Main Meals
It’s winter here in Sydney and we are at the end of week 5 of lockdown with at least another 4 weeks on the horizon. We’re all wearing our active wear and eating comfort food. Often, when I meet a new client and we review what they’ve been eating they will mention pasta and say it’s “bad” and expect me to tell them to give it up. But I think I must have been Italian in a former life because there’s no way pasta is off the menu for me and my clients! Here’s my tricks for keeping pasta on the menu - mangiamo!
I absolutely adore soup and it is my go-to lunch in winter. Soups are a great way of getting in more plant foods in an aim to get to the target of 30 different plant foods across the week. Why 30 plant foods? This is to support the microbes living in our gut which need a diverse range of plant foods to flourish. These soup recipes are delicious, healthy and filling from the plant protein.
If your goal is to improve your health the number one thing you can do is add more vegetables to your diet. We know that eating plants is good, but eating a big VARIETY of plant foods is better, as it seems to encourage the growth of different species of helpful bacteria in our gut. So add flavour to your plants with extra virgin olive oil, herbs and spices and add some different varieties to your trolley each week. Here’s 6 of my current favourite salad recipes.
Mussels are such a quick, healthy and easy dinner and they’re cheap too! As we head into winter and want to improve our immunity, mussels are a great food to include in your weekly meal rotation. They are high in zinc, iron, a fantastic source of protein, low in fat but a good source of omega-3 essential fatty acids. Now that prepared mussels are readily available in the supermarket it is always worth picking up a couple of packets for quick easy dinner.
It's heating up here in Sydney! With a newly vegetarian teenager in my house I'm trying to get in the habit of creating a big, substantial salad on a Sunday that can work as leftovers for the week. Or I get on the #meatfreemonday bandwagon. Here's 6 of my favourite salads, and one little extra.
Had a few requests on insta and FB to share the recipe for my “buddha bowl” - a quick plant powered lunch or light dinner, perfect for this cold weather! Incorporating soy-based foods like tofu is an excellent way to get protein, iron, calcium and healthy fats into your diet with relatively little saturated fat, so beneficial for cardiovascular health. Soy products like tofu and miso are also rich in isoflavones which may reduce your risk of prostate cancer and has a protective (or at worst neutral) effect on breast cancer risk.
Lamb Skewers with Oregano & Garlic Oil. These low FODMAP skewers have all the best flavours of a Greek meal, without any FODMAPs to upset your tummy. And they’re so easy to make. So whether you’re cooking up a BBQ or just making dinner, these skewers will hit the spot.
This is one of our favourite meals which cooks itself while I drive my kids to rugby or swimming practice. I usually make enough for two nights, the second night I serve this with basmati rice and it tastes a bit paella-ish. The red capsicums (sweet peppers) are rich in vitamin C, and high in antioxidants such as beta-carotene, helping to promote vision and support a healthy immune system.
This healthy recipe for dill and chive salmon patties is low FODMAP, gluten-free and dairy-free. It's a great way to add omega-3s and calcium to your day.
Busy? In a rush? Know that you should be eating more veggies and fish but not sure where to start? If you’re flying in the door after a busy day and need something easy to get on the table that’s healthy and tasty for your family here is a round up of my favourite vegetarian and pescatarian meals.
For the lazy cook like me, the tray bake has to be the ultimate dinner. I read a lot of recipe books and immediately turn the page if too much chopping or browning is involved. A tray bake is perfect because I can pop it in the oven while I am driving my kids around. And bonus - minimal washing up!
This is our new family favourite, midweek pasta meal. If you don't want pasta it is just as good over zucchini noodles. For a warm lunch the next day I like to put in a tin of drained cannellini beans to the sauce mixture to increase the fibre content and make enough for left overs. Depending on how much energy I have at dinner time I either serve with a big salad or stir a large handful of spinach leaves through the sauce at the end. I get four types of veggies into this dish, plus chicken thigh fillets which are a good source of iron.
I love this time of year with the hint of spring starting. Here is a favourite recipe adapted from an old delicious magazine that I have made with salmon, snapper and kingfish. Easy, fresh and perfect for topping up your omega-3s
With the arrival of spring in Sydney I've had a craving for this Jamie Oliver inspired recipe. Salmon is a fantastic source of omega-3 fatty acids which are inti-inflammatory and extremely beneficial to your health - they can help lower cholesterol, reduce high blood pressure, and may reduce symptoms of arthritis and depression. I've accompanied the salmon with salsa verde and some lovely roasted veggies.
I love taking classic comfort foods and making them a whole lot more nutritious. I've added lentils and plenty of veggies to my shepherds pie base and my mash is half cauliflower and half potato. With the veggies, lean lamb and lentils this is a immune boosting recipe for winter that my kids love!
Create this delicious classic french salad with loads of veggies and heart healthy tuna and eggs for a hot summer night to transport you to the south of France.
Hot summer evenings are calling for this divine BUN CHA bowl with a warm dipping sauce.
Healthy, low carb, high protein, with heaps of veggies, Gluten Free and FODMAP friendly!
Happy Diwali! Diwali is the Indian festival of lights - and signifies the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and hope over despair. Let's celebrate by sharing a meal together - here's a beautiful prawn curry that I learnt how to make when I lived in Singapore. The flavours are very fresh with a beautiful pop of mint.
