Smokey chickpea salad

If salads don't fill you up, try adding some beans and pulses.
They are great sources of fibre as well as protein, all of which contribute to keeping you fuller for longer (or actually filling you up in the first place).
For this recipe, chickpeas are mixed with smoked paprika, tomato, tamari and ground coriander for a subtle hint of flavour. Balance it with a crunchy salad of fresh leaves and a honey mustard dressing add to sweetness and acidity.

Ingredients for 1 (multiply as required)
Chickpeas:
1 tin of chickpeas
1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
2 teaspoons of tomato paste
1 teaspoon of tamari or soy sauce

Honey mustard dressing
1 teaspoon of wholegrain mustard (ideally a sugar-free one)
1 teaspoon of honey
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
1.5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1/2 bag of mixed leaves
1/2 little gem lettuce or any other crunchy lettuce variety

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.
Drain and rinse the chickpeas. 
Mix the tamari, tomato, smoked paprika and ground coriander until it forms a paste.
Coat the chickpeas in the paste and pop them in the oven for 10-15 minutes.
For the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients until well combined (around 5 minutes).
Coat the salad leaves and lettuce in the dressing and top with the chickpeas.

Why snacking on seeds is a smart move

Our avian friends have been onto this for years and it turns out they aren't wrong: seeds make a delicious and fulfilling snack.
Thanks to science, there is also convincing evidence that snacking on seeds is a smart move.
Let's take a non-nerdy look at some of the data:

Blood sugar
When it comes to weight loss, managing your blood sugar is one of the most important aspects.
Here is why: when you eat sugar, your body goes into a frenzy of trying to figure out what to do with it. Do we use it, do we store it or do we convert it to fat? Whilst there is a sugar spike in your system, fat burning or using fat for fuel doesn't happen.
Eating seeds doesn't spike your blood sugar so fat burning can still take place.
In fact, a meta-analysis found that those who eat pulses and seeds tend to be slimmer(1).

Fibre
Seeds are great sources of fibre.
Increasing dietary fibre consumption has so many benefits. To name a few, it reduces insulin resistance(2) (this is important if you've been overdoing the sugar), staves off constipation(3), improves digestive function(4) and can help to reduce cholesterol(4) as well as blood pressure(4).

Antioxidants
Antioxidants work by reducing damage to cells.
Imagine this: you are about to eat some sweets. Your good friend comes along and takes them out of your hands because you are on a diet. Your friend just saved you from doing some damage. Antioxidants work a little bit like this too.
Pumpkin seeds contain an especially diverse range of antioxidants.
 
Minerals
Seeds are rich sources of minerals, including zinc and magnesium.
Zinc plays a vital role in the immune and nervous systems(5), great if you want to avoid that office cold.
Sadly, zinc is also difficult to obtain from food, especially if you are vegan, unless of course you eat some seeds.

How much should you have?
A handful of a combination of pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds makes the ideal snack. 
This blend ensures you obtain a good range of minerals, antioxidants and fibre.
Seeds are also delicious sprinkled on salads, your morning porridge or added to smoothies.

Try Munchy Seeds for a delicious portable option or read the next post for a tasty super seed recipe.

References:

1. Kim SJ, de Souza RJ, Choo VL, Ha V, Cozma AI, Chiavaroli L, Mirrahimi A, Blanco Mejia S, Di Buono M, Bernstein AM, Leiter LA, Kris-Etherton PM, Vuksan V, Beyene J, Kendall CW, Jenkins DJ, Sievenpiper JL (2016) Effects of dietary pulse consumption on body weight: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 103(5):1213-23.

2. Breneman CB, Tucker L (2013) Dietary fibre consumption and insulin resistance – the role of body fat and physical activity. British Journal of Nutrition, 110: 375-383.

3. Ip KS, Lee WT, Chan JS, Young BW (2005) A community-based study of the prevalence of constipation in young children and the role of dietary fibre. Hong Kong Medical Journal, 11: 431-436.

4. Mackowiak K, Torlinska-Walkowiak N, Torlinska B (2016) Dietary fibre as an important constituent of the diet. Postepy Higieny i Medycyny Doswiadczalnej, 70:104-109. 

5. Rink L, Gabriel P (2000) Zinc and the immune system. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 59: 541-552. 

Chia breakfast

Do you fancy a guilt-free pudding for breakfast? Chia seeds are what you are looking for.
These tiny black seeds have the ability to turn any liquid into a luscious, custard-like pudding.
As well as the transformative power of chia seeds, they are also high in fiber (this is great news for digestive health) and antioxidants.
Vegan? Chia seeds are a good vegan source of calcium, magnesium and Omega 3s.

For a grab and go breakfast, prepare them the day before. They keep well in the fridge for a couple of days.

Ingredients for 1:
1/4 cup chia seeds
1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
2 teaspoons of honey
1 small banana to top
a handful of blueberries to top

Method:
Put the chia seeds, honey and almond milk into a bowl. Stir until it is well combined.
Leave to stand for 15 minutes.
After the 15 minutes, you should come back to chia pudding. If the consistency is too thick, just add some more almond milk & stir again.
Top with banana and blueberries before devouring it.

A pineapple smoothie for better digestion

Pineapple has long been used as digestive aid in folk remedies.
Whilst some folk remedies are questionable, it turns out they were right in this case.
Pineapples are a great source of the enzyme bromelain which helps to break down proteins. This is great news if you have overindulged on meat this weekend.

For this smoothie, I have combined pineapple & lemon since both may boost digestion.
Why should you be bothered about better digestion? Well, you have no other way of absorbing nutrients from food so getting this part right is crucial.

Ingredients for 2:
1/2 small pineapple, skin removed, cubed
1 lemon, peeled
2 dates
a cup of greens (I used spinach)
1 cup of almond milk (or a handful of almonds and a cup of water) 
3 ice cubes

Blend until smooth.
Pour into awesome glasses.
Enjoy.

A BBQ in the sun

With the sunshine finally making an appearance, what better way to spend the weekends than BBQ-ing?
Grilled meat, salads and a well-crafted piece of bread make a satisfying yet healthy meal.
Of course, there are a couple of things to consider: don't burn the meat and pay attention to sauces.
Aside from not tasting that great, burning meat creates toxic chemicals. This isn't something you want to be consuming much of.
Sauces are concentrated sources of added sugar. We all know added sugar isn't great for us so why not try an alternative such as putting together a home made salsa? By chopping together a few ingredients, you will create a nourishing topping, so good, that you won't bother with the sugar-laden sauce.

Here are a couple of recipes for a healthier BBQ: marinated chicken, home made beef burgers and a pineapple salsa.

Home made beef burgers
Makes 2 burgers, multiply the recipe as required.
250g organic beef mince
1/2 red onion, very finely chopped
a small handful of parsley, finely chopped
a pinch of sea salt and black pepper
Put all of the ingredients in a bowl and combine well by kneading. Form into 2 burgers.
Grill on a BBQ and enjoy.

Marinated chicken breast
4 small chicken breasts
a handful of fresh herbs, finely chopped, I used thyme and basil but you can use any combination
1 clove of garlic, crushed
a generous pinch of freshly ground black pepper
juice of half a lemon
Flatten the chicken breasts by putting them between 2 sheets of cling film and bashing them with a rolling pin. You want them to be roughly 1" thick which will ensure that they cook more evenly & without drying out.
Put the chicken and the rest of the ingredients in a bowl, mix well and marinate for half an hour.
Grill on a BBQ until thoroughly cooked.

Pineapple salsa
1/2 small pineapple, skin and core removed, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 red chilli, finely chopped
5 mint leaves, finely chopped
juice of half a lemon
a pinch of sea salt and black pepper
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir well to combine.
Use the salsa to top your burger or serve it alongside the chicken for a punch of flavour.