Tag Archives: healthy

Healthy Granola Recipe

This six ingredient healthy granola recipe is so simple and quick to make. The granola is delicious served with coconut yoghurt and blueberries or raspberries. In addition it is a healthy way to start the day, rich in plant-protein, good fats and antioxidants from the fruit. This granola has no added sugar and gets its’ natural sweetness from the sultanas or raisins. Also you can alternate it with a tasty quinoa porridge or amaranth porridge for a healthy vegan breakfast.

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Makes 4 portions

Ingredients

200g gluten free oats

100g almonds

50g flaxseeds

50g pumpkin seeds

2tbsp desiccated coconut

1tsp Ceylon cinnamon

2tbsp coconut oil

50g sultanas or raisins

Instructions

Preheat the fan oven to 160C.

Firstly add the oats, whole almonds, flaxseed, desiccated coconut and cinnamon into a bowl and mix well with a spoon. Now melt the coconut oil in a small pan on a low heat. Pour onto the dry ingredients and mix well. Scatter the mixture onto a baking tray and spread out the mixture evenly with the back of a spoon.

Bake in the oven for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Finally sprinkle on the sultanas or raisins and pour into a large glass jar.

Store in a cool, dry place.

Serve a portion of the granola for breakfast with almond milk or coconut yoghurt and berries.

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10 Healthy Snack Ideas

It has been a while since I last posted an article on my blog. I have been very busy with assignments and studying for my nutritional therapy exam in July! Also mercury retrograde in Gemini made it difficult to move forward with new ideas – but that has finished now yay! And I feel my creative flow is returning! I hope you enjoy my healthy snack ideas!

If you are out and about and want to grab a snack from a shop there are healthy options such as Nakd bars or cereal bars or even fruit. If you have time it is even healthier to prepare your own healthy snacks to bring with you. Below are a list of 10 healthy snacks ideas that you can make and keep in your bag:

  1. Gluten Free Oat Flapjacks – these tasty flapjacks are high in protein and a filling snack.P1010579
  2. Green Smoothie – you can make up your favourite smoothie and keep it with you in a flask for a hydrating drink. P1000324
  3. Raw Chocolate Brownies – these chocolate brownies are the perfect snack for when you have a chocolate craving!Raw Chocolate Brownies
  4. Raw Chocolate Bar – more chocolate to satisfy that chocolate craving!phppHQM7WAM
  5. Vegan Chocolate Muffins – these high protein muffins are a tasty snack.P1000687
  6. Gluten Free Blueberries Muffins – it is summer and blueberries are in season. You could use them to make these healthy muffins.DSCF1295
  7. Raw Mango Cheesecake – who doesn’t love cheesecake!P1000443
  8. Vegan Chana Halva – these are a popular snack in the east.P1000860
  9. Amaranth Gingernut Biscuits – get creative and try out a new grain like amaranth to make biscuits!P1000100
  10. Chocolate Snowballs – my chocolate snowballs were popular when I brought them into college. They are rich and chocolatey!P1000077

Gluten Free Oat Flapjacks

Enjoy these tasty gluten free oat flapjacks! They make a great healthy snack or a quick breakfast! Having discovered recently that I can eat oats if they are gluten-free without having a reaction, I’m thrilled to be able to make this vegan version of these tasty flapjacks that I used to make years ago, replacing the butter with coconut oil.

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Makes 9

 Ingredients

100g               Dates

100ml             Filtered water

100g               Coconut Oil

1tbsp              Ground flaxseed

2tbsp              Agave nectar

50g                 Almonds

50g                 Pumpkin seeds

200g               Gluten free oat flakes

Instructions

Soak the almonds and pumpkin seeds overnight.

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Chop the dates and add to a pan with the water. Simmer until the dates are soft.

Now add the coconut oil and allow to melt. Add the agave nectar and mix in.

Chop the almonds and add to the pan with the whole pumpkin seed. Mix well.

Finally pour in the oat flakes and mix thoroughly.

Pour the mixture into a square baking tray and press down firmly with a wooden spoon.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

Remove and leave to cool. Now cut into 9 pieces.

Store in a cool, dry place and eat within a week.

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Green Smoothie

Detox with this delicious, creamy green smoothie! The flaxseed provides added omega-3!

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Serves 2

1                      Ripe Banana

1                      Apple

3                      Dates

½                     Avocado

1tbsp               Flaxseed

2 Handfuls       Spinach

300ml              Almond Milk

300ml              Filtered Water

Chop up the apple and add to the blender with the banana, dates and flaxseed. Cut the avocado in half, remove the stone and scoop out the flesh into the blender. Now add the spinach on top and pour in the almond milk and then the filtered water so it just covers the top layer of spinach.

Blend on full power for 30 seconds. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

My Transition from Junk Food to Healthy Food

Here is my transition from junk food to healthy food:

Step 1: Junk Food

When I was a student at university living away from home and first became ill with ME/CFS I used to eat a diet of junk food such as:

  • Microwave ready meal lasagne.
  • Microwave ready meal salmon and broccoli in creamy sauce.
  • Microwave chips and fish fingers.
  • Pop tarts
  • Sugary Cereal
  • Pizza
  • Prawn mayonnaise sandwiches
  • Baked potato with tuna mayonnaise
  • Chocolate bars
  • Pasta in creamy sauce
  • Beef burgers

I now know that when you microwave meals it denatures the structure of the food so it is not the same food that went into the microwave!

Step 2: Gluten-Free

After visiting a Naturopathic Nutritionist who used a bio-resonance machine to detect my wheat and sugar intolerances, I altered my diet and cooked things such as:

  • Trout with wild rice, steamed broccoli and carrots.
  • Sea bass with gluten-free pasta and steamed vegetables in a creamy sauce.
  • Sausages, wild rice and steamed vegetables.
  • Gluten-free pasta in tomato sauce.
  • Steamed egg ramekin.
  • Gluten-free sandwiches
  • Rice pudding
  • Oat porridge with blueberries
  • Spaghetti Bolognese with gluten-free pasta
  • Oat flapjacks
  • Gluten-free pasta bake
  • Fish pie
  • Homemade pork burgers
  • Lamb shanks

Step 3: Reduce Processed Food

However my body become intolerant to the gluten-free pasta made from maize which I was consuming at least once a day. I developed IBS with stomach cramps, diarrhoea and even vomited once. So I had to change my diet again and ate things like:

  • Tofu with rice noodles
  • Carrot & Coriander Soup
  • Spanish Sausage & Bean soup
  • Tomato soup
  • Cheese & tomato sandwiches
  • Liver and bacon with potatoes
  • Baked potato with tuna mayonnaise
  • Pork balls with stir-fried vegetables
  • Chicken Gohan curry
  • Chicken kebabs in peanut satay.
  • Homemade chips
  • Chicken drumsticks & wings

Step 4: Vegetarian

I became interested in Detoxing the Pineal Gland and read a book where the author explains that tap water contains toxin fluorine and chlorine and fish contains toxic mercury. He also explained that meat has a very heavy vibration of death, fear, pain and suffering. I did not want to put that energy into my body as I wanted to raise my vibration. Also I had a emotive dream about a chicken in packaging that was half cooked and half still alive looking up at me with innocent eyes. I couldn’t bear to eat chicken after that and decided to become vegetarian so as not to support animal cruelty. The meals I ate included:

  • Baked butternut squash with thyme, walnuts and feta
  • Spanish omelettes
  • Baked potato with cheese
  • Potato salad
  • Greek salad
  • Hummus on gluten-free toast
  • Gluten-free pizza
  • Ratatouille

Step 5: Raw Vegan

Then I met my health-conscious ex boyfriend who had cancer and became raw vegan like him to get the benefits of detoxing my body, more energy and clear skin. I ate things such as:

  • Kale Salad with Sprouted Seeds
  • Smoothies
  • Juices
  • Raw chocolate
  • Chocolate & almond milk smoothie
  • Veggie nut mix in lettuce boats with hummus
  • Nori Rolls
  • Guacamole on corn cakes
  • Hummus and sprouted sunflower seed on rice cakes.
  • Raw carrot cake
  • Kale chips

Step 6: Mixture of Cooked & Raw Vegan

I found it very difficult to get enough calories on that diet and although my skin was clear, I felt hungry and weak. So I am now a mixture of cooked and raw vegan and seem to have a lot of energy. My favourite meals at the moment are:

Featured in the September 2014 issue of WDDTY magazine in the article ‘Why ME?’ about my recovery from ME/CFS using diet.

Welcome to Kate’s Inspired Cooking Blog!

Welcome to my blog! My name is Kate and I am creating this blog to post healthy, vegan recipes to hopefully inspire you to get cooking and get healthy at the same time! I will also be writing about my experiences of using nutrition to recover from ME/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and hopefully inspire you on your health journey.

I hope you enjoy reading my posts! Feel free to leave comments and feedback below. I will read every comment and respond as soon as I am able.

I look forward to connecting with you!