All tagged seasonal

High protein breakfast smoothie

High protein breakfast smoothie

Val Simpson
Recipes, Juices and smoothies

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.

Pineapple protein breakfast smoothie

Pineapple protein breakfast smoothie

Val Simpson
Recipes, Juices and smoothies

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?

red pepper, parsley and feta omelette

red pepper, parsley and feta omelette

Val Simpson
Recipes, Mains

Omelettes or frittatas are your friends! They can be breakfast, brunch, lunch and can be eaten hot or cold! Eggs are a great natural, simple, complete and affordable source of protein teamed up with any seasonal vegetable you may have to hand. An omelette takes 5 minutes to make for a quick lunch at home. Made ahead, they are ideal cold in a wrap with extra salad leaves.

Vitamin C booster smoothie

Vitamin C booster smoothie

Val Simpson
Recipes, Juices and smoothies

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!

Overnight steel cut oats and chia breakfast bowl

Overnight steel cut oats and chia breakfast bowl

Val Simpson
Recipes, Breakfast and brunch

The breakfast debate ( to have or not to have, what and when) is still going strong! The other question is whether you prefer sweet or savoury!
My answer for now is that I love a breakfast that’s made ahead, balanced delicious and nourishing. So here’s another overnight recipe to help you out! Making ahead is one of the best advice I can give if you want to ensure you fuel properly! Use any seasonal fresh fruit to top up or your go to handy frozen fruits!

Lunch on the go - packing your jar salad

Lunch on the go - packing your jar salad

Kat Bright
Blog

Taking your own food into work is the best way of staying on track and hitting your health goals. You are in control of what to pack and ensure that it contains lots of protein, fibre and nutrients to fill you up and keep you going until the next meal without making you feel sleepy or needing to reach for a sugary snack or caffeine to keep you going.

Quick and easy French asparagus soup

Quick and easy French asparagus soup

Val Simpson
Recipes, Soups and salads

When you love asparagus, the season is not really long enough, so I really try and come up with new recipes to include them at least a couple of times a week. This new recipe could very quickly become a seasonal staple for my family. It is quick to prepare, nutritionally balanced, can be adapted, can be eaten hot or cold, makes a perfect picnic or lunchbox item and when cut into squares it's a great finger food for the younger ones. What are you waiting for? 

Immune boosting chicken soup

Immune boosting chicken soup

Val Simpson
Recipes, Soups and salads

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.

Overnight mango chia breakfast pots

Overnight mango chia breakfast pots

Val Simpson
Recipes, Breakfast and brunch

Creating good breakfast habits is often a very hard one to crack! Making ahead is one of the best advice we can give. Those overnight chia breakfast pots take 5 minutes to prepare the day before, keep in the fridge for 2-3 days, are rich in protein to keep you full and can be made with an endless list of fruits! What’s not to like! You can easily make a “pick & mix” batch to suit everyone in the family! Any fresh or frozen fruit can be used! Today’s choice is frozen mango!

Green power breakfast smoothie

Green power breakfast smoothie

Val Simpson
Recipes, Juices and smoothies

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!

Lean green machine smoothie

Lean green machine smoothie

Kat Bright
Recipes, Juices and smoothies

I never drink smoothies in the winter or cooler months - but in the summer they make a lovely light breakfast. I especially enjoy them if I am not feeing that hungry - or have trained before eating and then it might only be a few hours before lunch. I always include some protein - but if it’s close to lunch then I don’t need to go overboard. I have included flaxseed in this smoothie for its importance in female hormone health - see tip below.

Hormone balancing smoothie

Hormone balancing smoothie

Kat Bright
Recipes, Juices and smoothies

Why have we called this smoothie help your hormones? We originally designed it for those that came to our Menopause workshop to highlight some fantastic hormone balancing ingredients. We have shared with you all as it’s also perfect for hormones at any age, not just women going through the peri-menopause. See our tip at the bottom for why these ingredients are perfect for your hormones. And also note the warning about grapefruit if taking some medications.

Easy French moules marinieres

Easy French moules marinieres

Val Simpson
Recipes, Mains

Mussels are usually something I don’t prepare at home. I tend to have them as a foodie treat when I go back home to France. But as I write, we are in the thick of the Covid-19 pandemic and the restaurant trade has collapsed. So local fishmongers normally selling to pubs and restaurant are selling direct and have an amazing selection of seafood, including mussels. Please don’t be scared by them as they are the easiest to prepare. I hope you have a go!

Coconut, almond and nut butter snacks

Coconut, almond and nut butter snacks

Val Simpson
Recipes, Snacks

Nut allergy sufferers stay away! I’m afraid these slices are made almost entirely from nuts in natural, butter, oil and flour form. This kind of snack is my absolute heaven. I love nuts, all of them and I love a sweet and salty treat. However, I would recommend moderation as they are very calorie dense. They are gluten free, packed with good fats and contain no refined sugar so much better than any of the shop bought industrial plastic wrapped processed snack you can buy on the high street. Sure to satisfy a sweet craving without the nasty ingredients!

sweet and salty almond butter snacks

sweet and salty almond butter snacks

Val Simpson
Recipes, Snacks

There are many many versions of these types of snacks you could make, but this is a good place to start…Build the confidence and change up the ingredients to suit your tastebuds and what’s in your cupboards! This recipe requires very few ingredients, no food processor involved so minimal washing up…10 mins to make, 30 minutes to set in the fridge and they’re ready to go! What more can you ask for from a delicious cheeky snack!

apple cinnamon and banana spelt muffins

apple cinnamon and banana spelt muffins

Val Simpson
Recipes, Snacks

Slightly indulgent in sweetness but full of fruity goodness, spelt wholesomeness and cinnamon warmth, those muffins are such a comforting treat after a long dog walk teamed up with a hot drink, a log fire and the papers maybe!

So so simple to make, I hope you give them a try and add to your kids’ lunch boxes or share with friends when catching up.

creamy green smoothie with avocado

creamy green smoothie with avocado

Kat Bright
Recipes, Juices and smoothies

When the weather gets warmer we love nothing better than a smoothie for breakfast. This smoothie is deliciously creamy due to the addition of avocado and banana. Suitable for children - the first time I made this my daughter drank most of it! There is some protein from the avocado, but not much, so if you want to drink on its own then you might want to add a few nuts. I often like a smoothie post run and then I’ll have lunch a few hours later.

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