My body loves rhythm and predictability. I love the same 26-posture yoga every day. I love the same dishes every week, sometimes the same lunch and breakfast for most days. My mind loves organisation - it has so many things to think about that not having to think about certain things - makes me happy, efficient and able to flow.
My eating style certainly changes by season, depending on routine and what my body needs at the time - but I almost always can eat a similar dish multiple times a day - knowing what is coming and knowing that it is easy to put together - makes me feel good and focused. That said, I don't eat a 3-5 ingredient meal. I love variety in my meals. It keeps it exciting and tasty and ensures that I get the majority of nutrients I need from my meals rather than from supplementation - which is expensive and often ineffective - especially without a proper diagnosis and tes
I have been swamped this last month, but I did not want to compromise on my nutrition. For me, it's always a challenge to eat enough - amongst other things, not eating enough means weight gain for my body - which I am conscious of now - who hasn't gained a bit of weight during the pandemic?
My routine is unpredictable, not something my body and mind like. Regular meals, however, help anchor me in a routine. So I have been ensuring I have lunch with me wherever I go.
Here is a mix-and-match recipe to give you some ideas that you can use for your daily lunch or as a side dish.
WINTER SALAD
INGREDIENTS
You can use various ingredients to make your salad as colourful and tasty as possible. My weekly goal is to consume 60 unique ingredients - to ensure the widest variety of minerals, vitamins and nutritional elements.
One or a combination of:
Bulgur Wheat
Quinoa
Black rice
Lentils
Chickpeas
Beans
One or a combination of:
Pesto
Hummus
Vinaigrette (I love apple vinegar, with freshly chopped mint (or a toothpick touch of dōTERRA Peppermint Essential Oil - a drizzle of Olive Oil - sweetened with a bit of apple juice, if needed)
Coco Aminos
Tahini paste
One or a combination of:
Finely cut baby spinach
Finely cut swiss chard
Freshly chopped fresh herbs of your choice - chives, coriander, basil, parsley, sage, bay leaf, tarragon, spring onion
A combination of:
Diced cucumber
Grated carrots
Peas or edamame Finely chopped or grated celery
Finely chopped or grated onion
Diced roasted beetroot
Roasted or Steamed Pumpkin
Toppings:
Feta cheese
Pomegranate seeds
Goji Berries
Dried cranberries
Chopped sundried tomatoes
Toasted seeds (flaxseed, sesame, sunflower etc.) - also see our Seed Granola Recipe Red chilli flakes
PREP
I like to prepare the ingredients beforehand (Sundays are my meal prep days).
I chop and cook most of the ingredients upfront and pop them into the fridge.
The night before (if I am working off-site), I pop it into a container ready to grab the following day - or - if working from my home office - it takes 2mins to mix and match my salad - according to what I feel like for the day.
In winter, especially on cold days, I pop this salad into the microwave for a minute before I add the dressing - and voila - you have a delicious, nourishing warm water salad.
TIPS
You can turn these ingredients into a poke bowl - delicious in summer
You can add animal protein, e.g. chicken, fish, beef etc.
Having these ingredients in the fridge also prevents unhealthy snacking- making it super simple to choose to snack on a mini-salad when the urge to snack hits.
ON THE RUN
If you missed your prep day - or if the whole family munched your salad - and you find yourself in front of an empty fridge - you can run past Woolworths and grab one or two of these.
Baby Spinach & Bulgur Wheat Salad Roast Pumpkin, Bulgur Wheat & Quinoa Salad Bulgur Wheat & Lentil Salad Green Pesto & Bulgur Wheat Salad
I prefer combining two varieties to get a broader range of flavours and nutrients into a meal.
Enjoy, and let me know how you go with your winter salad.
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