I am a fan of food. A huge fan! It keeps me happy, nourished and healthy-it also keeps my moods well-balanced. (I have the potential to get ‘hangry’ if I don’t eat on time – ask the family…) I remember my Mum passing batches of freshly made scones slathered with butter through the hatch of our den when we were kids. My cousin also remembers with anguish, how my Mum was the first parent to adopt brown rice in a huge way when it’s health benefits were discovered. (my cousin much preferred the scone and cake Aunty) I come from a whole family of foodies ?.
I have always loved food but when I was #pregnant I became incredibly careful about what I ate and how I moved, reading labels avidly and buying wholly #organic in order to do everything within my power to be healthy and nurture my growing child. The shopping bill escalated but so did my health, I felt fantastic and had a wonderful pregnancy. As my daughter has grown (and having studied nutrition), I have relaxed more, choosing to eat more local and in season food as well as organic and my next plan is to grow something other than tomatoes! (Which were fabulous last year btw). The Well-being morning @LEOrganisation was well-timed. Spring always makes my tastebuds ping with excitement and I get bored with the winter menu. Fish and salads start to make a welcome comeback and the Jane McCLenaghan @vital.nutrition presentation captured my attention (as well as my tastebuds) at the perfect time #SpringEquinox.
I’m pretty good actually, our pre-dinner snack is generally a huge bowl of crudités and hummus (which the dog @photography-luna shares too!) but @vital.nutrition mentioned the protein values of nuts and seeds and I realised that since Nursery and school had prohibited them as snacks because of the risk of anaphylaxis, I haven’t really used them at home. So this morning, I put out hazelnuts to eat with breakfast and we loved them.
Click on the link below for the soup @vital.nutrition prepared yesterday. It was delicious, light, spicy and comforting and it only took her a few minutes to prepare.
Thai Squash and Lentil Soup
We also chatted about the nutritional value of frozen fruits and veg and how useful it can be to have some in the freezer for a quick soup or stir fry. The ‘top tip’. For me though is that you can grate frozen fresh ginger directly from the freezer! (Mine tends to wither in the fridge..not any more!)
I love Jane’s theory about dieting-it’s the same as mine-dieting doesn’t work but eating well and moving enough, does. But also, not snacking, keeping hydrated and eating your meals within a 10-12 hr window, all makes sense and with a bit of planning, is sustainable! Eating well and moving often has huge benefits for overall well-being, sleep, and mental and physical health.
I do draw the line at 100 per cent cocoa chocolate though ? @vital.nutrition. I’ll leave that for cooking-it’s foul, bitter and dry-give me 70per cent any day ?. Or now, now would be good. Now Is it lunchtime?!!