Asparagus Frittata

Recipe taken from Balance Magazine published by diabetes.org.

4-Ingredient Lunches – Simple, delicious meals you can throw together in minutes …

Per Serving 237g

Carbs: 3.2g Cals: 176 Sugars: 2.8g Fat: 9.8g Sat Fat: 2.8g Salt: 0.05g Protein: 17g Fibre: 3.5g

2 portions of oily fruit and veg

Serves: 2 Prep time: 4 mins Cook time: 7 mins

Ingredients:
1 cal oil spray
250g bunch fresh asparagus, cut into chunks and ends removed
1/2 bunch (60g) spring onion, finely chopped
3 medium eggs, beaten and seasoned with black pepper
1/2 medium bag (150g) fresh spinach leaves

Method:
1. Spray a small frying pan with the 1 cal oil and fry the spring onion and asparagus for a few minutes, over a medium heat, until softened.

2. Add the spinach and cook until it has wilted.

3. Pour the eggs into the pan, spread the asparagus through the mixture and cook until the edges are starting to brown.

4. Remove from the hob and place under a hot grill until browned.

Crunchy Carrot and Apple Salad

Recipe taken from Balance Magazine published by diabetes.org

4-Ingredient Lunches – Simple, delicious meals you can throw together in minutes …

Per Serving 138g
(without sesame)

Carbs: 12.7g Cals: 89 Sugars: 11.1g Fat: 3.2g Sat Fat: 0.5g
Salt: 0.05g Protein: 0.6g Fibre: 3.2g

1 portion of fruit and veg

Serves: 2 Prep time: 5 mins

Ingredients:
1 carrot
1 green apple
2 medium radishes
Juice from 1/2 lemon
2 teaspoons olive oil

Method:
1. Peel and coarsely grate the carrot and apple. Put in a serving bowl.

2. Finely chop the rashes and add to the bowl with some lemon juice and oil.

3. Season well with black pepper and toss until thoroughly mixed.

4. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds (optional) and serve.

Open Sardine Sandwich with Chilli

Recipe taken from Balance magazine published by Diabetes.org.

4-Ingredient Lunches – simple, delicious meal you can throw together in minutes

Per Serving 190g

Carbs: 16.4g Cals: 326 Sugars: 1.5g Fat: 15.3g Sat Fat: 3.5g Salt: 1.43g Protein: 29g Fibre: 3.5g

1 portion of oily fish

Serves: 1 Prep time: 3 mins

Ingredients:
1/2 small red chilli
2 small slices wholemeal bread
120g tin sardines in olive oil
Handful of rocket (40g)

Method:
1. Deseed and finely slice the chilli.

2. Drain a can of sardines, reserving some of the oil.

3. Add a handful of rocket over the bread and arrange the sardines on top.

4. Scatter with the chilli slices and drizzle over a little of the reserved oil.

Ideas with Ryvita

Recipe ideas from advert by Ryvita in Psychologies Magazine (Spring 2021)

Chicken & Avocado

A classic combo, but who knew avos were so high in fibre? Combine 80g of fibre from half an avo with 2 Multigrain Crunchy Rye Breads and you have a filling snack with 6.3g of fibre. For added protein, top with chicken.

Ingredients :
2 Ryvita Multigrain Crunchy Rye Breads
1/2 avocado
Cracked black pepper
Cooked Chicken

Cut the avocado in half and mash the flesh. Reserve the other half.
Spread the mashed avocado on 2 Ryvita Multigrain Crunchy Rye Breads, add the chicken and season to taste with black pepper.

Hummus & Cherry Tomatoes

Hummus and rye breads make for easy high-fibre meals. Add roasted on fresh cherry tomatoes to get 9.4g of fibre over 4 slices.

Ingredients :
4 Ryvita Red Quinoa & Sesame Protein Crunch Rye Breads
100g cherry tomatoes
1 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp hummus

Preheat the oven to 200 C / Gas Mark 6.
Toss the tomatoes in the olive oil, season and bake for 15-20 minutes until the tomatoes start to burst.
Spread the hummus on the rye breads and top with the tomatoes.

Peanut Butter & Banana

Nuts are a great source of fibre and the average banana gives you 1.7g of fibre per 80g serving. Combine these with crunchy rye breads and you have a delicious snack with a whopping 6.6g of fibre – in less than 5 minutes!

Ingredients :
2 Ryvita Multigrain Crunchy Rye Breads
1 tblsp peanut butter
1/2 banana
1 tsp toasted, chopped peanuts

Top the crunchy rye breads with the peanut butter.
Slice the banana and place on top.
Sprinkle on the peanuts.

Roasted Broccoli with Chilli Yogurt and Orange

Recipe Courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (May 2020) and taken from Life Kitchen by Ryan Riley.

Broccoli pairs deliciously with aromatic orange, which provides an uplifting aroma and acidity to balance out the other flavours. Ideal for a quick lunch.

Serves : 2

Ingredients :
230g long-stem broccoli
Olive oil
1 tsp capers
Small handful of flaked almonds
3 tblsp full-fat Greek yogurt
1 tsp Chilli Oil (see recipe)
1 orange, zested and halved
Sprinkling of sumac
Chilli flakes, to serve (optional)

Method :

Heat the oven to 180oC. Place the broccoli on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Spoon the capers over and bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle the almonds over and bake for 5 minutes more, until the broccoli is tender and the almonds golden.
While the broccoli is baking, combine the yogurt and Chilli Oil in a bowl. Peel and segment one orange half. As soon as the broccoli is ready, squeeze the juice from the remaining orange half over the top, sprinkle with a good dusting of sumac and orange zest and serve with a dollop of the chilli yogurt (sprinkled with chilli flakes, if you like) and the orange segments on the side.

Chilli Oil:

Ingredients (Makes 200ml) :
200ml rapeseed oil
40g dried chipotle chilli flakes
20g red chilli flakes

Method :

Place a saucepan on a medium heat and add the oil. Bring it to a simmer – be very careful as the oil will be extremely hot. After a few moments, drop in a chilli flake: if the oil is hot enough, the flake will sizzle slightly.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in both types of chilli flakes. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
Pour the cooled Chilli Oil into a sterilised jar and seal with a lid.

Jazzy Beans

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (May 2020) and taken from Leon Happy Fast Food by Rebecca Seal, Jack Burke and John Vincent.

For a healthy, quick meal that’s anything but dull, try these ‘Jazzy beans’ on toast.

Ingredients :
200g can baked beans in tomato sauce
1 tsp chipotle paste
1 slice of good-quality bread, toasted
Butter or vegan alternative, for spreading
1 tsp very finely chopped shallot, spring onion or fresh chives
1/4 – 1/2 avocado, diced
A few fresh coriander leaves, freshly squeezed
Lime juice, to taste
American-style hot sauce, to taste

Method :

Warm the beans in a saucepan. Stir through the chipotle paste, to taste. Toast the bread and spread with butter or a vegan alternative. Pour the bean mixture onto the toast, then sprinkle over the chopped shallot, spring onion or chives, the avocado and coriander leaves. Squeeze over a little lime juice and a splash of hot sauce. Enjoy the jazz!

Minced Beef Pasties

Serves : 4 (makes 8 pasties)
Prep time : 12 mins
Cook time : 50 mins

Ingredients Filling:
1 tblsp vegetable oil
1 onion, peeled and finely diced
2 oz (50g) turnip, peeled and diced
1 carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 potato, peeled and finely diced
6oz (175g) lean minced beef
1oz (25g) plain flour
¼ pt (150ml) beef stock
2 oz (50g) frozen peas.

For the pastry:
1 lb (450g) prepared shortcrust pastry
1 small egg, beaten

Step One : To make the filling, heat the oil in a large frying pan and sauté onion, turnip, carrot, potato and minced beef for 7 mins. Add the flour, cook for 1 min, then stir in stock. Season well. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 mins. Leave to cool slightly.

Step Two : On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to form a 16 x 8 in (41 x 20.5 cm) rectangle. Cut equally into eight squares, then place an eighth o the filling in centre of each. Brush edges of pastry with egg, then fold over filling and crimp to seal.

Step Three : Place pasties on a baking sheet and brush with egg. Cook in oven for 20 mins until golden. Serve with salad.

Trends & Facts : What should a balanced lunchbox for kids look like?

Article taken from Psychologies Magazine (October 2015)

healthy lunchbox

Assuming allergies or intolerances are not present, this is a rough idea of what a packed lunch should include:

Carboyhydrates
Sandwiches made from additive-free, wholegrain seeded bread with real butter; wraps made with wholegrain or gluten-free flours; cooked quinoa; sweet potato wedges, mini buckwheat pizza bases.

Protein
Fill or top the above with full-fat organic cheese, nut butters, organic cheese, nut butters, organic meat or fish, hummus, free-range eggs.

Antioxidants
Create posts of your favourite veggie bites with tasty dips (raw carrots, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and celery with tzatziki, tahini, hummus and guacamole). Smoothies are ideas for hiding veggies. Blend a banana, 2 teaspoons of cashew nut butter, a handful of spinach, a drizzle of maple syrup or good honey and a cup of dairy or non-dairy milk.

Calcium
Use full-fat organic yogurt of full-fat organic milk for milkshakes and smoothies. Remember, green vegetables, almonds, tahini and white beans are also good non-dairy sources of calcium.

Better treats
A small bar of good-quality, high-cocoa chocolate (try Oh So bars, a unique probiotic chocolate proven to support good gut flora), an oatcake with hummus or nut butter (check out Nairns range or Heavenly’s Wafer Wisps) or an oaty homemade flapjack or muffin. Try fresh and seasonal fruit – banana boats are usually a hit. Slice one in half, add peanut or other nut butter, and decorate with goji berries, cacao nibs and coconut chips. It’s nutritious, delicious and gets kids’ creative juices flowing.

Beetroot and Goat’s Cheese Stacks with Hemp Pesto and Butterbean Mash

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (September 2017)

Psychologies Nutrition Editor Eve Kalinik has written Be Good to Your Gut: The ultimate guide to gut health – with 80 delicious recipes to feed your body and mind.

Unpasteurised goat’s cheese is packed with natural probiotics; it goes beautifully with the sweet taste of beetroot, which is a great source of fibre and antioxidants that support the beneficial bacteria in the gut.

Serves: 2 (with extra pesto)

Ingredients:

2 medium beetroots
50g unpasteurised soft goat’s cheese, cut into thin slices
Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle
Herbs, to garnish

For the hemp pesto:

65g cashews, soaked for 2 hours
Handful of fresh basil leaves
25g shelled hemp seeds
50ml extra virgin olive oil
4 tblsp apple cider vinegar
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
Pinch of mineral-rich salt and black pepper

For the Butterbean mash:

150g cooked butterbeans
1/4 tsp garlic powder (or 1/4 clove fresh garlic)
1/2 tsp onion powder (or 1 finely chopped spring onion)
4 tblsp chopped fresh tarragon
1 tblsp fresh lemon juice
2 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of mineral-rich salt

Step One: Wash the beetroot and place in a steamer for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until cooked through. Remove from the heat, leave to cool slightly, then peel away the skin. Slice into 1cm slices (each beetroot should make around six slices) and put to one side.

Step Two: While the beetroot is cooking, make the pesto and mash. Drain the soaked nuts and rinse with filtered water, then place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until blended but not too smooth. Put into a sealable glass or ceramic container. Rinse the processor.

Step Three: To make the butterbean mash, put all the ingredients in the food processor and blend until you have a mash-like texture.

Step Four: To assemble, start with a beetroot slice, add a thin slice of goat’s cheese and a generous teaspoon of pesto; stack another beetroot slice on top and repeat the process, finishing with a slice of beetroot. There you have your stack. Repeat this process to make more stacks. Serve a generous dollop of the butterbean mash alongside. Finish each stack with a drizzle of olive oil and garnish with fresh herbs.

Raw Tacos

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (September 2017)

Psychologies Nutrition Editor Eve Kalinik has written Be Good to Your Gut: The ultimate guide to gut health – with 80 delicious recipes to feed your body and mind

This taco recipe was inspired by Eve’s vegan friend who is obsessed with Mexican food but wanted an alternative to beef tacos. To create the ‘mince’, walnuts with sun-dried tomatoes and spices have been used. Walnuts are one of the best sources of polyphenols, and it’s good to be mindful of our meat consumption in general. This is a great light lunch but possibly double or treble the quantities to entertain friends or family.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

8 small romaine lettuce leaves
1 avocado, cut into 8 slices
Fresh limes, cut into wedges

For the Cashew Sour Cream

30g cashews, soaked for 2 hours
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Pinch of mineral-rich salt
50ml filtered water

For the Taco Filling

50g walnuts
40g sun-dried tomatoes in oil (drained weight)
1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes (chipotle recommended)
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Pinch of mineral-rich salt

Step one: For the cashew cream, drain the nuts and rinse well. Put all of the ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and place in the fridge.

Step Two: To make the taco filling, place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until they have a texture resembling minced meat.

Step Three: Wash the lettuce leaves and pat dry. Divide the avocado slices and the taco mix among the lettuce leaves and drizzle with the cashew cream. Serve with fresh lime wedges.