5 ways batch cooking can help you lose weight

Tag: food

15
Nov
2018

5 ways batch cooking can help you lose weight

I’m a huge fan of ‘batch cooking’; so much so that I’ve decided to dedicate a whole blog post to it. Here are five reasons why I love to batch cook and how it can help you to eat well and lose weight healthily (if that’s your goal).

Weight loss tips
Batch cooking: To cook more than you need to in order to create extra portions for future mealtimes.

Batch cooking helps you to stick to a healthy diet
When you’re tired and hungry it’s easy to reach for foods that might not be best for your health or weight loss; I’m talking about high fat, high sugar and overly processed convenience foods. If you’re like me, it’s at these times when we’re more likely to overeat too. Having healthy meals already cooked, that just need heating up, is a great way to stick to your healthy eating goals.

Batch cooking comes in handy when unplanned events strike
I remember an occasion when my daughter was a baby and it was the first time she was really poorly. Anytime I left her she would cry and so cooking dinner that day was the last thing on my mind – until I got really hungry and I had nothing to eat! (I should add I was also behind with my food shop.) When I got back into the habit of batch cooking, having some healthy meals to hand felt like a lifesaver for moments like these (and there have been several moments like these). Batch cooking is also great for if you ever have unexpected guests around mealtimes – this one hasn’t happened as much to me, but if you surprise me with a visit then I can heat up some chilli con carne for you!

Batch cooking saves time
I first started batch cooking to save on the amount of time I needed to spend in the kitchen; this was when I didn’t particularly enjoy cooking – just eating! Now, I see batch cooking as a huge timesaver for my future self! If I know I have a few hectic days coming up that will leave me short on food prep time, I will turn to my pre-cooked meals to help me stay on track with my healthy eating. (I now like to cook, if you were wondering.)

Batch cooking can give you a break from cooking!
Batch cooking is perfect for when you simply want to do other things and have a break from cooking but still eat healthily.

Batch cooking saves on waste
I’ve also found batch cooking to be a good way to use up any ingredients that might be on the turn – particularly vegetables. I often make batches of vegetable curries, or roast a load of veggies – they make a great side dish.

If you found this post helpful or interesting, leave me a comment or give me a thumbs up on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Happy cooking!
Chloe

05
Nov
2018

Meal planning for weight loss

Categories: Weight Loss

I’m often asked for my top weight loss tips and one of them has to be meal planning. At the start of each new week, I’ll make a note of what I’m going to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner; plus two (sometimes three) healthy snacks. Planning my meals in advance has helped me to make healthy food choices and lose weight. Here are a few other reasons why I’m a big fan of meal planning.

The benefits of meal planning

– Meal planning helps you to make healthy choices before hangryness and/or tiredness sets in. I find both of these emotions in the past have led me to overeat on foods that were high in fat and sugar, and not good for my health (or weight loss goals).

– Planning what you’re going to eat in advance makes food shopping easier; as you’ll know what you need to stock up on. It also saves on waste, as you won’t be buying anything you don’t plan to eat.

– Meal planning helps you to look forward to meal times. It’s easy to get stuck in a food rut and when that happens, I’d often start fancying more indulgent foods that weren’t great for me. ‘Healthy’ food can be and is delicious, so planning a breakfast, lunch or dinner that you’re excited to eat is a big win all round.

– Planning your meals in advance encourages you to try new foods and is a good way to see if you’re eating plenty of fruit and veg over the course of a week.

– Meal planning also encourages you to think about any social occasions that you might have coming up. It ives you a chance to create a plan of action that will help you to make healthy choices, or decide if it’s a occasion that’s worth some indulgence – and if so, go ahead and enjoy it!

01
Oct
2018

10 protein foods for healthy weight loss

Categories: Food

Until recently I thought high-protein diets were ‘faddy’ and just for those wanting to build muscle, but I’ve come to realise this macronutrient is hugely important for all of us to consume. It can help you to feel fuller, healthier and can actually aid weight loss. Keep reading if you want to know a little more about protein, my top 10 favourite sources of it and to spot which one of my favourite protein foods didn’t make it into the photo!

What is protein?
Protein is one of three macronutrients, the others are fat and carbohydrates, and together these form the foundations of what we need to consume (in large quantities) daily in order to function.

The role of protein
Many know the role of protein in building and repairing muscles, but protein also performs many more functions in the body, such as…

Maintaining the structure and strength of cells and tissues
Producing hormones
Regulating your metabolism and
Strengthening your immune system

Protein and weight loss
Protein can also help you feel fuller for longer too, which is why it can be beneficial to those wishing to lose body fat. Over the last few months I’ve made a conscious effort to up the amount of protein I eat and to switch from carb based to protein based snacks. So far, it seems to have made a difference in terms of my weight loss and I can definitely say I feel more satisfied after meals which have contained a lot of protein.

Top 10 favourite protein sources
Here a few of my favourite protein sources, which can either be eaten alone as a snack or as part of a larger meal, I’ve also included how much protein per 100g each item contains but keep in mind that serving sizes will vary between these foods.

1. Quark 12g
2. Fat free greek style yogurt 11g

1. Chicken 23g

1. Tuna 29g

1. Cottage cheese (with and without pineapple) 8

1. Eggs 12.5

1. Ham 21.6g

1. Salmon 20.9

1. Light mozzarella 19g

Slender blend protein shake 60g

03
Sep
2018

Hello September!

Categories: Baby & Me, Weight Watchers

Although I’ve not been in school for quite some time, September for me still feels like the start of a new year and a chance to embrace new (or old) goals and to get stuff done! Holidays have come to an end, there are less and less social functions to attend and getting back into a routine actually feels good. This month has already started with a huge positive…

Post-holiday happiness
I write this post after a two week vacation in Italy, which was absolutely amazing and I was able to witness two of my best friends get married. I’m well and truly still in a happy holiday bubble, but instead of having post-holiday blues (which may still come), I feel rejuvenated and excited for the rest of the year. Towards the final days of my holiday I was delighted to see a little feature in Weight Watchers magazine of me and my daughter.

Weight Watchers
The article is all about how Weight Watchers encouraged me to get back into exercise after having my daughter. Seeing the feature made me feel so proud of the many healthy habits I’ve adopted since being a Weight Watchers member. The holiday I’ve just taken was a huge example of how different I am compared to trips away pre-Weight Watchers.

A healthier me
Over the course of two weeks I went for several jogs, walked lots, swam, went to the gym and enjoyed plenty of healthy food choices with a few treats thrown in (aka wine and ice cream). A younger me would of binged on unhealthy food just because I was away and would of left all gym clothes at home. That same person would of returned home a stone heavier and feeling terribly guilty about all the indulgences. Then I would of fall into a downward spiral of feeling horrible about my weight and myself.

For some this may sound crazy and a bit dramatic, but this has been a previous consequence of many holidays. I know a lot of people who are able to go away, eat what they like, come home happy and not give a damn about any fluctuations in weight – so please don’t take this as me saying you’re doing anything wrong. It’s just for me that ‘letting go’ approach on holiday meant eating everything and anything and then feeling rubbish about myself after.

“Fruit salad mummy?”
I’m also incredibly proud of daughter who appears in the magazine article. She is such a confident little thing and was both hilarious and well behaved during the photoshoot. It’s for her that I also want to continue eating well and exercising regularly – I want to be a healthy mum that can play without getting out of breath within seconds and to set a good example of how to eat well. On holiday when we were talking about the day ahead she would often ask if I was going to eat a fruit salad again for breakfast. It may sound silly, but hearing her recognise me eating something healthy made me feel great.

Support
I’m so thankful for Weight Watchers for encouraging all of the healthy habits mentioned above. Joining the programme has deepened my interest in nutrition, has encouraged me to try new sports and in turn has led me to meet whole host of fantastic people who continue to support me as I work towards my health goals.

Never sporty
I was never a sporty kid at school and if you told me then that I would one day enjoy running, spinning, long walks and would even have one-on-one personal training sessions, I would of burst out laughing. Weight Watchers taught me the importance of exercise and gave me the confidence to try new things and discover activities that I could keep up long-term. I am also so thankful for the several PT’s I’ve been in recent contact with, who have helped me embrace lifting weights and have giving me extra guidance on what to eat for good health and effective weight loss.

A negative outlook
I have to admit, that until I saw the final Weight Watchers article mentioned and had a little September inspired overview of how far I’ve come, I was feeling less positive about myself and weight. Whilst I’ve lost a lot of post-baby weight and am proud of all the healthy decisions I made on holiday, I’ve been feeling frustrated that I’m not at my goal weight. I got there last March and somehow it’s crept up a bit. However, with this new month and feeling inspired I would like to announce that I will draw a line under that, and do my best to get to that goal, but ultimately to continue to work on leading a healthier life for the rest of my life.

Thank you for reading this mind dump,
Chloe xx

14
Jun
2018

What to eat for more energy

Categories: Food

After waking up tired one too many times, I’ve decided to investigate what foods are best for energy. For anyone interested in food for fuel, here’s a roundup of what I’ve found out.

4 Food Fuel Tips

1. Fill up on carbohydrates
This is our body’s main source of energy and far too many weight loss plans give carbs a bad name. Opt for whole grains, like brown rice and wholemeal bread, and starchy carbs such as potatoes. Not only will you be eating a good source of energy, you’ll also consume a healthy dose of fibre too; which (as a nation) we’re apparently not very good at consuming enough of*.

2. Seek out low GI foods
GI stands for glycaemic index and it’s all about what happens to your blood sugar levels after you’ve eaten different types of carbs from various food sources. Low GI foods can help to keep your blood sugar levels stable, preventing huge spikes and falls in your blood sugar levels/energy.

Although, take caution when looking up GI values for various foods and be sure to check the portion size of the GI value and what you’re actually consuming – for example parsnips have a high GI value, but that’s because 500g of parsnips are used in the calculation of their GI value is*. Would you ever eat 500g of parsnips? The likelihood is that the value you’ll eat wouldn’t lead to a high spike in your blood sugar levels.

3. Eat at regular intervals
Going too long without food can encourage your blood sugar levels to drop and leave you feeling tired. Eat healthily at regular periods to prevent that crash in energy.

4. Opt for a balanced diet rich in B vitamins and iron
Here are a few examples of foods filled with either B vitamins or iron, all of which are known to help contribute to how energised we feel.

Green vegetables
Fortified cereals
Whole grains – brown rice, wholemeal bread
Porridge
Red meat
Fish
Chicken
Marmite
Cheese
Eggs

For more information on foods best for energy, visit NHS energy diet.

Notes

16
Jan
2018

5 things I have learnt as a Vegan

Categories: Food

A few years ago I had a vague idea what veganism is and if you had asked me what I thought about it my answer would of been something like this; “bit extreme but each to their own”. However, veganism seems to be dominating many of my conversations lately and I’ve become a little fascinated with what it’s all about; so much so that (like many this month) I challenged myself to go vegan. Here’s a little bit about my days as a vegan and what I’ve learnt.

What is Veganism?
From my understanding, being a vegan is all about enjoying a plant-based diet and saying no to all animal products – be it meat, dairy or even honey.

For many, the main motivator behind this way of eating is to banish animal cruelty and exploitation that comes from breeding animals for food consumption, clothing and so on.

For others the driving force is an environmental one, as consuming less meat, dairy and fish lowers your carbon footprint significantly – it requires a lot less water and feed to rear animals, when compared to growing plant-based crops.

Going vegan may also strive from health reasons, as it’s believed that a plant-based diet can aid weight loss, reduced symptoms from food allergies and improve heart health – just to name a handful of benefits.

For a few like me, it’s pure curiosity and wanting to be like Beyonce… remember when she went vegan with hubby Jay Z? I do! They followed Marco Borges vegan plan and Beyonce has even written a foreword in later editions of his book “The 22-day Revolution”.

5 things I learnt as a Vegan
1. I’m a pretty pants vegan. I set off to go 10 days without consuming any animal products, and by day 4 I had such a headache I convinced myself I needed food not on the vegan menu. In truth, I probably just needed to be more prepared and educated with how to fuel my body properly on a vegan diet.

2. Weight loss is no longer my main obsession when it comes to veganism. Having read a little more about it and the environmental implications of eating meat or drinking dairy, I’m shocked to learn about the strain rearing animals for our benefit puts on the planet. A plant-based diet is significantly more sustainable in comparison, too. I’ve also become aware that those who protest against traditional animal rearing have received death threats and much worse. This was first highlighted to me in the document Cowspiracy, available to watch on Netflix.

3. A Vegan lifestyle makes you very regular. I will say no more on that subject.

4. I’m in awe of my husband who is still enjoying a vegan diet and has lost over 10lbs so far this month thanks to eating all plant-based foods.

5. There’s a lot of research out there that proves the consumption of animal products (proteins) can actually lead to certain types of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and autoimmune diseases! More can be read in The China Study.

Am I now a vegan?
Not quite, however I have personally felt a lot better for having mostly vegan meals and for cutting out a lot of dairy from my diet by switching to soya milk and plain soya yogurt. My main vegan blocker has been chocolate! I had a few small bars knocking around from Christmas that I just couldn’t resist. So I have eaten them, plus the vegan chocolate I discovered too! With a better understanding of veganism and if I finally banish my sugar addiction, maybe one day I will be.

17
Sep
2016

A weight loss friendly peanut butter curry recipe – this is delicious!

Categories: Food, Recipes

I wanted to share a curry I’ve been making for a while that is absolutely delicious, full of healthy stuff and best of all does keep you feeling full! Warning: this recipe contains nuts (the clue is in the title, after-all).

Peanut Butter Curry
This little number is a popular West African curry and it was made a lot by my family when I was growing up – whether at my house, my auntie and uncles, or around family friends’ houses. Traditional West African or Caribbean curry recipes of this kind can include a few more spices, butters and oils than my version – which do taste great – but this version is super quick to make and (if you’re following Weight Watchers like myself) is lower in SmartPoints values than some versions of this curry.

Before I start – I apologise in advance to great cooks out there who may see this recipe and think “ahhh you’ve destroyed a beautiful dish you evil woman!” Recipe writing is also much harder than I’ve ever appreciated (shout out to all those I’ve worked with previously who have been responsible for writing top notch recipes). I’m a little nervous I’ve forgotten some key ingredients, as I’m so used to just chucking this curry together quickly after a long day.

I’ve included a rough guide of the quantities I use, but you can easily add more or less of everything and it will still work. For those on Weight Watchers, this recipe comes to around 8 SmartPoints values and is totally worth every single point – calculate the exact value of your version and track it too for weight loss success.

Be warned, this is moreish!

Peanut butter curry
Serves 2

Ingredients

Pack of diced chicken
Tinned tomatoes
Chopped onion
Crushed onion glove or 2
2 tablespoons of peanut butter (I use smooth)
Tablespoon of curry powder
Teaspoon or two of coriander
Teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional if you don’t like spice)
Coconut oil (or your usual cooking oil/oil sprayer)
Salt and pepper
Teaspoon of agave syrup, honey or brown sugar (I tend to use agave but this is also optional)

*If you want to add veg to this recipe, you could include peas, beans or sweet potato to this curry. Diced pepper or spinach just about works, but I like it plain or with beans and peas best.

* Serve with rice (I tend to have wholegrain in the cupboard, but it works great with whatever you usually eat or jollof rice).

Method

Fry the onions and garlic in your chosen oil
After a few minutes add the curry powder and coriander
Add the chicken and cook for 5 mins or so; or until you’ve browned all of the pieces – stir frequently
Add tinned tomatoes, peanut butter and cayenne pepper
Stir thoroughly, bring to boil then simmer for 15/20 mins or until the chicken is fully cooked
Season with salt and pepper
Plate up with some rice and voila!

Enjoy and do post a comment below if you try this recipe and like it.

07
Sep
2016

7 ways to stop stealing food from your baby

Categories: Baby & Me, Food, Weight Loss

On far too many occasions I’ve found myself devouring food I’ve prepared especially for my daughter. If she’s too slow to gobble up a spoonful of food, it goes in my mouth. If she pauses for more than 10 seconds, it goes in my mouth; and if she turns her head just once, i’ll take that as a go ahead to eat everything left on her plate.

With that in mind I’ve pulled together a few tips for fellow baby-food-eating-parents like me who may also be on a weight loss journey and want to sort it out! These tips were compiled during a 15 minute window of feeling strong and in the persona of a mother who would never steal food from her baby’s mouth. Things later declined quite rapidly as you’ll find out but stay with me…

How to stop eating your baby’s food – 7 top tips!
(Aka a piggy’s guide on how to leave your baby’s food alone and let them eat!)

1. Prepare actual baby size portions
Don’t kid yourself by loading their plate up high and really thinking they will eat it all. You know that extra dollop has your name on it.

2. Eat your meals with your baby
If you feel as though you may be overeating at times, give yourself a separate plate and eat meals with your baby. That way you will be enjoying mealtimes together instead of feeling guilty about having the extra food you’ve consumed and literally stolen from your child’s mouth!

3. Add plenty of fruit and veg to your little ones dishes
That way it’ll never be that bad if you do finish their leftovers.

4. Save leftovers for another meal
Make life easy for yourself and keep those leftovers for another meal, like lunch the next day. Freeze it, don’t eat it!

5. Keep baby foods in a different cupboard
If you have specific items just for your baby, like Rusks (why are they so moreish), keep them in a separate cupboard from the ‘adult’ food, or in obvious baby Tupperware (I’ve got a few boxes with kittens on them!). For some reason this has helped me leave baby items alone for the majority of the day.

6. Opt for individually wrapped items
If you’re a cookie monster like me, it can also help to buy foods that are individually wrapped. You may have guessed that I find it very difficult to have Rusks in the house (poor child will never enjoy a full Rusk biscuit), however Ella’s Kitchen for example sell ‘grab me’ baby biscuits in a box and these are individually wrapped. I find it a lot less tempting to pick at these if I have to open a new packet to do so – although I have done this on a few occasions, but on those few occasions it tends to just be one biscuit instead of munching away the whole box!

Ironically when I got to number 5 in this list I found myself finishing off my daughter’s squished smoothie fruits pouch. After writing number 6 in the list I had one of the biggest binge eating episodes ever – what the hell! I’m sorry people, I promise that these tips do work but I guess number 7 in the list would be…

7. If all else fails, move on and don’t beat yourself up
You probably haven’t eaten that much – draw a line under it and start again. Eat healthy, enjoy meals with your baby, be a little more active and not only will you feel great, but if you do want to lose weight – this will happen as part of a healthy lifestyle.

I’m also delighted to share that after writing this post I attended my Weight Watchers meeting and I had lost 3lbs in a week! So, take that as my evidence that these tips can help!

20
Aug
2016

5 summer snacks that are Weight Watchers friendly

Categories: Food, Weight Watchers

I’m a huge snacker and so finding foods that are low in Weight Watchers SmartPoints that will either keep me full or satisfy my sweet tooth are a big must for me.

Here’s a little round up of the snacks I’ve been enjoying this summer.

Frozen grapes
Pop a box in the freezer and hey presto you’ve got yourself some nibbles! Frozen grapes are not only 0 SmartPoints they are also great for chewing or sucking on. I find I take a longer to eat a handful of frozen grapes than any other snack.

Popcorn
I love the sweet and salty variety and there are so many low calorie options in supermarkets and by the tills. They also make a good sharing alternative to a bag of crisps!

Banana ice cream
Freeze a loads of bananas and then blend them with vanilla extract and a drop of skimmed milk and there you have it – banana ice cream.

Hard boiled eggs
These little fellas are actually really filling. I like making a load at once and keeping them in the fridge. They’re great to have after a workout or before dinner (if you get peckish like me mid-afternoon).

Apple and almonds
A power plates instructor told that eating some almonds and an apple is a great post workout snack and you’re getting some good fats along with sugar to give you a boost. I’m paraphrasing and could be completely wrong but I like the idea of it!

19
Aug
2016

4 Reasons Why I’m Loving Weight Watchers

Categories: Weight Loss, Weight Watchers

Joining Weight Watchers has changed my life in more ways than one. For anyone who thinks the programme is for old ladies who just eat ready meals, you couldn’t be anymore wrong. I’m a huge advocate of the plan and here’s why…

P.S I promise no one from Weight Watchers has sponsored this post!

It Works
This first reason is pretty straightforward – Weight Watchers works! I feel like I’ve been on a diet my whole life, but it was only after I joined Weight Watchers that I saw real success. When you first join you’re given everything you need to be able to follow the plan – and you’re not alone. Their app is amazing for tracking what you eat and I’m a huge fan of the meetings – it’s a place where you can get real tips on how to eat healthily and lose weight.

It’s taught me how to cook
This is something I didn’t set out to learn, but I’m glad it happened by accident. As part of your membership you gain access to loads of recipes. They’re easy to follow and taste delicious. I’ve cooked the recipes for friends and family and no one ever knows (until I tell them) it’s come from my Weight Watchers stash of recipes. After testing out a few recipes, I was soon applying the methods I had learnt in creating my own dishes! Now that I’ve got the hang of it, cooking from scratch feels a lot easier (and tastes better) than depending on jars of sauces and so on.

It’s given my confidence a real boost
Being overweight not only makes my clothes feel uncomfortable or harder to move about doing everyday tasks, it really does get me down. When I’m carrying extra weight I don’t feel like myself and I simply want to hide from everyone and everything. I’ll wear all black and if possible I’ll do my best to get out of social functions. However, once those pounds start to fall off it’s literally a weight off your shoulders and you feel free in so many ways. Knowing i’m doing something active to change my eating habits for good, feels truly amazing. The plan has also showed me how vital it is to have a positive mindset to your weight loss and your relationship with food – it can make a huge difference to your success.

It’s made me active and I like it!
Weight Watchers isn’t just about eating the right foods. The programme also teaches you the importance of moving more and being active does get addictive! Being able to walk more, run for a little longer and have the energy to try new sports feels amazing. I was also the kid who made excuses to miss P.E – I still can’t believe that I now actually exercise voluntarily!

My Weight Watchers success so far…
I joined Weight Watchers after a friend I hadn’t seen in a long time turned up at my house looking amazing! I had to know her secret – It was Weight Watchers. That week I found my local meeting and went along. I was so nervous and afraid of being the biggest person there. Everyone in that room, from the leader to fellow members to the meeting helpers was fantastic. When I left with the plan details by my side, I was terrified that I wouldn’t be able to put the plan into practice – even though it all seemed straightforward. It took a tiny bit of time to get used to but by the end of the first week I got it. That week I lost 5 lbs! In the months that followed I got engaged and had an even bigger reason to finally lose the weight that had keep me down for so long. I lost almost 3 stone in time for my wedding day and felt amazing.

A year after I got married I fell pregnant and ate, ate, ate. Long story short, I put on 5 st during pregnancy. Having followed the plan before I thought i’d be able to pick up where I left off. However this time round has been so different as my whole lifestyle has changed. After some weight loss success over the course of a year I decided enough was enough – I needed to be back attending Weight Watchers meetings. I’m so glad that I did, as in the two months I’ve returned (properly) to Weight Watchers I’ve lost over a stone!