The healthy food revolution isn’t all about eating paleo or vegan, it’s actually quite simplye

Do I really care about this new food revolution? Do I even have the time to prepare raw zucchini pesto paleo spaghetti? Do i need to eat organic?

If you’re asking yourself these questions, I’m here to tell you that the answers are that yes, you should care about the food revolution but it’s not just about eating paleo or vegan or eating raw organic foods.

The food revolution is more about eating a balanced, whole, natural & colourful selection of produce in season.

Nourishing your body is essential for longevity, it’s not a fad or a diet, it’s a way of life.

Implementing the following tips and hints will show you how easy eating healthy can be, without thinking too much or spending copious amounts of time in the kitchen trying to navigate those sometimes overwhelming paleo recipes.

1. Let’s get back to basics 

While all the fancy ‘raw organic choc raspberry tarts ’ found in our local healthy cafes make for a great treat, bring a different spin to healthy eating and look amazing. There is no denying that fresh, untampered whole food has so much more beauty, producing vibrant deep and natural colours.

Getting back to basics means less time in the kitchen, more time with the family or to yourself while still managing a nourishing, satisfying and visually appealing meal.

Cauliflower soup with a side of fries is one of my all-time favourites & a great choice when you’ve had a long day or time poor. Wait, a side of fries?  We can have our cake & eat it too?

Sweet potato fries are a hidden gem and if you haven’t discovered this trick already, rush down to the store & load up on these goodies. Out the door goes that guilty pleasure!

Recipe for Cauliflower soup with sweet potato fries

Ingredients:

1 large cauliflower washed and chopped

1 large red onion, diced

1 large crushed & diced garlic clove

Olive oil

1 large sweet potato washed with peel on

Dried or fresh rosemary

Himalayan salt

Method:

Sweet potato fries

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

Cut sweet potato into long thin sticks and lightly steam.

Lay sweet potato on a try lined with baking paper, drizzle with olive oil (or coconut oil) and sprinkle with rosemary & salt.

Place in oven and cook for up to 20-30 minutes.

Cauliflower soup

Place diced onion and garlic into a pot on medium heat, and a drizzle of olive oil and sauté onions & garlic until golden.

Add 1 cup of water and chopped cauliflower.

Cover & cook on medium heat until softened.

Blend (If you like you can add a little milk for extra creaminess).

To serve, drizzle with olive oil (the darker the colour of the oil the better).

Serve with your sweet potato fries on the side.

2. Grow a veggie

Growing your own veggies & herbs brings a bunch of fresh flavours to your dish and can actually be surprisingly satisfying. Watching your veggies or herbs grow, not only proves to be a healthy and cheap alternative, but they are also free of pesticides & herbicides often found on our store bought produce. But don’t worry if you can’t always eat or buy organic produce, its more important to get all that fresh produce into you either way.

September is a great time to start planting and anyone can grow the following in small pots.

*   Chillies are super easy to grow, all they need is direct sunlight and off they go.

*   Parsley is a great choice as you can use this herb pretty much on any savoury dish or for a twist, pop it into a green smoothie.

*   Basil – great to have fresh on top of your spaghetti Bolognese or turn into a homemade basil pesto

*   Spinach – add to salads, smoothies, scrambled eggs or stir-fry.

*   Kale is great lightly steamed & thrown into a big salad

Tip: Heirloom tomato varieties are open-pollinated you can save the seeds from the tomatoes, plant them, and they will grow into new tomato plants. Dollar saver right there!

3. Eating the rainbow

As I like to say ‘variety is the spice of life’. Incorporating over 30+ different foods into your diet means your body is able to draw on a lot more vitamins and minerals.

Here is a list of tips to navigate your fruit & veggie shopping so you can achieve luscious, nutrient dense and colourful meals.

Opt for the different shaped & coloured tomatoes, also known as ‘Heirloom tomatoes’. You may be inclined to keep your distance from those gnarly-looking shaped tomatoes, but don’t let this scare you away, they are supposed to have a wild colour variation. This indicates their diverse range in antioxidants. When it comes to heirlooms, the uglier the better, I say. Cracks and bumps give them character.

In comparison, the ‘normal’ supermarket bought tomatoes are picked when they are still green so they can survive the transportation. The tomatoes are then sprayed with CO2 (carbon dioxide) so they then can turn red. They lack both flavour and nutritionally dense qualities that are normally developed during the ripening process.

Try them with Rye toast, spinach, avocado & a poached egg for breakfast…

Always grab at least one veggie from the “brassica family” i.e. kale, cabbage, brussle sprouts, rocket & broccoli. Besides adding flavour to your meals, these vegetables are packed with loads of antioxidants, which can contribute to lowering the risk of various chronic diseases. They are also rich in vitamins such as vitamin C and folic acid, and minerals such as potassium, iron and selenium.

If it’s blue or purple throw it in. Purple carrots are an interesting change. They taste the same as ordinary carrots but due to their darker colouring they contain high levels of phenolics, doing a bang up job of getting ride of those harmful free radicals that lead to damage within our cells. Purple carrots are also anti-inflammatory agents and are great for those with allergies.

Try the cute little purple ‘Angela Aubergines’ – also known as a form of eggplant, also a great addition to your weekly veggie shop. They’re pretty creamy with a really delicious taste and

contain good levels of many essential B-complex vitamins which are essential for metabolising fat, carbohydrates and protein.

Try introducing them with Lamb chops, steamed squash, broccolini and a homemade pesto

4. Cook your food!

Cooking your food not only inactivates anti-nutritional factors such as natural toxins, but it also

destroys cell walls in plant based foods. By cooking your veggies, it increases the bioavailability of certain compounds such as carotenoids(found in carrots) and polyphenols (antioxidants).

Cooking your food will take that little bit longer than eating your veggies raw, but we want to nourish our bodies the best way possible. To do this, we need to lightly steam or blanch our greens to obtain the best possible nutrient dense meal.

Tumeric & chilli grilled chicken in coconut oil

Try Tumeric & chilli grilled chicken in coconut oil with steamed broccolini, brussel sprouts, beetroot, kale & parsley yoghurt dressing.

5. Try a different type of rice

One of my favourite types of rice is black rice, tasting just as yummy as brown rice. If you haven’t already heard of black rice, its a super nutritious add on to any meal. Because of its rich dark colour, black rice contains the same anthocyanin antioxidants found in purple foods such as blueberries & purple carrots. As I’ve mention before, antioxidants help combat cell damage!

Chocolate? Did someone just say chocolate?

6. Emotional wellbeing is just as important!

Sometimes it’s nice to treat your senses. We all have testing days and we all need to debrief. Here is a chocolate bark recipe for you to have a crack at. Maybe a snap just after dinner with some warm nutmeg milk will do the trick for you, as it does for me.

Don’t feel guilty or think of it as a ‘cheat’ day. Eating sweets in moderation is not an unhealthy habit. It can actually contribute to your emotional wellbeing, which is super important for your health. Just be sure to exercise portion control.

Recipe

1/3 c coconut oil

1/2 block of cooking chocolate or 1/2 c of cocao nibs (or both)

Handful of Buckinis

Handful of mixed chopped nuts (I’ve used Almonds & cashews )

Method:

1. Line baking tray with baking paper
2. Fill 1/3 of your pot with water and place over low- medium heat
3. Place your chopped chocolate and coconut oil into a bowl & sit on top of the pot
4. stir regularly until it is melted. Do not over heat the chocolate as it will start to clump together.
5. Add mixed nuts into the melted chocolate
6. Spread mixture over your baking tray & sprinkle your buck inis on top
7. place in freezer for up to 40 minutes
8. Break into shards & store in air tight container in the fridge

Just remember every time you eat, you are either feeding disease or fighting it !!!