Fast + healthy food- Lentils!

A great way to get your carbs in without all that gluten and wheat! I have been using lentils for a while now. They are a great source of carbohydrates and also have a good amount of protein in for those wanting to avoid fit or meat. Be careful though as they are incomplete proteins.

I like to get these down me at lunch time when I need some good quality low G.I crabs after my morning training. They are really quick and easy too- go for a quality brand like 'merchant gourmet' and just pop the bag in the microwave for 75 seconds- fast food!

Here I have paired them with an omelette for a quick, healthy and satisfying lunch

Coffe Lover?

I love my coffee! Usually my intake is around 3-4 cups a day- but is it good for you or not? Well I have found a great article on just the subject and it makes good reading! Drink up!!
http://www.optimumnutrition4sport.com/?page_id=425

Smoked Mackerel

This is fast food!
Hot smoked mackerel is available from all supermarkets now and is fantastic!
Full of the much famed omega-3 fatty acids its also great for anti-inflammation and very satisfying too!

Here I have it with some steamed broccoli, parma ham wrapped asparagus and a caramelised onion and apple salad- just an idea to get your creative brain going!!

Chicken,strawberry and almond salad

Salads are really quick, easy and very versatile depending on what time of the year it is! On a nice summer's day there is nothing better than a light, fresh and satisfying salad. Gone are the days when they are just boring leaves, cucumber and tomato!
In this one I simply threw in some cooked chicken, toasted almonds and quartered fresh strawberries- lovely combination of sweet, savoury and crunch.
Be careful on the dressings however as this is where you can get into trouble health wise- opt away from pre prepared dressings which are based around veg oil or mayonnaise. Instead try things like olive oil, greek yogurt or as in the one fresh full fat ricotta cheese.

Frittata time

Ok so its a posh omelette, but I love them- very versatile, relatively quick and you can throw anything you want in them! Here is my pastrami version.

Ingredients:
100g Pastrami
2 Cups Spinach
1 onion
Couple of cloves of garlic
3 eggs
Dash of milk

Fry off the onion and garlic. Add the spinach and wilt down. Meanwhile beat together the eggs and milk and season, preheat your grill to a high heat. Shred the pastrami and add to the pan before adding your eggs and milk. Allow the bottom to set before putting the pan under the grill for 5 or so minutes until the top has set and just started to brown. Enjoy!

Another version- this time with Turkey

Great afternoon snack

Ok, not a 3 michelin star looker but it tastes good!

Don't believe the myth that snacking isn't good for you- it is! To go long periods of time (5-6hours) without food is not good for your metabolism and will likely lead to you over indulging at you next meal. You do however need to 'snack smart', making sure you focus on getting in some good protein and low G.I carbs if having carbs. Here is something I had today- quick and simple.

Imgredients:
100g Cottage cheese
1 Tsp Cacoa Powder
1 Pear
Handfull of grapes

Combine the cottage cheese and cacao powder. Then chop up the pear and add along with the grapes. Great on for those with a sweet tooth. Cacao powder is great for those needing to satisfy that chocolate urge, but had also been show to have mood boosting and hunger suppressing qualities- just make sure its plain un-sweetened cacao powder - a good brand to go for is Green&Black's.

Home baked healthy bread

I try to steer away from bread as much as possible- most shop bought loafs are full of a lot of stuff that I do not want to be putting in my body, not to mention all of that gluten!

However it is pretty difficult to resist sometimes and I find that resisting urges always leads to failure and over-indulgence in the end so I make my own to ease the cravings and make sure it is as healthy and natural as possible. Moreover I know what has gone into it!

This is a really easy recipe that makes a smallish loaf that resembles irish soda bread in taste and texture- in other words delish!!

Ingredients:
250g Spelt flour
250g gluten free flour
1 sachets easy yeast
around 350ml warm water
2 tsp Salt

Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl then mix in the enough water until you have a nice firm dough then tip out onto a flour board and knead well for 5 minutes. Transfer back into you mixing bowl and cover with some cling film and place somewhere warm to rise- around 90 minutes or so should be enough.

After it has risen knock back the dough and transfer into a well oiled (olive) loaf tin and bake at around 180C fan for 40 minutes. When cooked the bread  should give off a hollow sound when tapped on the underside.

This bread is great toasted and smothered in butter, or fried in some olive oil and topped with a poached egg!