(Serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as a main meal, if you’ve had bariatric surgery then it makes about double these serves)

Ingredients

• 2 cups grated cauliflower / broccoli (grated like rice shapes, can do this yourself using a grater or food processor/thermomix or purchase the already grated at Coles or Woolworths)
• 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
• ½ medium carrot, thinly sliced in quarter circles
• ½ medium zucchini, thinly sliced in quarter circles
• ¼ large capsicum (red or green), chopped into little cubes
• ¼ cup green peas
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon oil
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black or white pepper
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 egg, beaten or 100g tofu cut into half cm cubes + additional ¼ teaspoon salt + additional ¼ teaspoon oil (the addition of egg is optional, vegans can substitute this for finely chopped cooked tofu instead or omit this set and add more peas or another legume)

Method

1. Heat ¼ teaspoon oil in a large non-stick fry pan on medium heat. Pour in the beaten egg and cook until just set, then flip over to the next side and cook until set. Remove from the pan and allow to cool on a plate, then cut into 1cm cubes.
2. In the same pan, heat the remaining oil on medium high heat, then add the onion, garlic and salt and sauté for 2 minutes. Add all remaining vegetables except the cauliflower/broccoli plus peas and cook for 3-4 minutes until just colouring (stir occasionally).
3. Add the cauliflower/broccoli and stir well to combine. Cook for another 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally then add the peas, cut up egg, pepper and soy sauce. Stir well and then cook for a further 2-3 minutes until the cauliflower/broccoli softens but still has a little crunch. Remove from heat and serve as a side or a main meal.

Tips

• As a side this is a great recipe to replace rice with casseroles, stews, curries, slow-cooked saucy meals. Also goes well with grilled / BBQ meat/chicken/fish/tofu and salad.
• You can substitute included vegetables for any others you have or prefer and can add fresh or dried herbs of chilli.

Health recommendations are encouraging us to eat a more plant based diet. Looking for a meat-free alternative recipe for bolognaise? Try this tempeh bolognaise recipe. It’s completely vegan / vegetarian, a good source of protein and vegetables. FYI, tempeh is a vegan protein source made from fermented soy beans, learn more about it and the difference from tofu here.

(Makes about 4-6 regular serves or post-bariatric surgery 6-10 serves)

Ingredients

• 2 small to medium onions, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, sliced into quarters lengthwise and then thinly sliced into quarter circles
• 1/2 large red capsicum, finely chopped
• 1/2 medium zucchini, finely chopped
• 1/4 large eggplant, finely chopped into cubes (about 2 cups of cubes)
• 1 pack of 300g tempeh, grated (I used Nutrisoy Organic Tasty Tempeh)
• 4 medium mushrooms, cut into half and thinly sliced
• 1 x 140g tub tomato paste
• 1 x 400g tinned finely chopped tomatoes, I used Solo Pomodoro Mutti as this only contains tomatoes in the ingredients which means the tomatoes are ripened to have good sweetness and no additives are added.
• 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
• 3/4 – 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon stevia powder or sugar
• 1 cup water or stock

Method

Heat a large non-stock frypan on medium high heat and add 1 tsp oil. Once oil is heated, add the eggplant and mix well to disperse the oil and cook stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, tempeh, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper and stir well. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add all remaining ingredients, including the dried oregano and 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt, except the basil, tinned tomatoes, tomato paste and stevia/sugar. Stir well and cook on medium heat for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tinned tomatoes, tomato paste, water/stock, stevia/sugar and combine well, cook until the sauce has reduced to almost desired consistency, add basil and mix through cooking for a further 1-2 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary. Serve over cooked pasta, quinoa, legume beans (4 bean mix, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, peas etc) or if watching calorie/kilojoule intake serve over steamed vegetables, zucchini /carrot/pumpkin noodles (pictured) or Slendier spaghetti / fettuccine. Store tempeh bolognaise in fridge for 3-4 days (or freeze).

Bliss balls make a delicious healthy snack. There’s many versions, this version has added protein powder to make these a higher protein bliss ball. Each ball contains 8-10g protein. You can view other versions that don’t use protein powder on this website under ‘Healthy Snacks’ e.g. our:

•  Tahini, Dried Fruit, Nut & Seed Bliss Balls,
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Bliss Balls,
• Mango & Coconut Truffles

We’ve used 2 types of protein powders to make these balls, you can use others, we’ve used the following which are available at the linked website:

• Cyborg BCAA Enhanced WPI 100% Whey Protein Isolate
• Boomers Whey Protein Isolate
• 2 Pack: Cyborg + Boomers

Recipes makes about 25 balls

Ingredients

• 2 cups dates (I used 1 cup Medjool and 1 cup dried dates)
• 1¼ cups raw nuts of choice (I used a mix of almonds, walnuts, pecans)
• 2½ scoops Chocolate protein powder (or chocolate mint / peanut butter / honeycomb etc)  – I used Cyborg BCAA Enhanced WPI 100% Whey Protein Isolate
• 2½ scoops plain unflavoured protein powder – I used Boomers Whey Protein Isolate
• ¾ cup desiccated coconut
• ¼-½ cup cacao or cocoa powder (depending on how strong you’d like the chocolate to be e.g. milk verses dark chocolate)
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• ½ cup chia seeds
• ½ cup milk or water (or ¼ each)
• ½ cup extra desiccated coconut to roll finished balls into

Method

1. Add the nuts into a food processor and process until well grinder or chunky little pieces. Then add all remaining ingredients except the extra coconut.
2. Place the mixture into an airtight contain and put into the fridge overnight.
3. The next day place the extra coconut into a big bowl. Get the bliss ball mix and using your hands get pieces and roll into about 2.5-3cm balls. Once balls are done, wash your hands well and dry, then roll each ball in the coconut to coat the outside well.
4. Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freeze.
5. Have one as a healthy hight protein snack.

Note:

• I’ve used 2 protein powders for this recipe because I found just using the Cyborg WPI Chocolate Protein (Dutch Chocolate or one of the chocolate flavour variations e.g. Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Honeycomb or Chocolate Peanut butter) left the bliss balls too sweet. By add a plain non-flavoured protein such as the Boomers protein, I was still able to give the protein balls a high protein content but also make them less sweet. You can just get the non-flavoured protein powder e.g. Boomers and add more cacao powder for chocolate flavour and more dates (e.g. 1/2 – 1 cup) to achieve the right sweetness or a sugar-free drinking chocolate powder e.g. Vitarium Du Choclat or Avalanche Sugar-free Drinking Chocolate.
• If you have a Vanilla, Banana, Strawberry or Salted Caramel protein powder, you can use this rather than chocolate, perhaps add a bit more cocao or cacao powder

Seeds are packed with nutrition and so easily incorporated into your diet. This seed mix is high in fibre, plant based omega 3 healthy fats and many other vitamins and minerals (refer to blog articles on each ingredient coming soon). Simply make this seed mix up in bulk and sprinkle 2 teaspoons each day on cereal, yoghurt, salad, vegetables or blend into smoothies etc

Ingredients

• 250g chia seeds (black or white)
• 250g linseeds or flaxseeds (brown or golden)
• 125g pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas)

Mix seeds well to combine and store in an airtight jar. Add 2 teaspoons daily to cereal, yoghurt, salad, vegetables, smoothies etc.

Quinoa (pronounced ‘keen – wa’) is a nutty flavoured grain originating in South America that has been cultivated in the Andes for over 5000 years. It comes in a creamy white, black or a red colour. It looks like tiny round seeds resembling cous cous somewhat but it’s completely different. For starters it’s packed with a lot more nutrition and it’s also a gluten-free grain (technically it’s actually a seed) suitable for those who need to stick to a gluten-free diet.

Nutritionally speaking quinoa is a good source of dietary fibre with about 4g per half cup cooked. It’s also packed with vitamins and minerals including many of the b vitamins, folate, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, zinc, potassium and copper. As a grain, while not super high in protein compared to meat, it has a high protein content compared to other grains.

 But how do you eat it?

This is one very versatile grain so there’s many ways to incorporate it into your daily diet. You can find it sold as the grain, as a flour or even as flakes. So it can be used in many ways!

Here’s 10 ways to use it:

• Add cooked grains it into a salad
• Add cooked grains to tabouli instead of bulgur (wheat)
• Add grains it to soup, stew or casserole
• Make a porridge out of the grains
• Use the flakes as part of a breakfast cereal
• Substitute it for rice on the side of a stir-fry, casserole, stew or curry
• Add it to a patty or burger round
• Use it to replace some of the flour in cakes, muffins or bread
• Use it to replace some of the flour in pancakes or fritters
• Bulk up a frittata or quiche with it

Cooking Quinoa Grains…

Cooking quinoa grains is easy and these can be made in bulk and kept for days in an airtight container in the fridge or placed in the freezer for more long-term storage. Here’s how to cook quinoa grains.

Makes about 3 cups cooked quinoa

• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 2 cups water
• Pinch salt

First rinse the quinoa grains to remove the ‘saponin’ (natural coating that can make it taste bitter or soap when cooked). Add the quinoa and water to a small saucepan on high heat and cook until boiling. Then reduce heat to low and cook for a further 10-15 minutes until the water evaporates and the quinoa is cooked to your desired softness. Use quinoa in the above suggested ways!

Quinoa is an amazing nutritious grain from South America. It’s a great source of dietary fibre, higher in protein than other grains and a source of many nutrients including iron. You can substitute it for rice or cous cous as sides for stir-fries, curries, casseroles or use it in place of oats for a porridge or as Ive done below, add it to salad. This salad is suitable for those following a vegan diet or gluten free diet. I’ve included a few good sources of plant-based iron including the quinoa, baby spinach, raisins and pumpkin seeds as well as sources of vitamin to to aid absorption e.g. the lemon juice and the fresh tomatoes and capsicum.

(Serves about 4-6)

Ingredients

Quinoa and vegetables

• 1 medium onion, finely sliced
• 4 medium mushrooms, chopped into half and quarters, then finely sliced
• Pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves
• ½ medium capsicum, finely chopped
• ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 medium cucumber, finely chopped
• ¼ raisins, sultanas or currans
• ½ cup pumpkin seeds / pepitas
• ½ cup olives, cut in half
• ¼ cup chopped parsley

Lemon dressing

• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ ground black pepper

Method

1. Heat a medium fry pan on medium-high heat and add the 1 tsp oil. Once heated, add the oinons and pinch of salt and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes until the onion goldens and the mushrooms soften. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
2. In a large bowl, add the quinoa and vegetable ingredients and combine. Then add the lemon dressing and mix well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
3. Serve salad next to your favourite protein e.g. tofu, chicken, beef, fish, eggs etc. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for a few days.

Have you ever begun to relax for the evening only to feel a strong urge to snack on anything you can find? Maybe you’re not even hungry but before you know it, you’ve downed several serves of biscuits, chocolate, soft drink or chips…

Most feel like this from time to time but if it’s a regular occurrence then it’s worth looking at ways to break this habit before it becomes a problem that could lead to weight gain or chronic health problems long-term.

Kicking the Habit…

People snack for various reasons, but there are ways to reduce snacking. Here are 8 tips to help you kick the habit.

1. Get to bed earlier.

Are you a night owl who stays up late? Believe it or not, the later you’re up, the more likely hunger will strike. Solution: Go to bed earlier! Your body needs rest and once in bed, you’re unlikely to get up for a snack.

2. Avoid skipping breakfast or meals

If you skip breakfast or meals during the day this can leave you very hungry by evening and more likely to snack. Have a good breakfast and eat properly during the day.

3. Eat filling healthy foods

Can your food choices be improved? Sometimes the problem is your food choices. Food that has a low glycemic index and contains protein and fibre tend to be more filling. Bulking up meals with vegetables can also help fill you up.

4. Limit unhealthy snacks kept at home or buy single serves

If it’s in your kitchen, you’re more likely to eat it. So avoid buying it in the first place. But if you do, trying buying it in single serve rather than bulk, that way there isn’t seconds to go back for.

5. Get out of the house or find distractions

Sometimes we eat because we are bored or emotional. If this is you, look for things to distract you e.g. go for a walk, phone a friend, play with the kids, do housework etc

Brush your teeth & floss

Brushing your teeth is a valuable way to keep you out of the kitchen. How? After you brush, it’s highly likely that laziness will get the better of you – who wants to brush their teeth twice?

7. Have a plan of attack

If you tend to snack, having a plan of what you will do when that familiar feeling strikes, can be crucial. Write out a plan, try and stick it. Perhaps enlist the help of your family.

8. Have healthy low kilojoule alternatives available

Having healthy low kilojoule alternatives handy can dramatically cut down the kilojoules, sugars and fat consumed. Some good options include low kilojoule vegetables (e.g. vegetable sticks, cherry tomatoes, salad), diet jelly or even a cup of tea.

Once the feeling strikes, snacking can be hard to control. But a little forethought and a plan of attack can really help you stop evening snacking in it’s tracks.

Frittata are a great easy option for breakfast, lunch or dinner. They are easy to make and you can pretty much add anything into them. Here’s a basic recipe but to make it more fancy you can add chopped grilled sweet potato, olives, tofu, chickpea or chicken, the options are endless!

(Serves about 5-6 or post bariatric surgery 10)

Ingredients

• ½-1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large Spanish onion, finally sliced
• 3-4 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1½ cups fresh spinach, finely chopped (can use frozen)
• 1½ medium carrots, grated (makes 1¼-1½ cups)
• 1 large zucchini, grated (makes 1¼-1½ cups)
• ¼ cup finely chopped sundried tomatoes
• 2 large tomatoes, one sliced into thin slices and the other finely chopped
• 1 cup mixed fresh herbs, torn (I used ½ cup each of basil and oregano)
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 6 large eggs or 8 medium
• ½ cup low fat or skim milk
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup grated lite cheese
• ¼ cup or 50g low fat feta cheese, cut into tiny cubes

Method

Pre-heat oven to 220ºC.

1. Place a large oven safe frypan on medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onions, ½ teaspoon salt and stir occasionally toasting until just colouring then add the garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes then add all remaining vegetables except the fresh tomatoes and the herbs. Combine well and stir occasionally.
2. Cook the remaining vegetables until just soft then add the chopped fresh tomatoes, ½ teaspoon salt and the herbs combining well and cooking for a further 1-2 minutes.
3. Meanwhile in a bowl, crack the eggs and add the milk, ½ teaspoon salt and the pepper then beat until combined. Stir in the grated cheese and feta and combine gently.
4. Pour egg mix over the cooked vegetables, poking around a little to evenly disperse the eggs through the vegetables. Place sliced tomatoes evenly over the egg mix.
5. Continue cooking until base of egg mix is cook then transfer the pan into the oven and bake for about 15-18 minutes or until the top is golden.
6. Carefully remove from the oven (using oven mitts on the handle of pan) and serve with a side salad or vegetables.

Mama’s Roast Vegetables with Tomato & Herbs

My mum makes the best roast vegetables and like a little kid, I get very excited when she is making it! So I decided to write down her recipe and share it as it’s too good to not pass on!

Ingredients

• 2 medium or 1 large eggplants, chopped into 2-3cm cubes
• 1 red capsicum, chopped into 2-3cm pieces
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 large zucchini, chopped into 1.5cm semi-circles
• ½ medium pumpkin, chopped into 6 x 2cm pieces
• 2 small sweet potatoes, chopped into 1-1.5cm circles (omit if you are doing low carb)
• 2 medium potatoes, cut into 1.5cm cubes (omit if you are doing low carb)
• 3 large cauliflower florets, chopped into smaller florets
• 3 large tomatoes, finely chopped
• ½ cup fresh oregano, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
• ½ cup tomato paste
• 4 tablespoons olive oil

Method

Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees Celsius

1. Add all ingredients to a large baking dish about 45cm long by 30cm wide and using your hands combine all ingredients well.
2. Place in the pre-heated oven and roast for 10 minutes and then reduce heat to 220 degrees Celsius and roast for a further 35 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
3. Remove from heat and serve with roast chicken, grilled salmon, tofu or your favourite alternative.

Scrambled tofu is a great vegan protein option that can be consumed instead of scrambled eggs. It tastes great and has similar texture to scrambled eggs or fresh ricotta cheese. But it’s not just something for vegans or vegetarians, anyone trying to increase plant-based foods in their diet can make this recipe. This recipe is great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner teamed up with vegetables or salad.

(Serves 3-4)

Ingredients

• 500g medium firm tofu (can do silken or firm)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium Spanish onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (also known as savoury yeast, can be found in health food section of the supermarket or health food shops)
• ¼ teaspoon chilli flakes
• 1¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano (can use 1 tablespoon fresh oregano instead)

Method

1. Heat large frypan on medium heat and add half tablespoon oil. Add the finely chopped onions, half teaspoon oil and the black pepper. stir to combine and sauté stirring occasionally for 4-5 minutes until just colouring.
2. Meanwhile in a large bowl, crumble the tofu using your hands and then add the garlic, nutritional yeast, chilli, remaining salt, cumin, nutmeg and Worcestershire sauce then combine well.
3. On the onions add the remaining half tablespoon oil and pour in the tofu mixture stirring to combine well with the onions. Cook stirring occasionally for about 8 minutes which by the the tofu will start drying a bit and sticking slightly to the pan. Add the tomato paste and oregano and combine well. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes and then remove from the heat.
4. Serve with vegetables or a salad (pictured with sautéed vegetables)
5. Extra can be made and stored in the fridge for 3-4 days.