healthy, spicy baked beans

healthy, spicy baked beans

Kat Bright
Recipes, Breakfast and brunch

Baked beans are a quick and very popular meal. However the variety in a tin are full of hidden sugar which I'd rather not eat or give to my children. These beans can be adapted spice wise to make them more child-friendly (just reduce the cayenne pepper). Serve these on toast for a quick breakfast or stir in a handful of spinach at the end of cooking and make a well and crack two eggs in and you have a very filling and delicious, hearty breakfast. You can use whatever beans you like - I have used butter beans, but haricot beans are the traditional beans used in baked beans. This is also delicious with chickpeas.

polenta fish fingers

polenta fish fingers

Kat Bright
Recipes, Mains

These are a healthy and gluten free alternative to the frozen fish finger. By making them yourself you can be confident on the quality of the fish and ensure there's no added nasties. Many fish fingers from supermarkets are coated in unhealthy oils, which have no place in our diet. Serve with a side of sweet potato fries and a couple of green vegetables as a perfect balanced meal. If your child is suspicious of 'green bits' then leave the parsley out!

vegan coconut & orange slice

vegan coconut & orange slice

Val Simpson
Recipes, Snacks

At The Health Boost, Kat and I aim to thrive on a balanced lifestyle including lots of good real food, being as active as possible in the time we have, so treats do feature there somewhere. This is one of those treats! Delicious, nutritious and a little naughty! Coconut is a bit of favourite ingredient of mine and luckily it offers many health benefits aside from tasting delicious.

Dark chocolate waffle

Dark chocolate waffle

Val Simpson
Recipes, Breakfast and brunch, Snacks

As you may have noticed by now, I love nothing more than playing around with ingredients, textures and flavours of the waffle kind. Still very much wearing my healthier cap on, I have managed to get the right balance of whole foods real ingredients and classic favourite. Those waffles have come out tasting like a good old fashioned brownie! Do try and you won't be disappointed.

Grab & go raspberry granola bars

Grab & go raspberry granola bars

Val Simpson
Recipes, Snacks

The search for nutritious healthy snack bars is never ending. With the added restriction of the "nut free" policy in schools, making your own is the key to success. These bars contain oats and seeds, no nasties, no refined sugar and no nuts. These are really quick and simple to make ahead, and add to a packed lunch or your gym bag for a post-workout refuel.

are you eating enough vegetables?

are you eating enough vegetables?

Kat Bright
Blog, Nutrition, Health

Whatever diet you are on... paleo, vegan, vegetarian, nordic, LCHF or a typical Western diet there's no doubt that increasing your vegetable intake is something that will benefit you. The benefits for our cardiovascular system, immune system, brain health and weight are huge and we should be aiming at hitting at least 10 portions of different vegetables a day into our diet. Ten I hear you say, that’s impossible! But actually it’s much easier than you think, as I will outline later. Eating an abundant rainbow of vegetables really will leave you feeling so much better.

prebiotic soup

prebiotic soup

Val Simpson
Recipes, Soups and salads

It is very much soup season all year round as far as I am concerned! Why? Soups, whether hot or cold, are a fantastic way to easily include lots of daily veggie portions. This soup is packed full of real food pre-biotics, very light and works really well as a warming starter. Soups are a great make ahead and freeze healthy option for busy lives.

what supplements should I take?

what supplements should I take?

Kat Bright
Blog, Nutrition, Health

I am often about taking supplements and which ones I recommend to take regularly. It’s a difficult question to answer as everyone’s diet and requirements are different. I also believe that a good diet should play the most important part in good health. You can’t supplement your way out of a poor diet and we need to make sure we get most of our micronutrients from our diet. Often the nutrients we get from food sources are better absorbed than a pill. Supplements, if taken, should supplement your diet and not replace good food.

blueberry & beetroot waffle

blueberry & beetroot waffle

Val Simpson
Recipes, Snacks, Breakfast and brunch

"Not another waffle recipe! " said no-one ever! Eat the rainbow is one of our Moto here at The Health Boost so once again, I aim at presenting colourful, creative, nutrient dense and delicious food! This waffle is as pleasing to the eye as it is balanced and satisfying on a hungry morning! You can even make it the night before and slide in the toaster in the morning.

My easy family shakshuka recipe

My easy family shakshuka recipe

Val Simpson
Recipes, Mains, Breakfast and brunch

Growing up in France, my paternal side of the family was from French North Africa and I grew up enjoying many of the flavourful dishes of the cuisine of the Sephardic Jews. My grandmother spent her time spoiling us with feast after feast of delicious spicy foods. My favourite was her "Choukchouka". Little did I know that this dish would see such a revival and feature in every culinary, foodie, healthy cookbook or blog! So here's my own family recipe for you to enjoy.

tomato, rosemary & bean soup

tomato, rosemary & bean soup

Kat Bright
Recipes, Soups and salads

Many people don't eat soup for lunch as they say it doesn't fill you up. The key is to add some protein. This could either be a sprinkle of nuts or seeds on the top, or some coconut milk swirled through – or in the case of this soup some delicious butterbeans. Despite the fact that this soup has beans it is still light and smooth. With all the winter colds and flu around at the moment this is perfect if you are feeling below par.

cinnamon waffle

cinnamon waffle

Val Simpson
Breakfast and brunch, Recipes, Snacks

Growing up waffles were something I did with my grand-parents, at the weekend as a treat or ate at the fair ground. Nowadays, as a health conscious foodie mum I like to play around with so called indulgent, cheeky treats and tweak them! Still treats, but rid of the refined sugars and packed with nourishing goodness and flavours. These cinnamon waffles are just that.

potato & spinach waffle

potato & spinach waffle

Val Simpson
Recipes, Snacks, Breakfast and brunch

So...I may have bought a new foodie gadget, and I may be having way too much fun with it! So I am now sharing the outcome of my very first waffle creation and certainly not the last! 
The best thing about this one< in addition to containing greens, is that I am using mashed potato. So so simple, could be a leftover in your fridge, and you will have a fab breakfast or delicious lunchbox item!

salmon &amp; dill rillettes

salmon & dill rillettes

Val Simpson
Recipes, Dips and sauces

Once again we are back with a very simple, quick and versatile recipe. To be enjoyed all year round, it is a fantastic prepped in advance lunch box item which can also be served chilled to accompany evening drinks or as a starter for your next dinner party. Salmon and dill is such a deliciously fresh classic combination.

vegetarian hygge bowl

vegetarian hygge bowl

Kat Bright
Recipes, Mains

When it's cold outside and you want something warming and easy on your digestion this is perfect. It's like being wrapped in a soft blanket in front of a crackling fire. This is what I want to eat when on a crisp autumnal evening or when it's dark and cold outside. The vegetables can be varied depending on what you have in. No squash? Then just add another sweet potato or another carrot. I rarely weight out the ingredients - just use whatever I have in the fridge/cupboards.

ginger chicken broth

ginger chicken broth

Val Simpson
Recipes, Soups and salads

I love nothing more than a roast chicken on a Sunday! Even more so when I know that nothing will go to waste as I will be making broth with the leftovers. If you are ever feeling like you are coming down with a cold then this is the option for you. We have lost the tradition of making stock every week like our grandmothers and great-grandmothers – but I think we are missing a trick.

Christmas energy balls

Christmas energy balls

Val Simpson
Recipes, Snacks

I started experimenting with raw food a while back now and always find new inspiration for energy balls, adjusting flavours and ingredients to suit seasons, moods and hectic family diaries. In order to satisfy that festive spiced biscuit craving and still provide the much needed post workout fuel or after-school sport these cranberry and mixed spice balls do the trick. And the level of spice can be adjusted to suit younger or more mature eaters equally.

Do you prioritise sleep and relaxation?

Do you prioritise sleep and relaxation?

Kat Bright
Blog, Nutrition, Health

You might think that the key to optimal health is eating well and getting plenty of exercise. While these play a very important part, if you don’t also prioritise your sleep and relaxation you could be putting your health at risk. Modern day life is hectic and often relaxation is seen as a luxury and sleep is cut to squeeze even more activities into our busy days. However long-term lack of sleep and relaxation can impact your health in many ways.

raw sprout and kale salad

raw sprout and kale salad

Kat Bright
Recipes, Soups and salads

After all the excess of Christmas sometimes you just crave a salad. This salad screams healthy with the raw sprouts and kale. You could add some raw red cabbage as well which would also work. This is perfect for a lunch in the lead up to Christmas when you want something light, but still festive, or post Christmas when you feel you’ve just had enough to eat and want something simple!

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