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All tagged immune boosting
Winning all round hybrid smoothie. When I have a big day starting with teaching a class (which I do 90% of), followed by my own strength training session and back to back clients this is a winning breakfast I enjoy between class & training!
The nitrate in beetroot helps with stamina. The protein is there to feed and repair the muscles.The blueberries are full packed with antioxidants. The avocado is rich in fibres and good fats.
Smoothies can make a really quick on the go breakfast option. However most smoothies don’t contain enough protein and we often need to add a protein powder to ensure adequate protein. You can use any protein powder you like. At the moment my current favourite is the vanilla flavour by Nuzest. It doesn’t taste artificial like many of the vanilla protein powders out there. For this recipe we have used Arctic Berries blueberry powder which is made from blueberries that come from the Arctic forests of Finland, but you can substitute with fresh or frozen blueberries.
Smoothies are often requested by our clients when we design personalised meal plans. In spring and summer they are a great breakfast option if put together properly and hit your micro and macro nutrients needs. This smoothie will give you very adequate protein for breakfast and also contains your first portion of veggie for the day! A double win. Who can resist the pineapple coconut combo?
Winter may not seem the time you fancy a smoothie, but they are so handy for packing so much goodness.
When I set out to create a new smoothie recipe, I was aiming for at least one vegetable, high fibre content, high in vitamin C, a good morning boost, a light textured and a pretty colour! Oh and why not include that daily dose of flaxseed (really helps with the hot flushes). I think I managed to tick all the boxes and it’s delicious! Give it a try and let me know!
Great option for those short on time but wanting flavour! Packed full of goodness with chickpeas, tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms and spinach this is a vegetarian option but you could add any leftover roast chicken. This takes very little prep, especially if you decided to go for ready chopped frozen vegetables. As always, make extra and save yourself portion for lunch the next day!
At the Health Boost we are not vegetarian but we encourage everyone to increase the consumption of mostly plant based meals a couple of days a week if possible. With some pulses providing some good quality protein such as the quinoa and chickpeas in this salad and the added halloumi we make sure to provide a balance of all macro nutrients. We also get asked often what to do with aubergines as they are a good source of fibre, vitamins and minerals and low in calories for those counting.
Roast chicken on a Sunday is my ultimate comfort food. What’s even better is knowing that nothing will go to waste. First make a stock/broth with the leftovers and then make the ultimate comforting and immune boosting chicken soup. Full of the warming goodness of ginger and turmeric, packed with vegetables, this soup is a winner every time. I have also added pearl barley to make it go further , but you could ommit or swap for brown rice, giant couscous or quinoa.
In the summer I love nothing more than a lovely fresh green smoothie for breakfast. If it’s a spin class morning, I like to enjoy it after but if I am strength training, I need a boost of power before I hit the weights. This is my recent most favourite to give me that boost on a summer’s morning! One of my favourite Plant based protein powder is by ThatProtein and contains Baobab, recognised for its immune boosting properties, high iron and vitamin C nutritional profile!
This is NOT just another vegetarian curry option. It is one of those really satisfyingly easy dish to pull together for a mid week meal or a Friday night with friends. Packed full of flavours, purple and green vegetables, good amounts of protein and fibre. What’s not to like? I have previously served it as a main or side dish, with brown rice or quinoa or simply flatbreads. Chicken or lamb are the perfect meat to accompany.
Beetroot and chickpeas are one of my favourite combo in a summer salad but this time I decided to team them up in a winter warmer with a taste of Morocco! This is a lovely balanced meal option for vegetarians, or an ideal side paired with slow cooked lamb. It is packed full of good dietary fibres and prebiotic goodness for help naturally improve and support your whole family’s gut health.
This is a perfect dish when you want a vegetarian meal that looks a bit special. Can easily be doubled to provide a meal for four if needed. It’s very easy to make, but still looks impressive. I am always looking for ways to include more mushrooms in my diet as they are so highly nutritious for us. See the tip below for all the benefits.
You can never have enough soup recipes and this one hits the spot. Protein from the lentils, lots of cruciferous vegetable goodness from the cauliflower with the warming undercurrent of anti-inflammatory turmeric.
More and more foodies show an interest in vegetarian options, so as big advocates of including lots of vegetables in our daily diets we like to ensure that we always add lots of recipes to our offering. A veggie curry is so versatile. Served on its own, this squash and cauliflower curry is heartwarmingly delicious. For a more filling meal, add chicken or serve with brown rice or your choice of whole grains.
This chunky soup is really hearty and could probably fall into the stew category! If you need warming up then this will work. Despite the spices it’s kid-friendly too - my daughter enjoys it although as she prefers a smooth soup I blitz all of hers up rather than leaving half chunky. The cooking of this soup is very hands off and easy to rustle up for a quick lunch. I sometimes like to add a dark green leafy veg such as chard, kale or spinach to the soup and I just stir this in at the end to wilt.
Soups are perfect for warming you up during the Autumn and Winter months. They are also a great way of boosting vegetable intake into any reluctant vegetable eater! This soup is very child-friendly with naturally sweet root vegetables. This soup is ideal if you are suffering from a cold or want to boost your immunity. The garlic and ginger are both anti-inflammatory and immune boosting.
I'm not sure I can claim any credit for this soup. My daughter was chatting about her love of carrot, apple and ginger juice and saying she wished it was hot since she didn't like drinking a cold juice in winter. So I suggested that I make it into a soup and she was very excited. It was her idea to include turmeric as our local cafe serve a carrot and turmeric juice which she loves.
Baked beans are a quick and very popular meal. However the variety in a tin are full of hidden sugar which I'd rather not eat or give to my children. These beans can be adapted spice wise to make them more child-friendly (just reduce the cayenne pepper). Serve these on toast for a quick breakfast or stir in a handful of spinach at the end of cooking and make a well and crack two eggs in and you have a very filling and delicious, hearty breakfast. You can use whatever beans you like - I have used butter beans, but haricot beans are the traditional beans used in baked beans. This is also delicious with chickpeas.
Many people don't eat soup for lunch as they say it doesn't fill you up. The key is to add some protein. This could either be a sprinkle of nuts or seeds on the top, or some coconut milk swirled through – or in the case of this soup some delicious butterbeans. Despite the fact that this soup has beans it is still light and smooth. With all the winter colds and flu around at the moment this is perfect if you are feeling below par.
When it's cold outside and you want something warming and easy on your digestion this is perfect. It's like being wrapped in a soft blanket in front of a crackling fire. This is what I want to eat when on a crisp autumnal evening or when it's dark and cold outside. The vegetables can be varied depending on what you have in. No squash? Then just add another sweet potato or another carrot. I rarely weight out the ingredients - just use whatever I have in the fridge/cupboards.
