5,000 followers on twitter *giveaway* with Holland & Barrett

5,000 followers on twitter *giveaway* with Holland & Barrett

If you didn't already know, last Monday I hit 5,000 twitter followers (yay!), and to celebrate the lovely people at Holland and Barrett (a UK health store) have allowed me to giveaway a selection of my favourite healthy food products (to bake with, snack on or just enjoy as you wish!).

The prizes include all of the above..

Cocoa Nibs (raw chocolate perfect for my chocolate protein brownies)

Total Sweet (healthy alternative to sugar & used in my healthy pumpkin muffins recipe)

Chia Seeds (as featured in my Overnight Oats & Chocolate Pudding recipes)

Stevia (natural sweetener as featured in my breakfast cookie recipe)

Oomf Bench Pressed Oats (protein oats.. click here for a full review) 

Tiana Coconut Flour (I haven't used this yet!)

Dried Apple Rings (the perfect snack..click here for more snack ideas!).

 

To enter all you have to do is tweet

" I've entered @nicsnutrition @holland_barrett #nics5000HBgiveaway "

and be a follower of both myself @nicsnutrition and Holland & Barrett @holland_barrett - it's as easy as that!!

 

You still have a week to enter, until H&B pick the lucky winner.. Good luck!

 

Nic x

Metcalfe's Skinny Topcorn & Rice Cakes

Metcalfe's Skinny Topcorn & Rice Cakes

As I said in my ‘healthy snacks’ YouTube video last week, the Metcalfe’s Skinny range is pretty new to me. When I first gazed my eyes upon it in the supermarket I thought it may actually be too good to be true – hurray for me that it wasn’t! The motto on the front says ‘good for fitness freaks, snackers and veggies’.. the ultimate light snack to be enjoyed any time, just like crisps but with much less calories, fat and saturated fat. Each bag contains on average just 120 calories, 15g carbs (same as a slice of bread) less than 5g of fat and provides nearly 3g of fibre.

 

Most of us eat by volume.. which means that larger portions will often leave us feeling more satisfied. A bag of crisps certainly doesn’t fill me but these bags of popcorn are in another league.. they are huge in comparison and as such, extremely satisfying. They really do satisfy hunger cravings and also make the perfectly healthy (and acceptable), wholegrain cinema snack!

Metcalfe’s Skinny Topcorn is available in five different flavours.. Chocolate crackle (yet to try but I cannot wait to!!), wasabi (the perfect amount of hotness and tanginess – and possibly my favourite for post work-out/between meals), sea-salt (classic and a favourite with my friends), sweet ‘n salt (the most more-ish popcorn, and possibly my favourite flavour for the cinema) and heat ‘n sweet (if you like sweet chilli you will like this!!).

Also available in the ‘skinny’ range are these rice cakes, which come topped with yoghurt, dark chocolate or milk chocolate. These beauties are the ultimate sweet treat and are made with some wholegrain rice too. They are so delicious that it’s pretty much impossible to resist eating all three at once from the pack (unless you kindly share them out!).. at only 80 calories a slice they are a lower calorie treat but half of me wishes that they were packaged in two’s not three’s.. but maybe that’s just me being picky (and on some occasions three may be actually needed!).

You can pick up the Metcalfe’s Skinny range from selected Sainsbury’s stores, Ocado and online.

I hope you find this review useful.. happy healthy snacking!!

Nic x

Healthy Snack Ideas for on the GO!

Healthy Snack Ideas for on the GO!

Healthy snacks are essential for those of us with busy lives - they keep us fuelled throughout the day, prevent the 3pm chocolate binges and leave your head (not your stomach) in charge of what you eat at the end of the day! Watch my video below to see my top healthy snacks ideas (both home-made and shop-bought) with the help of my lovely sister Sarah - it was her idea for this video!

Thank you for watching :) I'll be vlogging weekly over the next few weeks - including my secrets to a flat stomach .. so don't forget to subscribe to my You Tube channel so you don't miss out! Thanks!

[click here to subscribe!]

Nic x

Healthy Snack Ideas & Giveaway Winners!

Healthy Snack Ideas & Giveaway Winners!

Hello! So I want to start by saying a huge thank you to everyone who entered my Christmas Giveaway to win one of two healthy hampers.. I loved reading all of your healthy snack ideas (that was how you could enter!) and thought I'd share a selection of the best in this blog post. The winners were 'fabZ16' and 'benwolfenden'. My blog was also a year old yesterday *happy birthday* and I've loved every step of the way.. my aim for the next year is to write more blog posts around what you guys really want to hear.. so let me know via twitter, email or my blog! *thank you*

So here are a selection of YOUR top healthy snack ideas!

Ready Made Pre-Packed Snacks: Pop Chips, Nakd Bars, Food Doctor Pineapple and Banana Go Bar, Nairn's Oat Cakes, Luna Bars, 9Bars, Graze Boxes, Nature Valley Granola Bars, Lizi's Granola (blog review to come!), Nairns Oat Biscuits, Vegetable Crisps.

My Recipes: Protein Pancakes, Chocolate Brownies, Banana Cloud, Healthy Hummus with crudites.

Home Made:

• Chocolate Rice Cakes with Peanut Butter
• Cottage Cheese & Almond Butter
• Air popped Popcorn with Cinnamon
• Apple with Cinnamon and Almonds
• Natural Peanut Butter mixed with Total 0% Greek Yoghurt with crudites
• Celery with Peanut Butter and Raisins (ants on a log!)
• Total 0% Greek Yoghurt with Berries and a drizzle of Honey
• Bircher Muesli - Nigella's recipe here is good!
• Pomegranate
• Cashew Nuts
• Kale Crisps - recipe to come!
• Celery with Peanut Butter
• Special K and Freeze-dried Fruits
• Sliced Apple and Scoop of Natural Peanut Butter
• Bananas rolled in Melted Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter.. then rolled in chopped almonds & cinnamon
• Pineapple Slices
• Greek yoghurt with Stevia and a Banana
• Home-made Beetroot Crisps
• Satsumas / Clementine's
• Carrots dipped in Salsa
• Somersaults - crunchy nuggets baked with sunflower seeds and toasted grains
• Spinach and fresh Salsa
• Strawberries
• Large Mushrooms with low fat Feta Cheese
• 0% Greek yoghurt with berries, granola, sunflower seeds and honey
• Apple dipped in Honey with Cinnamon
• Carrot Sticks & Red Pepper Hummus

 

I hope these healthy snack ideas inspire you!

 

Look out for my #deskfest tweets and blog posts over the next few days.. [click here] for day one!

 

Nic x

The Art of a Green Smoothie

The Art of a Green Smoothie

Green smoothies are everywhere these days. Health nuts love them, moms hide vegetables in them and folks who hate salad have found their way. Even my roommate who 'hates' vegetables now makes them daily. He just calls them his morning milkshake.

Nutritionally speaking, it's unwise to assume a store bought smoothie is up to par with your home made version. The most popular ones out there (yes, even the green colored ones) pack a serious punch of sugar, often more than a can of Coke. What makes a green smoothie nutritious is up to you- so here are some tips below to help you create your ultimate smoothie.

10 Tips to Create the Ultimate Green Smoothie

1. Use whole fruits (not fruit juice or puree) to add that sweet punch. Fruit juice and puree may still retain vitamins and minerals, but they are extremely high in sugar.
2. I'm a firm believer you can add vegetables to all smoothies. Just know this - the higher proportion of veggies to fruit = lower sugar smoothie. Great for the waistline.
3. Best veggie options? Leafy greens. Kale, swiss chard, spinach, etc...they're all jam packed with vitamins and minerals that will serve you in more ways than I can list here and have tons of fiber which will keep things 'moving.' We should be eating them daily, ideally multiple times per day.
4. Some veggies add their own natural sugars and add fantastic flavors: cooked beets, raw carrots, roasted sweet potato.
5. Follow this genius move so you can still make your smoothie when you're low on fresh greens.
6. When using fresh greens - pop in the blender along with your liquid (water, coconut water, nut milk, raw milk, plain yogurt, etc.) before everything else to really pulverize all bits and pieces.
7. Do yourself a favor and prep. Clean the veggies and store in plastic bags in the fridge at the beginning of the week. This makes the process a breeze.
8. Get creative with flavors and ingredients. I love mint & practically everything.  Cocoa & beets. Basil & berries. Ginger & sweet potato...just envision in your head what tastes delicious baked, and then experiment with your smoothie.
9. Finally, add some nutrition power-houses which add serious bang for their buck. Think flax seed, chia seed (3 times more calcium than milk!), coconut oil, goji berries, raw seeds & nuts (and seed/nut butters!), raw cocoa and spices. Add a good quality protein powder and make this a meal that will keep you energized and happy for hours.

-Megan

Homemade Dried Fruit

Homemade Dried Fruit

Homemade Dried Fruit is one of my favorite snacks. I like it because I know exactly what's in it...100% whole fruit. The kind of dried fruit that you get at the store usually has additional ingredients, such as preservatives, salt, and sugar. These ingredients are added to "enhance" flavor and prolong shelf life.

Dehydrating fruit is a pretty simple process. All you need is a piece of fruit, a knife, and a dehydrator! In this blog post, I dehydrated white peaches that I picked up from a local farmer's market in Minneapolis. 

First, peel the peaches (if they are ripe, they should peel pretty easily and then slice uniformly. I did mine at about 1/4 of an inch. Just make sure all of the slices are about the same width! Finally, plop them on a tray a viola. you can add a squeeze of lemon/lime juice, but it wasn't necessary for these peaches!

I turned my dehydrator to high, which is about 155 degrees, and dehydrated for 6-7 hours. Every hour I flipped the peaches over to prevent sticking.

How gorgeous are these peaches!

It's amazing how much the fruit shrinks down after it is dehydrated. Interesting fact: a fresh peach has the same exact nutritional value as a dehydrated peach! 

-Lee

Have you ever used a dehydrator? If so- what did you dehydrate?

No Bake Pumpkin Bites!

No Bake Pumpkin Bites!

Ok, I have a confession. This recipe was created by accident!! I set out with every intention to create some lovely pumpkin granola (recipe for that one still to come), however added WAY too much pumpkin and ended up with these.. super yummy no bake bites!

These bites are crammed with fibre, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and are a great low GI energy snack (they release their energy slowwwwlllyy). They are a perfect snack to be kept in the fridge for post workout or after work munchies (or any kinda of munchies for that matter). You can also freeze them.

They are super quick to make, are really easy to put together and can be customised to your individual tastes.. do no bake bites get any better?! Following on from my pumpkin muffin recipe post I think I'll be posting a few more recipes using pumpkin.. it wasn't a cupboard staple for me but since discovering it in Waitrose a few weeks ago I really am hooked! If you haven't tried canned pumpkin then I strongly urge you to - it's super healthy, tastes amazing and can be turned into so many great recipes (it's also super low in calories.. only 40kcal per 100g!).

SO.. what do you need to make these delicious bites?! - This recipe makes 13 bites.. I did make a double batch to begin with (25-30 bites) but thought that half the mix makes ample!

65g (1 cup) of rolled oats, 55g (1/4 cup) of pumpkin, 1/4 tablespoon of vegetable oil,
30ml (1/8th cup) of agave nectar (or honey),
25g (heaped 1/4 cup) nuts/seeds/dried fruit - I used walnuts, cranberries & sultanas,
1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, pinch salt (if desired!)

And here's what to do..

1) Mix together the pumpkin, oil, agave nectar, cinnamon & nutmeg...

2) Mix in the oats and then fold in your dried fruit/nuts/seeds (or chocolate chips!)

3) Scoop out a heaped teaspoon of the mixture and roll into balls (use clean hands for this!). I then placed them on to grease-proof paper on a plate.

4) Pop in the fridge for at least 30 minutes... then enjoy!!

Yum!!

Nutritional Info Per Bite: 35 kcal, 7g carbs, 1g fat, 1g protein

Nutritional Benefits: High in soluble fibre, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals & antioxidants!

 

Have a great week.. and happy 'baking'!

 

Nic x

3 ingredient cookies

3 ingredient cookies

These cookies are amazing. They take literally 5 minutes to make, use only 3 ingredients (ok so plus extras IF wanted), and take 20 minutes to bake.. they are the ideal in-between meal snack or pre/post workout energy boost. In my recipe video I talk through the different varieties of cookies that you can make as well as how to make them without using whey protein (if you don't already have it).



Sunflower Seed & Goji Berry Cookies
(my fave is PB & dark choc chip!!)

 

Thank you so much to everyone who has subscribed to my new YouTube channel and for liking and commenting on my videos - I really enjoy reading them!

 

 

Happy baking! Have a great week :) Nic x

 

P.s you make also like..

 

Healthy Breakfast Cookies

 

Healthy Chocolate Protein Brownies

 

Healthy Pumpkin Muffins

Healthy Pumpkin Muffin Recipe!

Healthy Pumpkin Muffin Recipe!

It's seriously getting cold now outside - which makes baking delicious healthy muffins inside even more tempting! This recipe is perfect for this time of year .. it's what I call 'comfort food without the guilt'!

These healthy muffins are packed with vitamins, minerals, nutrients and fibre and they taste delicious (they have undergone rigorous taste testing I assure you!!). You can choose to make the muffins with cranberries or even chocolate chips topped with pumpkin seeds or you can leave them plain and top them with this light and creamy yummy frosting.

I really hope you enjoy this recipe video - you can subscribe to my YouTube videos [here] :)

Thanks for watching - and happy Bonfire night!!

 

Nic x

Healthy Breakfast Oat Cookie Recipe

Healthy Breakfast Oat Cookie Recipe

Breakfast is not only the most important meal of the day (for various reasons!!) but it is also my most favourite - which is why I love to share healthy recipes which can be enjoyed even by the people who need a 'breakfast on the go'.

These healthy breakfast cookies can actually be enjoyed at any time of day and are super healthy as they are based around oats, fruit and nuts - no flour, butter or sugar in site!

I hope you enjoy this recipe video - I'm moving my blog to my own website soon where I plan on featuring the details of all of my recipes as well as the videos - but for now you can subscribe to my YouTube video [here] :)

Happy baking - let me know if you bake these.. you can swap the dried fruit and nuts for other types as well as the milk and flavours so really the variations are endless!

Nic x

Healthy Chocolate Protein Brownie Recipe

Healthy Chocolate Protein Brownie Recipe

Would you believe me if I told you that these gorgeous chocolate brownies are actually good for you?! These chocolate brownies are not only packed with protein, soluble fibre, antioxidants and vitamin A but they contain NO flour, butter or sugar either. They taste AMAZING and are very diet and weight loss friendly at only 100 calories a piece.

To make your own healthy brownies simply go to my YouTube channel [here] - more information is displayed in the description bar or click play below!

Let me know if you add any of the 'extra' ingredients and how your brownies turn out.. I can't wait to make some more!

 

Nic x

How to Choose a Healthy Cereal or Snack Bar

How to Choose a Healthy Cereal or Snack Bar

Choosing a healthy cereal bar may seem like a hard task - which is why I thought I'd help out and break down exactly how to tell what's healthy and what's not. In my latest YouTube video I talk through my top 3 tips on how to choose a healthy cereal or snack bar as well as which are my current favourites.

 

You can subscribe to my You Tube channel by clicking [here]

 

Please give it a 'thumbs' up and comment on the videos if you like them!

Thank you for watching :)

Nic x

 

Related links.. Nakd Bars, 9bars, Weetabix Snack bars, Protein Loaf

Healthy Apple Crisps - In the Pink!

Healthy Apple Crisps - In the Pink!

October is 'breast cancer awareness month', and so I've decided to embrace the 'In the Pink' and 'Tickled Pink' campaigns by revisiting one of the most popular recipes on my blog 'Apple Crisps' - click here to see the original post.

Apple crisps have to be the healthiest crisp in the world.. after all they are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre.. can you get much better than that?!  - well they also taste amazing and are super fun to make too.

To keep to the 'In the Pink' theme you will see that (hopefully) most things in my new recipe video are pink... apples, dress, nails, place mat.. so what are you waiting for?! Press play to see how you can create the Pink Lady Apple's version of the amazing apple crisp! These crisps also take less time to cook than in my previous recipe post.. which is good for me!

 

Thank you for watching! 

 

You can [click here] to subscribe if you want to see more of my healthy tips and recipe YouTube videos. 

 

If you want to see more recipes from Pink Lady Apples then you can visit their website [click here]. 

 

How are you celebrating the month of Pink?!

 

Nic x

Healthy Salmon Pate Dip

Healthy Salmon Pate Dip

I have a habit of blogging recipes that involve oily fish - first there was the light & creamy salmon parcels, then there was the healthy mackerel dip, followed by salmon fish cakes and now we have another one.. and yes it's with salmon again! With all these oily fish recipes it should be easy to incorporate one weekly - those omega 3 fatty acids are, after all, essential for a healthy heart.

This recipe was inspired by the desire to create a healthy alternative to the classic 'salmon pate' that you can buy from the shops.  I wanted to make a dip that was equally as tasty and nutritious but just lower in calories and fat.

So, what do you need to make this tasty dip?!

100g of Tinned Salmon
75g-100g of Fat Free Greek Yoghurt or Extra Light Cream Cheese
Optional: Tbsp lemon juice / Black Pepper / Dill

And what do you do? Trust me.. this won't take long!

1) Put all of the above ingredients into a blender.. and blend until smooth!

See.. I told you this wouldn't take long!

Serve on wholegrain toast for a healthy breakfast, brunch or lunch.. or as a dip for a starter.. perfect!

Let me know if you make this recipe via a comment, tweet or email - I love to hear your stories and see your pictures!

Nutrition Per 50g Serving: 54 kcal, 6g Protein, 1.5g Carbs, 2.5g Fat

 Nutritional Benefits: Rich in omega 3 fatty acids for heart health

Lower in calories and fat than shop bought (per 50g: 120-140kcal, 8-12g fat)

 

Have a great week and don't forget to check out my other healthy recipes. I'll leave you with some pictures from this weekend of Saltaire World Food Festival - some of the healthier food choices!


Juice Stand!

Love Olives

Can't beat Italian Pasta and Balsamic Vinegar..



One of my fave dishes.. Paella!

Nic x

Scrubbys Vegetable Crisps Review

Scrubbys Vegetable Crisps Review

I am a big fan of companies who take 'indulgent food' and turn it into something a little bit healthier (without compromising on taste!). Scrubbys are a new brand of Vegetable Crisp who pride themselves on having at least 30% less fat and 18% less calories per 100g than any other vegetable crisp on the UK market. Because the vegetables are cooked at a lower heat, Scrubbys report that their crisps retain more of their colour, shape, vitamins and minerals without any burnt or oily overtones - sounds good to me so far!

Yum - These promotional crisps were a big hit on the taste factor!

 

SO, how do they square up to regular crisps you ask?

 

 

Scrubbys vegetable crisps come in 40g and 100g bags - the latter of which is perfect for sharing. Here are the stats when we compare the individual smaller bags (perfect for one):

 

 

Scrubbys Vegetable Crisps (40g): ~160 calories / 10g fat (1g saturated) / 6g fibre

 

 

Other Vegetable Crisps (40g): ~ 195 calories / 14g fat (1.5g saturated) / 5g fibre

 

 

Regular Crisps (32g): ~180 calories / 12g fat (1g saturated) / 1g fibre

 

 

'Baked/lighter' Crisps (25g): ~100 calories /  5g fat (0.5g saturated) / 1g fibre

 

 

Scrubbys vegetable crisps have less calories and fat than other types of crisps (with the exception of the baked/lighter crisps), and have a lot more fibre. If you are craving crisps then Scrubbys may be one of the healthier options however they are still a high fat food and do not beat Apple crisps and lower calorie crisps such as Pop Chips from a 'slimmer's' point of view.

 

Apple crisps

 

Pop Chips

 

My advice would be to eat all crisps 'mindfully' and in moderation.. however if you're looking for a tasty alternative to regular potato crisps then these are certainly a good option - they can also go down very well at parties served with dips (they beat nachos any day in my personal opinion!).

 

Hope you are all having a great weekend!

 

Nic x

My First 'Vlog' - How to break BAD diet habits!

My First 'Vlog' - How to break BAD diet habits!

So, I finally took the plunge and made my very first Vlog (Video Blog)!

 

In this video I give you my top 5 tips for breaking those bad diet habits that could be halting your weight loss attempts or be causing weight gain. Please give it a 'thumbs' up and comment if you like it!

 

You can subscribe to my You Tube channel by clicking [here]


I'm planning on making more You Tube clips and have already had some fantastic suggestions of them on Twitter so thank you - if you have any more please leave them in a comment below or email me!

Thank you for watching :)

 

Nic x

Weetabix & Fruit Snack Bars

Weetabix & Fruit Snack Bars

As you can probably tell from my Nakd Bar review, I love snack bars - especially healthy ones! They can be a perfect pick-me-up between meals and make a delicious dessert idea as well. The snack bars below are an ideal lunch box addition and contain just 85 kcal each. They are also bursting with vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and fibre from the fruit and wholegrain cereal, and contain healthy monounsaturated fatty acids as a bonus.



Weetabix Snack Bars

These snack bars are super quick and easy to make and can be adapted to contain different dried fruits depending on your preferences.

SO, to make these snack bars you will need...



4 Weetabix, crumbled
60g Self Raising Flour
120g Dried Apricots (no soak) - Chop into halves / quarters
120g Sultanas
1 tablespoon of Vegetable/Rapeseed Oil (not pictured)
1 Large Egg, beaten
60g Brown Sugar
135g Low-Fat Natural/Plain Yoghurt

And here is what to do..

First, pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees C/Gas mark 4, then..

1) Mix together all of the above ingredients in a large bowl

(I chopped my apricots after this pic was taken!)

2) Press the mixture into an 8-inch square or 7 x 11 inch shallow rectangular baking tin (lightly greased) - I used a baking dish lined with baking paper..

3) Bake in the oven for around 30 minutes until *golden brown*

4) Cut into 10 or 15 slices and Enjoy!!

Weetabix & Apricot Snack Bars

Nutrition per Slice (x 10): 125 Kcal, 24g Carbs, 2.4g Fat (0.6g Sat Fat), 2g Fibre

Nutritional Benefits: High in fibre, healthy un-saturated fats & antioxidants

If you cut the snack bars into 10 pieces then they work out as 125 kcal each.

They are seriously delicious and are perfect any time of the day!

For more healthy recipes check out my recipes page :)

Thanks for reading!

Nic x