HEALTHY HOMEMADE HUMMUS [RECIPE]

It's about time I share with you all one of my favourite snack recipes of all time, hummus! Now I highly doubt that any of you haven't heard of hummus but if for some reason you're not sure...hummus is a dip made from chickpeas and seasonings. It's very high in protein and nutrition due to the incredible chickpeas and lemons used.

Ingredients
1 can Chickpeas
1/2 Lemon
Dash of Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Spices of your choice;
Lemon pepper Seasoning
Cayenne Pepper

Equipment
You will need a blender, processor, Ninja or some sort of equipment that will blend all of this together.

Method
Throw all of the ingredients into your blender, processor or whatever you are using to mix this all together.

Tips
To enhance the lemon flavour you can leave the chickpea and lemon juice sitting in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

I like to serve my hummus with carrot and celery sticks or some multigrain crackers.
 

 

Thank you for reading :)




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HOMEMADE SUSHI {QUICK DINNER RECIPE}

Sushi is my absolute favourite food but it can be quite expensive, impractical and inconvenient to have to have buy it each day so I love making my own instead. This is a recipe which will talk you through the ingredients required and steps necessary to take in order to achieve healthy and delicious homemade sushi.

Ingredients
Sushi Rice

Seaweed Sheets

Fillings

Mayonnaise

Ginger

Soy Sauce

Wasabi

Equipment
Bamboo Mat
Sharp Knife

Method
- Put your sushi rice in the microwave to cook  for about 10-15 minutes.
- While your waiting for your rice to cook, set up your rolling mat with a sheet of seaweed on it.
- Also while your waiting, cut up all of your fillings. I like combinations such as avocado and cucumber or cream cheese and avocado. Think about what you usually order when you're out eating sushi, then buy the fillings and you can make that exact roll yourself.
- Once your rice has finished, come back to your rolling mat with seaweed on it, spread a thin layer of rice on your seaweed sheet and then place your fillings just off centre in a line on top of the rice.
- Roll your sushi sheet with the help of your bamboo mat ensuring that the sides are sealed.

Tips
- I use vegan cream cheese for a lighter, healthier option.
- The proper Japanese mayo from Kewpie is by far the most delicious.
- Cut up your sushi with a damp knife for precise slicing.
- Make sure to squeeze a bit of mayo on the sheet before you roll it up to help everything stick together.

Thank you for reading :)




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THE CONTROVERSY OF SUPERFOODS - MY RESPONSE

 

The Checkout is an Australian ABC program commenting on all current social matters and I think is a very well made program but often a hit or miss. I would compare it to the likes of "A Current Affair"...but it isn't that bad yet, let's just say that particular episodes can be quite biased, one sided and exaggerated.
 
They recently ran an episode on Superfoods with the stance that
- Superfoods are too expensive
- That studies on superfoods were funded by companies who benefit from the sales of the product or that there isn't sufficient evidence as of yet to prove that they are in fact super.
- They dislike that Oprah and Jennifer Hawkins increased the sales of superfoods.

Now if you are familiar with this website you would know that I have a whole series on superfoods that you can check out HERE and I have incorporated a lot of them into my everyday lifestyle, finding fantastic results particularly; better digestion due to increased fiber, a fuller for longer feeling, energised and I actually FEEL healthier.

I have recently become aware that it is a social stigma that when someone mixes chia seeds into their morning smoothies everyone goes crazy and it's a huge argument about how healthy it really is while the millions of people who walk through the McDonald's golden arches each day aren't batted an eyelash at. So enjoy my sarcastic approach to responding on the controversy of superfoods.



Now as for the first point, I'm not even going to argue here. Superfoods are EXPENSIVE! But you know what else is? Fresh fruit and vegetables! I pay $3.50 an avocado, $1.50 a Truss tomato, $8 a Dragonfruit and $7 for a little pack of raspberries. At this point, $8 for a pack of Chia Seeds isn't what is setting me back in the bigger picture of everything.



So they don't like that studies on superfoods were funded by companies who benefit from the sales of the product? The reality is though that it's no different to any other product on the market, every food has a corporation rallying behind it with BILLION dollar budgets. Why do we eat ANYTHING that we eat?! It all comes down to marketing and super foods are no exception to the rule so why pick on them when they are healthier than most. Most of the studies that look at Dairy are funded by the dairy industry etc. It's silly to consider marketing health foods any different to marketing milk as "nutritious" and "healthy" but instead they say it has "goodness" and is "delicious". Ever wonder why? Because there's measures preventing them from lying and milk is technically not considered nutritious or healthy. This is particular prevalent in the USA but look at some samples of milk bottles above that you have probably seen on the shelves at Coles or Woolies. Pauls can merely say their milk has "goodness" and "for a better you"...whatever those statements mean? This is the case for every other milk bottle on the shelves, not just Pauls.

So there isn't sufficient evidence as of yet to prove that they are in fact super at all? A lot of foods aren't proven without a doubt to be healthy for you but does that mean that they are bad for you? Fruit juices, olive oil, wine and so many other foods and drinks have strong arguments for both sides. The jury is still out on products such as these but do we still consume them? Most likely at least once a week! Then there's plenty of foods where research shows ONLY NEGATIVE results and yet we still eat them as part of our diet...but that's for another day and another post.

 

 

Finally, they dislike that Oprah and Jennifer Hawkins increased the sales of superfoods? The reason I want to finish on this note is that they mentioned Oprah throughout the whole 10 minute program, what's the obsession? It's not new that celebrities are used to endorse everything under the sun and in the universe so why get your panties in a twist when Oprah says chia seeds are good for you when Kim Kardashian is sitting there promoting Midori and Heidi Klum is promoting fatty burgers...surely the goji berries have GOT to be a better option. After all we just spoke about the example of milk, let's look at the "Got Milk?" campaign, I lost count of how many celebrities jumped on that marketing bandwagon.



I guess my point is just try not to get persuaded so easily by tv programmes. As someone so deeply in journalism I understand their persuasion methods to suck in the masses and often times they succeed when it's the only viewpoint being shown on a topic. You're all intelligent and smart individuals so make up your own mind rather than listen to others. That even goes with this article you're reading right now, these are my opinions only here to help you make yours.
 
Just food for thought, pun intended.



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VEGAN DATE OAT COOKIES SUGAR FREE RECIPE

A couple of nights ago I felt like something sweet after dinner so decided to play around in the kitchen and make a healthy treat. I came up with these delicious vegan and sugar-free Date Oat Cookies that will definitely satisfy a sweet tooth while only containing healthy ingredients (some of which are super foods) so it's a guilt-free treat.

Ingredients:
1 cup Rolled Oats
1 cup Equal
1 cup Self Raising Flour
1/2 cup LSA Meal
1/4 cup Almond Milk
6 Dates
1 tbsp. Margarine
2 tbsp. Coconut Butter
Handful of Almonds
Splash of Vanilla Essence

Method:
All you need to do to create the batter is pop all of the ingredients into a food processor or mixer and blend them up. If you don't have any appliances such as those then you can always mix the ingredients together with a beater or by hand.

Alternatives:
You could add banana to this recipe for added potassium and minerals or even golden syrup if you feel like really treating yourself with some extra sweetness. Also instead of a handful of almonds you could swap it out for any nut of your preference like walnuts or pecans.

So that's the end of the recipe and you can see not only how easy these are to make but also how healthy they are!

Please let me know if you try this recipe out and if you do then send pictures to mail@jordysfitness.com

 

Thank you for reading.



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SIMPLE BANANA BREAKFAST PROTEIN SMOOTHIE {RECIPE}

 

Breakfast is easily the most important meal of the day! When you think about it, breakfast is the first thing you eat after dinner the previous day and means to break the fast so it's definitely not something to skip. Make sure you fuel your body to start the day with a nutritious combination of protein, antioxidants and fiber. This is a smoothie that incorporates all of those things and more so keep reading to find out how to make one of the best things you can have for breakfast.

 

Ingredients:

1 Banana
1 scoop Protein Powder
1 cup Almond Milk
1 tbsp. Chia Seeds
1 tbsp. Cacao Nibs
1 tbsp. LSA Meal

Directions:
Step 1- Place all of the ingredients into a Vitamix, blender, Ninja or some sort of food processor and blend until smooth.
Step 2- Pour into a mason jar or large cup and enjoy through a thick straw (generally for bubble tea) or by drinking directly from the cup.

  

Watch the video above for a How-To demonstration on how to make this breakfast protein smoothie.

So that's the finished recipe, it's as easy as that! No more excuses for not eating breakfast because this protein smoothie takes about 10 minutes to make and even quicker if you're rushing!

Keep in mind that these are just the basic ingredients that you could use. Once you start feeling a little more adventurous you can add things like spinach, acai or spirulina powder. It's really up to you and the possibilities are endless but the main aim of this is to fit as many super foods into the one little smoothie which will maximise the nutritional value.

Thank you for reading.



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OVEN BAKED SWEET POTATO CHIPS {RECIPE}

Eating clean doesn't mean you have to give anything, even chips! By simply modifying a couple of things in your usual chip recipe, you can turn them into a healthy treat! I used to always snack on potato chips but they are usually soaked with fat, salt and even sugar in some cases. Now I get my salty cravings fix by chomping on some delicious homemade and healthy oven baked sweet potato chips. Sweet potatoes are packed full of nutrition including vitamin A, C, D, E, K, B6, B12 and if all those nutrients weren't enough, the carbs found in sweet potato are actually complex meaning that they will keep you fuller for longer. Now lets get into this easy and quick recipe.

Ingredients:
2 Sweet Potatoes
Olive Oil, for Tossing
1 Tsp. Mixed Herbs
Ground Black Pepper
Garlic Powder

Directions:
Step 1- Preheat your oven to 280 degrees C.
Step 2- Line a sheet tray with baking paper.
Step 3- Take a slicer (specifically designed for slicing vegetables) or you can even do this by hand, and simply create thin slices of sweet potato.
Step 4- Place the slices in a bowl then toss with olive oil, mixed herbs, pepper and garlic powder.
Step 5- Lay the slices out individually on your baking tray and put them in the oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Step 6- Place in a bowl and enjoy as a snack or side to a meal.

 

 

So I hope you all enjoyed this recipe, it's personally one of my favourite dinner sides to make! I would definitely recommend trying this out if you are usually a potato chip snacker because this is a much healthier alternative.

 

Thank you for reading!



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HEALTHY VALENTINE'S DAY RECIPE: DARK CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES

Whether you're celebrating with a special someone or going solo this Valentines Day, it's no excuse to gorge on junk! You can even have the food of love...chocolate and if consumed responsibly it will not affect your healthy eating.  So I thought I would share with you all my method on making chocolate covered strawberries which I know is pretty simple but I mainly wanted to use this as an opportunity to show how you can eat chocolate guilt free this and also throw in some of my personal tips when making them.

Ingredients:

2 Punnets Strawberries
2 Bars Dark Chocolate (440g)
Red Decorating Icing
Red Sugar Sprinkles

Method:
Step 1- Rinse strawberries thoroughly in cool water and dry very well with paper towel.
Step 2- Melt your dark chocolate. You can do this two different ways; in a double boiler or in the microwave with a heat proof bowl.
Step 3- Hold the strawberry from the stalk and proceed to dip all your strawberries into the melted chocolate then place on a baking sheet.
Step 4- While setting, decorate your strawberries with either drizzles of white chocolate, sprinkles or decorating icing. It's really up to you.

Tips:* Make sure your strawberries are completely dry before you dip them into the chocolate otherwise the chemical reaction between the water and melted chocolate isn't going to end well.

* Ways to be creative and have fun with decorating your strawberries is to spell out names or write Happy Valentines Day by placing one letter on each strawberry. Use colourful icing or different coloured sprinkles, even 100s and 1000s.

I hope you all enjoy this recipe and perhaps use it on Valentine's Day as a responsible way of consuming chocolate on a day that is otherwise so tempting.

 

Thank you for reading!



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ULTIMATE SUPER FOOD PROTEIN SMOOTHIE {RECIPE}

Breakfast is easily the most important meal of the day! When you think about it, breakfast is the first thing you eat after dinner the previous day and means to break the fast so it's definitely not something to skip. Make sure you fuel your body to start the day with a nutritious combination of protein, antioxidants and fiber. This is a smoothie that incorporates all of those things and more so keep reading to find out how to make one of the best things you can have for breakfast.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup Frozen Mango
1/2 cup Frozen Berries
1/2 Banana
1 scoop Protein Powder
1 cup Almond Milk
1 tbsp. Chia Seeds
1 tbsp. Cacao Nibs
1 tbsp. LSA Meal
1 tbsp. Coconut Butter

Directions:
Step 1- Place all of the ingredients into a Vitamix, blender, Ninja or some sort of food processor and blend until smooth.
Step 2- Pour into a mason jar or large cup and enjoy through a thick straw (generally for bubble tea) or by drinking directly from the cup.

So that's the finished recipe, it's as easy as that! No more excuses for not eating breakfast because this protein smoothie takes about 10 minutes to make and even quicker if you're rushing!

Keep in mind that these are just the basic ingredients that you could use. Once you start feeling a little more adventurous you can add things like spinach, acai or spirulina powder. It's really up to you and the possibilities are endless but the main aim of this is to fit as many super foods into the one little smoothie which will maximise the nutritional value.

Thank you for reading.



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