Family-friendly Breakfast

Since I've welcomed a little human into my life I'm all about making meals quick and easy as well as suitable for the whole family. Our daughter has started eating solids now which is a time when a lot of people can feel overwhelmed about choosing what foods to make and how to prepare it. If you're in that boat or simply just looking for a healthy and quick meal to start your day with, I've come up with the perfect breakfast that is suitable for everyone from 6 months and up! 

Why it is so good:

• high in fibre and slow-release carbohydrates
• packed with healthy fats such as omega-3 fatty acids and other polyunsaturated fats
• overnight soaking helps ease digestion (especially for baby/young children)
• freezer-friendly
• takes less than 5 minutes to make
• low in allergens (free from nuts, can be gluten and dairy-free)
• addition of rooibos-soaked prunes provides soluble fibre and antioxidants
• babies love it!

Recipe:
Makes 6 to 8 adult-sized serves

2 cups rolled oats (choose gluten-free oats if gluten intolerant)
5 tablespoons chia seeds
3 tablespoons linseeds/flaxseeds (this can also be grinded if desired)
3 cups liquid (choose from water/almond milk/oat milk/rice milk)
2 grated fresh pears with skin on

Soak all ingredients in one large container covered in the fridge for 4 hours or more. This is ideal to do before you go to sleep to have ready the next morning. Once served, store the rest for baby by freezing portions in ice cube trays. To prepare baby's breakfast remove from freezer the night before and allow to defrost in fridge over night. See below for serving suggestions. 

Serving suggestions for adults:
Enjoy cold. Add yoghurt and top with fruit. 
Warm in small pot over medium heat, add mashed banana and blueberries. Top with a small amount of butter and drizzle with honey. 

Serving suggestions for baby:
Soak dried prunes in cooled strong rooibos tea for more than 8 hours and add 1-2 prunes plus the juice. To increase caloric and fluid content add breastmilk or formula. This can also help baby "chew" and swallow the food better. 

Do you have a family-friendly breakfast favourite? Why not upload your creations to instagram and/or facebook and tag me - @lizannemarrdietitian.  

My day on a plate

If you’re a regular follower of NYTD you probably would’ve noticed that I haven’t posted on the blog for a while. There is a good reason for it, I promise! You see, there is a bun in the oven. The kind that takes 9 months to cook up and leaves you feeling exhausted, nauseated and gagging at foods you used to love. Naturally, this has affected my normal way of eating and zeal for all things healthy and nutritious.

Before all this happened, I had this unrealistic image of what my pregnancy was going to look like. I was going to be healthiest pregnant lady around, snacking on carrot sticks, drinking my herbal tea and continuing on with my normal exercise regime. Well that all went out the door when the only thing that made me feel better was carbs, and lots of it, as often as possible - anything to take the nausea away and stop the vomiting!

I think I turned into the world’s unhappiest pregnant lady the day I went to the physio when I could no longer take the pain in my lower back and pelvis. She told me I had pubic symphysis and sacroiliac dysfunction (yeah, it’s a thing – google it!) and abdominal separation which meant only pilates, yoga and swimming for the rest of my pregnancy. Well there goes the idea of being one of those super women that run marathons at 7 months gestation. Sigh.

All that aside though, I am so super-duper excited about the arrival of this little bundle! No matter how uncomfortable pregnancy may be at times, I know that it will fade in comparison to the joy at the end of this 9-month marathon. And thank goodness, I am finally more like myself these days now that I am in my 2nd trimester. Hence, my blog post today! Hooray! Let’s see what was on my plate on Monday...

Breakfast This is my favourite meal of the day at the moment. It is when I feel the hungriest and don't have any nausea or tiredness. And if there's one things that that I've craved this pregnancy it's FRUIT! I can't get enough of it. Here I have a bowl of oats, nuts, seeds and coconut soaked in oat milk and topped with mango, banana and berries. This is definitely one of my favourites, especially now that mango is back in season.

Overnight oats with fruit

Snack I went for an hour walk along the ocean path and grabbed one of these on my way back home. Made from celery, cucumber, kale, spinach, lemon, apple, ginger, parsley and mint.

green juice

Lunch Rainbow sandwich with veggie sticks. The fillings on the seeded bun included: hummus, cheese, red onion, cucumber, carrot ribbons, fresh beetroot ribbons, kale and coriander. This sandwich was so delicious, I wanted another one when it was finished.

Rainbow sandwich with veggie sticks

Snack It was a warm day and all I wanted was something cool and creamy. So I whipped up some banana and date ice cream with almond butter. This one is super easy and quick. All I did was put 1 large frozen banana and 2 medjool dates into my thermomix (any high-speed blender will do the trick) and blended until smooth and creamy, and topped it with a teaspoon of almond butter. You really don't feel like you're missing out on the real deal here - it is THAT good!

Banana & Date Ice Cream

Dinner When it comes close to dinner time I am usually pretty tired and a bit nauseous, so I need something quick and easy. I've been a bit off meat since being pregnant, but if you find yourself searching for the meat at dinner time, this one's really delicious with some lean mince added to it. This literally took me 15 minutes from start to finish.I quickly whipped up a sauce of garlic, onion, 2 cans of chopped tomatoes, olive oil, and a bunch of fresh basil. Added the sauce to some fresh zucchini noodles that I quickly hand-peeled with a special peeler and added some parmesan cheese on top.

Zucchini pasta

Dessert I finished the day of with a small bowl of canned peaches and some low fat Greek yoghurt - yep, more fruit! I was too tired to take a picture of this one, so you'll just have to use your imagination.

This was my day on a plate, I hope you enjoyed it! Keep in mind, I am by no means perfect and I don't always eat like this. I also have days where I eat ice cream and chocolate and eat a few too many chips. I think that is good and it's part of a normal way of eating and a sign of a healthy relationship with food. I know that the moment I tell myself that something is off-limits then all I think about is THAT food. Even if I have the worst day of eating, there is ONE simple rule that I try to stick by: aim for at least 5 veggies and drink at least 8 glasses of water.

Supercharged Protein Oats

This breakfast truly is supercharged with nutrients to fuel your muscles, maximise energy levels, and skyrocket your metabolism. It is a bowl of goodness that is packed with protein, fibre, omega-3 fatty acids, and other good fats to keep you full and satisfied for a good 4 hours - which means that you're less likely to reach for that refined sugar-laden biscuit at morning tea and more likely to go for the healthy choice at lunch time.

This recipe is so quick to make - it literally takes only 5 minutes to throw together and is very portable and easy to eat on the run (if you are one of those people who have to eat their breakfast in the car).

Oh, and it also tastes amazing.

Ingredients:

1/3 of a cup rolled oats 2/3 of a cup milk (almond//soy/cow's) 1 tbsp. ground flaxseed 1 egg white Half a mashed banana (small) 3 drops liquid stevia (or sweetener of choice) 1/2 a tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. almond butter 1 tbsp. chopped walnuts 1 tsp. maple syrup Cinnamon & Vanilla Baked Pears for topping (or any other baked or fresh fruit)

Method: Combine the oats and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook for approximately 5 minutes or until creamy. Take the saucepan off the heat and add the egg white. Stir to combine thoroughly until the egg white is cooked through. Then add the mashed banana, ground flaxseed, stevia, and vanilla. Pour into a breakfast bowl and top with almond butter, walnuts, pears, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Divine!

Question of the day: What is your favourite way of eating oats?

Link of the day: Breakfast Crepe with Protein Berry Filling

Breakfast Crepe with Protein Berry Filling

Ohhh yes...

This is too good to be true. Surely you can't eat something that looks this good for breakfast, can you? Yes you can, and you should!

Another addition to my dessert-like breakfast recipes. Think of it as the sister of this one, the cousin of this one, and the obscure relative of this one.

Nutrition Perfection: - Loaded with protein and fibre - Sugar-free - Gluten free - Great for blood sugar stabilisation - Provides sustained energy release

Ingredients:

- 3 medium egg whites - 1 tbsp greek yoghurt - 1 tbsp ground chia seeds - 1 tsp cinnamon - 1/2 a tsp vanilla

Filling

- 1/2 cup frozen berries - 1 tbsp protein powder - 1 tbsp greek yoghurt

Method: Combine egg whites, yoghurt, chia, cinnamon and vanilla in a bowl and mix well. Spray a non stick pan and cook on a medium heat for 2-3 mins with the lid on or until mixture is no longer runny on top. Slide it onto a plate.

For filling: Blend the berries in a blender to form a berry "paste". Add the protein powder and yoghurt and blend well until it forms a nice and creamy texture.

Fill the crepe and flip it on both sides so that it looks like a crepe. Top with berries and if you feel like some extra indulgence - pour a little agave or maple syrup!

Question of the day: What is your favourite dessert-like breakfast food?

Link of the day: Creamy Almond Milkshake

Sprouted Buckwheat Granola

ooohhhhh granola...

...there's something about the crunch that makes you want to go back for more. And why wouldn't you? This one is super duper nutritious with loads of flavour!

 

Buckwheat is a wonderous little grain-like seed that is not related to wheat at all so its naturally gluten-free and wheat-free (yay for all our gluten intolerant friends)!

It is really high in fibre and has a low Glycaemic Index (GI) which means you have sustained energy throughout the day and you'll feel fuller for longer - great for weight loss or maintenance!

 

Ingredients: 2 cups buckwheat groats (soaked and sprouted) 2 bananas 1/4 of a cup chia seeds 2/3 of a cup almonds 2 tbs acai berry powder (optional) 2 tbs agave syrup 1/2 cup of shredded coconut 1/3 of a cup goji berries 1/2 cup macadamia nuts 1/4 cup sultanas

Method: Soak 2 cups buckwheat groats and let them do their magic by sprouting! There is a really helpful tutorial on how to sprout buckwheat here.

Next, combine the chia seeds, almonds and acai berry powder in a blender and blend to a fine consistency. Add the banana and agave syrup and blend until a paste is formed. If the mixture is too thick you can add a little water to make it thinner (you dont want the consistency to be too thin, but it needs to be thick enough to hold together when mixed with the buckwheat to form clusters when dried). Scoop mixture into a bowl and add sprouted buckwheat, shredded coconut and goji berries. Mix well.

 

Spread evenly onto an oven tray and dehydrate the mixture in a food dehydrator or in an oven (set at the lowest temperature) for around 8-10 hours or until the mixture is dry to touch. Let cool and add the macadamia nuts and sultanas. You're done!

 

You're set for breakfast for the next 2 weeks! Hooray!

 

These little clusters are of course delicious with some fruit and yoghurt for your morning food! A perfect start to the day.

 

How much do you want to dig into this? yummmm

 

What is your favourite morning food?

Food prep for the week!

I recently showed you (here) part of my food prep and organisation that I like to get done on the weekend so that I’m ready to go for the week. Part of that routine is to go to the fruit and veg markets to get all my supplies for the week at a reasonable price. I also like to prepare a few foods on the weekend to make the process of creating meals easier. Here are a few of my favourites! Breakfast: It’s a real treat to wake up in the morning without having to think what you’re going to make for breakfast. That’s why I like to make a big bowl of homemade granola to last us a week or two. I like to do gluten-free sprouted buckwheat or an oat-based granola mixed in with various goodies. Perfect with almond milk and fresh chopped banana. Watch this space - recipes to follow!

Dips/sauces/spreads: I get so much use of out making these and they are so versatile! They’re perfect as a spread on a lunchtime sandwich, a dip with veggies or a few wholegrain crackers for a snack or to mix through quinoa or steamed veg for a main. - Hummus - Tahini Yoghurt - Chargrilled capsicum relish - Pesto

Here I made a baked sweet potato, radish and tahini yoghurt lentil salad topped with chargrilled capsicum relish.

Poached chicken: It works really well to poach a few pieces of lean chicken breasts, shred them and flavour them with lemon juice, pepper and herbamare. This can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days, or I like to freeze them in portions. When you make your salad for lunch in the morning you can take it out of the freezer, pop it on top of your salad and it will be thawed and ready to eat by lunch time!

Quinoa: This is my absolute favourite staple as mentioned before. It behaves like a grain (so you can substitute it for rice/couscous/pasta) but it is actually a seed and a complete protein source. This beauty is perfect tossed through salads or to bulk up soups and curries. I also like to make quinoa pilaf and use it as a foundation for my meals. Here I mixed quinoa with pesto and brocolinni.

Frozen fruit: I love to freeze ripe bananas and mangoes. Whenever I feel like a healthy frozen treat during the week I throw them into my thermomix to make 100% fruit ice cream! They’re also really handy for making smoothies. I love to freeze grapes for a cool summer snack.Frozen yoghurt blocks: I take this as a perfect opportunity to use up the last bit of my yoghurt from the week before it goes off. I like to combine it with honey/agave/maple syrup and any kind of chopped fruit.

Snacks: Trail mix - I like to combine raw almonds, walnuts, goji berries, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and some chopped dried apple. You can leave this in a jar and grab as you go, or you can make them into little snack packs.

Super snack balls – these are one of my favourite snacks. So easy to make and very tasty!

Remember, 80% of your success is going to be nutrition - whether it is to tone up, bulk up, maintain or improve your general wellbeing. Exercise is vital, but eating the right foods is going to be the secret key to unlock the door to that level you're aspiring to! And being organised forms part of the key.

Question: What kind of foods do you like to prepare to be organised for the week?

Tropical Sunrise Breakfast

You have to look twice at this photo or you'll think it's a dessert. It is in fact BREAKFAST. And YES it is healthy and dietitian-approved :)

This is the perfect recipe for those balmy Saturday mornings before strolling down to the beach, for wowing your overnight guests the next morning, or to impress your other half with breakfast in bed! It is so quick to make, tastes delicious and makes you feel like you've just woken up on a tropical island. Here's how:

Ingredients: 1 banana 1 passionfruit 1 tsp coconut oil 1/2 cup low fat Greek yoghurt 1 tsp maple syrup

Method: Heat pan on medium to high heat. Add coconut oil to pan. Slice banana in half lengthwise. Pan-fry the banana on both sides until golden. Serve with passionfruit, yoghurt & maple syrup.

The combination is magical - like a Hawaiian party in your mouth. Your body will love you too! Banana is the perfect fruit to fuel you up for the looong summer day ahead. Passionfruit has a long list of good-for-you ingredients. It is rich in vitamins A and C - powerful antioxidants that will keep you young and glowing! It is also rich in fibre which is great for keeping you regular and for fighting off those unwanted kilos. Low fat Greek yoghurt is high in protein and good bacteria to keep your muscles and tummy happy :)

This summer...inject some TROPICAL into your day - no matter where you are!

Maple Peach Brown Rice Pudding

Need new inspiration for breakfast, late-afternoon snack, or dessert? Look no further than here!!! This is quick, healthy and delish.

Fruit is my favourite food on earth. If I could I would have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Although as a dietitian and a foodie, I feel it is my duty to try other foods as well…*sigh*…tough life! But today I didn’t feel any such obligation when I started to think about my afternoon snack.

I let my love of fruit guide me to the way of a Maple Peach Brown Rice Pudding! Even if you don’t love fruit…you will love this!

Maple Peach Brown Rice Pudding Ingredients ½ cup cooked brown rice ¼ cup coconut cream* 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 1 peach Maple syrup to taste – I used 1 tsp

Combine all ingredients and ¾ of the peach in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve with remaining peach and a drizzle of maple syrup.

*for low fat version use reduced fat coconut milk/soy/almond/oat milk instead.     

If you feel you want something creamy and luscious on top...I recommend this vegan cream recipe! It's the perfect accompaniment!

This pudding is also great for our vegan friends and those that need a gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free or soy-free option!

And for those interested in the nutritional info, here it is:

Energy: 974 kJ Fat: 5.3g Carbs: 39.7g Fibre: 3.8g Sugar: 13.9g Protein: 4.1g

Fill in the blank: My favourite food is ________

Maple Peach Brown Rice Pudding

Need new inspiration for breakfast, late-afternoon snack, or dessert? Look no further than here!!! This is quick, healthy and delish.

Fruit is my favourite food on earth. If I could I would have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Although as a dietitian and a foodie, I feel it is my duty to try other foods as well…*sigh*…tough life! But today I didn’t feel any such obligation when I started to think about my afternoon snack.

I let my love of fruit guide me to the way of a Maple Peach Brown Rice Pudding! Even if you don’t love fruit…you will love this!

Maple Peach Brown Rice Pudding Ingredients ½ cup cooked brown rice ¼ cup coconut cream* 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 1 peach Maple syrup to taste – I used 1 tsp

Combine all ingredients and ¾ of the peach in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve with remaining peach and a drizzle of maple syrup.

*for low fat version use reduced fat coconut milk/soy/almond/oat milk instead.     

If you feel you want something creamy and luscious on top...I recommend this vegan cream recipe! It's the perfect accompaniment!

This pudding is also great for our vegan friends and those that need a gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free or soy-free option!

And for those interested in the nutritional info, here it is:

Energy: 974 kJ Fat: 5.3g Carbs: 39.7g Fibre: 3.8g Sugar: 13.9g Protein: 4.1g

Fill in the blank: My favourite food is ________