The "summer body" season is approaching.
For many people, this means panic, stress and unrealistic goals.
Quite often, however, we simply need to restart our health routine and the beginning of a new month is the perfect time to do it.
Making some simple lifestyle changes can give you that boost of confidence you need for when holiday time comes around.
While we want to get back on track, we don't want to spend a fortune, so we've compiled some recipes based around the great offers Centra have in store this week. Turkey Mince (300g) is half price at the moment, until April 5th, and Shredded Wheat Bitesize (500g) is on special offer for €1, also until April 5th.
Breakfast
Every morning brings with it a chance for a fresh start, so start it off the right way.
Getting in a healthy breakfast ensures you have that kick-start of energy you need.
Shredded Wheat Blueberry Muffins
No matter what your morning routine is, we can all become creatures of habit with our cereal choices.
Amy from Sizzling Eats shares a recipe with her followers that has a unique twist on your standard shredded wheat.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups of Flour
- ½ sugar or sweetener
- 3 tablespoons of baking powder
- 1 tiny pinch of salt
- 1 cup of crushed Shredded Wheat Bitesize
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup of milk
- ⅓ cup of vegetable oil
- ½ cup of blueberries
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- ¼ tsp of nutmeg
- ¼ tsp of cinnamon
Method
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
- In a stand mixer bowl, add the dry ingredients
- Mix in the crushed Shredded Wheat Bitesize.
- Add in egg, and milk
- Fill muffin tin ⅔ of the way
- Bake for 16-20 minutes or until a butter knife inserted into the middle of the muffins comes out clean
Lunch
We know the working day is a long one, but looking forward to a delicious, healthy lunch can get you through your morning, as well as giving you the energy you need to finish your day on a high.
Baked Sweet Potatoes Stuffed With Feta, Olives and Sundried Tomatoes
Food blog Gourmande in the Kitchen has the perfect answer to those boring lunchtime struggles with these baked sweet potatoes.
Ingredients
- 2 medium red skinned sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean
- 56g feta cheese, cut into small cubes
- 28g black oil-cured olives, pitted and chopped
- 25g oil packed sundried tomatoes; thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup (1 handful) chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried or 2 teaspoons fresh oregano; chopped
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200C. Pierce each sweet potato several times with the tines of a fork. Place them directly on middle oven rack with a piece of foil on the rack below.
- Bake until the sweet potatoes are easily pierced with a knife and cooked through, about 45-60 minutes depending on size. Remove from oven and let stand until cool enough to handle.
- While the sweet potatoes are baking, make the topping. Mix together remaining ingredients in a small bowl and set aside until the sweet potatoes are done.
- Slice sweet potatoes lengthwise down the centre to expose cooked insides, top with feta mixture and serve.
Dinner
We often find that dinner is the time when the comfort food comes into play.
As it turns out, however, you don't have to throw away your day of good intentions.
Vegetable Turkey Chili
Pat Divilly has an amazing recipe for vegetable turkey chilli, which will keep you feeling full and satisfied.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 medium garlic clove, minced
- 1 small courgette chopped
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 450g Turkey Mince
- 4 handfuls spinach, baby
- 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
- pinch of sea salt, to taste
- Pinch of black pepper, to taste
Method
- In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.
- Add the onion and jalapeño, and cook until soft.
- Stir in the garlic and courgette Cook for a minute and add the seasonings.
- Stir and add the turkey mince to the pot. Cook until no longer pink in the centre.
- Add the spinach and tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper.
- Simmer until vegetables are soft and chili is thickened, 30-40 minutes. You can simmer for several hours to improve flavour; simply add water or broth to the pan.
- Serve hot.
Centra, along with Pat Divilly, want to help you get back on track to living well with their 21 day healthy eating and hiking challenge. Sign up at https://centra.ie/live-well/restart and be in with the chance of winning hiking gear. Share your progress using #LiveWell on Centra's social channels.
