While I'm not a hard core fitness and health person (there's just way too much cheese in the world to try) I try and balance my richer meals with healthier ones and eat as much plant based food as possible. I try to only eat out once a day if that and I try and make the other meals I eat at home on the healthy side. So today I'm sharing some healthy breakfast and snacking inspiration (including my favourite ever 4 ingredient energy balls that don't need any refrigeration!).
By now many of you have heard about avocado-gate (not the Nigella one, the recent one, are we that obsessed by avocado?). For anyone that hasn't heard or anyone outside of Australia, I'll fill you in. A journalist wrote a column ranting about middle aged moralising and linking ordering smashed avocado out at breakfast to housing affordability for Gen Y's. Avocado economics, if you will.
Bernard Salt said, "I have seen young people order smashed avocado with crumbled feta on five-grain toasted bread at $22 a pop and more. Shouldn't they be economising by eating at home? How often are they eating out? Twenty-two dollars several times a week could go towards a deposit on a house." I think the piece missed the context, mainly about how property prices when he was young (he's a baby boomer) were much lower and his generation were gifted with the property bubble while Gen X and Y have not. The reality is now owning property in Australia's largest cities is mostly out of reach for many with or without avocado on toast.
But if you want a healthy breakfast at home a la Bernard Salt you can of course go the smashed avocado route or you can make something else. I based all of these recipes using Be Natural cereals including their Coco-Nutty Granola with Coconut, Spelt & Fig to the Organics Golden Whole Grain Bites to their 5 Whole Grain Flakes. They use ingredients like quinoa and chia seeds and the range was inspired by Plant Power.
The concept of Plant Power is based on research identifying the "Blue Zones", 5 areas in the world with communities that predominantly eat a plant based diet. These regions have reportedly the largest number of people living past 100 years. For example the Okinawans typically eat soy based food like tofu, the Sardinians incorporate garden vegetables, beans & moderate amounts of wine, the Californians in Loma Linda include wholegrain bread, salmon & nuts and the Nicoyans eat lots of maize and fruit. Plus all of these diets include natural exercise and a common healthy attitude of prioritising being with friends, family and having a strong social network.
In turn Be Naturals obsession with Plant based ingredients (they want Australia to live a more Blue Zone life) inspired my recipe ideas. I took their cereal and added some fresh fruit and superfoods. I started with what has to be my favourite bliss ball ever and one that doesn't need refrigeration (a few of you asked me to develop some so they would travel better). This is made using just four ingredients and are done in about 5 minutes! They last in an airtight container for up to 1 week too unless you eat them all first (what moi?). That is definitely a pushy recipe! And they do have Be Natural Muesli & Quinoa Bars with blueberry, chocolate, almond & coconut in case you don't want to make a snack too.
The next recipes were breakfast bowls. I made an acai bowl with the Be Natural Organics Golden Whole Grain Bites along with some sliced kiwifruit and berries. And to the Be Natural Coco-Nutty Granola with Coconut, Spelt & Fig I added fresh mango, banana chips and crystallised ginger as well as coconut water. It was actually a granola that they designed to pair with coconut water instead of milk. And to the Be Natural 5 Whole Grain Flakes I added dried organic black cherries, goji berries and pistachios.
So he may be right, eating these breakfasts out may be expensive but all of these bits apart from the coconut water and fresh fruit were $11 from a scoop shop where you buy on weight. And also try and reduce they eat ;)
So tell me Dear Reader, where do you sit on the avocado-gate side? And are you inspired by the blue zone diet and plant power? What percentage of what is on your plate is plant based?
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