Good intentions

January is the months of good intentions, and the media is full of good advice to change your eating, drinking and exercising habits to a more healthier one.

No or little alcohol, less meat, more fruit and vegetables, regular exercises etc, etc.  Every year I totally ignored all these well meant 'healthy change your life efforts". Well this new year , due to circumstances so totally out of my control, forced me to change my eating and drinking habits, not because I had this sudden insight, but because I had no other choice. 

The interesting bit about it, I am actually enjoying it . So I thought I share  some of the small things I added or changed to my new and hopefully lasting eating habits .

Sweet Potato with Avocado Dip and Cottage Cheese

We all know or should know, that a healthy balance of protein, fat and carbohydrates should be our daily intake. 

Funnily enough, our parents and grandparents did the right thing without any help of health gurus.

They only used and ate what was in season; only used regional produce, had three meals a day, according to the  motto :

breakfast like an emperor , lunch like a king and eat in the evening like a beggar. Looking at old photos you see that obesity was a problem they did not have.

So what have I changed?
Porridge for breakfast ( the real McCoy, made with organics oatflakes) in the microwave, done in a minute or two, or the tradional way, soak the night before, ( put some blueberries in and some honey or maple syrup and you have a meal fit for an emperor),
I try to have the main meal at lunchtime now, eat fruit for snacks and eat little meat, I haven't eaten red meat for a month ( mind you slowly the thought of a nice steak is starting to appeal again!)
I rediscovered the Baked Potato. Yes, a big potato baked in the jacket and eaten with a big blob of good low fat cottage cheese. The mix of carbohydrates, protein and little fat gives you a perfect balanced meal.
To add variety instead of the humble potato, I use Sweet Potato.
Not to get bored with just cottage cheese, I tried a new new combination of avocado and chickpeas and I liked it!
Here is the recipe for the new dip.


Creamy Avocado/Chickpea Dip

Ingredients

1 ripe Avocado
1/2 tin of chickpeas
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, crushed (optional)
2 Tbsp low fat yoghurt
salt, pepper to taste 
a little tabasco or chilly flakes

Method 

1. Scoop the inside of the avocado in to a bowl and add the lemon juice and garlic.
2. Add the chick peas and yoghurt and with a blender purėe to a  smooth paste.
3. Add salt ( go easy), pepper as much as you like and the tabasco ( go gently).

Serve with baked potato, baked sweet potato or use a dip with fresh vegegtables or fresh crunchy bread.

What I like about this dip is that you use the chick peas to add protein, but unlike for Hummus you don't need Tahini.

Little Tip: Pepper and Chili activates your digestive system due to Capsaicin. Good if you want get rid of a pound o two!

Coming Next: Crunchy Winter Salad