WORKSHOP: Healthy Food Art

In my mission to promote healthy eating to the younger generation and help children build healthy habits from a young age, I got a great opportunity to deliver a healthy workshop and I decided to do it on healthy food art. It was a great success and so much fun. 

Workplace Snacking

Hello! Hope you are all well. I have always realised that healthy snacking in any situation can be a problem, whether you are at home, with friends, family or even on holiday. In every environment there are choices to be made that have an impact on your health and well-being. However, having recently started a part-time office-based job I have come to realise how easy it is to fall into this unhealthy trap. But don’t worry I am here, to help you and give you to tips on how you can turn this around and learn to fight against the nibbles and treats that just keep creeping back. 

Anatolian Cultural Fete 2014

The Anatolian Cultural Fete is a festival that has been running for 7 years now in Clissold Park. I hadn’t been to the previous ones and have been wanting to go, so was happy to be free to go this year. I went with my cousin even though the weather was not on our side, obviously I went for the food but there was lot more going on. Read here to find out more about the fete that just seems to be getting bigger and bigger.

RECIPE: 3 Ingredient Snack Bars

After researching and writing up the product review on cereal bars/energy bars/snack bars, which are growing on our supermarket shelves, I was determined to find a healthy alternative. Many people have these high sugar high fat bars on a regular basis unaware of what is actually in them.

Food Review: Snack Bars

Snack bars, cereal bars, breakfast bars, energy bars, what ever you like to call them, they are taking over our supermarket shelves. We are always short on time, and looking for new ways to eat on the go when we don’t have time to sit down and have a meal or snack or just need a quick energy fix when we are going about our day. We all know those days. One of the quickest way to have chosen to have our energy fix is by having a cereal bar, it has become a convenience food. However, not all of them are as good as they seem. In this blog I am going to review just some the bars I found on the supermarket shelves.

Health Awareness Event: Talks, Demos and Food!

I was invited to host and deliver a talk at a Health Awareness Event organised by NFA Foundation, founded by a lovely sister I met only a few months ago, Nazia Ali. The event was held on Friday 28th March 2014 from 3-6pm.  It was a short yet fun-filled event, gaining invaluable healthy tips from all the health professionals that attended. 

RECIPE: Eggless Pancakes

I didn't have time to make pancakes for breakfast this morning so I decided to have some for dinner instead. But I'd used up all the eggs for another dish.... Oops! Well, I didn't let that stop me making pancakes on pancake day! So I started searching for egg alternatives and egg-less pancake recipes. Here's what I came up with. 

RECIPES: 3 Things To Do With Beetroot

If you’ve been following me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram you will have seen that I posted a photo of the beetroot dip that I made a while ago. I promised to publish the recipe in the mini recipe e-book that I was going to publish, but that didn’t happen…..instead I’m sharing it here with you in this blog, as well as the other things I made with the lovely vibrant nutritious beetroot. 

Party Snacks: So Simple, So Healthy!

The healthy bug is going around; everyone is watching what they eat and drink, well most people anyway. Most of my family at the moment, especially with the New Year resolutions and making new goals (I’m still working on my dad!). So when my family get together, I try to experiment and make healthy foods that everyone can enjoy, including the kids. Here are some of the things I made for our last get together and I think it went well. They were all very quick and simple to make. Everyone enjoyed it, didn’t have any complaints and we all ate happily and healthily. I have included the recipes below; so try them out, give them a try and let me know what you think. 

RECIPE: Aubergine Towers

I came upon this recipe when browsing a low-fat recipe book and it just looked delicious. I first made this in Ramadhan 2013 (the month of fasting for Muslism), to have as a light snack/meal for iftaar, (the meal at sunset when you break the fast). I had it with a side of couscous and it tasted so yummy. In fact it tasted like I was having pizza. I would even use this as a healthy pizza alternative recipe, or a low-carb meal. 

RECIPE: Oaty Protein Pancakes

You probably all know by now how much I love pancakes, I am always experimenting and trying to make it more yummy and healthy. I love having pancakes for breakfast especially in the weekend, I do prefer my sweet fruit topped pancakes but I am growing fonder of the savoury ones too. My spinach and feta pancakes are divine! If I do say so myself...check out my savoury pancake recipes. 

Homemade Protein Shake

Since, my brother has become more active; going to the gym regularly and been going to play football (a lot!!), he has been asking me to make him a protein shake for a while. I have made some before and have been experimenting but I think I have finally mastered it.

With people being more health conscious, going to the gym and being doing more exercise, the interest in protein shakes has grown so much over the last couple of years. But what does it actually do? 

RECIPE: Homemade Granola

<<- This is the dessert I usually make with my homemade granola, fruit parfait. Since the first time I made everyone has loved it, even unhealthy sceptics! I usually bulk bake the granola and store it in a airtight container so it there for me to have and use whenever I want, a healthy convenience food! You can have the granola by it self as a snack, with milk for breakfast, top it on your porridge or any yoghurt for a healthy crunch. Try it yourself just to see how simple it is to make, recipe below: 

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Serves: 10

Ingredients

·         200g rolled oats

·         2 tbsp of canola/coconut oil

·         3 tbsp of honey

·         100g of mixed seeds

·         50g nuts (of your choice, I used flaked almonds)

·         Dried fruit, pieces.

How to make it:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Mix the oats, oil and honey together in a bowl. Make sure the oats are coated and sticking together a bit.
3. Add the nuts and seeds. I usually use a pack of mixed seeds and flaked almonds.
4. Lay the oats on a baking tray, evenly and pop it in the oven.
5. Bake for about 10 minutes, depending on how brown you like your oats. I like it really brown, so I bake it for a few more minutes but careful not to burn it.
6. Give it a mix and bake it for another 10 minutes.
7. Take it out the oven and let it cool. Add your dried fruit pieces.
8. Enjoy! Great for breakfast, snack or dessert. 

To make the fruit parfait dessert: I crushed some berries with the back of a fork, layer it in a dessert bowl or cup with Greek yoghurt (I used Total Greek), and top with the granola. Simple yet scrumptious! 

VARIATIONS: - You could add, walnuts, cashew, pine nuts. – Add honey to the yoghurt for a sweeter taste. 

By Ayshabibi H. ANutr

A H Nutritionist

14th November 2013

RECIPE: Healthy Oat and Raisin Cookies

Oat and raisin cookies are my absolute favourite! I always choose this combo, so I went on the hunt for a healthy version of this yummy chewy cookie. And here I am going to share it with you all! They are nutritious, chewy and have no butter, and SO easy to make. 

RECIPES: Buzzing with Blueberries

My mum brought home a BIG bowl of blueberries last week and I got so excited like a little kid, I started thinking of all the yummy healthy foods I could make with them. Blueberries are very nutritious and count towards you 5-a-day, one portion is about a handful. Blueberries like most berries are high in antioxidants which help to keep your body in balance and a healthy immune system. They also contain vitamin C, B3, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and folic acid. Blueberries are a great body cleanser and improve circulation in our body giving you a healthy glow to your skin.

Keeping Healthy in India

Going on holiday can put a strain on your diet, you have to keep head strong and make the right choices. It’s hard to keep within your limits when you are out of the house let alone being in a different country. I went on holiday to a country known for its unhealthy diet with food being high in fat, salt and sugar, India.

It was a family trip to visit family and relatives and while I was there I got my eye laser surgery done as well, so I’m getting used to life without contact lenses and glasses. Yay!

As it was the first time I have gone back to India as a nutritionist, I was more aware of the food and eating habits. I made lots of observations and got chatting to some locals as well about trying to be healthy eating. They told me what they ate in their typical day and I gave them realistic changes to make in the following week. I was a little bit amazed that they were interested in trying to be healthy, as I am all too familiar with their motto of: eat, live and die. So, how did I keep healthy in a place which is known to be laden with oil, fat and sugar?