Category Archives: Healthy Eating

Healthy Eating …Snacking is it good for you ?

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Snacking can be an important part of your diet if you stick to a few simple rules…It is healthy to snack if you have a long time between the next meal…sticking it out generally doesn’t work..you will either head for the biscuit tin or the fridge and have just one…?

It can also help stop you overeating at meal times because you are just soooo hungry…

What do you need to watch out for?

Portion Size:

Guessing is easy but very rarely works you may err on the side of caution and underestimate or you could be way over…

Pick foods which are low in added fat and sugars but high in fibre and water content, for example, an Apple ticks all the boxes a bag of chips/crisps, unfortunately, doesn’t.

I have read many publications which state aim for fruit, vegetables, whole-grain foods or low-fat dairy...I steer clear of anything which screams at me low fat as that generally means high sugar as for the taste to be palatable something else has to be added if fat is taken away…which means sugar if a list of ingredients has sugar or corn syrup in the first few ingredients buyer beware…

Another pitfall is recipes saying only 46 calories each which is what I came across the other day when researching for this post…Broccoli and Cheese Bites they were called and looked delicious really appetising…

The list of ingredients: broccoli, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, flour, eggs and various spices…that made them sound even more delicious I could taste them…cook them in a mini muffin pan which I happen to have and they are mini…trust me…HOWEVER…and this is where the kicker comes in something as delicious sounding and I am sure they also smelt amazing…4 would take me to just under 200cals… 5 would take me over…Looking at them I could have easily eaten 5 and some…I would also want a drink…cheese makes you thirsty…

I will definitely make these at some point…just not at the moment when I am trying to get back into my healthy eating and lose the few pounds I have added during the lockdowns and the festive season…sigh…something to look forward to…xx

Some healthy snacks…

  • Apples (dried or cut into wedges), 1 medium or ¼ cup (35 grams)
  • Bananas, 1 medium
  • Raisins, ¼ cup (35 grams)
  • Fruit leather (dried fruit puree) without added sugar…I love the mango one it is very nice if you can get it..
  • Carrots (regular carrots julienned, or baby carrots ), 1 cup (130 grams)
  • Snap peas (the pods are edible), 1.5 cups (350 grams)
  • Nuts, 1 oz. (28 grams) (about 23 almonds)
  • Whole-grain dry cereal (if sugar is not listed as one of the first 2 ingredients), ¾ cup (70 grams)…don’t forget to count the milk as all cereal absorb milk differently and you could use 125ml or 200ml…just be aware.
  • Pretzels, 1 oz. (28 grams)
  • Yolida Natural live Yoghurt per 150gm serving 100 cals…with serving of 2 fresh passionfruits @34 cals each.
  • Air-popped popcorn, 3 cups (33 grams)
  • Cherry or grape tomatoes, ½ cup (120 grams)
  • Hummus, ½ cups (120 grams)
  • Pumpkin seeds in the shell, ½ cup (18 grams)

If you pair the protein with carbs you will feel fuller for longer  for example:

  • Wholewheat cracker with Peanut Butter
  • Natural yoghurt with fruit
  • Hummus with carrot or bell pepper ..julienned.

Plan Ahead:

Measure out portions and put in a container/bag…if you are going out pop one or two in your bag or keep some portions in the fridge or cupboard if you are measuring cereal…it saves searching the fridge or cupboards or picking something up from a corner shop.

At home, if you or your family snack while watching TV…

Measure a portion into individual bowls rather than just dipping into a big bowl or packet you will invariably eat more.

Above all pick foods you enjoy, eating should be enjoyable, simple and not stressful…xxx

Thank you for dropping in and reading this post please leave a comment as any tips or comments I treasure… as you all know I just love to chat…Love Carol xx

Smorgasbord Food Column – Carol Taylor’s Green Kitchen – Homemade Bread, Plastic Alternatives, Grated Cheese

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Sally has kindly invited me back with my new series…Welcome to Carol Taylor’s Green Kitchen…I hope you all enjoy please let us know as we both love to chat…Hugs xxx

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

I am delighted to be back with a brand- new column at Smorgasbord Magazine. Thank you, Sally for inviting me back x

Those of you who know me well know how passionate I am about cooking from scratch using fresh ingredients, the environment and ensuring that the food I make for my family is clean and as chemical free as it can possible be.

I am also of an age where I need to keep myself as healthy as I can by eating a varied diet which will also keep me at a healthy weight as long as I continue to exercise which in my case is walking daily…

This monthly post will cover sustainability, news on food production…changes for the better and maybe a villain or three…haha, a recipe or two including some plant- based recipes, hints and tips on making my household a little greener…aka recycling and composting.

View original post 1,639 more words

Eat Smart , Eat Healthy …Dinner!

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Welcome to another edition of healthy eating...Today I am looking at Dinnertime some eat it in the middle of the day others in the evening…I am trying to show that if we eat healthily then losing weight is a bonus I am already being bombarded by all these apps and at what cost? I truly believe that if we really, really want a healthy body then the first place to look is to what we put in our mouths…

For me, too many people count calories and don’t count the chemicals in their food…

You will not hear or read a calorie on here …I also believe that we know what we are putting in our mouths…we just choose to not care I suppose if you are eating processed foods all day and every day you will be extremely lucky if your body doesn’t react…

Mine did…over Christmas but I enjoyed what I ate I didn’t enjoy the pounds I put on…however, I am now back to my normal way of eating and I have upped my exercise…because if we listen to our bodies it tells us…Simples really…

I hear little rumbles around the internet about Cravings…

Our taste buds are funny creatures but I do believe and it works for me that if you can abstain then the craving decreases and of course if you eat things which are not sweet then they change your taste buds I know mine have…

I actually picked up a bar of my favourite chocolate yesterday and put it back…I didn’t want it enough to drop it in my basket… I came out of that shop feeling really pleased with myself…

Is it to do with personalities? I don’t know much about that but have read various articles on addictive personalities…I am guessing I don’t have one… I have always had the capacity to just stop doing something…Mind over matter??? What do you think??

Or is it just habitual?

I think I err on the side of habitual… I stopped eating the biscuits and after a few weeks, I didn’t want them… Here is a short article which is very interesting…

http://theconversation.com/theres-no-such-thing-as-an-addictive-personality-heres-why-55275

What is it then? What are your thoughts?

Because I love food…I enjoy my meals… I eat curries and stir-fries…

I rarely snack … I eat my 2 meals a day and sometimes 1 snack…

Two main meals a day and a little something with my sundowner…although my sundowner is non-alcoholic as I am doing Dry January and maybe even February we shall see…I am also foregoing my snack for a few weeks until I get back on track properly.

What am I enjoying this week for dinner…

I enjoyed a lovely Thai Green Curry and some steamed salmon trout..one of my absolute favourites and it will be my evening meal tonight.

salmon-steamed-Thai- coriander-chilli

Thai style steamed salmon with coriander and fish sauce, chilli and lime

Salmon Trout. Quick and easy to do and cooks while the rice is cooking…

Ingredients:

  • 180gm  Trout or Salmon fillet.

For the topping:

  • 1 spring onion finely chopped.
  • 2/3 stems Coriander chopped finely… I use the stem as well.
  • 1 red birds eye chilli finely chopped.
  • 1 tbsp Fish Sauce.
  • A cheek of lime.

Mix all the ingredients together.

Put fish on foil and spoon topping on. I reserve some of the toppings to add when serving. Seal foil and put in the oven on 180 for 10/15 mins until cooked.

Enjoy!

Last night hubby and the grandson had liver and onions…I don’t eat many potatoes I much prefer rice…  I had a portion of chilli in the freezer which was my evening meal with of course the mandatory sour cream and parmesan and a portion of vegetables as I cooked too many for the boys…

So as you can see I eat normal food..No diet food…I don’t take sugar in my tea or eat high sugar processed snacks so I suppose the only sugar I consume on a regular basis is natural sugars…

As you know I advocate eating healthy balanced meals I don’t believe in cutting out food groups like meat, most fruits or pasta/rice/potatoes…I do believe we should avoid or eat little highly processed foods, food with added sugars, we should choose good quality cooking oils, avoid excessive intake of high mercury fish like tuna…I was also shocked to read how Victoria Beckham on having a blood test had unusually high levels of mercury in her blood apparently dangerously high…to me that goes back to what I keep saying we need to apply moderation with most foods…

A balanced healthy diet should not cause any spikes in anything…Balance and moderation is the key to good health…

It has taken me a number of years to feel happy in my skin…so far said very quietly for my age I am healthy…I don’t exclude anything from my diet…I even enjoy MacDonald’s Cheeseburger very, very occasionally…

For me, my eating regime is easy to follow and coupled with the 80/20 rule and intermittent fasting and exercise I am seeing results…

That hasn’t always been the case...At this moment I am the lightest I have been for a good few years …I have also accepted I will never be the weight I was when I married… More fat on a chip my husband used to say…haha

Life happened, it gets in the way, doesn’t it? I got married, I had kids… I ate what they didn’t eat, I worked and shopped in my lunch hour and while queuing to pay eyed the strategically placed sweets by the till ( those stores) know how to tempt one don’t they? The mums and friends who mean well…Just have one…That won’t hurt…

box four doughnuts iced

I feel your pain I know what you have been through …

It ain’t easy and while I may make it appear to be …I have eaten my share of what I shouldn’t and moderation did not come into it…I am now older and wiser…haha…Believe what you will…But I have realised I need to cherish this body as it is the one and only one I have or will have…Better late than never…

And remember…Losing weight is not a sprint, it is a marathon and your mental and emotional attitude towards the project is a key factor in your successful weight loss.

What works for you??? What do you struggle with?? 

If you have enjoyed this post please leave a comment as any tips or comments I treasure yesterday I was given a lovely recipe  to try and as you all know I just love to chat…Love Carol xx

CarolCooks2 weekly roundup…10th January-16th January 2021…Recipes, Whimsy, Music and Lifestyle Changes…

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Welcome to this week’s edition of my weekly roundup of posts…Especially for you just in case you missed a few posts during this last week…It is a cloudy and still morning here…a tad warmer just by a whisper and I am contemplating my day while I sip my Oolong Tea…

Well, the New Year has definitely started…on that, I decline to comment I’ll leave that to everyone else…This is a stress-free zone for today at least…

My word for this year is Improv… Why?

The year ahead will be challenging, unrehearsed, unscripted… we may have to think on our feet and be spontaneous at times thus improvising will definitely be on the agenda…for me a perfect word…What’s your word(s) for the year?

Meatless Monday’s…

Here I am dipping my toes into making and introducing more plant-based meals to my family…although they are willing participants they will try anything once they are also my harshest critics…Wish me luck…smile…

Thank you, Darlene, for the recipe I will be testing it this week…tomorrow I am going be getting all my different lentils out of my store cupboard…in the meantime enjoy my first Meatless Mondays…

Meatless Mondays

https://carolcooks2.com/2021/01/11/meatless-mondays/

We are all... well I am …looking to eat more healthily after the cumulative effects of the lockdowns and the festive season…

Eat Smart! Eat Healthily…Breakfasts…

https://carolcooks2.com/2021/01/12/eat-smart-eat-healthily-breakfast/

This week I have also been participating in the Travel Challenge…

Suffice to say I will not be linking to all those posts today…But if you would love to join in or just view vicariously then please do…

 Sharon at the awesome Gum trees and Galaxies blog, nominated me to participate in the Travel picture challenge. I mean do I have travel pictures…haha… Gum trees and galaxies blogs about travel, adventure, books, life and stuff especially if your passion is all of those plus the environment it then makes this blog a must-read who knows what little gems you may find…

The challenge is about visual images so we need to post a favourite travel picture for 10 days without explanation and nominate someone else to participate.

Actually, I am finding it hard to decide who to nominate for these final two but if you would like to be nominated leave me a comment and I will send the next one your way. xx

https://carolcooks2.com/2021/01/12/travel-challenge-day-8-12th-january-2020/

The Culinary Alphabet with a little twist…Q (bbQ) and R (caviaR)

We are back to one of my challenges which I hope you are enjoying ...I have thought about how I am going to follow these two series and have come up with the idea of maybe still sticking with the Alphabet theme and picking 3 A’s, B’s etc in relation to the environment and climate change, of course, some letters have nothing Q being one of them… an example being for A …Air Pollution, Air Quality and Algae Blooms…most of the words I know and have heard of and maybe know something about I just thought I could expand on that…I’ll leave you with that thought?

Now back to Wednesday and my Culinary Alphabet for this week…Enjoy!

https://carolcooks2.com/2021/01/13/the-culinary-alphabet-with-a-little-twistq-bbq-and-r-caviar/

Thursday...I shared one of Sally’s posts…Sally blogs over at Smorgasbord Magazine and is a qualified and experienced, nutritionist whose advice I value greatly…I trust her…

I’m sure many of us look in the mirror and don’t always like/recognise who we see…I hardly guild the lily any more preferring to go au natural…but I do want to keep my smoothish skin without resorting to botox…Sally can help so head over and have a read…

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2021/01/14/smorgasbord-health-column-turning-back-the-clock-2021-anti-aging-without-the-botox-by-sally-cronin/

Healthy Eating Lunches… whether you are at home or at work or just on the go…there is something for everyone …Enjoy!

https://carolcooks2.com/2021/01/15/eat-smart-eat-healthy-lunches/

Going to work on an egg used to be tagline in the UK  back in the ’50s. and 60’s…

Today eggs are still a valuable source of nutrients please head over to Sally’s to see why we should still go to work on an egg…

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2021/01/14/smorgasbord-health-column-recipes-that-pack-a-punch-breakfasts-versatile-and-nutritious-eggs-by-sally-cronin/

Saturday Snippets…Welcome to the day when whimsey reigns supreme… there is music and some messages about the environment…the discovery of the worlds longest animal ..weird fruit which also appeared on Star Trek Deep Space 9…and so much more…I do hope you enjoy!

Well, that’s it for today…I hope you have enjoyed the read…if you have please head over and leave a comment it makes my day to hear from you …Love Carol xx

 

Eat Smart! Eat Healthily…Breakfast!

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Good morning from not so sunny Thailand(10 degrees) even hubby and it is first for him since we landed here 8 years ago(he) who has always laughed at me for donning warm clothes has succumbed and is wearing jogging pants and a jumper…

I hope you are all well and getting over the Christmas festivities it is such a busy time of year and sometimes we don’t have time to eat or eat on the run…Don’t we???

Today I am going to repost and have revamped one of my healthy eating posts from a few years ago starting with the first meal of the day… Breakfasts which I hope will help sustain you until lunch and which you can prepare really quickly… there is something for everyone…vegetarians, vegans whatever your eating plan…Breakfast is served…

Firstly…Porridge…

If you don’t know already I had six children, a dog, a cat, a snake, a parrot and a horse…Get the picture all who I had to feed and get off to school before I went to work….lol

Breakfast time was busy…My slow cooker was a lifesaver during the cold winter months …I put the porridge on at night before I went to bed and come the morning it was ready and waiting…So easy…

Hubby was first out of the door having had his bowl of porridge and as the kids appeared they could get theirs it was always fresh and hot…

You can serve porridge with honey, fruit compote, fresh fruit or even a sprinkling of brown sugar which was an occasional treat for me…a throwback to my childhood…

Other toppings:

  • Mango and toasted coconut
  • Bacon and maple syrup
  • Peanut Butter and grapes

I cannot pick a favourite out of these as I love them all…

How about some nice wholemeal Toast with peanut butter and sliced banana maybe a sprinkling of cinnamon and /or honey…for my US cousins it’s jam/jelly…

Or slice some strawberries..anything goes really or some mashed avocado and a hardboiled egg roughly chopped… Quick, easy and nutritious…

Love Peanut Butter then here is the link to make your own…quick and easier than anything you have ever made and no nasties.

Eggs are always a good way to start your day…

Softly scrambled or poached…they are one of my favourite things. Hubby has bread with his eggs I just eat scrambled eggs on their own sometimes I grill some tomatoes as I really love eggs and tomatoes.

Here is a lovely video on how to poach an egg something that many including me have had problems getting the perfect poached egg… And if everyone wants a poached egg this man shows you how to do six eggs at once…

A yoghurt is a great option if you don’t have time to eat it at home put it in a mason jar with a lid and eat it when you get to work…

What I love about these jars is you can take them you and any fruit of your choice you can layer it or just top the yoghurt with it.

Easy to make oats to top your yoghurt or porridge.

Quick crunchy Oats…

  • 1 cup of uncooked oats…
  • 1/4 cup of brown sugar…
  • 3 tbsp butter.
  • 1 tsp cinnamon powder ( optional)

Let’s Bake!

Mix all 3 ingredients together and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes stirring  I love to add a bit of cinnamon…

Allow to cool and top your porridge or yoghurt.

Thank you for reading I hope some of these breakfast ideas has made your tastebuds zing xxx

What is your favourite breakfast?

That’s all for this morning thank you for popping in today I hope you have enjoyed this breakfast edition …as always I look forward to your comments as you all know I love to chat…Thanx Carol xx

 

CarolCooks2…weekly roundup 18th October -24th October 2020… Recipes, Health, Whimsy, Volkswagen Currywurst…

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Welcome to this week’s edition of my weekly roundup of posts…Especially for you just in case you missed any posts during the week… whatever your time zone grab a coffee or a glass of wine…Take a pew, get comfy… have a read… I hope you enjoy this much-shortened version…Relax and Enjoy! (1) Weekly Roundup

My first post of the week was on Tuesday 20th…Halloween Tales and recipes…

From what I have been reading Halloween in many places is not happening this year and in others, it has been curtailed or there may be some virtual goings-on planned…I am sure by now though the decorations are up…

I have lots of trivia, sweet potato recipes, soup from the lovely Dolly, and the obligatory cocktail…

https://carolcooks2.com/2020/10/20/29239/

Wednesday: My doesn’t the time fly today it’s  The Culinary Alphabet with a twist…The letter H (noocH)…Now, nooch I have just discovered is Nutritional Yeast something I haven’t used but very popular with the Vegan community…You learn something every day in the blogging world which is great…

https://carolcooks2.com/2020/10/21/the-culinary-alphabet-with-a-twistthe-letter-h-nooch/

Thursday: Part 1 unseasonable -affective disorder…

Something I had not heard of but on reading, I could see the relevance thanks to Sally @ Smorgasbord Health…

Health Column

It really isn’t until we are prompted to think about health, our diets, and lifestyles that we can attribute and improve our health by adjusting certain parts of our lifestyles and diet…Quite simple really…Head over to Sally’s and you can be sure of great advice and remedies for better health something we all aspire to…See you there #recommended read

https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2020/10/19/smorgasbord-health-column-unseasonal-affective-disorder-lockdown-elderly-part-one-by-sally-cronin/

Fruity Friday…The Juniper Berry

A lovely versatile little berry that makes lovely sauces is a great aromatic in stews and dried it is a beautiful spice…in Northern Europe particularly in Scandanavia, it is a popular addition to cabbage and sauerkraut.

https://carolcooks2.com/2020/10/23/fruity-friday-the-juniper-berry/

Saturday Snippets:

I have lots this week for you, recipes, health and trivia, and The Who…My Storks are still here sometimes just one and a couple of times this week he or she has brought along some mates …they fascinate me as they stand around in a semi-circle and chat and when it’s time to go they take their formation and away they go…

https://carolcooks2.com/2020/10/24/saturday-snippets-24th-october-2020/

That’s all for this week’s roundup a rather short week again…one of the positives… less writing has made my stats boom…go figure… I do hope you have enjoyed it and I look forward to your comments xx

God bless you all in these turbulent times…especially those of my readers who are affected or in the path of these wildfires in California…Please stay safe…x

When this is all over my hope for the future is a cleaner world… I do want to see communities, and caring for your neighbour becoming the new norm…WORKING TOGETHER INSTEAD OF WORKING AGAINST EACH OTHER…Being kind to each other…Loving someone whatever their religion or skin colour…Can we make this happen? We have to but in the right way…Are we willing to make a stand? Personally, I would love to see lessons learned..realistically I have my doubts…

Thank you for reading be well and stay safe xxx

About Carol Taylor: Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them.

I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetable ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling.

Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use contain to improve our health and well being.

Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…Then, I will be happy!

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all stay safe and healthy xx