Don’t you just love the start of a new season? As much we enjoyed snuggling up to comforting bowls of our favourite soup next to the fireplace, winter has come and gone. Now everywhere we look, trees are in full bloom and with nature showing off in all its glory, maybe it’s time our plates should look just as beautiful. I for one, think so! To me, Spring is a reminder of how beautiful change can be and if nature can embrace new beginnings, so should we. Why not try a few new recipes this Spring? Think fresh, vibrant produce packed with nutrients and bursting with flavour. Are you ready to explore this beautiful season and all its new opportunities for you to meet your nutritional goals?

NEW SEASON, NEW ME.

If you’re like me, cooking is my happy place. When I enter the kitchen, I enter ‘the zone¹. We’ve often heard that eating at home is healthier than eating out and that’s mainly due to the fact that you are aware of every single ingredient in that meal. Sure, it takes a little longer and requires some work but opening that oven door to the aroma of a home cooked meal is far more rewarding than opening the front door when your takeaway arrives. Not only is it exciting but studies show that cooking at home is associated with higher diet quality and nutrient intake¹. It can also contribute to improved mental health and boosting confidence levels. In other words, if the consumed product can contribute to wellness, then so can the behaviour to create the product².

One study actually investigated the medical benefits of cooking at home and the results are very reassuring. Overall, a higher frequency of consuming home cooked meals was associated with markers of improved cardio-metabolic health, including lower risk cholesterol ratio, normal range BMI, lower percentage body fat, and lower risk of diabetes according to HbA1c level³.  With so many reasons to spend more time in the kitchen this Spring Day, we thought we’d share a few delicious recipes with you.

IT'S TIME FOR SOME SPRING COOKING!

Spring Day is such a beautiful time to spends outdoors with your loved ones. Here are a few ways you can enjoy the view while experimenting with your new recipes:

Stay cool with these delicious ice popsicles.

FUTURELIFE® Zero Ice Popsicle

Ingredients:

• 1 cup FUTURELIFE® Smart food™ ZERO
• 2 cups berry juice 
• 1 cup water
• 12 fresh strawberries (or any other berry) cut up in small cubes
• 1 drop pink food colouring for fun (optional)

Method:

1. Blend together FUTURELIFE® Smart food™ ZERO, berry juice and water until smooth.
2. Pour equal amounts of blended liquid into ice popsicle moulds or plastic cups- the recipe makes 6 servings
3. Add equal amounts of strawberries into each cup/mould.
4. Place into the freezer for 2 hours.
5. Remove to put in sticks.
6. Leave over night to freeze completely.

Bring out the picnic baskets, it’s time for lunch in the park. Not sure what to bring along? Why not try these amazing FUTURELIFE® recipes?

Rare Roast Beef with Pickles, Mustard Mayo and Crunchy Lettuce Sandwich

Ingredients:

• 2 slices FUTURELIFE® High Protein Ancient Grain Brown Bread
• 5g margarine/butter
• 15ml mayonnaise 
• 5ml wholegrain mustard
• 100g thinly sliced rare roast beef
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 60g pickles, thinly sliced
• 20g lettuce

Method

1. Combine the mayonnaise and the mustard. Spread onto one of the slices of bread. 
2. Spread the other with the margarine/butter.
3. Top one of the bread slices with the beef, season with salt and pepper.
4. Top the beef with the pickles and lettuce. 
5. Finally, top with the second slice of bread and serve.

FUTURELIFE® Smart Snack Muffins

Ingredients:

• 200ml (4/5 cup) FUTURELIFE® Smart food™
• 250ml (1 cup) whole wheat flour
• 5ml (1 teaspoon) salt
• 20ml (4 teaspoons) baking powder
• 15ml (1 tablespoon) sugar
• 1 egg
• 60ml (4 tablespoons) butter/margarine/coconut oil
• 250ml (1 cup) low fat milk
• ½ cup grated carrot
• ½ cup grated apple
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C and grease a muffin tin.
2. Mix all the dry ingredients together.
3. Whisk egg. Add the butter/margarine/coconut oil, vanilla essence and milk to the beaten egg and whisk until combined.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and fold together until just combined, fold in carrot and apple.
5. Spoon equal amounts of batter into greased muffin tin. Spoon a teaspoon of peanut butter into each centre of the muffins.
6. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes.
7. Freeze in an airtight bag or enjoy fresh.

This recipe makes 12 muffins – so there’s enough for everyone to enjoy!

Need a quick, healthy drink option? Look no further.

Pomegranate Power Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup 100% pomegranate juice
• ½ cup fat free milk
• 1 handful of ice
• 1 banana, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
• 1 teaspoon honey (or you can use Stevia powder or sweetener to taste)
• 50g (5 heaped tablespoons) of Strawberry flavour FUTURELIFE® Smart food™

Method:

• Add all the ingredients to your blender and blend together on full power until smooth. 
• Serve and enjoy. This recipe makes 2 snack servings.

That picnic basket looks ready to me!

CONCLUSION

A new season means an opportunity to turn over a new leaf. While there will always be circumstances beyond our control, how we choose to nourish our bodies will always remain a decision accountable to us. Making a choice to start afresh shouldn’t just be a New Year’s resolution, it should be something we take a step towards every single day. So, are you ready to get cooking this Spring Day? Let me grab my apron, meet you in the kitchen!

REFERENCES

1. Smith, K. J., McNaughton, S. A., Gall, S. L., Blizzard, L., Dwyer, T., and Venn, A. J. (2010). Involvement of young Australian adults in meal preparation: cross-sectional associations with sociodemographic factors and diet quality. J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 110, 1363–1367.
2. Farmer N, Cotter EW (2021). Well-Being and Cooking Behavior: Using the Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment (PERMA) Model as a Theoretical Framework. Front Psychol. Apr 12;12:560578.
3. Mills S, Brown H, Wrieden W, White M, Adams J (2017). Frequency of eating home cooked meals and potential benefits for diet and health: cross-sectional analysis of a population-based cohort study. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. Aug 17;14(1):109.