#42 A simple swap, homemade trail mix and a product we're loving
The Weekly Dose
I’m so pleased you all enjoyed the oat bread recipe last week, I love receiving photos of your creations and it certainly sounded like it went down an absolute treat. I hope you enjoy this week’s recipe just as much!
We completed week 2 of the January Pilates Challenge with a grounding 30 minute stretchy flow this morning. Thank you all so much for joining me on the mat and I’m already buzzing for all that week 3 has in store.
Lottie has been sharing some fantastic tips and tricks each week. If you haven’t spied her latest reel all about hydration, you can find it here.
Read on for a simple swap, a great snack recipe and a product we’re loving.
Simple swap: Cereal bar → Homemade trail mix
Why?
Many supermarket products have exaggerated health claims such as ‘high in fibre’, ‘high in protein’, ‘low in sugar’ which can be extremely misleading (see this blog for our thoughts on this).
We know that where possible, cooking from scratch is the best way to avoid added emulsifiers, preservatives and sweeteners which can cause disruption to our gut microbiome, having wider, systemic impacts.
Making your own trail mix rather than choosing shop bought cereal bars also means you can add all your favourite ingredients, creating your own personalised jar of deliciousness to snack on throughout the week.
How?
Simply save a glass jar which used to house beans / sauces / nut butters or use a Kilner jar as your storage container.
Select a handful of different nuts, seeds and dried fruits to add to your trail mix jar and there you have it - the perfect blood glucose balancing snack, rich in fibre, protein and healthy fats to keep you going between meals!
Top tip: the wider the variety of trail mix ingredients you include, the more you’ll naturally provide your gut bacteria with a variety of different fibres to keep them thriving.
This week’s recipe: Toasted trail mix
A great recipe to batch cook and store in an airtight container to munch on throughout the week. Homemade trail mixes are so versatile, you can pretty much substitute any ingredient for alternatives that you have at home. As mentioned above, mixing up the nuts, seeds and fruits will provide a variety of different bacteria for our gut bacteria. We hope you enjoy it as much as us!
Click here to watch Claudia’s trail mix reel.
Ingredients:
145g raw unsalted almonds
¼ tsp sea salt
145g raw unsalted peanuts/cashews
65g pumpkin seeds
85g raisins
1 handful dark chocolate chips (optional)
Directions:
Toss the almonds, cashews and salt in a large pan over medium-low heat and toast for 2-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sides start to brown and it becomes fragrant. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.
Add pumpkin seeds and raisins. Leave to cool completely before serving. Enjoy!
Notes:
Serve With: Fruit, yogurt, oatmeal or overnight oats. Or enjoy it alone as a crunchy snack.
Storage: Refrigerate in an air-tight container.
Other Add-Ins: Pecans, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, macadamia, pistachios, sunflower seeds, coconut flakes, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, goji berries, dried cherries, banana chips, dark chocolate chips and/or cacao nibs.
We’re loving: Yoga matters travel mat
I discovered these through a friend and this mat genuinely comes everywhere with me. You can fold it up so small it fits in a rucksack, weekend bag or suitcase, enabling you to move anytime, anywhere. It is thinner than regular mats so if you need a little padding, adding a towel or blanket on top works wonders.
I’d love to connect on Instagram and if you’d like to find out more about working together, you can find out more about our 1:1 Power Hours or book a Complimentary Discovery Call here.