Over the last year I have advised around 40 clients on The Low FODMAP Diet and I have seen some remarkable results with 81% experiencing an improvement in their digestive discomfort. You can find out more about the diet via http://bit.ly/kingscollegelowfodmap

I’m always keen to help my clients adapt to their new eating plan and baking is one area that I’m experimenting with. Today I’ve taken my mum’s scone recipe and adapted it to become FODMAP friendly. The results speak for themselves….they have been devoured by my 2 boys & hubbie ;-)

Fodmap Friendly Scones

• 8 oz | 230g of Gluten Free Self Raising Flour
• 2 tsp. of Xanthum Gum
• 2 oz | 60g of soft margarine
• 1 level tsp. of baking powder
• 1 free range egg beaten & made up to 150ml with Low Lactose milk or suitable equivalent

Method

• Add the flour, xanthum gum, baking powder and margarine to a large mixing bowl
• Option to add a dessert spoonful of ground chia seeds too

• Break the egg into a measuring jug and top up to 150 mls with low lactose milk
• Beat the two together and add to the mixing bowl
• Finally mix all the ingredients with a hand blender

• Drop the dough onto a floured surface and shape into a ball

• Flatten out with your hand or a rolling pin until ~ 2 cm thick then using a cutter cut out your scones. The mix usually gives me about 10
• Brush the tops with a spot of low lactose milk

• Pop the scones onto a greased baking tray and place in a pre heated oven at 200 C, 400 F or Gas 6 for 15-20 mins

The Finished Scones :-)

After making these I discovered we didn’t have any jam which is what we normally have with them! A quirky but equally tasty alternative turned out to be a drizzle of golden syrup!

I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Emma

x

Reason being they are easy to transport, packed full of nutrition & help to keep my hunger at bay between meals. People often comment that they would eat more nuts & seeds if they knew how to use them in their meals & snacks.

My Favourite Nuts & Seeds

• Golden or Brown Linseeds /Flaxseeds
• Chia Seeds
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Sunflower Seeds
• Sesame Seeds
• Walnuts
• Hazelnuts
• Cashew Nuts
• Almonds Flaked or Whole
• Peanuts (technically not a nut but a legume/pulse!)

Nuts & Seeds are rich in fat especially the healthy monunsaturated fat and a small portion packs in a lot of calories! They are an excellent source of plant based protein & fibre ..& also a good source of B vitamins & vitamin E.

I’m always looking for easy ways that I can include them in my day to day meals.

Here are my favourite ways to use nuts & seeds…….

Homemade Bread with added Linseeds & Chia Seeds  

I was bought a bread machine by my mum about 7 years ago and it is still going strong! I used to buy & weigh everything out but now for speed I buy a ready mix.

I literally pour the mix into the machine, add a generous handful of linseeds & chia seeds along with 1/2 pint of water

Three hours later the bread is ready & the smell that fills the house is AMAZING!!!! Breakfast is often made with the seeded loaf topped with mum’s homemade marmalade!

Porridge with Linseeds & Raspberries

I don’t know about you but I often struggle for time in the mornings and need something that is quick to throw together.

For speed I use the packets of single plain porridge oat sachets, fill the milk to the line on the sachet & pop into the microwave for 2 mins! I then add fresh raspberries, flaked or whole almonds, linseeds & a sprinkle of cinnamon!

Quick, easy to prepare, delicious & perfect for keeping me full till lunchtime!

Wholegrain Pitta with Peanut Butter & Sliced  Banana

I love the combination of these 3 together! This lunch is packed full of energy, healthy fats, slow release carbs, protein, fibre, vitamins & minerals. A healthy fast food!

A Handful of Almonds

 I picked up this little almond tin at last year’s Nutrition & Health Conference and I’ve carried it around with me ever since! It holds the perfect number of almonds for a snack….

You can easily pick up little tins like this in shops why not have a look the next time you are out and about!

I’d love to hear how you use nuts & seeds in your meals & snacks

Emma x

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I certainly haven’t been disappointed! A few weeks ago I took part in The Liverpool Food & Drink Festival in the city’s Sefton Park.

In-between running my stand I managed to take a look a what everyone else was tasting and taking part in. I will CERTAINLY be back next year!

 Yesterday, which also happened to be my birthday, we took a trip into town to take part in The Hope St Food Fest again nothing disappointed!!

We bought cheeses, Aberdeen Angus beefburgers, delicious chocolates, lavender, almond & rosewater meringues & olive & herb foccacia bread.

I ended up eating way more that I had bargained for then justified it as a “birthday treat” !

If you are on facebook you can view all my pics from the two festivals here

http://on.fb.me/oP5nk0

One stall that caught my eye yesterday was “The Brink”

It is not a charity but a recovery social enterprise.

The Brink won’t be selling alcohol when it opens in doors but aims to deliver much, much more in health and community benefits.

They will stock a wide selection of great local and seasonal provisions, make their own delicious bread and freshly squeezed juices.

Their team will be working with a wonderful collection of local and organic food from the North West. You can read all about The Brink on their website http://bit.ly/qsza4m . It is due to open in Liverpool in the very near future! I now have a fab new Brink Bag as well :)

I now need to find myself some local Autumnal and Winter Foodie Festivals to attend as I have definitely caught the bug for trying to include locally sourced foods whenever I can.

If you have any great finds of your own it would be great to hear from you…do share!!

Thanks

Emma x

Having spent the last 7 years making up daily packed lunches for my two boys I have certainly come across a few challenges and frustrations along the way! Fussy eating habits and a constant desire for high fat & sugar treats have been my main challenges.

Healthy packed lunches don’t have to be dull and hopefully you will find some new ideas to try in your children’s lunch boxes. Just include one item from each of the four main food groups below, pop in a drink and you’re done!

• A starchy food e.g.  All varieties of bread, pitta bread, crackers, crisp breads, baguettes, tortilla wraps, bagels, chapattis, pasta or cous cous.

These are a great source of energy and also provide calcium, iron & B vitamins. If you’re cooking pasta, cous cous etc… for your main meal at night try making a little extra and use it the next day cold for a packed lunch.

• A meat, fish or alternative (e.g. egg, cheese, nuts, beans & pulses).

These are a great source of protein, vitamins and minerals, particularly iron & zinc.  Oily fish such as tinned sardines, mackerel & salmon also provide beneficial omega 3 fatty acids.

• A vegetable & fruit portion

These are packed full of vitamins and minerals plus they also help to increase fibre in the diet. A packed lunch can easily provide 2-3 portions of our 5 a day.

• A dairy food e.g. cheese, yoghurt, fromais frais or milk to drink.

Milk & dairy products are great sources of protein, calcium and vitamin A. Processed cheese foods aimed at kids can contain high levels of salt, consider cream cheese, Edam slices or a matchbox size piece of hard cheese as alternatives.

 What drinks can I pack in the lunch?

• Plain water (still or sparkling)  and milk  are ideal choices.

Although pure fruit drinks are a healthy choice for a packed lunch they are best limited to one glass per day. They contain natural sugars which, like other drinks, such as squash and fizzy pop can damage teeth. Children also become accustomed to very sweet tastes with these drinks and can end up consuming lots of extra calories – but no other nutrients – !

Have you any ideas on fruit and vegetables…my child won’t eat any?

If your child often refuses to try new foods it is important to keep persevering  as their taste buds will change over time  and  your child may need to try a new food  ten or even twenty times before they start to like the taste!

If your child doesn’t like fruit &/or veg try starting them off with very small portions in their packed lunch then give them lots of encourage when it comes back eaten!

See the ideas below for some new inspirations!

Veg / Salads which children may be more willing to try:

• Raw sweet corn or baby corncobs
• Grated carrot – great for adding into a sandwich or cold pasta salad.
• Small salad box in packed lunch with variety of mixed peppers slices such red, yellow & orange, carrot sticks, celery sticks, cherry tomatoes and cucumber sticks
• Uncooked baby spinach leaves are a great alternative to lettuce in sandwiches.

Fruits which children may be more willing to try:

• Pre sliced fruit e.g. instead of a whole orange try cutting it into 4 and popping it into a small sealed bag
• Small fruit box in packed lunch with mixed grapes, a peeled satsuma, pre sliced kiwi fruit, a few blueberries or sliced strawberries
• A small box of raisins or other dried fruit  (dried fruit is best kept to meal times as it can result in tooth decay if eaten in-between meals)

Packed Lunch Ideas

• Tuna & sweet corn pasta salad, small banana, fruit yoghurt, bottle of plain water.
• Egg & cress roll, small tub of natural yoghurt with a handful of blueberries, carton of pure fruit juice
• Tortilla wrap or pitta bread with wafer thin cooked meat e.g. ham, turkey, roast beef) and several baby spinach leaves, a pre sliced orange in small bag, tumbler of milk.
• Salmon cous cous with a salad box (a few cherry tomatoes and sliced mixed peppers), fruit yogurt, carton of pure fruit juice.
• Chicken & sweet corn sandwich with fruit box (Satsuma segments & handful of grapes) fruit yoghurt and bottle of plain water
• Cheese (e.g. cheddar, edam, mozzarella or cream cheese) and cherry tomato bagel or baguette, small bag of dried fruit & nuts or fruit & nut cereal bar, plain bottle of water
• Falafel & hummus pitta bread or chapattis, salad box (carrot sticks), an apple, fruit yoghurt and bottle of plain water
• Wholegrain crackers with peanut butter, small banana, cheese chunks and  bottle of water

Any comments or other ideas please let me know!

If you are feeling a bit low after the post-Christmas splurge, you certainly won’t be alone! Many of us gain weight over Christmas and by January we are feeling the consequences.  Loss of energy, tight fitting clothes, and a few more aches and pains can all be a sign that you have over indulged at Christmas.

For many of us The New Year is often when we think about making positive changes in our lives.  How we go about making these changes can make a huge difference to the likelihood of being successful. Celebrity diets, ‘quick fix’ weight loss solutions or unrealistic goals usually all end in failure and can end up doing us more harm than good!  We are often in a rush for immediate results and get disillusioned when they don’t happen quickly enough. On top of this life can have a nasty habit of tripping us up every step of the way!

If this pattern sounds familiar to you, you’re not alone! Don’t be hard on yourself. Assess where you are NOW, in terms of your motivation and confidence to change and use this time to stop the same thing happening again.

Why not try these simple steps today and see how you get on.

 Set yourself a simple & achievable goal e.g.

Eat at least three pieces of fruit everyday

·  Half of my plate will be veg or salad at my main meal of the day.

Eat more slowly and make meals last at least 15-20 minutes

Serve food on smaller plates

Chart Your Progress

Keep an eye on how you are getting on e.g. you could make a chart and place it somewhere visible to you e.g. on the fridge / inside a cupboard. Tick each day that you manage to achieve your goal.

Get Yourself Support

To help you stick to your goal you will need support and encouragement along the way. Have a think about where you will get your support from e.g. a partner, friend, family member, work colleague, group or even an online forum. Having someone to say “How’s it going?” on a regular basis can make all the difference to your confidence and chances of success in your chosen goal.

Look after YOU

When you feel good about yourself, you’re more likely to think and act more positively. It could also help you to stick to your goals. Why not think of some things that make YOU feel good then try to build them into your life: daily, weekly, monthly…

Read a good book

Go to the cinema or theatre

Meet a good friend for lunch

Walk the dog

Garden

Join a Dance class

Relax in a luxurious bubble bath by candle light

Listen to music

Take part in your favourite sport

Have  friends round for supper

Clothes shop

Go for a sauna or beauty treatment

Just by following these simple steps you are increasing your chances of success, which ultimately is going to make you fitter and healthier for the long term.