A healthy picnic is a wonderful way to get people together and the perfect opportunity for a bring and share meal. This divides the food prep load and saves on dish washing. A picnic can be in someones garden, at a central venue or on the lounge floor for an small intimate setting. No matter the venue, the food can be both healthy and novel. I have classified the recipes below as potential picnic food but do follow my Pinterest board for more healthy picnic ideas or trail grazing snack. Hiking and picnicking go very well together and there is the added bonus of exercise and exploring.
Butternut cooked two ways or rather roasted butternut, used two ways …. either way, I have always wanted to use this chef’s cooking term but unfortunately, these recipes are not as gourmet as the title might suggest. But they are healthy and tasty! Day 9 of lockdown and my fresh produce had become rather scanty. I had been avoiding the shops before the official lockdown so I did a normal
These mini snack muffins include baby marrows which might seem unusual but it is a great way to add nutrients and flavour without extra calories. Baby marrows are always a part of my grocery shop but with only two of us at home, we do not always get through the full punnet. I have seen various baby marrow (or zucchini) muffin recipes over the years and I always wanted to
These whole-wheat gingerbread buttons are a good example of why it is better to bake your own festive treats rather than buy commercially produced baked goods. Baking from scratch at home gives you more control and knowledge. Recipes can be adjusted in many ways to reduce sugar, fat and other nutrient empty calories. Knowing exactly what goes into your home bakes is an added bonus. Baking at homes offers the
Just Fruity Animals … Now, i think you would be hard pressed to find a convenient healthy treat as cute as these! A great lunch box filler or after school snack, these fruity rhinos, elephants, lions, hippos and buffaloes are sure to please any kid. I just loved these when I saw them and wanted to share my opinion and nutritional analysis of them. It is important to reduce
Snack Domes are a twist on energy balls I stumbled upon while using a tablespoon measure to scoop up the mixture to achieve equal size portions. (See the graphic below for this time saving trick). Snack time is often the time when people consume high fat foods with added salt or sugar because it is convenient or in some cases cheaper than the healthier option. People also tend to feel like
This recipe for bran muffins has a low sugar content, making it a baked treat well worth making at home rather than buying muffins from a supermarket or coffee shop. In addition to the high fibre content, you have the freedom to add more nutrients with fruit, nuts or seeds. Muffins can be topped with peanut butter, cottage cheese or hummus but adding a twist with the optional add-ins below makes this a very versatile
This chili chocolate popcorn is a conventional healthy snack with a taste twist. Popcorn is a high fibre snack alternative to crisps. Home made is best in order to control portion size and the addition of unwanted kilojoules, but popcorn can be flavoured creatively. Think herbs and spices which can be added to a little canola oil for popping. Snacking is often where the hidden fats and sugars creep into our
Simple healthy snacks are an essential part of a healthy diet. It is important not to undo healthy eating at meal times with excessive snacking on non-nutritious foods. Pinterest is full of ideas but all too often we pin rather than do! Tried & tested from Pinterest, these simple healthy snacks are both nutritious and quick to prepare! It is easy to make the mistake that convenience products and shop bought snacks
Hiking is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, socialize and exercise at the same time. It is perfect for family outings or group exercise. Whether it is a day hike or part of a camping trip, hiking expends a lot of energy, making regular snacking and hydration important. Try this pocket friendly trail mix for a tasty, nutritious and energy rich hiking snack! Why is it pocket friendly? Because M&Ms
I recently posted about treats verses snacks and wanted to share an easy way to create novel and fun foods that can be enjoyed as much a treat foods without the added sugar. The sugar free jelly ideas below can be enjoyed as part of a healthy snack, a healthy dessert option or at a kids party. Barney Sugar Free jelly powder is a great product for making sugar free desserts
I love chickpeas and therefore I love hummus. Chickpeas are a good source of plant protein and fibre and can be added to many a dish or simply roasted for a healthy snack. Adding chickpeas to soups, stews, curries, salads an roasted vegetables is an easy way to add more fibre to your family meals. Canned chickpeas are a great pantry staple but you can also cook up a large
Basil pesto adds a punch of flavour to any dish but can be expensive with its traditional ingredient of pine nuts. Eaten in large amounts, it would also contribute a lot of excess fat and kilojoules. This is not ideal as it is unlikely to be the main ingredient of a dish but rather an added extra or a dip for snack foods. By combining the main ingredient, being basil,
A tuna sandwich is a healthy lunch box filler for children and adults alike. Making a lunch box for every member of the family is an ideal way to provide good nutrition for the whole family. I often meet moms who prepare perfect lunch boxes for their children but then either skip lunch themselves or opt for a fast food meal. Making family lunch boxes is cost effective and will not take too
Gluten free muffins and muffin mixes are often high in sugar and lacking in fibre. This promotes a problem for weight and health maintenance when following a gluten free diet but is most problematic for children living with both type 1 diabetes and coeliac disease. These muffins do have a small amount of sugar and should therefore be limited to one muffin per serving. The apple and cinnamon help to
Moroccan flavours are among my favourite and seem make a meal more satisfying. Serving food in a jar has become somewhat fashionable of late. Glass is becoming increasingly popular for the environmentally conscious as it can be reused and recycled safely. Presenting food and beverages in glass jars is also decorative and is often seen at functions and picnics. The biggest appeal seems to be in the offering of a personal
I believe any journey longer than an hour constitutes a road trip and no road trip is complete without snacks! These energy balls are ideal little snacks to give drivers (and passengers) sustained energy between stops. They also make great hiking or picnic snacks, so save some for your destination! When consuming snacks for energy, be sure to choose snacks that are nutrient dense as well as energy dense. All
Roasted butternut is a winner on any menu in my opinion but in warm weather it seems best served in a salad. The pumpkin seeds can be roasted with the butternut or added raw as a sprinkle on top of the salad. A seed mix is also an option. As a side for a braai, a quickly seared steak, a homemade burger patty or grilled fish, the roasted butternut salad
Homemade burgers are not only tastier than take away or frozen varieties but they can be healthier too. Don’t be tempted by the lure of the neon signs that highlight all the fast food outlets along your route home. Using extra lean mince and oats to make your own patties, serve with brown bread rolls, roasted red pepper and avocado, these burgers contribute great nutrition without the high quantities of
Meat balls & Spaghetti is a favourite meal of mine and super easy to prepare. I love making meat balls and eating meat balls in equal measure. I enjoy making them from scratch and adding additional fibre. Using oats or oat bran instead of bread crumbs is an easy way to increase the fibre content of the meat balls. The addition of oat bran to meals is good for cholesterol reduction. Adding
These gluten free pancakes are made with a combination of buckwheat flour and rice flour as alternative to cake flour which contains wheat. These pancakes are a great gluten free starch option for patients with coeliac disease, including those with type one diabetes. While they lack sugar, they also lack fibre and protein. The choice of filling is therefore very important as it needs to make up for this lack in