Fun Functional Foods

Funky Fun Foods

Do you chose to eat to live or do you live to eat?

This is a good question.

For me it was the latter, I was almost obsessive about food. I counted everything that I ate, I even had my own book to write everything that I was eating during the day. I was worried about what I was putting into my body and I counted calories and numbers. I would have a guilt trip after every serving of black forest gateau and I would hate myself for it. I thought that if I wrote it all down, logged my food intake and counted the numbers I would be able to find a system that would free me from this. The reality was though, that the counting and watching kept me in a vicious cycle. It was just exhausting.

The turning point was when I came to the realisation that I was living to eat and I wanted to eat to live. I had to accept my body issues and let go. I chose to let go of worrying about how my body felt and how other people viewed me and I empowered myself enough to be able to say to myself,

“I am what I am, and if you cannot accept that about me then there’s the door, see you later.”

This was a big turning point for me and it was from then that I started to realise it does not matter, what numbers you are putting into your body. What is important is how you feel about yourself and your body. This in turn started to grow into its own natural evolution about the quality of the food that we put into our bodies and the importance of quality, not quantity.

The knowledge of functional foods helped me with this unbelievably. All of a sudden I did not have to worry about the numbers on the back of labels, instead I started to look at the nutritional value of foods and I took that one step further to the vibrational energy of the food. Food became a value in my life and the value it gave me was a boosted immunity, increased energy and vitality, with the added bonus of being far less stressed and being able to be relaxed about what I was eating. This within itself was immense.

When we find a way of eating that allows us to be relaxed about the types of food we eat, it makes it all so much easier. I had a student who had a history of eating disorders and once she discovered raw foods, it became easier. She did not have to worry about what she was eating, as long as it was raw food, it was ok.

A concept that helped me through my transition was learning about nutrient dense foods. These are foods that have high amounts of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and are extremely healthy for us to eat. We commonly tend to gravitate to energy rich foods as they give us that immediate ‘lift’, though it is short lived. Nutrient dense foods, on the other hand are rich in goodness and when we eat them, we have a more sustained feeling of ‘lift’ that lasts a lot longer, though the lift feeling is a lot more subtle. Nutrient dense foods give us a burst of goodness and richness because they are highly packed with super nutrients.

Nutrient dense foods are not energy dense. These are different food categories. They give us nutrients, not energy. Energy dense food could be like sugary snacks, they might give us a rush of energy, though it is a short term blast that is not sustainable. Energy dense foods can be high in calories, whereas nutrient dense foods are commonly low. You get far more value for money with the super energy dense foods.

You would have to eat between 2 to 5 slices of white bread to get the same Vitamin E levels that you would from 1 slice of wholemeal bread. This is the difference. It is about quality, not quantity.

All whole food and unprocessed foods are more nutrient dense. It is in the process of processing foods that we lose so much goodness. Milling, freezing, bleaching, heating and all other processes can easily leach out up to 85% of vitamins or minerals out and send them off down the drain. This is why we are best reducing or avoiding processed foods.

Organic foods are more nutrient dense than non-organic foods. Foods grown in a chemical free and organic environment, richer in organic materials will have higher nutrient levels. It is very easy to taste it.

So the advice given here is to aim for quality foods and forget about the quantity. In this case it is more is NOT better.

Fast Funky Foods

We all know that some foods are better for us than others. This is a given.

Some of us can have a belief that healthy food can take time to prepare and create. Though there are some healthy options that can easily be prepare. This article explores some fast and healthy options that make some great snack for kids and adults alike and that have the added benefit of being healthy and good for us.

These healthy snacks can easily be put together in a matter on minutes, with minimal time and fuss. They are perfect for instant healthy food.

• Celery sticks and peanut butter- Celery uses more calories to eat than it contains. This makes it a great food to eat. Add peanut butter or nut butter to give it some essentials fatty acids and the combination of the fresh and smooth makes a great treat. It can also be taken to a new level if you add some sliced olives.

• Popcorn – We eat a lot of popcorn in our household. We either mix butter and herb salt, a little icing sugar, lemon pepper, celery salt or parmesan cheese as good additions to consider.

• Plain salted corn chips and yoghurt - This makes a good fast food snack. Just dip the chips in the yoghurt. The reason for using plain chips is because all flavoured ones are loaded with MSG. Strawberry yoghurt is one of my favourites.

• Veggie sticks with humus, or tahini and or avocado, easy done and eaten.

• Lettuce wraps – use lettuce as you would a wrap. Cos lettuce is preferable and healthier. Wrap up cheese, nut cheeses, grated carrot and beetroot. Add sardines, olives, avocado or other combinations to suit your personal tastes.

• Chia porridge - chia is best soaked overnight, though at a push blend it dry and then add other ingredients. A breakfast can be made with Greek yoghurt and spirulina, for a great green breakfast. Blended apple and cinnamon, this one has to go in the blender and banana, almond milk and vanilla.

• Fudge balls – these can be made with any combination. Tahini, carob, almond meal, dates, hemp seeds, cocoa, honey, biscuit crumbs, peppermint oil, raisons and cashews to name a few. If you want then chunkier, then add some cranberries and pumpkin seeds. A great lunch or mid-morning snack. An easy mix used time and time again, is equal amounts if dates and nuts, cocoa and honey. These can be frozen very well, so make a big batch and freeze them up. For a quick blend you will need to use the large Californian dates.

• Chocolate crackles – Another 5 minutes treat that children love are chocolate crackles. Rice puffs or rice crispies is the base; add some honey, cocoa powder and coconut oil and place in the fridge to set.

• Cheese mice - Strawberries, cheese and flacked almonds. You can choose your mouse to be cheese coloured or strawberry coloured.

• Apple and cheese – this is a great combination and tastes great.

• Chocolate mousse – just mix together cocoa powder and avocado, with a sweetener of your choice. Another quick and easy mix.

• Wraps – use mountain bread and make your own sushi. Combinations you might like to try are avocado and vegemite. Sultanas, cream cheese and little desiccated coconut. Banana, coconut and peanut butter. Sardines, avocado and Promite. Spread lightly on the mountain bread and then roll up into mini sushi rolls. These are a great lunch idea.

• Rocket pears and Sultana – this salad still is a favourite again and again. With dressing or without. Is best made fresh and eaten fresh, as the pear does not last.

• Fruit kebabs – these can be with any fruit that you have available. Chop and cut and put together as needed.

• Tamari nuts – These are easily made. Just mix tamari and agave together and then put over a mixed nut mix. This can be dehydrated in larger batches and then kept in the containers for later.

• Alphabet Pikelets – these can be gluten free or not. Make a thicker batter of your choice and then pour into the shape of letters. Serve with honey, butter, mixed berries, yoghurts.

• Capsicum boats – chop a red capsicum into quarters and then fill with a filling of your choice. Mix with a nut dressing, mackerel, sprouts, grated carrot, shredded cabbage and avocado.

This gives you some ideas of what you can do with food items that are easily found in your cupboards. The beauty of these ideas is that they are limitless and you can keep mixing and adding as you please.

Feel free to experiment and if it is not a success, put it down to experience and I am sure the compost will appreciate it. Most of all have fun and get all the family involved. Food made with love tastes so much better.