The Healthy Dancer

No seriously, this recipe calls for peanut butter on slices of banana as bread!!

It’s the perfect snack combination… Not just because banana and peanut butter are pretty much solemates…. but becuase it has great and practical nutritional benefits!

The banana has good carbs and natural sugars and is a natural source of potassium which helps with muscle cramping. The peanut butter is an amazing source of protein and healthy fats. And the cinnamon has anti-inflammatory properties.

So easy, so delicious and so good for you! Perfect as a morning or afternoon snack as well as pre or post workout.

Ingredients:

• 1 Whole banana
• 2 TBSP peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
• Cinnamon to serve

Method:

1. Slice the banana into three equal parts and then slice each part in half lengthways. Place flat side up on a plate.
2. Evenly spread the peanut butter on each banana slice.
3. Sprinkle with cinnamon to suit your taste preferences.

Couldn’t be more simple!

Another great idea for a savoury breakfast… especially when you’re on-the-go! These are packed full of veg which add a crunch and the protein in the eggs make you stay fuller for longer.

They are great hot or cold!

Ingredients:

• 6 Eggs
• 1/4 Cup oil
• 1 Cup buckwheat flour
• 1 Large zucchini (grated)
• 2 Large carrots (grated)
• 1 Small tin of sweetcorn (drained)
• 2 Cups of spinach (roughly chopped)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 1 TBSP mild curry powder
• 1 TBSP dried herbs

Method:

1. Whisk all the eggs until light and fluffy.
2. Add the oil and continue beating.
3. Slowly add the flour until a smooth batter develops.
4. Add the spices and baking powder.
5. Spoon in all the veg and mix with a metal spoon until everything is evenly coated (leave the spinach until last)
6. Spoon into muffin tins and bake until golden brown or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

To make the ideal portion for a breakfast, I used large muffin tins. This makes 6 muffins and I would have one with a cup of tea and a piece of fruit for a healthy breakfast.

So as with breakfast, I often have a salad for lunch and dinner as well! The flavour combinations and recipie ideas you can create are endless. It’s also such a good way to get enough protein as well as healthy fats…. Think of all those yummy toppings!

Here are some of my recent favourites….

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So, as crazy as this may sound… I have salad for brekafast most mornings! I love starting the day with a nutritious, savoury meal. I love snacking on sweet things and having a savoury dish for my first meal allows me more space for those!

The content of the salad varies each day, sometimes I have eggs, sometimes not. Sometimes a dressing, sometimes just mayonaise… It really depends.

What I thought I would do is rather than post each salad as a seperate recipe, just upload a photo and write the special ingredients in the description…. I don’t know about you, but I am definately a visual learner…. and pictures speak so much more than words alone.

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Ingredients:

• 1 Cup pumpkin (steamed and mashed)
• 1 Egg
• 1/4 Cup coconut oil
• 1/4 Cup honey
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Mixed spice
• 1 tsp Nutmeg
• 1 tsp Ginger
• 1 Cup gluten free flour
• 1/2 TBSP Baking Powder

Method:

1. Thoroughly blend the first 4 ingredients.
2. Add the Spices, flour and baking powder until everything is blended completely.
3. Using a metal spoon, drop a golf ball size of batter onto a baking tray (pre oiled or with baking sheets)
4. Bake until golden brown
5. Gently remove from the baking tray and place onto a baking rack
6. Leave in the oven overnight at 50′ until completely dried up

Rusks are a staple part of any South African’s diet!! These little biscuits are crunchy and tasty and pair PERFECTLY with any cup of tea or coffee!

Ingredients:

Stove top Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cups raisins
• 1/3 Cup coconut oil
• 1/4 Cup honey
• 1/4 Cup berry jam
• 1/2 Cup mixed nuts (chopped)
• 1 tsp Bicarb

Binding Ingredients:

• 1 Cup grated carrots
• 1 egg

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Nutmeg
• 1 tsp Mixed spice
• 1 1/4 Cups gluten free flour

Method:

1. In a pot on the stove, melt all the ‘stovetop ingredients’ (except the bicarb) until everything has melted and stirs easily.
2. Remove from the heat and stir the bicarb in until a light foam develops.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the egg until fluffy and then add the carrots, spices and flour.
4. Finally, add the stovetop ingredients to the bowl and mix until everything is completely combined.
5. Bake in a round cake tin at 180′ for around 45min or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

I love this recipe! It is so similar to a classica Christmas Cake that everybody knows and loves during the festive season. It is moist and fruity and has those classic Christmas spices. It is even good enough to eat just slice by slice, it doesn’t even need icing like regualr cakes do!

Running out of breakfast ideas? Trying to do the ‘healthy’ thing by having a savoury start but becoming bored of your poached eggs and spinach…..?

These pancakes are the perfect addition to your breakfast menu! They have the goodness of dark leafy greens, eggs for protein and a banana for a litlle bit of sweetness and carbs. Wait no longer….

Ingredients:

• 2 Eggs
• 1 Ripe banana (mashed)
• 1 Cup of spinach (chopped)
• 1 TBSP of chia seeds
• 1 tsp of Baking powder
• 1 tsp of Apple cider vinegar
• A dash of salt
• Cinnamon to serve

Method:

1. Beat both eggs until light a very fluffy
2. Add the mashed banana until completely blended
3. Add the chia seeds, vinegar, salt and baking powder.
4. Once combined, add the spinach
5. Allow to stand in the fridge for about 15 minutes
6. When ready to cook, fry on a stovetop pan in pancake shapes
7. When stacking, sprinkle cinnamon in-between each pancake

I’m one of those people who love snacky food. Like a tapas style meal…. I would much rather have loads of little things to nibble than a full blown meal.

These little chickpea bites are packed full of flavour and are a great addition to a savoury snack like sliced cucumber and tomatoes but are as good topped on a salad or eaten alone.

Chickpeas are high in protein as well as digestive fibre. They are a legume that has been grown and used in the middle east for thousands of years but in recent times, have become much mroe popular amoung western culture for their nutritional qualities. (Elliot, 2018)

Ingredients:

• 1 Tin of chickpeas (drained and rinsed under cold water)
• Olive oil to drizzle
• Paprika
• Cayenne pepper
• Dired oregano
• Turmeric
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. In a large bowl, mix the chickpeas with a drizzle of oil and as much seasonings as desired.
2. Put onto a large baking tray and roast at 180′ for around 30 minutes (until crispy)

Resources:

Elliott, B RD, 8 Great Reasons to Include Chickpeas in Your Diet, (2018) [Available online] healthline.com

In need of a little afternoon pick me up, something to nibble on with a cuppa? Some kind of insentive to continue working through the afternoon…

Cue the tasty, chewy, Coconut Bliss Biscuits. They are great with a cuppa tea, on their own or pared with some slices of fruit for a carbohydrate boost before a workout.

Ingredients:

• 1 Ripe banana
• 1 Chia egg (1 TBSP chia seeds soaked in 4 TBSP water)
• 1 Egg
• 1 TBSP honey
• 1 TBSP coconut oil
• 1/2 Cup coconut flour
• 1/2 Cup dessicated coconut
• 1/2 Cup buckwheat flour
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• A pinch of salt

Method:

1. Blend the banana, both eggs, honey and oil until they form a smoth, bubbly liquid.
2. slowly add the rest of the ingredients until a cookie batter develops.
3. Wet your hands slightly and roll into palm size balls, place on a baking tray and flatten with the underside of a fork.
4. Bake for around 15 minutes (until slightly browned)

Let’s start with something sweet shall we?

How often do you finish your dinner, no matter how big, how nutritious or how tasty… and still need something sweet to satisfy?

How about every night? That’s me!

I’ve always loved sweet treats and have a habit of having dessert each evening. Sometimes that can be a couple squares of dark chocolate, a hot chocolate, a piece of fruit, but more often than not, I want something a little bit more… something, decadent (in a healthy sense of course!)

So this is one of those combinations of chocolate (which I love!) Fruit, which has good sugars, fibre and vitamins and some tasty texture to finish it off….

Introducing my Coconut-Banana Chocolate Bites!

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe banana
• 1 row of dark chocolate
• A dash of hot water
• A dash of almond milk
• A sprinkle of cinnamon
• A TBSP of dessicated coconut

Method:

1. In a small bowl, melt the dark chocolate with just enough water to make a thick paste.
2. Add some almond milk to make it slightly smoother.
3. Stir in some cinnamon
4. On a plate, slice the banana into thick chunks and drizzle the chocolate over.
5. Finally, sprinkle with coconut and freeze for about 20 minutes