Summer Holidays Week 4: Healthy Tips

Eating Healthy Together, Staying Healthy Together

With a busy timetable, it’s very difficult to get everyone around the table for a healthy meal. During the holidays however, you may find a little more time to prepare some healthy family meals.

Scroll down to find out more about our recommended breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes.

Healthy Breakfast – Chia Seed Puddings

Breakfast: No junk apple and strawberry muffins

INGREDIENTS

• 2 apples
• 3 eggs
• 100g (3.5 oz or 2/3 cup unsifted) self-raising flour (gluten-free if you prefer)
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 120ml olive oil / coconut oil
• 50g (1.8 oz) dried strawberry pieces

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-assisted), gas mark 6.
2. Whisk the eggs with the maple syrup, cinnamon and olive oil (or gently melted coconut oil).
3. Grate the apples and stir into the egg mixture with the strawberry pieces.
4. Then fold in the self-raising flour with a metal spoon.
5. Spoon into greaseproof muffin tins, and bake for approximately 20 minutes, until golden and cooked in the centre.
6. Stick a knife in the centre of a muffin to check they are cooked – it should come out clean.

To read more, click here.

http://www.amummytoo.co.uk

Lunch: Spicy avocado wraps

INGREDIENTS (serves 2)

• ½ x 300g pack Quorn chicken-style pieces (or similar vegetarian product), sliced at an angle
  generous squeeze juice ½ lime
• ½ tsp mild chilli powder
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 seeded wraps
• 1 avocado, halved and stoned
• 1 roasted red pepper, from a jar
• few sprigs coriander, chopped

PREPARATION

1. Mix the vegetarian, chicken-style pieces with the lime juice, chilli powder and garlic.
2. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan then fry the pieces for a couple of mins, while you warm the wraps following the pack instructions or if you have a gas hob, heat them over the flame to slightly char them. Do not let them dry out or they are difficult to roll.
3. Squash half an avocado onto each wrap, add the peppers to the pan to warm them through then pile onto the wraps with the chicken-style pieces, and sprinkle over the coriander. Roll up, cut in half and eat with your fingers.

To read more, click here.

Dinner: Chicken chow mein

INGREDIENTS

• thumb-size piece fresh root ginger
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce

For the noodles

• 1 large red pepper
• 5 spring onions
• half a 400g bag beansprouts
• 1 large or 2 small chicken breasts
• 3 nests medium egg noodles
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil

PREPARATION

1. Use a potato peeler to remove the skin from the ginger. Discard skin, then carefully grate 1 tbsp from the root. Put in a bowl, crush in the garlic, and add the ketchup, oyster sauce, soy sauce and 3 tbsp water. Stir.
2. Use a sharp knife to cut the pepper into quarters on a board. Remove the seeds and stalk, then slice diagonally into strips. Cut the ends from the spring onions, and cut the green and white of the onion lengthways. Open the bag of bean sprouts. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces.
3. Boil a large pan of water on the hob. When the water is boiling, drop in the noodles, turn off the heat and set the timer to 4 minutes. When the time is up, drain in a colander or a large sieve in the sink.
4. With everything prepared, you can now start cooking. Heat the wok – it’s hot enough when it starts to smoke. Add the oil and chicken. Use a wooden spoon to keep moving the chicken around the wok until it is half white, half pink. Add the pepper and stir-fry for a further 1 min.
5. Pour the sauce into the wok and stir well until bubbling.

To read more, click here.

Fun (& HEALTHY) Activities

Cycling

Children love cycling – it’s fast and fun, and gives them freedom and independence to get around. You don’t need to wait until your kids are old enough to ride themselves to start enjoying the benefits of cycling as a family.

Whether you were a keen cyclist before you had children, or you’ve just started admiring your neighbour’s new road bike, give cycling a chance.

Puzzles

A solution for a summer holiday day indoors. Puzzles are great for exercising children’s creative and cognitive abilities. Choose from word puzzles, board games to drawing pictures together on a piece of cardboard.

Take a Beach Walk

Get your hit of Vitamin D and enjoy an afternoon of sunny adventures. It’s a great break from the hustle and bustle of the everyday routine. Plus walking barefoot on the sand is proven to massage and exfoliate your feet.

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