Nutrition Archives - Little Mis-Fit

Day 3 – Healthy Breakfast Recipe

Day 3 of December and today I’m sharing one of my current favourite breakfasts – Baked Oatmeal 💕.
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I got the recipe after watching @gracedenny make it on her YouTube channel . There are so many differences variations of this on Pinterest so check them out .
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It’s so easy to make and you can make it in advance to have over a few mornings!. Perfect for those busy days .
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Now guys I really do just chuck it all in 😂. I don’t really measure things out . I use a cup and a half of porridge oats and put in some baking powder – I use the sachets so I just use one of those . Then in another bowl , I have an egg , then add in a couple tea spoons of coconut oil , a couple spoonfuls of almond butter , a teaspoon of Vanilla extract then either drizzle in honey or maple syrup- which ever I happen to have in and then mix all those together and then add in the Oats and baking powder.
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I then pop it in the oven on about 180 and bake did around 18 minutes.
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It can be served warm or cold and I add natural yogurt and berries to mine . It’s so yummy !.
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Let me know if you make it too and how you make yours – you really can make it your own . I did add in chocolate buttons once whe I had some left over Halloween treats and that was nice though not quite so healthy 😂.

What to look for on Food Labels

When it comes to eating healthy – it’s not about being extreme, it’s about being consistent. It also helps to know exactly what is in the foods you are eating to help you make better choices. Of course there is room in a healthy balanced diet for those treats we all love. It’s just aiming for a more 80/20 balance in favour of the healthier options.

However when it comes to knowing what is in the foods we eat – Food labels can be soooooo confusing!.

So what exactly do we need to look for in our foods ? . Hopefully this little guide will help you –

1. Read the ingredients
When it comes to pre packed food , the ingredients listing will be attached. Ingredients are listed in order of weight, from biggest to lowest. If Sugar, salt or saturated fats such as cream or butter are one of the first five ingredients listed – these will make up a large proportion of the food.

Try to eat as natural foods as possible and limit processed foods as much as you can – a great tip when looking at food is asking yourself – “does it grow in the ground, fly in the sky, run across land or swim in the sea”? . look for food where there are as few ingredients as possible – and if there are any ingredients listed that you can not pronounce or you have no idea what it is – leave it on the shelf!.

2. Use the per 100g column on the Nutrition information is the easiest way to compare foods. The main ones to look for are sugar, salt , fat and saturated fat levels .

3. Detecting Sugar on food labels – Sugar can come disguised as one of the below –
• Anything ending in ose – fructose, glucose, dextrose,maltose
• Syrup
• Honey
• Molasses
• Fruit juice concentrate
• Brown sugar
• Agave
• Barley malt
• Dextrin
• Lactose
• Maple syrup
• Malt / Malt extract

So knowing exactly what you ae looking for, can help you detect any hidden sugars. Yogurts are a prime example of foods that can contain a lot of sugar whilst appearing on the surface healthy. When it comes to Yogurts – usually natural or greek yoghurt is the best choice

A guide to what to aim for –

Low in sugar – 7g or less per 100g
High in sugar – 22.5g per 100g

also Beware of anything that states no added sugar – just because no sugar has been added, does not mean that it is free of any sugars! And don’t get me started on diet pop/soda – the sugar has been removed and instead replaced with nasty chemicals that are actually worse for you then if you drank the regular pop/soda!.

4. Types of fat
• Polyunsaturated fats – a healthy type of fat, that can help lower cholesterol , Omega 3 and Omega 6 are polyunsaturated fats and can be found in fatty fish such as salmon , atlantic mackeral, sardines, trout , and nuts and seeds and eggs.
• Monounsaturated fats – are plant based fats and are also healthy fats . These can be found in Nuts, nut butter , oils , seeds, avocados and Dark chocolate – again beware not all dark chocolate is made equal!
• Saturated fats with the exception of coconut oil are not healthy fats and can increase your cholesterol and increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. These are often found in dairy products , fatty meats and pastry.
• Trans fats – the worst of all! . These are the fats that lurk in processed and junk food and pre packaged cakes/biscuits.

Too much Saturated and Trans fats can increase your cholesterol which increases your risk of coronary heart disease.

High in saturated fat – more than 5g of saturates per 100g
Low in saturated fat – 1.5g or less per 100g or 0.75g per 100ml for liquids.

Beware of anything labelled Low fat , reduced fat , Light – people often mistake these as being “healthier” options especially if you have ever followed a Weight watchers, slimming world plan . However what often happens is the fat is removed or reduced , but in order to make it still palatable , sugar can often be added instead so be sure to check the ingredients listing and nutrition info!. These can also often have a higher salt content too!.

5. Lets talk Salt!

Salt is regularly added to processed foods – even things like bread, cake and biscuits!

On labels it can appear as either salt or sodium so watch out

Low salt – 0.3g or less per 100g or 01.g sodium or 100mg sodium

High salt – 1.5g or more per 100g or 0.6g sodium or 600mg sodium.

We often add salt to flavour our food f you are going to use salt for flavouring – try Pink Himalayan salt as this has some amazing health benefits such as acting as a natural detoxifier, promotes healthy blood sugar, promotes better sleep. Contains essential minerals, boosts bone strength and can help prevent muscle cramps and can aid digestion.

6. Fruit and Veg.

Fruit obviously does contain sugar – albeit natural sugars which is better for you and also contains fibre . However it is still a form of sugar so aim for more veg than fruit in your 5-7 day!. Aim for a rainbow plate – the more colours from your fruit and veg, the more Vitamins and Minerals you will be consuming.

So hopefully this will help you understand those labels a little better next time you are shopping x

Mis Fitters Healthy Snack Ideas!

I often get asked for healthy snack ideas. My Small Group girls are brilliant and reading through their food diaries, I often find my mouth watering!. So I asked some of them for their favourite go to healthy snack ideas to share with you all so here we go :-

Kathryn Hunter – Kathryn is a full time working mam with two young boys under 8.

Peanut butter/almond milk dip

1 tablespoon of peanut butter, 6 teaspoons of almond milk and 2 tablespoons of flax seed powder (optional) then use celery/carrot sticks etc to dip.

Rocket, with Beetroot and Feta Cheese

Fresh Rocket , topped with Beetroot and Feta cheese and sprinkled with Cracked black pepper on top served with Oatcakes or just on its own.

” also Corn cakes with avocado and cottage cheese. Cottage cheese with some chopped up grapes and pieces of walnuts”

Daneka Mcguigan – Mammy of 6 year old twin boys and juggling University and work .

Sliced apple, spread with Almond Butter

Berries with Full fat Natural or Greek Yogurt

Handful of Natural or slightly salted Popcorn

Hopefully this has given you some inspiration! . A handful of Almonds or walnuts also make a great snack. Oatcakes or Vegetable crudites with Hummus . Boiled eggs too, easy to prep in advance and take along with you.

Comment below with your favourite healthy snacks , lets share the inspiration! .

Hydration Hydration Hydration!

So we all know we need to drink lots of water each day right?. But do you know why it’s so important? And how on earth do you hit that 2-3litre quota each day????.

The skin is the largest organ in our bodies and its vital we keep it hydrated, in order that our bodies can function properly. Over half our body is made up water, and throughout the day, we lose a lot of it through perspiration, peeing and even breathing, so it’s super important to keep those water levels topped up. Staying hydrated helps our body function at its best. It helps balance our body temperature, keeps our minds focused, flushes out toxins from our bodies , helps relieve headaches and hangovers and keeps our energy levels up. An easy way of seeing how hydrated you are, is to notice how clear your pee is , the clearer it is more hydrated you are!.

Some days though , it can be really tough to get those 2 litres in . It’s one of the tasks , some of my small group guys struggle with the most , so here are some of my top tips for hitting that 2-3 litres of water.

start the day with a cup of hot water and lemon. This will kick start your digestion, help remove toxins from your body and get your internal organs prepared for the day!. Lime makes a great alternative too. Try adding ginger too if you have a cold or sore throat. Ginger is a natural antiseptic.
Use a pretty glass – I use a large plastic glass as I have it on my desk with me throughout the day. I have Rainauds diisease, so touching cold things can make my fingers go all white especially in winter, so plastic works better for me. Its also large enough that it can hold 500ml of water. This means I know that as long as I drink 4 – 5 of these throughout the day, I know I got my 2 .5 litres in and 4 large glasses doesnt seem quite so overwhelming. You can use any kind of glass though, if you want to use your largest wine glass – go for it!!. Heck through in a funky straw and even an umbrella too! .
Add fruit for flavour and detox – A lot of people avoid water as they find it really boring, but it really doesn’t have to be!. Get yourself on Pintrest where there a ton of ideas for adding fruit and mint to your water to jazz it up and act as a mini detox , just like when we add the lemon to our morning cup of hot water. Adding lemon and limes can help flush out toxins, adding Mint will aid digestion . Adding Ginger which is a natural antiseptic and pain reliever, Cucumber contains anti- flammatory properties . one of my favourites is Lemon, Lime and strawberries! . Go wild and experiment with different variations, to make your own favourite!.
use an app – there are a ton of them such as water tracker which can help remind you to keep drinking that water!, you could even also set the alarm on your phone every hour.
Keep it close by! – keep your water near to hand, and try and get in the habit of taking regular sips. Out and about for the day? , take a bottle with you, or invest in a funky water bottle you can use when you go workout and when you are out and about!. Out of sight , out of mind , – so keep that water close to hand and eyesight!!.

6. Do you love being a spot of competition?, get yourself a 2 litre bottle of water and challenge yourself to a task of finishing that bottle by the end of the day!

If you have any other tips , please do share, your tip might just help,someone else! or if you try any of these tips and they help you, please do comment below and/or come follow us on Facebook- lilmisfit1 and Instagram- .@littlemisfitjojo. I’d also love to hear or see your water creations so definitely tag me in those pictures too!. Try getting your 2-3 litres in every day for a week and see how much better you feel and how quickly it becomes a habit!.

Category: Nutrition

Day 3 – Healthy Breakfast Recipe

What to look for on Food Labels

Mis Fitters Healthy Snack Ideas!

Hydration Hydration Hydration!

Joanne xoxo