is made with parmesan cheese, fresh basil, olive oil, garlic and olive oil, which has been smashed/blitzed together into a thick delicious paste. It's incredible with pasta, spooned over salads, or spread on crackers. It's only downside is that it can be a little pricey to make - so to make it cheaper go wild with substitutes. Try swapping out the pine nuts for walnuts/sunflower seeds/almonds, or if you want to make it dairy-free simply drop the cheese! Still so yummy. Basil is super nutritious - it's packed with antioxidants and vitamins. Being a herb, it's not really something you'd eat crazy amounts alone, so a pesto is a good way to maximise its nutrients!
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Here's a recipe for it:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Ingredients:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
4 packed cups basil leaves⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1/2 cup pinenuts⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, or more to taste⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1 small lemon, juice⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Salt, to taste⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Olive oil, enough to make a thick paste
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Method:
1. Into a blender add the basil leaves, pine nuts, parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon juice and salt. Generously drizzle over olive oil.
2. Blend until its turned into a thick chunky paste (stopping to scrap down sides if needed). 3. Season with salt. Blitz again to incorporate.
4. Taste test, and adjust flavours if needed - add more cheese, oil, salt until you're happy.
#basil #basilpesto #pestopasta #eatyourgreens #nutrition #nourish #eatgreen #garden #nzgarden #gardenharvest Plant-based lunch today🥕 I'm having roasted beetroot, carrot and chickpeas, garden salad greens and a dollop of hummus. This was *almost* a one tray-wonder – you can bake the carrots, beetroot, chickpeas and broccoli altogether, and then just add a few handfuls of salad when you pile it on a plate. Easy as!👍
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In the widely confusing, and often contradicting, world of nutrition, a piece of advice that has stood the test of time is the importance of eating vegetables. They're just so good for us, and are jam-packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fibre and all sorts of goodies that support our health. It's true that most of us can benefit from eating a little more vegetables - so here's some tips on incoporating more plant-based meals and veggies into your week:
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1. Experiment with plant-based versions of your favourite dishes! Think pizza, pasta and burgers. There’s many vegan/vegetarian versions of meat-based dishes online, which are delicious and still have the flavours you love. ⠀
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2. Do a 50/50 meat swap for legumes. You can reduce the meat in your favourite bolognese or burger patty recipe for a tin or two of brown lentils. I usually trade 500g mince for 1x 400g tin of lentils. Lentils work really well, and take on the flavours and characteristics of mince well. They’re cheap as chips too!
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3. Commit to a day (or a few!) times a week where you try a new plant-based meal. There’s a #meatlessmonday movement, where on Monday you skip meat in favour of veggies. There’s tonnes of recipe inspiration online for Meatless Monday. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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4. Grate veggies into your meals. This works so well for soups, pasta sauces, curries, lasagnes and soups, and will add flavour, moisture and nutrients. Carrot and zucchini are my go to’s! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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5. Get out a few nifty plant-based cook books out of the library for meal inspiration. It’s amazing what dishes you can prepare with veggies! My favourite is anything by @thugkitchen (so hilarious and insanely tasty!). Trial a new recipe each week. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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6. Add a handful of greens to smoothies. Spinach is an awesome entry-level leafy veggie, that doesn't alter taste too much.  #eatplants #nzfood #healthyalwayssalad Peppermint chocolate bliss balls🍫 These are a yummy treat that'll satisfy any sweet tooth! Make up a batch and they'll keep in your freezer for months - the future you will be very thankful😉 Here's the recipe:
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Ingredients:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1 cup dates, pitted ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2 tbsp smooth peanut butter⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2 tbsp coconut oil ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1/2 cup coconut flour (or sub for almond meal) ⠀⠀⠀⠀
1/2 cup almond meal ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
1/2 cup cacao/cocoa powder ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
2-3 drops vanilla essence ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
A few drop peppermint essence, or to taste ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Method:
1. Add dates to hot water and leave for ten minutes. Drain. 2. Add to a food processor dates and oils. Blend. 3. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend for a few minutes. If the mixture isn't sticking together add a little water and blend again until it does. 4. Roll into balls and decorate with toppings e.g. Sunflower seeds, goji berries, sesame seeds... 5. Keep in the refrigerator or freezer.⠀⠀
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This yummy recipe is from @foodboxnz , who deliver quality local, seasonal produce and ingredients. On their blog there's lots of healthy and seasonal recipe ideas - check out the tab Jenny's Kitchen for more. I love trying out others recipes - one of my favourite things about Instagram is the endless inspiration from the food community🍌🌽🥕 #blissballs #yum #sweettreats #nourish #nutrition #healthysnacks #nzfood #nzfoodie #wholefoodnutrition #naturalfood #healthyrecipeshare Sushi bowls for dinner🍙 These are really easy to make - just load up a bowl with a few handful of colourful veggie sticks, edamame beans (you can find these in the freezer section of your supermarket), smoked salmon slices (skip to keep vegan/vegetarian friendly - edamame beans are protein rich anyway💪), salad greens, avocado, a nori sheet, and a little soy sauce to drizzle over. -
I usually serve this with rice, and then it basically becomes 'deconstructed' or lazy sushi😂. But for a lighter/lower carb/salad option, drop the rice and up the veggies. You can also swap the salmon for another protein-rich source e.g. chicken, or tofu for another vegan friendly option. Easy as👍Most recipes can be adapted to suit your own needs - aim to eat in a way that nourishes you and leaves you feeling good. We're all so different and what fuels one person may not optimally fuel another. You do you🙏🏻#sushibowl #sushi #dinneridea #healthydinneridea #nutrition #nourishbowl #nourish #avocado #eattherainbow #eatyourveggies #nzfood #nzfoodie
Today we harvested our own honey!🍯🐝 We set up hives back in September, and I was really surprised how quickly we were ready to harvest! This stuff looks like some kind of liquid gold - I love how shimmering it gets when up close in this video💛 It's neat how the smell, taste and colour of honey will vary depending on the flower the bee visited🌼🐝 Being a sugar, honey is something to enjoy in moderation and small amounts - but it does have nutritional benefits. High quality honey contains a number of valuable antioxidants, including certain phenols, flavonoids and enzymes, which can help fight free radical damage in the body. Our honey is quite runny, so perfect to use in honey sweetened baking! Any recipe ideas? #honey #honeybees #bees #beehives #nz #nzfoodie #nutrition #sweettreat

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