This vegan bolognese replaced our meat version many moons ago, it freezes well and has the same comforting appeal of any good bolognese. This is an easy mid-week meal swap for a more plant based diet that carnivores and vegans alike can enjoy.

Whilst the glory of this soup is given to the pea, it is the the combination of the sweetness of the pea and the bitterness of the spinach that gives this soup is satisfying complexity and nutritional superpowers. Prized by Popeye, Spinach has an impressive array of minerals in its arsenal as its high in Iron, Magnesium and Folate. However in its raw form, spinach contains oxalates that can bind to calcium and iron in the stomach, interfering with their absorption and potentially leading to nutritional deficiency if consumed in high amounts… This is one concern with regular green juicers!

In my humble opinion, little beats the flavour of cooked spinach, with the added benefit that once cooked you can easily consume vast amounts of the stuff!

This time of year we all need something comforting to return to as the nights draw in and this chilli really hits the spot. Packed with punch and flavour, you won’t miss the meat and will be well on your way to your 5-a-day! A favourite with the whole family in our household… I make this chilli mild so feel free to add a tsp or two of cayenne pepper to spice it up!

Mean Black Bean Chilli - winter warmers

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

This recipe tastes better with age so if you can make it ahead the night before or earlier in the day it will give the flavours chance to sink in. You can also cook rice ahead as long as you cool it immediately, refrigerate and reheat appropriately so when you come to eat the meal it will only take 5-10 minutes to make sure everything is piping hot!

Author: Radianthealthnt

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2 onions finely chopped
• 2 onions finely chopped
• 2 medium sized carrots finely sliced and quartered
• 2 medium sized carrots finely sliced and quartered
• 4 garlic cloves crushed
• 4 garlic cloves crushed
• 1 tablespoon of mild chilli powder
• 1 tablespoon of mild chilli powder
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 cap full of balsamic vinegar
• 2 cap full of balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 cans of 400g chopped tomatoes
• 2 cans of 400g chopped tomatoes
• 2 tins of black beans
• 2 tins of black beans
• Half a tin of sweetcorn
• Half a tin of sweetcorn
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp bouillon powder
• 1 tsp bouillon powder
• Dash water

Instructions

1. Saute the onion and carrot over a low heat until softened (around 5 minutes)
2. Add crushed garlic and saute for a further minute before adding the spices, bouillon, honey and balsamic vinegar
3. Take off the heat and mix spices into the onion and carrot for even coverage
4. Add 2 x tins of chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, ½ tin of sweetcorn and 2 x tins of drained black beans
5. Mix well and add a dash of water if needed to ensure beans are covered
6. Simmer over a medium/low heat for 20-25 minutes
7. Serve with rice & feta cheese crumbled on top, yum!

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Nutrition doesn’t have to be expensive. Humble vegetables like the carrot don’t cost the earth and organic becomes a more viable option. As a family, we don’t eat a wholly organic diet, but I do choose some key fruit and vegetables that get the biggest hit of pesticides (check out the dirty dozen list of foods).

This simple organic soup is delicious, quick and costs less than a £1.00 to make. It’s naturally low in calories and high in Beta Carotene, great for little budding Peter and Lily rabbits!

Organic carrot & coriander

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Author: Radianthealthnt

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 medium potato, chopped
• 1 Bouquet garni
• 600g carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1L chicken stock (or to your preferred consistency)
• handful of fresh coriander

Instructions

1. Fry the onion in a little oil for 5 minutes, until softened
2. Stir in the chopped potato and ground coriander, mix together
3. Add the carrots, bouquet garni and stock.
4. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and cook for 25 minutes or until tender
5. Tip into food processor and blitz until smooth
6. Finely chop the coriander and sprinkle to serve

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We all want to nourish our children and give them the very best start in life and to do that they need to be eating healthy foods like fruit and vegetables every day.

As a nutritionist and mummy, I often get asked about picky eating and the research in this area is extensive, there is so much you can do to help your child love healthy food, but here are some Q&A’s to get you started. 

Q) Why has my toddler got soooo picky?

Food fussiness is a normal developmental phase, presumed to arise from children having an in-built liking of sweet foods (that are likely to be a good source of energy) and a distrust of bitter foods (that may be poisonous or harmful.)

Babies at weaning age are much more open to new flavours and are more likely to accept a new flavour quicker (3-5 exposures) than a toddler who may take up to 10 exposures if they are being really stubborn!

Q) What can I do about it?

• Offer new foods regularly: the best thing you can do to encourage your child to like new foods is to offer those foods regularly. It is so easy to cook the same meals that we know our children will eat but the evidence shows that the more variety we offer our children, the more likely they are to eat well.
• Don’t pressure them to eat it: just because there are new foods on your child’s plate doesn’t mean they are going to love them overnight, remember what I said with up to 10 exposures? Pressuring children to eat anything has been associated with negative relationships with food later in life, here’s what to do instead….
• Love healthy food: has your toddler every made you laugh with their imitations of you? Perhaps they love hoovering or playing on your phone because that is what they see you do? We know that children love to imitate their parents, this is a process called modelling and it’s how they learn. Use it to your advantage and eat healthy food as often as you can in front of them. Talk about how much you’re enjoying it “what a juicy apple” “Umm sweet carrot” without any pressure that your child should try it too, unless they ask you of course!

Finally, make dinner time enjoyable: your child’s most nutritious meal of the day is likely to be served up when they are most tired. Turn off any distractions and sit down with your child when they eat, perhaps eat a small portion of vegetables with your child if this isn’t the time you usually eat your main meal. 

Use this opportunity to talk to them about the foods on their plate. Make it fun and entertaining “that broccoli looks like a tree!” “I’m going to eat the most peas!” and remember that mealtimes should be a time they feel relaxed and at ease.

When your child feels relaxed, they are far more likely to try something new.

Happy, healthy eating everyone!

When did it become socially acceptable to be available until silly-o-clock at night? Long gone are the days of home-line chats (where you would sniff at a call past 9pm). It has never before been so easy to connect, 24/7.

I’m all for progress, I rely on social media for my business and to connect to my friends but until you turn it off, you don’t quite realise how it is having an effect.

Our bodies are not designed to cope with the amount of stimulation and BLUE LIGHT that you get online or on your smart phone, at a time of the day when your body needs to relax and engage the normal physiological processes that get us ready for sleep.

Getting adequate sleep, on a regular basis is so important in maintaining health:

• When we don’t sleep well it dysregulates our appetite hormones that control satiety, meaning you can overeat if you are feeling really tired.
• Melatonin, the hormone that we release in the evening to prepare us for sleep, also has powerful antioxidant effects in the body.
• If we have a bad night sleep we are at an increased risk of mood disorders such as anxiety and depression, poor short-term memory and even a build up of amyloid beta and tau (found in larger amounts in patients of Alzheimer’s disease)

Just remember that blue light = a bad night.

The best thing you can do to help your body feel refreshed, is to set a watershed for digital detox, this could be upwards of 8pm but try and make it a time you can realistically turn off technology such as your laptop and phone and do something less stimulating like read a book, have a bath or meditate.

Tech tips

• Most smart phones have a blue light filter that you can set to come on at the end of the day – thus reducing blue light exposure!
• You can set this on your computer too, there are lots of free programmes, but I use f.lux which works in a similar way. You programme when it wakes up & turns off!

Just remember that although these programmes will limit blue light, they won’t stop your brain from feeling like a hamster on a wheel. Turn it off and give yourself at least half an hour to unwind and decompress before you go to sleep.

Make your health a priority, you will work better and smarter with a clearer head the next day.

The truth is pasta sauce from a jar just IS NOT the same as fresh, its likely to contain hidden nasties like excess sugar and it’s basically a rip off.

In this recipe, I use a basic tomato and basil base and supercharge it with butter beans and spinach for a filling lunch or quick supper.

The whole meal should be ready in under 10 minutes and is super inexpensive to make.

Supercharge your pasta sauce

 

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Prep time

2 mins

Cook time

8 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Author: Radianthealthnt

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1 small red onion finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 pack of 500g passata
• Handful of fresh basil, chopped
• Two handfuls of spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 can of butter beans, drained
• Salt and pepper
• Parmesan, if desired
• 250g Gluten free pasta

Instructions

1. Pop pasta on to cook
2. Saute the onion for a few minutes over a medium heat and add the crushed garlic for a further minute
3. Add your passata and mix with onion and garlic
4. Add your finely chopped basil , salt and pepper to taste
5. Cook for a further minute, bubbling gently.
6. Add your butter beans and roughly chopped spinach and stir in carefully.
7. Cook for a further 5 minutes on a medium/low until the beans and pasta are cooked
8. Serve with a garnish of basil and a sprinkling of parmesan

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This is what 5-A-Day looks like: 

This is a visual demonstration of 5-a-Day that I prepared for a client. You need 5 portions of 80g of fruit and vegetables – with the emphasis being on vegetables!

Fruit and vegetables are a fantastic source of important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that help to protect our bodies from disease.

They are also a vital source of fibre, keeping you regular and your digestive system healthy.

Why should I eat this much veg? 

In short, because the nutrients we get from fruit and vegetables are essential for a whole host of biochemical processes in the body.

The World Health Organisation suggests if we do not get enough of these important nutrients we increase our risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity.

Increasing your veg consumption is the easiest way to pack in nutrients and keep hunger locked up as it is low in calories but high in fibre and water content.

Great, but how do I do it? 

Sprinkle berries on your cereal, prepare crudites to go alongside your lunch and serve steamed veg alongside your dinner! This is a habitual change but your health will definitely thank you for it

This coleslaw is so vibrant, filling and tingling with fresh flavours and crunch. It makes a delicious and sophisticated accompaniment to a lunch or light dinner.

It is also super inexpensive and simple to make, the process is much quicker with the aid of a food processor!

Super healthy coleslaw

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Author: Radianthealthnt

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• Half a red cabbage, outer leaves and stalk removed
• 2 green apples, cored and peeled
• 2 large carrots, peeled
• ½ small red onion peeled
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 teaspoon of honey
• 5 tablespoons of olive oil
• 3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
• Freshly chopped nuts and dried cranberries or blueberries to garnish
• Handful of freshly chopped coriander

Instructions

1. In your food processor, shred the cabbage and grate the carrots, apples and onion. Transfer to a bowl
2. Mix the mustard, garlic, honey, olive oil and white wine vinegar together in a jug and mix to combine.
3. Pour over the salad and incorporate the mix by hand.
4. Sprinkle your fresh coriander and nuts/fruit garnish on top

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As part of my fabulous fish series I am releasing some of our favourite fishy recipes that are packed full of flavour and the under-consumed essential fat Omega 3.

Omega 3 is classified as an essential fat in our diet as it is needed for many normal physiological processes and it has been shown to benefit our mental health, heart health and even your skin and hair!

This curry is a firm favourite in many top restaurants but it is so easy to get these vibrant flavours at home and it transforms fish from dry and bland into moist and succulent.

The NHS recommends we get at least 2 portions of fish a week. Get yours today with this delicious quick curry!

Fabulous fish: goan fish curry

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Author: Radianthealthnt

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 onion
• thumb-sized piece ginger, finely grated
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp tumeric
• 1 small red chilli, shredded (deseeded if you don't like it too hot)
• 2 tbsp lemongrass paste
• 1 heaped tbsp medium curry powder
• 1 tsp honey
• small bunch coriander, stems finely chopped
• 400g can coconut milk
• 2 tbsp bouillion stock
• 600g salmon or cod fillet (firm thick fish)
• 1 packet of prawns
• Lime
• Rice to serve

Instructions

1. Heat some coconut oil in a large pan, soften the onion for 5-10minutes over a medium-low heat. Add the other aromatics: garlic, ginger, chilli and spices for a further minute, add the honey.
2. Add the coriander stems, coconut milk and 2 tbsp stock, then bring to a simmer.
3. Bring the sauce to bubble, then turn down to medium heat and add in your white fish for 5 minutes, then add your prawns for a further 2 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.
4. Sprinkle with coriander and squeeze lime before serving.

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