Having a well stocked fridge full of snacks that are in easy reach is essential if you’re looking to lose weight or make changes to your diet in general. I’m not a huge proponent of meal prep days. I find it hard to give over a whole day during the weekend to cooking. There’s always so much going on with all the activities the kids take part in and wanting to spend some time together as a family to spend hours on my own cooking. However, spending a bit of time in the kitchen making snacks that you can know are going to move you towards your health goals rather than further away is something I can commit to.
It’s the little things that add up to making a big difference when your looking to change the food you eat. Is your fruit bowl in an easily accessible place? Is it well stocked? A fruit bowl with one sad looking banana, an old avocado and random bits of Lego thrown in for good measure (maybe that’s just my house!), isn’t going to inspire anyone to reach for fruit over a biscuit. Keep your fruit bowl in the centre of your table, you’ll be surprised at how often everyone in the house reaches for fruit before rummaging through the cupboards.
Something as simple as preparing chopped vegetables and having them in the front of the fridge, so that you see them when you open the fridge door, is another simple but effective tool. I always like to have something to dip them in, try to make eating an enjoyable experience rather than something you have to endure. Beetroot humous with fresh dill and yogurt. A roasted red pepper sauce with cumin and garlic. This kale pesto is another good addition. I serve it on spelt crackers when I’m after a snack or on top of stews or spaghetti bolognese when I’m after a hit of something green and fresh tasting. If you’ve got time I’d urge you to try making your own. It takes a few minutes to prepare and tastes so different to anything store bought. I place the kale leaves in boiling water for one minute and then blanch them in cold water. You can use raw kale if you want to make this even quicker, it’s a more robust flavour but still lovely.
Recipe:
80g kale leaves, stalks removed.
65g toasted pinenuts
65g grated parmesan
juice and zest of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons of olive oil, add a drizzle more if you’d prefer it slightly wetter.
1 garlic clove, add more if you like more of a punch.
Add all the ingredients into a mixer and blast for a few minutes until all the ingredients are combined.
This will keep in an air tight container for up to a week.
Enjoy!!
Claire, x