You Don’t Make Friends With (boring) Salads

Summer is well and truly here and salads are just about all the sides you can handle, but how do you make them more appetising??

Salads don't just have to be lettuce, cucumber, carrot and tomato. Here are some helpful hints and tips to make your salads more exciting and boost your nutrient intake!

Feta: is high in protein (especially tryptophan which stimulates serotonin aiding sleep), it contains calcium and a third of the fat of regular cheddar cheese.

Recipe examples: garden salad with feta, Greek salad, chicken and feta salad

Quinoa: has a higher protein profile than ANY of the major grains. It has 9 grams of protein in just one cup! It is rich in fibre, low GI, gluten free, high in vitamin B & contains essential nutrients such as calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium and zinc. 

 

Recipe examples: roast veggie salad, chickpea salad or a simple chicken salad. 

Avocado:  high in protein, essential fatty acids, folate, vitamin E, glutathione and potassium. Promoting heart health, weight loss and eye health is only the beginning of the benefits. 

Recipe examples: Chicken and avocado salad, quinoa and avocado salad, tuna and avocado salad

Brown rice: high in fibre, manganese, and phosphorus. Contains 2.5 x’s the Iron, 6 x the B6, 3 x the B3 and 4 x the B1 of white rice.

Recipe examples: cold fried rice salad, pumpkin and rice salad

Pine nuts: are rich in protein, vitamin A, C, D, magnesium and iron. They also contain pinoleic acid which aid weight loss by promoting satiety. 

 

Recipe examples:  sweet potato and pine nut salad, rocket and pine nut salad, garden salad with pine nuts.

Sunflower Seeds: high in essential fatty acids, B1, B5, vitamin E and folate. Other nutrients include phosphorus, copper, magnesium & selenium.

Recipe examples:  avocado and seed salad, rainbow salad, bean and seed salad

Roast pumpkin: rich a source of dietary fibre, anti-oxidants, minerals (copper, calcium, potassium and phosphorus) & vitamins (particularly vitamin A, C & E as well as B complex).

Recipe examples: roast pumpkin and pine nut salad, roast veggie salad, spinach and pumpkin salad

Roast Capsicum:  high in vitamin C, B6, zinc, antioxidants (especially lycopene) and vitamin A. Capsicums are also known for their metabolism stimulating properties. 

Recipe examples: roast veg salad, garden salad with roast capsicum, roast veg spinach and pine nut salad

Chickpeas: are high in protein, fibre, folic acid and manganese. With 2 x the amount of iron, protein, zinc and magnesium than any grain.

Recipe examples:  bean salad, coriander and chickpea salad, chickpea and avocado salad.

Edemame beans: are rich in protein, antioxidants and phytochemicals. They also contain a high amount of brie, vitamin B’s, C and E.

Recipe examples: Wild rice and edemame beans, avocado and edemanae, bean salad.

Boiled eggs: are very high in protein (6g per egg) and contain contains choline, lutein (essential for eye & skin health) and zeaxanthin as well as containing just about every vitamin and most minerals (except vitamin C)

Recipe examples: egg and chive salad, garden salad with egg, bean and egg salad



If you struggle with planning out your meals and variety contact naednutrition@gmail.com to get your own personalised plan

Cravings, Cravings, Cravings!

Ever wanted to know why you crave the chocolate? Or bread? Or milk? What does it mean? Here is the answer to why you’re craving that particular food and what it means!

What causes food cravings?

• Low energy
• Borden
• Poor diet
• Nutrient deficiencies
• Stress
• Depression
• PMS
• Insufficient calorie intake
• Alcohol/Hangover
• Dealing with emotions
• Food Intolerances
• And much more!

What are other causes for my particular food cravings?

• Chocolate: Lack of Magnesium
• Cheese: Lack of calcium, protein or a food intolerance
• Milk: Lack of calcium or a food intolerance
• Bread: Lack of Nitrogen and protein or a food intolerance
• Sugar: Lack of chromium, tryptophan, phosphorus or sulphur
• Salt: Lack of chloride and other electrolytes (magnesium, potassium, calcium) and lack of water (dehydration)
• High Fat Foods: Lack of Calcium and essential fatty acids

How do you control them?

1. Be organised: Plan out your food for each meal, each snack, and each day for the week. Or at the very least know what you are eating the next day. This will avoid having to make poor decisions when you are hungry
2. Exercise: exercising decreases the want for cravings by releasing endorphins. Plus if you train hard enough, the last thing you feel like doing is undoing all your hard work!
3. Avoid temptation: If you don’t want to eat it, don’t buy it and keep it out of the house! Simple but the most effective
4. Keep a food Diary: This will allow you to identify reasons for cravings, when you most likely go for them, and most of all, avoid them because you will have to write it down to show to your health professional
5. Get enough sleep: the more tired you are the more likely you are to make poor food choices
6. Drink an adequate amount of water: Hydration is very important for digestions and absorption of nutrients not to mention keeping you full
7. Avoid artificial sweeteners and fat substitutes: this will only increase cravings for more sugar and high fat foods
8. Increase your protein: make sure you have an adequate amount of protein at each meal and each snack
9. Eat every 3-4 hours: this way you will never be ‘starving’ or super hungry and will avoid making a poor food choice
10. Get more variety! The more variety you have in your diet, the less likely you crave a change in foods and often foods that hinder your goals.

Need more help controlling your cravings? Simply email admin@naednutrition.com.au get your cravings under control!