Wednesday 9 November 2016

The Five Food Groups Pt.2 – Fruit

Hey Fitfam Foodies! 
This is me tryna continue my 5part series on Food Groups! 

Hopefully I will pull through, lol!
So , so, so... Let's get to business right away.

In this post we will look significantly at Fruit.


Most of us eat only about half the recommended quantity of fruit.  However many of us drink far too much packaged fruit juice. Fruit juices can be high in energy and low in dietary fibre, and can even damage your teeth. Whole fruits are a much better choice, and are more filling.

What’s in the fruit group?

A wide variety of fruit is grown and available worldwide. There is plenty of choice throughout the year.  Choosing fruits in season provides better value and better quality.  Eating seasonally also adds more variety to your diet throughout the year.  And just like with veggies, choosing different colored fruits increases the variety of nutrients, which can enhance your health! 
Choose fruits from these different fruit categories:
  • pome fruits such as apples and pears
  • citrus fruit such as oranges, mandarins and grapefruit
  • stone fruit such as apricots, cherries, peaches, nectarines and plums
  • tropical fruit such as bananas, paw paw, mangoes, pineapple and melons
  • berries
  • other fruits such as grapes and passionfruit.

How much should I eat from the Fruits Group?

Did you know that by the age of nine, 2 serves of fruit per day are recommended!
  • 1 medium apple, banana, orange or pear
  • 2 small apricots, kiwi fruits or plums
  • 1 cup diced or canned fruit (no added sugar)
Or only occasionally:
  • 125ml (½ cup) fruit juice (no added sugar)
  • 30g dried fruit (for example, 4 dried apricot halves, 1½ tablespoons of sultanas)
     
Eating dried fruit regularly, is not recommended as it is high in kilojoules, can stick to the teeth and increases the risk of dental decayy. Also, you can easily eat more than you realise! 
Fruit juice should only be drunk occasionally as it is acidic and can increase the risk of dental erosion.  Fruit juice also has less fibre and other healthy nutrients than the whole fruit provides.

What can I do with fruit?

Eat fruit fresh and whole of course!  In fact, fruit is the most nutritious for you eaten fresh and raw. Fruit can be added to cereal, porridge, toast, salads, or used to finish a meal. Fruit also makes a convenient snack in between meals and while out and about.
Fruit based desserts like baked apples, fruit crumbles or stewed or poached fruit are healthy and nutritious. Fruit is also great for adding to pancakes, pikelets, scones and low fat muffins.   


Health benefits of fruit
Did you know there is increasing evidence that whole foods such as fruit are more effective in reducing the risk of cancer than specific vitamin and mineral supplements? There is also building evidence that some risk factors for cancer can be avoided by eating fruit (and vegetables and legumes) during childhood and early adult life.
Most fruits are low in energy and high in fibre and water, making you feel fuller. This reduces the risk of over eating which can cause weight gain. The fibre in fruit is also thought to reduce the risk of some cancers, including colorectal cancer.
Fruit is abundant in vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Vitamins such as vitamin C and E and different phytochemicals may reduce the risk of cardiovascular conditions. Potassium and magnesium found in fruit have also been linked to lower blood pressure.
Different colored fruits, especially orange, red and yellow fruit, contain carotenes (Vitamin A) which are also thought to assist in immune function. 

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Monday 31 October 2016

A comprehensive guide to EATING HEALTHY

Hello FitFam Foodies.


Do you want to know how to eat clean?

Do you already have a steady workout regimen, but struggling with eating clean?

Do you just want to maintain the eat clean lifestyle?

Have you just dropped a few pounds and are in need of a sustainable lifestyle to maintain your weight?

If you answered "YES" to one or more or all of these questions, then I am certian you will love

"My Comprehensive Guide to Eating Healthy"

Join my BBM Channel C002038BB to get Eating Healthy Tips.

For any enquiries, send an e-mail to fitfamfoodieng@gmail.com OR

a whatsapp message to  +234 813 849 0614



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Wednesday 19 October 2016

Carrot Noodles

Hello Fitfam Foodies!

I know some of you are tired of my funny meals already, but you can't really blame me you know?
I am just sprung on eating healthy varieties.

So some months back I made cucumber-getti...and ever since I had been dreaming of making something similar but with a different vegetable.

...And along came carrots.

Making "veggetti" is super easy. You can either use a Julienne cutter or a Spiralizer depending on the outcome you want.

A Spiralizer will give you a "noodlized" outcome, while a Julienne cutter will give you a somewhat "spaghetti" outcome.

Look at my previous post on how I made both with cucumbers here https://fitfamfoodie.blogspot.com.ng/2016/06/when-life-hands-you-cucumbers.html

So making my carrot noodles, I used a spiralizer to "noodlize" some carrots.
Sauteed some veggies in my non-stick pan.



Then added in my carrot noodles.

On low heat, I steamed my carrot noodles with the already sauteed veggies.

This will allow the carrot noodles infuse the flavors.

Voila, my spicy carrot noodles were ready.



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Tuesday 18 October 2016

The Five Food Groups Pt.1 – Vegetables & Legumes / Beans

Hey Fitfam Foodies! 
This is me tryna do a 5part series on Food Groups! 

Hopefully I will pull through, lol!
So , so, so...
The key to eating well is to enjoy a variety of nutritious foods from each of the Five Food Groups.

These Five Food Groups will make up a Guide to Healthy Eating. Please note this does not necessarily mean the “CLASSES OF FOOD” however quite similar.
Foods are grouped together because they provide similar amounts of the key nutrients of that food group.  
For example, the key nutrients of the milk, yogurt, and alternatives food group include calcium and protein, while the fruit group is an excellent source of vitamins, especially vitamin C.
To meet the nutrient requirements essential for good health, you need to eat a variety from each of the five food groups daily, in recommended amounts.  
It is not necessary to eat from each food group at every meal. In fact, in some instances, you only need to eat some of the foods in each food group a couple of times a week
In this post we will look significantly at Vegetable and Legumes / Beans.
By eating vegetables, especially colorful vegetables, there is a reduced risk of stroke and weight gain.
Vegetables, including legumes/beans are nutrient dense and are a good source of minerals, vitamins (such as magnesium, vitamin C and folate) and dietary fibre.
Vegetables come from many different parts of the plant, including the leaves, roots, tubers, flowers, stems, seeds and shoots. 
Legumes are the seeds of the plant and are eaten in their immature form as green peas and beans, and the mature form as dried peas, beans, lentils and chickpeas. 
Vegetables can be broken up into different groups, with each group providing their own unique nutrients.
The main sub-groups for vegetables are:

Dark green or cruciferous
  • Broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbages, cauliflower, kale
  • Lettuce, spinach
Root/tubular/bulb vegetables
  • Potato, cassava, sweet potato, carrots, beetroot, onions, garlic, bamboo shoots, turnip
Legumes/beans
  • Red kidney beans, soybeans, chickpeas, lentils, tofu
Each day it is important to eat a variety of different types of vegetables from each of the main vegetable groups.  This will ensure you are eating a colorful range and variety of vegetables which will provide you with many of the health promoting benefits. 

Starchy vegetables such as sweet potato, taro, cassava or sweet corn should form only part of your daily vegetable intake.

It can be hard work trying to eat the number of recommended serves of vegetables per day.  However, you can do almost anything with vegetables!  

Eat them raw, grate them, slice them, stir fry, steam or boil them and bake them.  Mix them together and add herbs, spices and other low salt flavorings... the options are endless.

It is also easy to slip veggies into other mixed dishes, especially if you are trying to increase your daily intake

Vegetables can be used fresh, frozen, canned or dried varieties.
However, if using canned varieties, avoid those with added salt.

Hope I didn't bore you with this post?! But this is part of what eating healthy entails. *winks*

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Friday 14 October 2016

HEALTHY FOOD SWAPS


Hello FitFam FOODIES!

I’m here again, feels great to be blogging a new post after a few busy weeks.

Ok, not to bore you with my tell tales…off to business! LOL!

Do you know making healthier food choices are easier than you think?  Changing a few habits in your diet can make a huge difference.

Eating healthy (and exercising regularly) can help you lose inches and as well prevent some chronic ailments and even heart disease.

There are few simple daily changes you can make to get you on your way to a healthier eating lifestyle without losing ALL the things you LOVE. *WINKS*

What I’m implying is that you don’t have to STOP it, simply SWAP it. Swap a big meal for a small meal. It’s pretty easy, basic changes such as this can make a lot of difference.

And the best part is you can make these changes as you go about your daily life. At work, home, even while shopping.

EATING HEALTHY is basically about consuming fewer foods high in calories, salt, fat and sugars…and then swapping them for healthier alternatives which include more whole grains, vegetables and fruits.

See some great SWAP tips below.

FOOD & DRINK SWAPS

Breakfast
  • ·         Swap from whole milk to semi-skim, 1% fat or skim milk.
  • ·         Swap a sugar coated cereal for a wholegrain cereal with no added sugar.
  • ·         Swap a sprinkle of sugar on your cereal for a topping of fresh/dried fruit or a drizzle of honey.
  • ·         Swap full fat yogurt for fat free yogurt or natural low fat yogurt.

Lunch
  • ·         Swap white breads for wholegrain breads.
  • ·         Swap butter and cheese with avocado.
  • ·         Swap a full cream salad for a homemade cream salad.

Dinner
  • ·         Swap the frying pan for the grill or oven when cooking meat, fish et al.
  • ·         Choose lean meat over fatty meat.

Drinks
  • ·         Swap your usual coffee made with whole milk to a “skinny” coffee made with skim milk.
  • ·         Swap a few of your sugary, fizzy, carbonated drinks for water.

Snacks
·         Swap salted nuts for unsalted nuts.
·         Swap sugary oat bars with homemade oat bars.
·         Swap white chocolates for dark chocolates.


So the next time you think about eating healthy, remember you aren’t starving, or stopping yourself from eating real food…it’s about you choosing healthy options over junk.

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Wednesday 28 September 2016

SAMPLE FOOD TABLE.

Hey FitFam Foodies,

I remember I promised to make eating healthy fun for us all.

So this is me posting a sample food table because I know there are those days we just can't bring ourselves to think of what meal(s) to prepare and/or eat.

Hope we find this table helpful (especially if you are non-Nigerian).

We can tweak the meals depending on our preferences.

Any meals can serve as breakfast, lunch or dinner. I know some people who love swallows first thing in the morning, LOL!

Eat those meals you like more often, eating does not have to seem like a chore.

Have your healthy snacks in between meals.

There should be about 3 to 4 hour intervals between each meal.

Please note that * in the table means No OIL or Little OIL
** in the table means A Handful.

PORTION CONTROL is key! (Easiest way to measure your meals, portion your meals with the size of your fist).


You can also click here for older posts on plating method https://fitfamfoodie.blogspot.com.ng/2016/05/portion-size-tips.html

and simple ways to measure standard food servings https://fitfamfoodie.blogspot.com.ng/2016/05/simple-ways-to-measure-standard-food.html

https://fitfamfoodie.blogspot.com.ng/2016/05/simple-ways-to-measure-standard-food_20.html


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Saturday 10 September 2016

Recipe - Baked Bean-Frita (Moi-moi)

Baked Bean-Frita (Moi-moi)

You will need:

Beans ( quantity to suite just as much you desire to make)
Water
Egg ( 1 or more raw eggs, 1 or more Boiled eggs - depending on the quantity of beans)
Scotch bonnet peppers (ata rodo) - sliced
Onion - sliced
Chicken-Turkey Sausage - sliced
include more ingredients as you desire

Spices and seasoning (of your choice) - I used:

Dry pepper
Ground crayfish
Ginger powder
Garlic powder
Salt
Bouillon cube

DIRECTIONS

In a bowl, soak beans in water (to make the back soft and easy to peel).

Peel the back of the beans.
Soak the peeled beans in warm/hot water (to soften it).
Once the peeled beans are soft, the next step is to grind.


In your blender/food processor add your beans, onions and scotch bonnet peppers (and some water).
Blend till you have a very smooth mix.
In a bowl, pour your blended beans mix.
Break in an egg, then add your spices and seasoning.
Mix in all till well combined.
If you don't have a hand mixer, you can use a spatula / wooden spoon.
Mix till you have a very light beans mix.

Now you will be set to start the next stage of your baked bean frita process.
Your mix is all light and flavored. Your onions, sauasge(s), egg(s), pepper(s) are all sliced.

Grease a microwave or oven safe dish.
Spread your beans mix.
Lay your sliced add-ins.


Repeat these steps depending on the size of how you want your bake to be.
I repeated mine twice.
Place your ready-to-bake bean-frita in the microwave / oven.
Bake for 12 - 15 minutes or till a knife pierced into the center of your bake comes out clean.


Voila, your healthy protein packed baked bean-frita is ready.

I enjoyed a cut piece with beef and garri ( cassava flakes , cassava dust) *winks*

Follow me on instagram @bukikolade

Extra Recipe plus Meal Prep Tip below *wink wink*

Here's a different mix with Egg and Fish Chunks.
Baked Bean-Frita cut up, packed with a side of Pap (uncooked) and Milk.


Thursday 1 September 2016

Meal Prepping

Hello Fitfam Foodies

Welcome to a brand new month.

Now many of us keep saying "I will prepare and pack my meals ahead this week". "I will change my eating habits as from Monday". "I will start eating healthy tomorrow". I will, I will, I will...

Only for us to do the exact opposite of what we WILL to do!

No, I'm NOT here to judge you, I'm here to tell you..."You Can Do It".

This is me, portioning my Bulgur and VeggieSauce
If you really want to maintain a healthy eating habit (lifestyle), then condition your mind to the fact that MEAL PREPPING is the BAGGAGE that comes with it.

Fine, there would be days you feel lazy to pack your meals, talk less of even cook...but know and tell yourself that "the MEAL PREP days" must faaaaar outweigh the "I don't care WHAT I EAT"days.

This is me packing my meal for work, the night before.
It's not easy, I know...but in the past twelve months I have realized that it is possible. If I have been doing so, then you too can.

Really it's not that difficult. Make it a habit and you would be amazed how it becomes a lifestyle.

Follow me on instagram @bukikolade

Friday 26 August 2016

BROWN RICE SWALLOW

Hey FitFam Foodies!

Please don't raise your eyebrows because I just titled this post as Brown Rice SWALLOW!

It's not a mistake. I actually mean it, cause there is such a meal so called.

I very well know Brown Rice is high in fiber, low in fat and easy to digest. BUT what I didn't know 'til some weeks ago is this :

While chatting with a fellow fitfam foodie and friend, she mentioned that she uses her son's ground brown rice to make a meal for herself.

I said to myself, Wow! 'Buki, so there's actually BROWN RICE in FLOUR form, whoo-hoo!

Boy! was I glad?! Yes I was, just because since I fell in love with Bulgur, I had totally abandoned my pack of brown rice, it was just laying there in the pantry like a forgotten toy!

The moment my friend mentioned ground brown rice...it was a EUREKA moment for me.

So if you have brown rice you haven't cooked since forever just because... this is what you can do.

Grind that brown rice into powder (flour) form, and then prepare it the same way you make your oat swallow.

I served mine with beef stew and ewedu a.k.a jute leaves.


Don't know how? This is how:

Heat a pot of water, bring it to a boil.
Quickly stir in the ground brown rice until it becomes a smooth paste.

OR

To be on the safer side, you can:

Pour some ground brown rice in your pot.
Add some water just about the same level as the ground brown rice.
On low heat begin to stir.
You may notice the mixture will be caked, keep stirring (if need be, add some more water, little though).
The mix will start to form, stir until it becomes a smooth paste.

Easy breezy! This sure cooks way way waaaaay faster than boiling your brown rice. *winks*

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Tuesday 23 August 2016

Recipe - Plantain Pie

Plantain Pie

You will need:

2 fingers of Plantain
1 egg (uncooked)

Seasoning (of your choice)

I used -

Soy sauce
Thyme
Curry

Filling

I used -

Green, Red and Yellow Bell Peppers
Onion
Scotch Bonnet Peppers
1 large Chicken and Turkey Sausage
Carrots



DIRECTIONS

Boil your plantains till soft.
Place the boiled plantains in your blender or food processor.
Break an egg in and blend till you have a puree.
Let's call that puree, the "PLANTAIN DOUGH".

Shred or slice your veggies and sausage.
In your nonstick pan or wok, sautee or steam and season your veggies and sausage to your desired texture (I always love mine soft but still crunchy).

Grease an oven or microwave safe dish.
Spread about half or a quarter of your plantain dough as the bottom layer of the pie.
(You have to be calculative here, lol)
Spread as much filling as you would love.
Spread the remaining plantain dough over the filling as the top layer of the pie.

Place your ready-to-bake pie in the oven / microwave. ( I used my microwave)
Let bake for about 13 - 15 mins or till the pie shrinks off all around  the edges of the dish.
Once your pie is ready, let it cool before you cut.

To be on the safe side you can check at intervals to avoid the pie getting burnt.

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Tuesday 9 August 2016

Oats!!!

Hello FitFamFoodies.

All I dreamt of overnight were OATS!!!

Funnily I am yet to try out overnight oats...hmm, now that's weird for a Foodie like me.

Well it's not all bad, after all there are other meals I have tried out with Oats.

Trust me, there is so much magic you can perform with this fiber packed meal.

I  am not sure if the list is endless but here are few ways I have tried out my OATMEAL.

As the regular and most common way.

Oat porridge (with fruits).











Oat pancakes (with a yum multi-fruit smoothie).

Recipe here https://fitfamfoodie.blogspot.com.ng/2016/05/recipe-oatmeal-banana-pancakes.html












My homemade granola.

Recipe here https://fitfamfoodie.blogspot.com.ng/2016/06/recipe-granola.html











Oat bars (before cutting into desired shapes).

Recipe here https://fitfamfoodie.blogspot.com.ng/2016/05/recipe-homemade-oatmeal-bars.html













Oat swallow (paired with some stew and ewedu aka jute leaves).

Recipe similar to Brown Rice Swallow, it's here https://fitfamfoodie.blogspot.com.ng/2016/08/brown-rice-swallow.html












Oat also comes in handy for me as a replacement for flour whenever I want to try out a bake recipe.

I'm certain there are other OAT meal ideas out there. These are the few I have tried.

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Monday 8 August 2016

BEANS...BEANS...BEEEEEEEANS!!!

Hello FitFamFoodies!

Welcome to a new week!

I don't understand my new found love for BEANS these days.

Maybe it's because of how I pair the yummy delight with -

  • Plantain (my main love) or 
  • Yam or
  • Sweet-potatoes or even Garri (aka Cassava flakes) *wink*
Anyway my love for beans made me curious, so I decided to find out if it did my CLEAN EATING any good.

O my! I was delighted much at what I found out...'cause all I knew before I decided to find out  is Beans is rich in Proteins and because I am trying to build lean muscle these days I know I have to up my Protein game...anyway that's a different story altogether...so back to Beans. :)


I learnt that Beans are:

  • Naturally low in fat.
  • High in fiber. (I didn't even know that)
  • A great source of protein.


And what's more? Consuming beans may contribute to feelings of fullness and satiety as a result of the fiber and protein content. This last point just made me do a JOYOUS DANCE. *whoop whoop*

That is a double dose of goodness for me. 

So how do you eat your beans? I love to play with my food as usual and  have displayed a few images of how I love to eat my beans.






 

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Monday 1 August 2016

WHAT DOES HEALTHY EATING MEAN?

Hi FitFamFoodies.
Welcome to a new month.
So to the talk for today. What is Healthy Eating?
Healthy eating means eating a variety of foods that give you the nutrients you need to maintain your health, feel good, and have energy. These nutrients include protein, carbohydrates, fat, water, vitamins, and minerals.
Healthy eating means consuming the right quantities of foods from all food groups in order to lead a healthy life.
Nutrition is important for everyone. When combined with being physically active and maintaining a healthy weight, eating well is an excellent way to help your body stay strong and healthy.
Diet is often referred to as some dietary regimen for losing weight. However, diet simply means what food we eat in the course of a 24-hour, one week, or one month, etc. period.
A good diet is a nutritional lifestyle that promotes good health. A good diet must include several food groups because one single group cannot provide everything a human needs for good health.
The crucial part of healthy eating is a balanced diet. A balanced diet - or a good diet - means consuming from all the different food groups in the right quantities.


Hence, my opinion AGAINST “fad diets” or going on a funny “no-carb diet” or an “only protein-diet”.

I eat from all food groups...I don't overeat.

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Thursday 14 July 2016

Making a Healthy Salad or Coleslaw Dressing

Hello FitFam Foodies.

Just thought to share a quick easy recipe for our salad / coleslaw dressing.

I mean because we have to eat clean does not mean we should eat dry bland salads.

So this is eazy-peazy...All you need do is this -






In a bowl, spoon about 5-6 dollops of Greek or plain unsweetened yogurt.

Add 2 caps of apple cider vinegar.

Add 2-3 tablespoons of honey.

Add a pinch of salt and a dash of dry pepper.

Whisk till smooth and all are combined thoroughly.

VOILA! You have a creamy, tasty and healthy dressing.










My dressing sitting pretty, waiting to be combined into my coleslaw.

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