Nutrition Tips
Healthy eating doesn't have to be complicated or expensive.
What works for one person doesn’t necessarily suit another. Understanding our body and learning to eat for both nourishment and enjoyment is the most powerful way to make healthy eating sustainable. If you follow a few key principles, having a healthy diet is easier than you think. In a nutshell:
Aim for whole foods (typically the more processed it is, the less nutrients it has)
Source locally where possible (nutrients tend to deplete the further food travels and the less fresh it is)
Diversity is vital (every food has a different nutrient make-up so the greater the variety, the wider the range of nutrients)
Fill your plate with colourful fruits & vegetables (they contain most of the macronutrients, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and fibre our body needs to thrive)
Keep a balance (it’s not necessary or realistic to be perfect with your diet 100% of the time. Allowing yourself a little treat once in a while is essential to maintain motivation and sanity!)
Here is a selection of some of my favourite easy recipes, to inspire you and help keep you on the right track. Once you become a Hadley Health client, you will receive many more personalised recipes to support you in your journey towards becoming your best self…
Recipes
Healthy Oats & Berries Smoothie
Number of Servings: 1
Ingredients:
2 tbsp of unsweetened natural yoghurt (dairy/coconut) - ideally organic and live
1.5 cups of water
1 cup of mixed frozen/fresh berries
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp flax seeds
1.5 tbsp oats
½ tsp organic cinnamon
Optional extra: 2 tsp cacao nibs
Method:
Put all ingredients into the blender / Nutribullet and blend until smooth
Additional Notes:
Add extra water or non-dairy milk if the smoothie to achieve desired consistency
Keep refrigerated and consume within 12 hours
Energy Boosting Green Smoothie
Number of Servings: 1
Ingredients:
Half an avocado
1/3 cup fresh papaya
1/3 cup fresh mango
1 large handful of washed baby spinach
2-3 cups unsweetened almond milk or other plant based milk
Method:
Prepare the fruit
Add all ingredients into the blender / Nutribullet and blend until smooth.
Additional Notes:
Add extra water or non-dairy milk if the smoothie to achieve desired consistency
Keep refrigerated and consume within 12 hours
Coffee Kick Protein Smoothie
Number of Servings: 1
Ingredients:
1 cup strong coffee, allowed to cool
Half cup of ice
1 medium banana
2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/3 cup plain natural yogurt
2 teaspoons chia seeds
1 teaspoon flaxseeds
Method:
Add all ingredients to a blender and pulse until smooth
Serve immediately, garnish with raw cacao powder / nibs if desired
4-Ingredient Healthy Breakfast Cookies
Number of Servings: 16-18 cookies (depending on how big you make them!)
Ingredients:
2 large ripe bananas
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 and 3/4 cups quick oats (use gluten-free oats for a gluten-free version)
2 teaspoons of chia seeds or crushed flax seeds (for added omega 3 and fibre)
Optional Add-ins:
¼ cup cacao nibs
¼ cup crushed nuts (pecans, peanuts, almonds, walnuts, etc) or seeds (pumpkin, flax or sunflower)
¼ cup dried fruit (e.g. gojis, cranberries, blueberries, raisins, chopped dates)
1-2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (adjust to your taste preferences)
2 tablespoons peanut butter powder or 1 tablespoon raw nut butter
¼ cup shredded coconut
Method:
Preheat oven to 175°C / 350°F
Mash bananas in a shallow bowl. Add in the oats and mix well to combine. Fold in any optional add-ins you like.
Line baking tray/sheet with baking/parchment paper and drop one tablespoon of cookie dough per cookie onto tray. Press down with the back of a metal spoon and shape into cookies (they will not spread like other cookies usually do).
Bake for 15-20 minutes depending on your oven, or until cookies are lightly golden on top and just set to the touch. (Keep an eye on them after 10 minutes, as they can bake faster depending on how hot your oven is before baking.)
Remove and allow to cool, ideally on a wire rack
Additional Notes:
Quick oats will give the best results but you can use rolled oats
Make sure you flatten the cookies down with the back of a metal spoon or, if you prefer, use your fingertips dipped in some water as the dough is a little sticky, and then shape them into round cookies
Store the cookies in an airtight container for 2 - 3 days or you can even freeze them and reheat when needed
2-Ingredient Power Pancakes
Number of servings: 2
Ingredients:
2 medium-sized ripe bananas
2 organic free range eggs
Drizzle of unrefined coconut oil (per pancake)
Optional extras for the batter: ½ tsp cinnamon AND 1 heaped teaspoon of ground flax or 1 teaspoon chia seeds
Optional toppings: 1 teaspoon raw almond or cashew nut butter / mixed berries / organic live yoghurt
Method:
Skin the bananas and mash until smooth
Crack and beat 2 eggs into the banana mixture
Add any extras to the batter e.g. flax/chia/cinnamon – only add either flax or chia seeds otherwise the batter won’t hold together
Heat a drizzle of coconut oil in a non-stick frying pan on medium-high heat
Pour ½ of the batter into the pan and allow to spread out evenly (but keep it thick enough to hold together). Cover the pan with a lid to help the pancake cook throughout
Once the pancake is golden on one side, free-style flip it (if it looks firm enough!) or use a wide spatula to turn it over
Cook for a couple more minutes
Transfer to a plate and add preferred toppings to enjoy!
Super Healthy High Protein Muffins
Number of servings: Approx. 10
Ingredients:
Wet ingredients:
3 medium/large ripe bananas - mashed
¾ cup natural smooth peanut butter (just blended peanuts)
1 large free-range egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons dairy-free milk of choice (I like unsweetened almond or coconut milk)
Dry ingredients:
1 cup gluten-free oat flour* (to make your own - see notes below)
1 tablespoon almond flour/meal
1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
1½ tablespoons ground flax seeds
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground pink Himalayan salt
½ cup raw dark chocolate chips or cranberries or goji berries
Method:
Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F).
Line a 12-cup muffin liner tray with 10-12 muffin liners.
In a large bowl, mix together the wet ingredients until smooth.
Stir in the oat flour, baking powder, ground flax seeds, cinnamon and salt until smooth then fold in the chocolate chips/cranberries/ goji berries depending on what you have or prefer!
Evenly divide batter into muffin liners.
Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.
Transfer muffins to wire rack to cool and enjoy!
Additional Notes:
Making oat flour: simply put gluten free oats into a blender and blend until they resemble flour. This is probably the cheapest option. You’ll likely need at least 1½ cups of gluten free rolled or old-fashioned oats to make about 1 cup gluten-free oat flour
If you are using salted peanut butter, there’s no need to add more salt
To make these muffins peanut free, they’re also great with a smooth almond butter or cashew nut butter instead
Hadley Health Homemade Granola
Number of Servings: 8-10
Ingredients:
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (use certified gluten-free oats for gluten-free granola)
Optional: 1 cup raw buckwheat groats (available to buy online)
3 cups raw nuts and/or seeds (e.g. 1 cup walnuts, 1 cup pumpkin seeds and 1 cup sunflower seeds)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup melted coconut oil
½ cup maple syrup or honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅔ cup goji berries
Optional additional mix-ins: Chia seeds or flax seeds
Method:
Preheat oven to 370°F / 190°C and line a large, rimmed baking tray with brown baking paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, nuts and/or seeds, and cinnamon. Stir to blend.
Pour in the coconut oil, maple syrup / honey and vanilla extract. Mix well, until everything is lightly coated. Pour the granola onto your prepared pan and use a large spoon to spread it in an even layer.
Bake until lightly golden, about 20 to 25 minutes, mixing half way through. The granola will further crisp up as it cools.
Let the granola cool completely for at least 30 minutes. Top with the goji berries and other optional extras.
Store the granola in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, or in a sealed freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. NOTE: Any dried fruit can freeze solid, so let it warm to room temperature for 5 - 10 minutes before serving.
Açai Bowl
Number of servings: 2
Ingredients:
1 small banana - sliced and frozen
1/2 cup blueberries or blackberries - frozen
1/2 cup strawberries - frozen
1/2 cup plant-based milk (unsweetened coconut /oat / almond) or cold water
1/2 cup live natural / dairy-free yoghurt
1/4 cup whole oats
200g (2 packets) unsweetened frozen açai puree
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Optional toppings - raw nuts, seeds, fresh fruit, granola, coconut, goji berries etc.
Method:
Freeze your fruit. Slice your banana and transfer it to a small baking tray lined with parchment paper. To the same tray, add the blueberries and strawberries (store-bought frozen fruit is fine too). Transfer tray to the freezer and allow fruit to freeze completely.
Blend. Once frozen, add the milk / fresh juice and yoghurt to a high-speed blender. Add the oats, cinnamon, frozen blueberries, strawberries, banana, and açai. Push the frozen fruit down, mixing around as much as possible. Continue to blend on low speed until smooth, adding additional liquid if needed.
Assemble. Divide the mixture into 2 bowls and decorate with your favourite toppings (e.g. sliced fruits, nuts, seeds, homemade granola, gojis, blueberries etc.)
Pea & Leek Soup
Number of Servings: 2-3
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ onion, chopped
1 leek, chopped
150g frozen peas
200ml / 7fl oz hot vegetable stock
Black pepper
Mint leaves to garnish
Method:
Heat the oil in a small frying pan, add the onion and leek and saute for 3 minutes
Add the peas and simmer gently for 5 minutes
Transfer to blender / Nutribullet and add stock
Blend well for 2-3 minutes (ideally on the Nutribullet’s heat setting)
Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper
To serve, spoon the soup into a bowl and garnish with roughly chopped mint leaves
Brilliant Butternut & Sweet Potato Soup
Number of servings: 2-3
Ingredients:
One large peeled sweet potato
Roughly an equal amount of peeled butternut / pumpkin
A can of quality coconut milk
A few pinches of paprika
1 clove of garlic
Freshly ground black pepper
Small handful of raw cashew nuts
2-3 cups of diluted chicken or vegetable stock (depending on your preference)
Method:
Boil or steam the sweet potato and butternut/pumpkin until they are quite soft but not falling apart and place into a blender
Add one third of a standard can of good quality coconut milk
Season with salt and pepper and a few pinches of paprika
Add one clove of chopped garlic (optional if you don’t like garlic!)
Add a small handful of raw cashews (also optional but adds to protein content and gives good texture too
Add 2-3 cups of diluted chicken or vegetable stock
Season with freshly ground black pepper
Blend well and add more hot water to reach your desired consistency, as needed
Heat on the hob for 5 minutes
Sal’s Super Spinach, Lentil & Coconut Dhal
Number of Servings: 4-5
Ingredients:
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp mustard seeds
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
100g onions, finely chopped
25g freshly peeled and finely chopped ginger
2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp chilli powder (add 1/2 tsp more if you’re a spice lover!)
25g unrefined coconut oil
200g red lentils, rinsed
400g quality tinned coconut milk
400g tinned chopped tomatoes
75g raisins
120g fresh spinach leaves
For seasoning:
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
For garnish:
A handful of freshly torn coriander leaves
For serving:
Fat free plain natural or dairy-free yoghurt (as per your preference)
Wild brown basmati rice (cook at the same time if serving immediately)
Method:
Grind the cumin seeds and mustard seeds together (ideally use a pestle and mortar)
Sauté the ground cumin and mustard seeds, garlic, onions, ginger, turmeric, chilli powder and coconut oil for about 10 minutes
Add the lentils, coconut milk, tomatoes and raisins then cook for 15 minutes, gently stirring regularly to combine
Add the spinach and cook for a further 4-5 minutes
Season (in the pan) with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Divide the cooked rice and curry between serving bowls then garnish with coriander and a blob of yoghurt
Additional Notes:
Chapati or naan bread is also a great addition!
This curry freezes very well so you can simply allow it to cool fully then place in a suitable airtight glass container in the freezer
