healthy snacks

This week's big health question to Dr Shilpee is from Amy: I eat too much and I'm starting to feel fat and bloated. :( Can I stop the doughnuts? What can I eat for snacks instead?

Most of us get a bit hungry between meals and it's not unusual to feel peckish at 11am and/or 3pm. It's also a fact that most folk are like Amy and love doughnuts. If we could get away with we'd all be chowing down on those lovely jammy delights everyday. Unfortunately donuts contain around 300 kcals each with about half of the calories come from fat so it's not the best food to be snacking on.

As a general rule you should be getting three quarters of your daily calories and nutrients at breakfast, lunch and dinner. This means you can get a quarter of your energy and nutrients in snacks which you can spread out throughout the day (that's about 500 kcals in total for a  woman). Eating crisps, sweets and chocolates as an occasional treat is fine but these snacks contain  lots of energy but few nutrients (things vitamins and minerals) and fibre (which can help you to feel full). You need to make sure that your snacks have lots of good nutrition as well as calories.

The best foods to snack on are -

1) fruits  - whole fruit, dried fruit and smoothies are a great way to tide you over. Fruit contains fibre which can help you to feel full as well as lots of good things like vitamins and anti-oxidants.

2) low fat yoghurts, rice pudding and thickies - these are relatively low in calories but contain lots of calcium for healthy bones. The protein in these foods can also help you to keep full.

3) rice cakes, crackers , fruit loaf  and cereal bars - these contain starchy carbs which will pep up your energy levels but not overload you with calories

4) nuts and seeds - a handful is just enough to give you an boost and some healthy oils too.

I'm a grazer and find that eating little and often really works for me. If you let yourself get too hungry you may find that you gorge at the next meal. Everyone is different though and I'd love to get your views.

As ever drop me a line.

Bye for now,

Dr Shilps

flip masters

A bit of inspiration for tonight.

Happy flippin' Pancake Day.

an update from malawi

Last April, our Andrew D spent two weeks in Malawi, helping out the Microloan Foundation (one of the organisations supported by the innocent foundation).

A few weeks ago, I was on holiday in Malawi myself and was lucky enough to spend an afternoon with Joseph and Joseph from Microloan to see some of the great work they're continuing to do out there.

The Microloan Foundation provides small loans and business advice to women in Malawi and Zambi which allow these women to start up small businesses in their local communities, selling rice, tomatoes, bananas and so on.

 

The women then form small groups and are collectively responsible for re-paying the loans. This helps them learn about money management and means they receive a lump sum at the end with which to improve their family and community lifestyle.

 

One of the loan agreements

I met Joseph and Joseph in Rumphi, Northern Malawi, to attend a repayment meeting in a local village. These meetings take place fortnightly and each member of the group is expected to repay their share of the loan and make their savings.

Having driven for an hour along a dusty track, we were greeted with the sound of singing from the women, who were singing about how grateful they were to Microloan for improving their lives.

After the repayments had taken place, we then had a Q&A session where I got to find out how the opportunity to run their own businesses had affected their lives. All the women agreed unanimously that their lives had changed for the better as they were now able to provide for their families, without having to solely rely on their husbands for support.

Annie told me that her biggest wish for next year was to save up enough money to buy a proper bed, instead of the mat she currently sleeps on.

Last year, Microloan made 22,000 loans to 11,000 women like Annie, helping them set up profitable businesses and accumulate around about £15 in savings each. £15 might not sound like a lot but these savings helped look after 66,000 dependents.

This year Microloan are looking to expand in Malawi, Zambia and Namibia with the aim of helping over 100,000 people work their way out of poverty by Christmas.

So hopefully, along with Microloan's support, Annie will be sleeping soundly and comfortably come December.

(Posted by Helen)

blind cheese

The theme for today's Cheese Club was Cheese dans le Noir.

Members were blindfolded with paper towels

 

Then served a variety of cheese

 

Asked to savour, deliberate and not slobber

 

Challenged to eat salad, serve chutney and select crackers (without getting any down their jumpers) 

 

And provide Tom no end of amusement as he served them bits of butter instead of cheese.

Of all the cheeses served, the winning cheese was Montgomery's Cheddar and ne'er a more fun lunchtime was had in these fair grassy halls, than with a few lumps of cheese, some cherry tomatoes and a big fat wodge of blue toilet roll.

ukulele idol

Do you recognise this man?

Well for those of you who came along to our fete last summer, you might recall this handsome chap as Mr. Rod Thomas, who was strumming his ukulele at about 2 o'clock on the Sunday on The Acoustic Bandstand stage.

As well as working the sports casual look rather well, he's also just won Best Ukulele Video of the Year award , which features another rather fetching jumper and some very friendly socks.

You can listen to more of Rod's ear candy here or simply just kick back and watch his award winning video (and jumper) below:

whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother

Every now and again we have a hunt about on the marvelous youtube to see if anyone has tagged a video with anything to do with us. It's normally worth a root about as you can come across some little gems like this, this, this and this.

And now let us please present to you this wonderful homemade animation that's brightened up our Thursday morning no end.

 

Could you feel the city breakin' and everybody shakin'?

healthy teens

Ah Morten. He was cool (and very healthy looking) when I was a lass.....

Anyway I'm going to answer Nikki's question on eating healthy in her teens. It can seem a little bit of a struggle (I certainly remember being permanently hungry and having a thing for flakes and frazzles) so here's a bit of info on what's happening to your body at this time and what you should try and eat.

Adolescence is a time of rapid growth which means your energy and nutrient needs are fairly high. This means it's really important that you get enough good nutrients (things like vitamins, minerals, omega-3 oils) as well as energy (which comes from carbohydrate, fat and protein).

Before adolescence  your body fat is about 15% but during adolesence this increases to about 20% for girls and decreases to 10% in boys. Boys put on more muscle than girls and this is why their energy and protein needs are greater.

The principles of healthy eating are remain the same throughout teenage and adult life which means teenagers should also follow the eatwell plate. However there are a couple of nutrients to watch put for:

1. Teenagers need more iron to help with muscle development and growth. After girls start their period they need more iron than boys. Dietary surveys have shown that some young girls have worryingly low levels which can lead to anaemia. Apart from meat a great way to get iron in the diet is a fortified breakfast cereal with a smoothie or orange juice. This is because Vit C helps your body to absorb the type of iron found in breakfast cereals.

2. In adolescence you need to make sure you get enough calcium for bone growth and strength. If you don't get enough calcium now you could run the risk of getting osteoporosis later in life. Make sure you get 2-3 portions of dairy or a fortified soya product (if you don't eat dairy) a day. This means you should try and get at least a glass of milk, a yoghurt or thickie and a match-box piece of cheese a day.

3. If you eat too much junk food you'll could run the risk of getting too much energy and not enough nutrients. Make sure you get eat lots of starchy carbs, get plenty of fruit and veg, 3 portions of dairy and 2 servings of protein such as meat, fish, eggs, beans and pulses.

Oh and make sure you get enough exercise. This will help your mood, overall fitness and will help make your bones nice and strong too.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Bye for now

Dr Shilps

time flies

Two years ago Christine posted a picture to our pinboard of her new son Ashleigh in a custom made innocent smoothie carton nappy.

Then a couple of weeks ago she uploaded another photo of Ashleigh enjoying his favourite smoothie after a bath.

Time does indeed fly, in Ashleigh's world and ours.

new employee

This is Johnny.

 

He is Giles C's new desk buddy.

If you put a mirror infront of him, he gets angry and does a little dance.

He's in charge of gravel, being blue and miniature castles.

masterchef semi finals (sort of)

Pans at the ready, judging hats steady, let's get cooking (sort of).

This week, you get to be Gregg. Or John. Or Simon. Or that one with the funny eyebrows from Dancing on Ice. Whichever reality TV judging style takes your fancy, really.

For those who aren't sure what we're wittering on about, a couple of weeks ago we launched our own version of innocent Masterchef. All you had to do was tell us your favourite veg recipe for a chance to then come in for a cook off in our kitchen, Masterchef stylee.

We've picked our favourite innocent Masterchef hopefuls, so the next bit is down to you.

Just have a quick read of our sort of semi finalists below and then vote for your favourite.

******************************************************

1. Jo’s Tuscan fish soup

Pop a bunch of shellfish in a large pan, chuck in 2 tins of chopped tomatoes, half a pint of veg stock and simmer until the mussels have opened (throw out any that stay closed - they are clearly evil). Add 2 pots of Tuscan Bean Stew and simmer for a few minutes until heated through. Season and serve with big hunks of warm, crusty bread for a great wintery lunch.

2. Claire’s tamarind, chickpea & spinach curry

Toast a mixture of nigella, cumin and fennel seeds, add some chopped red onion and cook over low heat. Add a tin of chopped tomatoes, tin of chickpeas, 1tsp of turmeric and paprika and 3 green chillies (cut into strips), a pinch of brown sugar and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Finally, add spinach and 2 tsp of tamarind paste. Serve with rice, garnished with coriander if you’re fancy.

3. Chris’ Risotto Primavera (in the style of Masterchef)

JT: So what’s on your table, mate?

Chris: Er...some risotto rice, home-made vegetable stock, asparagus, green beans, broad beans, peas, shallots, white wine, a lemon and a chunk of parmesan.

GW: Tell you what John, I LOVE the sound of this – creamy rice, tasty but firm vegetables and rich, rich stock, with that hint of parmesan and lemon,

JT: Sure, Greg, but this simple dish has to be PERFECT. Risotto is so, so simple that anything other than perfection is a disaster waiting to happen.

(Chris cooks amazing dish and submits for approval)

GW: Phworrr. It’s summer on a plate. Lovely asparagus, vibrant green broad beans complemented by peas and green beans. all held together in a perfectly cooked risotto with a lovely. fresh finish. I’d finish the lot and order it again. YUMMY!

4. Laura’s stuffed butternut squash à trois.

1.Balsamic puy lentils – Cook lentils in veg stock, sautee some onion and garlic with thyme, sage and chili. Mix in with lentils, add a generous splash of balsamic vinegar and stuff back in roasted squash.

2. Pop a mix of beetroot, toasted squash seeds and goats cheese inside your roasted squash while it’s still warm for a quick yummy tea.

3. Or simply use a Tuscan Bean Stew veg pot as a stuffing.

5. Roisin’s Spicy Chicken Kare Noodle Soup

The easiest, quickest way to put a fire in your belly. Mix together and heat gently 2 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp oil, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1 chilli (minced) and the zest and juice of a lime. Add 300ml stock, 200ml coconut cream and a Thai Coconut Curry veg pot to your sauce. Continue to heat gently. Grill one chicken breast until cooked, slice and set to one side. Get some rice noodles on the boil and add a handful of spinach leaves, bamboo shoots and chicken to a bowl. Then pour your Kare soup on top.

6. Nina’s Japanese Croquettes

Take a Sweet Potato Chilli veg pot, mix it with mashed potatoes and mashed peas. Pat mixture into burger shaped thingys and cover in bread crumbs. Fry or bake until golden and crispy. Perfect accompaniment to meat, fish and other veggies.

P.S I'm 13 (14 in March!) AND I LOVE COOKING! My dish serves 2- 4, depending on how hungry you are.

******************************************************

So there we have it. Six cracking semi finalists but only three places in the final.

Who comes along for the cook off? Who stays at home, weeping big fat chef tears all over their seared tuna? You decide.

Just vote for your favourite and we'll announce the winners next week.

> VOTE HERE <

Oh the power. The power.