RECIPE | Healthy Chicken Schnitzel (Paleo, Gluten Free, Kid-Friendly!)

(In my best German accent) Who doesn't love a good schnitzel? 

This is an easy, healthy alternative to the popular fried chicken schnitzel. It still contains oil but not nearly as much and you can either make it with coconut oil or rice bran oil depending on your thoughts on those oils. My son's favourite food is schnitzel and he loves this alternative :)

Ingredients:
2 organic, free range chicken breasts, sliced super thin
3 organic, free range eggs, whisked
Approx half a cup of almond meal or LSA
1/4 cup coconut flour or as much as needed 
Handful of parsley, chopped small
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt & pepper to taste
Approx 1 tbs coconut oil or rice bran oil


Directions:
Mix garlic, garlic powder and parsley together and mix with chicken to marinate the chicken. Put in the fridge covered for about an hour to marinate
When it is ready, take out the chicken and coat in the coconut flour. I just put the flour on a plate and press the chicken into it
Then dip the chicken into the whisked eggs
Then coat the chicken with almond meal or LSA

Heat a frypan on medium to high and add oil of choice to pan, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan - about a tablespoon
When the oil is warm enough (you can test by putting the end of the chicken in to see if it starts to sizzle) add the chicken in and cook for approximately 2 minutes on each side or until golden
Once cooked, place on paper towel to help drain any oil
Serve with salad and a squeeze of lemon


Delish! Easy, Paleo friendly, kid friendly meal :)

Bee xx

Kale Chips! A great way to get your kids to eat kale!

My son eats well most of the time but getting him to eat kale was a struggle until..enter.. kale chips.... 

He gets so excited now when he sees kale and practically begs me to make kale chips for him.

If you haven't tried them, it is worth giving them a go. They are very easy, delicious & nutritious! They make a great snack for the kids or side dish for the adults.

You can experiment with different spices. I usually use cumin & coriander seeds to sprinkle over the top.

Ingredients:
Kale (shock horror)
Tiny pinch of rock salt
Tiny amount of olive oil

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 200'c
Line baking with baking paper
Mix the kale, salt, oil and any other spices together and spread out over baking tray.
Bake for around 15 minutes until kale turns slightly browned (some parts will go darker) and super crunchy



Enjoy!

Bee xx

RECIPE | The Pizza Omelette (Pumpkin, Tomato & Parmesan) - Paleo

This is such a great, throw whatever you have left over in the mix kind of meal. Very filling, can be made for one or more people... 

I have listed what I used but you can throw in anything, you could add cheese or ham or any other vegetable, the possibilities are endless :)

Ingredients:

2 eggs whisked

About 200gm diced & roasted pumpkin

1 tomato, roughly chopped

Half a red onion, diced

4-5 big tablespoons home-made pasta sauce

A small handful of chopped mixed herbs, I used fresh basil, parsley & oregano - from my garden of course :)

A little parmesan to shave over the top

Pinch of rock salt 

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Heat olive oil in small pan

Add onion and cook on medium for 2 minutes

Add tomato & salt and cook for another minute

Add pumpkin and sauce and let simmer for a minute

Add whisked eggs and half of the herbs 

Cover with lid and cook until egg fluffs up and is firm

Tip on to plate, top with remaining herbs and shaved parmesan

Bellissima! Pizza Omelette :)

Enjoy!

Bee xx

RECIPE | The Ultimate Chocolate Milkshake! (Dairy Free, Low Fodmap)

Last night, I came home from a Bikram Yoga class late, hungry, thirsty and craving chocolate BADLY!

So what's a girl to do? Why make a chocolate milkshake of course!

This chocolate milkshake is like no other that I have ever tasted, it is so delicious and replenishing, especially after a work out. 

It feels so indulgent but it is packed full of nutritious super-foods!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups milk of choice (I used a mix of organic almond & coconut milk)
1 tablespoon raw organic cacao
Half an avocado
1 banana
Handful of berries (whatever you have, I used blueberries & raspberries)
Half a teaspoon maca powder
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 cup of ice

Blend all ingredients together and top with a few more frozen raspberries.

This would serve 2 people but I was being a piggy and drank the whole thing! Mmmmm.....

Enjoy!

Bee xx

RECIPE | Banana Bread (Paleo, Grain Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free) - Delicious!

This banana bread is a must try for all banana bread lovers. It looks just like 'real' banana bread. It is moist & delicious just how any good banana bread should be although it contains no grains, no dairy and no refined sugar. It is delicious recipe for paleo eaters :) I have been given the tick of approval by hubby and friends that this is a much nicer, lighter version of the heavy bread found elsewhere.

I embarked on a paleo lifestyle a few weeks ago and ever since I have longed for a slice of banana bread! Mainly because I couldn't eat it I am sure! I am glad I had the craving because this led me to three weekends of perfecting this delicious banana bread recipe. After trial and error I am so happy with the result! I am actually eating a slice now with a cup of tea!

Ingredients:

3 medium bananas, mashed very well

2 tablespoons desiccated coconut

1 cup tinned coconut milk

2 tablespoons shredded coconut

2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
2 tablespoons raw honey 

2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

3 eggs

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup almond meal

3/4 cup coconut flour 

1 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of salt 

A few almonds or whatever you have handy to sprinkle on top

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 180'c

Grease & line loaf tin

Whisk bananas, vanilla, eggs, honey & coconut milk together 

Add almond meal, coconut flour, shredded coconut, cinnamon, baking soda & salt, whisk until combined breaking up any clumps with the whisk

Mix through the melted coconut oil

Whisk all for approx 1 minute until it reaches a smooth(ish) consistency

Pour into prepared loaf tin & bake for 1 hour - 1 hour 15 mins - until skewer comes out clean

Half way through you may need to cover the top loosely with foil to stop it browning.

Voila! Yummy banana bread to kill the cravings without any guilt :) You can serve with some butter or honey (or both) or it is lovely on it's own.

Enjoy!

Bee xx

Just a note on the ingredients, everything listed can be found at health food stores but I also have seen everything a large supermarkets. I found Bob's Mill Organic Coconut Flour at Coles so these things aren't hard to find :)

HOW TO | Kombucha

SCOBY DOBY DOO! Let’s get Kombucha making!

Making anything from scratch is so rewarding. Kombucha is no exception. The first taste of your first fizzy batch of kombucha will make you so proud!

It is a very easy process. The key is getting the balance right of sweetness & tart. You don’t want it to taste too sweet because that means it hasn’t been fermenting long enough and there is too much sugar in it still and you don’t want it too tart because it won’t be palatable. I personally find that 7 days is generally a good amount of time for the amount I make (3 litres) to ferment.

This week it has been really warm weather so I only needed it to brew for 6 days… Other times when it was really cold in winter I left it for 10 or so days. You will get the hang of it and how you like it. Another way I can tell if mine is ready is by the thickness of the new SCOBY that forms on top of the mother SCOBY. 

 

What the heck is a SCOBY you ask? It is the white ugly looking thing that forms on top of the fermented tea - Symbiotic Culture/ Colony of Bacteria & Yeast. Some people refer to it as the ‘mushroom’ or the ‘mother’’. You can see it formed my photo at the top of this page.

 

 

Once you have the first part of the fermentation down pat (meaning you know how long to brew it for to suit your tastes) you can start experimenting with different flavours & extra carbonation. This is called the ‘second fermentation’. I have made ginger flavour, berry flavour and am currently experimenting with apple flavour. So far I love the berry flavour, as does my son. It is easy to do; you literally just add pieces of what you like to the Kombucha in an airtight flip lock bottle and allow it to ferment for a few days which creates extra carbonation (caused by the sugar in the fruit and the compression of the bottle/ lack of oxygen). It is never going to be fizzy like a bottle of coke because that is forced carbonation. This is natural carbonation so once you get used to it you will be surprised at just how bubbly you can make it! Again, this is trial and error. Be careful because I have heard that the bottle tops can pop off or the bottles can explode from all of the carbonation. I have never experienced this myself though. Because I have been worried about it happening, I always store my bottles in a cooler bag in the laundry so if they do explode they will just explode in the bag and cause no damage.

 

To get started you will need a SCOBY and some starter liquid. I have heard of people making their own SCOBY’s from raw Kombucha they have bought. You will find more information on that on the links provided below. I got my SCOBY from my yoga teacher. If you know someone that brews their own Kombucha they will most likely have a spare SCOBY to give away as they are constantly multiplying. Otherwise you can buy them online. The links below have a source for online SCOBY's.

Here are some great sites with useful information if you would like to read. They also have recipes for making Kombucha.

http://www.culturesforhealth.com/make-kombucha

http://www.kombuchakamp.com/kombucha-recipe

This is what I do exactly..

What you will need:
Big wide mouthed jar (a big biscuit jar is ok)
An elastic band
One or two pieces of paper towel

Ingredients:
6 tea bags (Green Tea, White Tea or English Breakfast Tea)
1 cup plain white sugar, castor sugar or raw cane sugar (I find white sugar works best)
3 litres of filtered water
1 cup starter liquid & a SCOBY

Method:
I use 3 organic Green tea and 3 organic English breakfast tea bags (you can't use flavoured tea only, the oil in the tea ruins the SCOBY although one or two bags for flavour should be fine).

Boil 3 litres of water in a big pot.
Once boiled, add tea bags and leave to brew for 5-10mins
Take them out, stir in 1 cup plain white sugar and let it dissolve (remember the SCOBY lives off the sugar, so the end product actually has very little sugar in it)
Take off the heat, let it come to room temperature
Pour into brewing vessel (big glass jar with wide neck)
Pour SCOBY and starter liquid on top (it will start to float after a couple of hours)
Cover glass jar with a piece or two of paper towel and secure with rubber band (make sure there is no room for bugs to crawl in)
Keep in well-ventilated area (I store mine in the laundry), away from direct sunlight
Keep for 7-10 days. Taste along the way. The longer you leave it the more tart it will become

I then do the second fermentation but you don't have to, you can just drink it now :)

 

Second fermentation goes like this:

Get a few airtight flip lock bottles, wash out and dry.
Pour kombucha into bottles, add a few pieces of fruit if you like then top up until it reaches 1cm to top of bottle. Close and store in cooler bag for a few days before transferring to fridge.

NOTES ON CLEANING THE JARS – Do NOT use antibacterial soap or hand soap when touching the SCOBY or cleaning out the jar, it will kill the SCOBY. Just wash it out with warm soapy dishwashing liquid or white vinegar and dry thoroughly. I also pour boiling water all over the jar when I am cleaning it. I keep refilling my jar without washing it out for about 3-4 brews, then I clean it out and start again.

Let me know how you go.

Happy brewing!!!

Bee xx

RECIPE | Raw Chocolate Fudge Tart with Salted Chocolate Sauce Icing (Dairy Free, Gluten Free)

Ok all you chocoholics, this one is for you!

This makes 16 squares of chocolate fudge tart goodness. You can easily double the recipe if you need to for a larger group.

I took this to my father in laws last night where they don't really embrace healthy eating so I didn't tell them it was a healthy raw dessert. They thought they were eating a naughty chocolate brownie full of flour, butter and sugar... mwahahahahaha (best evil laugh), little did they know they were getting loaded full of good stuff!

Raw Chocolate Fudge Tart Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups almonds
1/3 cup raw organic cacao powder
1 tablespoon tahini paste (I used unhulled, you can use either)
1 1/2 tablespoons creamed coconut (similar to coconut oil if you can't find creamed coconut, don't confused with coconut cream! Creamed coconut has a much stronger coconut flavour)
2 tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup (not the fake stuff)
6 medijool dates
1/4 cup filtered water (more if you need it)

Salted Chocolate Sauce Ingredients:
2 tablespoons creamed coconut (or coconut oil)
2 tablespoons 100% pure maple syrup 
1 tablespoon raw cacao powder
1/4  teaspoon Himalayan pink rock salt
A little touch of water


Tart Directions:
Line square tin with baking paper
Blitz almonds in food processor until they resemble breadcrumbs
Add dates and blitz again until combined 
Add cacao, tahini paste, creamed coconut and blitz again until combined
Add water, you may need a little more or a little less it will start to resemble a fudgy (yes fudgy is a word) texture

Once all is combined and you are happy with the texture, scoop the mixture and spread evenly in to prepared tin
Put it in the freezer for 20mins

Sauce Directions:
Put all ingredients in small sauce pan on the lowest heat 
Whisk together, you may like to add a little water
Remove from heat once combined

Take the tart out of the freezer and pour the sauce all over the top. You can top with raw cacao, almonds, coconut... anything you like!

Put it all back in the freezer for another 30 mins to set.


Take it out, cut into squares and serve. 

Best kept refrigerated.

Enjoy!

Bee xx

RECIPE | Overnight Soaked - Brekky in a Jar

There is something about eating out of a jar that just makes it all the more special to eat.. No idea why, I guess it is just the novelty factor. When I am in need of a super energising brekky which is a bit more filling than a smoothie, I always opt for a "Brekky in a Jar". 

The possibilities are endless with what you can put in these jars, but here are a couple of my favourites :)

Overnight Soaked Chia & Oats Brekky in a Jar

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon chia seeds
Half cup rolled oats
3/4 cup milk of choice (I am loving coconut milk at the moment)
Handful of frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon of dessicated coconut
2 teaspoons maple syrup 

Directions:
Mix together chia seeds with oats and stir in milk
Allow to sit on bench for 10 minutes 
Stir again to ensure the chia soaks up all the milk properly (otherwise it goes clumpy)
Put in fridge over night

In the morning you can layer your brekky in a jar. I layer all of the ingredients and add a little maple syrup over the coconut. I like to put frozen blueberries on top so by the time I get to work they are defrosted and the juice runs through the other ingredients :)


Overnight Soaked Chocolate Chia & Raspberry Brekky in a Jar

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon chia seeds
1 cup milk of choice (I am loving coconut milk at the moment)
Handful of frozen raspberries
Handful of slivered almonds
2 teaspoons raw cacao
2 teaspoons maple syrup 

Directions:
Mix together chia seeds with cacao and stir in milk
Allow to sit on bench for 10 minutes 
Stir again to ensure the chia soaks up all the milk properly (otherwise it goes clumpy)
Put in fridge over night

In the morning you can layer your brekky in a jar. I layered all of the ingredients and added some loving earth chocolate buckinis on top.. You could just add extra almonds or other nuts, it is nice for some extra crunch!

Enjoy!

Bee xx

Health is our life... why don't we care about it!

People these days put so much time and energy into things that really don’t matter. There is so much emphasis on monetary items, yet so little on growing ourselves as humans and looking after our bodies. While it is fun to have fancy things or work really hard to save to buy something you want, it’s also important to realise that there is not much point having all of these things if our quality of life is mediocre due to the fact that we have given up or stopped caring about our health.

Our health is our life. It is what determines the quality of life that we live. I can’t stand it when I hear people say - “I will eat and do what I like because if I die at least I will die happy”. Really? How can you live a happy life with high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and obesity? 

Some people live their life for so long on different medications to control certain illnesses/ symptoms that they start to believe that is just how it is. They think that medication for the rest of their lives is to be expected. The diseases that are caused by a bad diet can also be reversed by a good one. They just don’t seem to care enough about themselves to make this change.

The western world is a funny place. We are rich in technology, money and scientific breakthroughs yet poor in health, well-being and nutrition.

We know so much about the chemical breakdown of foods yet still choose foods that have low-no nutrient levels. In Australia, we have access to the most spectacular foods, fresh, beautiful healthy foods, yet fast food and processed foods take place as the norm.

We are absolutely spoilt for choice yet we never know what to cook or have no time to cook and people claim they can’t cook - enter – ‘over marketed processed 1 minute and they’re ready’ foods which take over.  When I go to the supermarket and look in people’s trolleys (this is normal right? J) I feel sick for our world that this is what our generation are eating. Our great grandparents would be ashamed. Meals that come in a box that take a minute to microwave – ARE NOT MEALS!

People have become so lazy. I know it may take half an hour to wash, chop and cook ingredients to turn them into a meal but how much better is the feeling of making something fresh rather than taking it out of a box and zapping out any remaining nutrients in the microwave? 

It is hard sometimes to find time to make meals, especially if you have a family but this is where preparation comes in. I work full time and have a family (one little angel and a husband – that sometimes acts like a second child ;-) ) and I always want my family to feel good and healthy and to do this I need to be organised. I make list each weekend of what I will be cooking for the week so I know what to buy when I do my shopping. Then if I need to I spend my Sunday afternoon getting things ready for the week, like healthy snacks for my son to take to school or a big vegetable bake or soup that we can heat up if we don’t have time to cook.
                      

I think some people are scared to be healthy because they think if they make the change then they have to be perfect all of the time. Being healthy isn’t about that, it just means you are making a conscious decision to make your health a priority. You actually need to care about yourself (and your family if you have one) enough to actually give a crap about what you are feeding your body. I love a chip or ten here and there, some chocolate or ice-cream, I even love burgers! – Especially my hubby’s homemade specialties but these are treats and not my every day diet so it is ok to indulge occasionally and not feel bad about it. If you fill your plate with fresh wholesome fruits and veggies, organic grass fed meats, healthy grains like quinoa, brown rice or millet most days then the occasional slice of pizza or burger isn’t going to hurt you! 

Just love yourself enough to care about what you eat.

Everything in moderation, 80/20 (80% good, 20% bad) is the way I like to enjoy food. It is impossible to be perfect all the time so I try for 80% of the time and the other 20% I don’t really worry about it.

Find a way to move your body that you love.. Running, swimming, yoga and go do it! Do it as much as you can.

I am always trying new recipes to help you and myself to find easy, tasty and healthy meals. If you have any you would like to share please add in the comments below or on bare nourisment's facebook page :)

That is my rant over...

Bee xx

Images sourced from
http://livinginthesun.info/portugal-vs-england-fruit-and-vegetables/
http://www.sustainababy.com.au/blog/June-2010/What-s-In-Your-Shopping-Trolley-

RECIPE | Antioxidant Power Smoothie!

This smoothie is one of my favourites! So tasty! Great for summer coming up too! You can freeze this to make iceblocks too which the kids will love!

Ingredients:
1 cup coconut water
Half cup frozen organic blueberries
Half cup frozen organic strawberries
1 teaspoon maca powder
1 banana

Blend all ingredients together and top with Goji berries!

Enjoy

Bee xx

Basic Homemade Sauerkraut

To very briefly explain why you should try this (a part from it being tasty) is because it is a very inexpensive way to increase your probiotic intake. We all know probiotics are beneficial to gut health and the gut is responsible for so much in keeping us feeling good - so why not feed it with good bacteria! The store bought sauerkraut is not as good for you because it has been pasteurised (meaning it no longer contains all of the beneficial bacteria & enzymes) and it contains way too much salt! And why buy it when you can make so much of it for under $2!


How does cabbage ferment? The lactic acid found in cabbage eats away at the natural sugars causing fermentation. I found some great information on the livestrong website if you would like to read further about the benefits of sauerkraut and what good bacteria it contains click here http://www.livestrong.com/article/413921-does-sauerkraut-have-all-the-probiotics-i-need/.

Don't be turned off by the long list below - it really is super simple.

What you will need

Jars to store sauerkraut
A big mixing bowl
Knife or mandoline to shred cabbage
A wooden spoon or rolling pin
Cooler bag (I just use a cheap, thin one from the supermarket)

 Ingredients
-1 organic cabbage (must be organic or chemical free, the chemicals and pesticides will harm the good bacteria trying to grow while in the fermenting stage)
-1 teaspoon sea salt (I only use Pink Himalayan Sea Salt, but just use whatever you have on hand if you don’t want to buy any)
-Save all of the outer leaves of the cabbage – wash them well

Directions
-First wash everything the cabbage will be touching (including your hands) such as the mixing bowl and the jars you will be storing the sauerkraut in. I use small mason jars but anything with an airlock lid is fine. I wash them in warm soapy water, rinse them and then pour boiling hot water from the kettle all over them to make sure they are sterilised. Pour boiling hot water from the kettle all over the end of the wooden spoon to sterilise; you will be using this to pack in the cabbage-Wash cabbage in filtered water
-Shred or slice the cabbage as thin as possible (this is where a mandoline is great! If you don’t have one though just use a knife)
-Put all of the cabbage in the mixing bowl and pour in half of the salt.
-Crush and mix all the cabbage with your hands (it is quite therapeutic). It will begin releasing some of the water, and then add the remaining salt and keep crushing for a couple of minutes until is the cabbage is soft
-You are now ready to pack the cabbage into your jars
-With your hands, stuff the jars inch by inch with cabbage, every now and then use the end of the wooden spoon to pack it in really tight so there is no space, and continue doing this until you reach about an inch before the top of the jar
-Fill the jars with filtered or spring water to just above the packed in cabbage
-Once you have done this with all of your jars, roll the outer leaves of cabbage that you saved and put on top of shredded cabbage to create a layer between that and the lid. This will help to keep the shredded cabbage submerged in the water (this will help prevent mould from forming)
-Close the lids tight and put all of the jars in your cooler bag, if you don’t have a cooler bag just put in a plastic bag. Some people like to place a plate with weights on top of the jars, I don’t think this is necessary.
-Now it is time to store your sauerkraut to let all of the fun fermentation begin! I store mine in the garage in the cooler bag for 5 days, then transfer to the fridge to enjoy! It lasts for about a month in the fridge.

When the weather is warm, it might be ready after only 3 days so just keep checking on it. Or it might take longer if it is cooler – up to 10 days. You will know is ready when lots of little bubbles form around the jars and the cabbage looks a bit lighter in colour. You can taste it along the way if you want to, it will taste slightly pickled and tangy.

Once it is ready, sometimes the top layer of cabbage (the rolled outer layer) will form a few holes or mould, this is not harmful (as long as you can’t see any in the rest of the jar). Mould sometimes forms on the parts that are not submerged in water - you can just take this off and throw it away.

The sauerkraut should taste tangy but not sour or yeasty at all. If it tastes mouldy or you think something is off – probably best not to eat it.

It is normal for some of the water to bubble up and come out of the lid. This happens during fermentation when the bubbles are forming. This is why I like using a cooler bag as it keeps everything in. Once the sauerkraut is ready to transfer to the fridge you can just pour a little of the water out when you take off the top layers of outer cabbage leaves.
Store for up to a month in the refrigerator and enjoy! I have it most days, a little before lunch or with lunch and then a spoonful or two before dinner. :-)

I will do another post about creating different flavours and different cultured vegetables but this is just a good place to start if you have never done it before. :-)

TIP – If you aren’t a fan of the taste of sauerkraut, you can just add a tablespoon or two on top of your salads. You will get used to the tangy taste and soon enough you will probably crave it like I do. Stay tuned for my next post on flavoured sauerkraut. You can experiment with different flavours like adding garlic, chilli, caraway seeds- anything really – the possibilities are endless. Let me know if you have any recommendations for a different flavour that I should try.

TIP - You can open the lid every day to let out some of the gasses, this helps to prevent it from bubbling out of the jar. You don't have to do this but it makes it a lot less messy! :)

Enjoy!

Bee xx

RECIPE | RAW Coco-Nutty Rough "Truffles"

These little bite sized balls of goodness are deceivingly healthy! You will think you are eating something very naughty when in fact there is nothing bad in them! I made these tonight with my 5 year old (who loves them!), they are super easy and quick to make and impressive to serve with a cup of tea after dinner!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup almonds

1 cup walnuts

1/2 cup organic raisins

3-4 medjool dates

1/2 cup shredded or dessicated coconut plus a little extra 

1 tablespoon cold pressed organic coconut oil

1 teaspoon filtered water

Directions:

Mix nuts and coconut in food processor until fine. Add remaining ingredients until it all resembles the texture of breadcrumbs. 

Roll them into balls, they will make 10-12 larger pieces or around 20 smaller bite sized pieces.

Once done, roll them in the extra shredded or dessicated coconut to serve.

Refrigerate for at least an hour to set.

That's it! Easy peasy deliciousness!

Tip: When rolling them into balls they may fall apart a little, if this happens just pick up the mixture, squeeze into a ball shape then gently shape, once they are rolled in coconut and put in the fridge they will set and hold together.

Enjoy!

Bee xx

1. 
   

Being healthy doesn't need to cost a fortune!

Today's blog is about eating healthy on a budget because a lot of people think that to eat on a budget you need to buy processed packet food. 

This is not true! When you add up how much you're spending on processed food it probably works out to be more than it would be if you bought fresh! Not to mention the long term costs of eating processed foods (illnesses, lack of energy - I could go on, I will save that for a another day!)  While some speciality items can be expensive, these are not essentials and if you can't afford them then don't buy them!

If you plan your weekly meals or at least have a fair idea what you want to cook for a few nights, the grocery shop can be easy and cheap!

I put myself to the test with this because at one stage I was spending a ridiculous amount of money on food (over $450 per week for 3 people - 2 adults and a 5 year old -craziness!). I wasn't looking at the price of items and must have been buying random unnecessary items. At the end of the month I was wondering where all my money had gone and when I looked through my bank statement I realised it was all of the little shops in between my big weekend grocery shop that was making it all add up. If I had just planned my meals before my shop and purchased everything I needed on the weekend then there would be no reason to go to the shops at all during the week. Plus it didn't help that I was going to the markets, then to the butcher then to deli... When going to all these different stores it's easy to lose track of how much you're spending. 

So with better planning and my budget cap on I went to Aldi to do my weekly shop (I think I am converted) and can happily say I am spending under $150 per week on groceries - this even includes fresh fruit and vegetables, meats and other house hold items. While no fresh produce compares to an organic farmers market, sometimes it just isn't convenient or accessible so just make sure you wash your produce really well before consuming to remove some of the toxins entering your body from the pesticides used. I always wash mine if non organic in solution of water and apple cider vinegar. (quick tip: you can do all of the washing of the produce all at once and dry it and put it away for the week so you don't have to do it each day).

I like my family to eat whole, clean, organic (when possible) foods, and while I thought it was necessary to buy all fancy items, it really isn't! You can have a yummy wholesome dinner each night for under $15 easily!

Some examples of dinners I will be making my family this week (all from Aldi - btw Aldi has a great selection of organic foods - just not fruit and veg yet).

- Stir-fried grass fed organic beef strips with broccoli, carrot, capsicum and brown rice

- Grilled chicken breast (marinated in garlic and dried herbs over night) with roasted root vegetables, mixed with quinoa topped with goats cheese feta

- Organic grass fed lean beef mince spaghetti bolognese with vegetables (enough for two nights) can be made with gluten free pasta (tastes the same!)

- Quinoa risotto (recipe on blog)

So things to remember when doing your shop- 

- First have your list with you so you know exactly what you are there to buy

- Make your dinners a little bigger so you can eat the left overs for lunch the next day to save buying it

- Buy nutritious side dishes that fill you up such as quinoa or brown rice)

- Actually look at the price of food (this sounds silly but I never did and the food that is expensive is usually not in season!)

Let me know if you have some good recipes or tips on eating healthy on a budget!

Bee xx

image sourced from: jcnn.com.au

RECIPE | The Cheeky Taco (that really isn't a taco!) Tuna, Cherry Tomatoes, Carrot, Avocado, Cabbage

Something light, quick & easy to make when you can't be bothered to make anything at all!

Tonight my hubby has taken our son to a footy match which leaves me home to relax and not having to cook for anyone! Exciting yes, but I am hungry! So, what to cook when (a) you can’t be bothered to cook and (b) you have no food in the house?

Deciding I was hungry enough to look for something to eat I searched my fridge and pantry and realized that I actually did have food it was just time to be a little creative with the limited food I could find so I made a healthy Crunchy Tuna, Avocado, Carrot & Tomato ‘Taco’, it was delicious and took about 5 minutes to make!

Ingredients:
1 tin of tuna
½ Avocado - sliced
1 carrot – grated
small handful of cherry tomatoes – each tomato cut in half
large cabbage leaf or wrap

Dressing Ingredients:
½ teaspoon dijon mustard
half a lemon – juice squeezed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 large cabbage leaf (for taco) otherwise a wrap would be nice too

Directions:
Mix all dressing ingredients together with a fork

Mix tuna, carrot and tomatoes together, pour in the dressing ingredients and combine
Place sliced avocado along middle of cabbage leaf
Top with tuna mixture & voila a delicious Crunchy Tuna, Avocado, Carrot & Tomato ‘Taco’!