​Alrighty, so what's the deal with avocados? Everyone seems to be talking about avocado toast. Well here's the low-down: avocados are nutrient rich, they are high in minerals, vitamins and good fats. But beware, they do contain a high amount of fat! If you look up the nutrition information for an avocado you might see one serving listed as 1/5 of an avocado. YES! You read that right, it's often considered that one avocado has 5 servings. So when you see only 4,5 or 5 grams of fat per serving you think "okay, great! I'll have an avocado!" But please know that a whole avocado is going to pack in about 22-25 grams of fat, and that's for a regular sized Haas avocado.

But like all good food it's about how you balance your food choices over the whole day. I will usually have half an avocado so we're talking about 14 grams of fat. Not bad, I'll just be aware of not consuming too many other high fat foods for the rest of the day. It's all about balance! We should all enjoy the foods we love, especially ones like avocados when they're SO good for you!

INGREDIENTS

- 2 slices of whole grain bread
- 1/2 avocado
- 1 small sliced tomato

DIRECTIONS

1. Toast the bread
2. While you bread is toasting rough chop your avocado and then put it in a bowl, use a fork to mash the avocado a little bit
3. Spread the avocado on your toast and place the tomato slices alongside

​Enjoy and Love Good Food! ❤️

Nutrition ratio: 39:48:13

​

If you often find yourself running out the door without grabbing breakfast first and you haven't tried overnight oats, then what are you waiting for? This breakfast concoction is practically a bowl of oatmeal and a smoothie all rolled into one. And the best part? You make it the night before so in the morning it's practically grab & go! You can even save time in the morning by cutting your fruit the night before and putting it in a sealed container in the fridge. Then just quickly assemble it and put the lid back on and you're out the door! Once you discover overnight oats you'll never again have an excuse for skipping the day's most important meal!

So what kind of milk so you use? You can use regular milk, soy milk, almond milk, rice milk, goat's milk, whatever your preference! You can also use any type of oats you choose, steel cut, old fashioned or regular, and add flax meal or chia seeds. The rougher the cut of oats the more chewy your oats will be. (These steel cut oats will give you a real chewy oat that you can really sink your teeth into.) Put the jar in the fridge overnight and voila! An instant cold breakfast waiting for you in the morning! Then top off with any toppings of your choice: fresh fruit, yogurt, seeds and nuts or honey! Putting low fat plain yogurt on top with fresh fruit, like we did here, will give you a really hearty and nutritious meal. This concoction provides you with 40% of your daily protein and 40% of your daily fibre needs, all for only 10 grams of fat! Now that's a great way to start your day!

INGREDIENTS

- 1/3 cup steel cut oats
- 1/2 cup original unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tsp chia seeds
- 1/2 cup 2% Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup cut mango
- 1 kiwi fruit sliced
- 1 tbsp sliced almonds

DIRECTIONS

1. The night before put oats, chia seeds and milk in a jar and give it a good stir or shake it well with the lid on it
2. The milk should cover the oats completely, if not add a splash more milk
3. Put the jar in the fridge overnight
4 In the morning scoop the yogurt and layer the fruit in the jar and enjoy!

* you can put the lid on your overnight oats and take it with you in the morning to enjoy on your morning commute!

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day yet some days you find yourself running out the door without having had a healthy meal. If you're one of those people then these amazing overnight oats were made for you! If you honestly don't even have five minutes to spare to make toast in the morning you can still have a healthy breakfast. All you need to do the night before is to put the oats in a container, and for this purpose a jar with a lid works wonderfully, and cover the oats with any milk of your choice. You can use regular milk, soy milk, almond milk, rice milk, goat's milk, whatever your preference! You can also use any type of oats you choose, steel cut, old fashioned or regular, and add flax or chia seeds. The rougher the cut of oats the more chewy your oats will be. (These steel cut oats will give you a real chewy oat that you can really sink your teeth into.) Put the jar in the fridge overnight and voila! An instant cold breakfast waiting for you in the morning! Then top off with any toppings of your choice: fresh fruit, yogurt, seeds and nuts or honey! Putting low fat plain yogurt on top with fresh fruit, like we did here, will give you a really hearty and nutritious meal. This concoction provides you with 40% of your daily protein and 40% of your daily fibre needs, all for only 9 grams of fat! Now that's a great way to start your day!

INGREDIENTS

- 1/3 cup steel cut oats
- 1/2 cup original unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tsp chia seeds
- 1/2 cup 2% Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup raspberries
- 1/2 banana sliced
- 1 kiwi fruit sliced

DIRECTIONS

1. The night before put oats, chia seeds and milk in a jar and give it a good stir or shake it well with the lid on it
2. The milk should cover the oats completely
3. Put the jar in the fridge overnight
4 In the morning scoop the yogurt and layer the fruit in the jar and enjoy!

* you can put the lid on your overnight oats and take it with you in the morning to enjoy on your morning commute!

Calorie ratio 19:62:19
yoir brand of oats, milk and yogurt may have different nutritional values, please check the nutrition label on your containers for an accurate calorie and nutrition count

This is one of those ideas that you aren't quite sure if it will work or not. But believe me, if you have a huge watermelon just taking up prime real estate in your fridge that needs to be used up, a smoothie is a great way to enjoy it and use some of it up!

You won't need to add much liquid to this smoothie because watermelon has such a high water content to start with. Just add a splash of water and you'll get this frothy watermelon glass of goodness.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 banana
- 1 cup watermelon
​- splash of cold water

DIRECTIONS

1. Put fruit and a splash of water in a blender and turn to the high setting to blend
2. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

,
I love supporting local businesses so I couldn't resist when I found this amazing homemade granola this weekend. It's made with oats, pecans, almonds, dried apricots, dried cranberries, brown sugar, honey, canola oil, vanilla extract, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. The are no preservatives or additives, just natural goodness.

This breakfast bowl with yogurt, fresh fruit and granola is SO fast to prepare and it is so delicious AND nutritious. I used plain Greek yogurt but you can use any flavour of yogurt of your choice. My preference is always to buy plain Balkan or Greek yogurt, I love the tangy taste of natural yogurt and I don't like all the added sweeteners in other yogurt. Also when you add fruit and nuts to yogurt they have their own sweetness and flavour so you don't need the added sugar or artificial sweeteners found in flavoured yogurt.

This morning I used Natasha's Homemade Granola but you can use a commercially prepared granola or even make your own homemade granola! Any fresh fruit will do, whatever fruit that is fresh and on sale is your best bet! Strawberries, kiwi, blueberries, bananas, raspberries.... The choice is yours! This combo delivers two servings of fruit, one serving of dairy and one serving of nuts. Adding fresh fruit ups your fiber intake for the day and who doesn't love fresh fruit?

INGREDIENTS

- 1/2 cup plain Greek or Balkan yogurt
- 1/2 banana sliced
- 1 kiwi sliced
- tbsp granola

DIRECTIONS

1. Spoon yogurt into bowl and place sliced fruit and granola on top

That's it! Enjoy!

Have a great food and Love Good Food ❤️

Nutrition Ratio 22:55:23
* actual calories based on Athentikos 2% fat greek yogurt

April 16th is National Eggs Benedict Day! Who knew?! I thought a great way to celebrate would be to make a lower fat version of this iconic breakfast classic. Swapping a slice of multigrain baguette for a whole English muffin saves calories and reduces carbs and using a slice of Black Forest ham instead of Canadian back bacon saves on both calories and fat. You can also use less hollandaise sauce than the classic recipes call for; often less is more and in this case less is more healthy!

Now don't be intimidated and don't think that Eggs Benny are only for fancy chefs and Sunday Brunch at the 5-star hotel. For this recipe I just used the standard pots in my kitchen since I don't have a double boiler and I don't have a poaching tray either. No worries - you can make the poached eggs freehand in a pot of hot water. You can totally do this! Cheers Benedict!

INGREDIENTS

Hollandaise Sauce

- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp melted butter
- dash of kosher salt

In addition you will need:

- multigrain baguette slices
- 4 fresh eggs
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 2 slices of Black Forest ham
- pepper


DIRECTIONS

Hollandaise Sauce

1. Put a small pot of water, about an inch deep, on medium heat on the stove
2. Divide 2 eggs and put egg yolks in a stainless steel bowl
3. Add lemon juice to egg yolks and whisk until mixture becomes fluffy
4. Add a pinch of salt and place stainless steel bowl over the pot making sure the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl
5. Whisk egg mix and slowly add melted butter and keep whisking
6. The mixture will thicken slightly, don't leave it on too long or on heat too high, the eggs may scramble, take the sauce off the heat as soon as it starts to thicken
7. Put the sauce aside somewhere warm until you are ready to assemble
8. If the sauce thickens while you are prepping your eggs you can add a tsp of hot water and whisk up again

​Poached Eggs
​
1. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and reduce to medium-low heat
2. Add vinegar to the water
3. Crack one egg at a time into a cup or small bowl and gently pour the whole egg into the pot of water on the stove
4. Set the timer for 3 minutes for soft eggs, 4 minutes for medium and 5 minutes for firm eggs
5. Using a slotted spoon remove the eggs from the pot and place in a bowl or directly onto the ham if you're ready to assemble

* adding vinegar to the water isn't necessary but it will help the proteins in the egg to bind and help with the poaching

Ham

​1. While the eggs are cooking quickly heat up your slices of Black Forest ham in a pan over medium heat


Assembling your Eggs Benedict

1. Place 2 multigrain baguette slices on each plate
2. Place 1/2 a slice of Black Forest ham on top of each baguette slice
3. Gently place a poached egg on each one
4. Pour 1/4 of hollandaise sauce over top and add some freshly ground black pepper and serve!


Serves 2

Have a great weekend and love good food! ❤️

As you can see by the cholesterol count, you don't want to make a habit of having this meal every week! Once in awhile it's fine though, go ahead and enjoy!

This salad is all about the warm roasted tomatoes and the crumbled feta cheese. Something magical happens when they cozy up together, it's like the feta starts to melt a little and becomes even creamier. I love pairing balsamic vinegar and feta. It's an unexpected combination but the salty brine from the feta pairs so naturally with the sweet rich flavour of the balsamic vinegar. I used spinach and arugula for this salad, they stand up well under a little heat so they're the perfect greens to pair with these warm roasted tomatoes, Sprinkling some walnuts on top finishes it off, adding a crunchy bite. You have to try this salad! The warm tomatoes with the feta, omg - so good!

INGREDIENTS

- 2 heaping cups of spinach leaves
- 2 heaping cups of arugula or baby arugula
- 1 tomato
- 2 tbsp crumbled feta (about 2 cubes one-square inch)
- 2 tbsp walnuts (about 14 halves)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- a pinch of kosher salt

DIRECTIONS

​1. Divide spinach and arugula and put into two bowls
2. Slice tomato into wedges and place in an oven-proof baking dish
3. Turn oven broiler to High and roast tomatoes until softened, approximate 7 minutes and take out of oven when ready
4. While the tomatoes are roasting combine balsamic vinegar, olive oil and salt into a jar with a lid, shake until well combined
5. Place tomatoes on top of salad and drizzle balsamic vinegar over top
​6. Compete your salad with crumbled feta and walnuts
7. Enjoy!

Have a great day and Love Good Food ❤️

* makes two salads or four starter salads

the Nutrition Facts label is for 1 salad, or half the recipe. You can reduce the amount of sodium by not adding salt to the dressing and reduce the overall grams of fat by using less salad dressing and/or putting less walnuts on your salad.
​Calorie ratio: 82:9:9

This to me is one of those perfect breakfast meals on a Saturday morning before heading out the door to run your long list of errands. You're not really in a rush to get out the door, but you're also not sticking around the house long enough to whip up a batch of eggs Benedict for the whole family either. Right? This is rather quick and easy to prepare, and honestly, tastes delicious!

I found this amazing blueberry spread at the market and it's made by a local orchard in our area. I love it not only because it's tastes amazing but because it's all-natural and without any preservatives, and I also like to support local businesses.

I love how blueberries and lemons complement each other beautifully so it was a natural fit to add lemon and poppy seed (of course!) to the ricotta cheese. Have I mentioned before that I love anything with lemon in it? This just works all together and the bright lemony scent will wake you right up! Well, that is if you haven't already had your first cup of coffee.... But anyway, this easy breakfast has the added bonus of being totally well-balanced and nutritious, a great way to start your busy day!


INGREDIENTS

- 2 slices of whole grain bread, like this chia seed breaf
- 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese
- 1 tbsp blueberry spread or fruit jam
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp poppy seeds
- kiwi


DIRECTIONS

1. Put slices of bread in toaster to toast
2. While the bread is toasting mix the juice of half a lemon and the poppy seeds with the ricotta cheese
3. Peel and slice the kiwi
4. Spread the lemon ricotta and blueberry jam on the toast and serve with kiwi slices

Enjoy and Love Good Food! ❤️

Serves 1

This EVERYday oatmeal is so delicious. It's packed with protein, carbs, and fibre, and vitamins and minerals that will keep you going strong all morning long. The sweetness of the honey and bananas pair naturally with the nutty oats taste and the pumpkin seeds, and the seeds add a nice crunch to this otherwise soft hot cereal.

You can make your oatmeal with any kind of oats: steel cut, old fashioned rolled oats or quick oats. I often use quick oats for busy mornings when I need to get out the door on time or when I'm packing my breakfast with me on the road. I like the toothy texture of cooking my quick oats by adding boiling water and covering it until they cook, but you may like it cooked down in a pot on the stove, giving you a porridge texture. Either way they all have the same nutritional value so it's a win-win any way you make your oats.


INGREDIENTS

- 1/3 cup of quick oats
- tbsp flax meal
​- 2/3 cup boiling water
- 1/2 banana sliced
- tbsp pumpkin seeds
- tsp honey
- sprinkle of chia seeds

DIRECTIONS

1. Scoop oats and flax meal into a cereal bowl
2. Pour 2/3 cup boiling hot water over oats and cover for 5 minutes to cook
3. When oats are cooked add sliced bananas, pumpkin seeds and drizzle a little honey. Top off with a sprinkle of chia seeds and enjoy!

makes 1 serving

Have a great day and Love Good Food! ❤️

I love breakfast food. It's what I look forward to most each morning. I love toast and oatmeal and eggs and pancakes, pastries and muffins and smoothies and fruit. There is hardly a breakfast food that I don't love!

With everyone so busy these days we need a nutritious breakfast that is quick and easy to make yet that is healthy and delicious. Toast with cheese and jam sounds pretty basic but this toast is far from ordinary and it fits the bill for healthy and nutritious. If you haven't tried ricotta cheese with fruit you should give it a go! It's mild tasting so it pairs well with any flavour. Ricotta is high in protein and low in fat... well as far as cheese goes! Give this delicious toast a try and enjoy a healthy quick breakfast.


INGREDIENTS

- 2 slices chia bread or any bread of your choice
- 4 tbsp ricotta cheese
- 1 tbsp strawberry jam
- 2 tsp sliced almonds
- sprinkle of chia seeds

DIRECTIONS

1. Toast bread and spread ricotta cheese and jam
2. Top with almonds and chia seeds and enjoy!

Have a great day and Love Good Food! ❤️

Alright, so this isn't really health food, is it? French fries? Well it can be if you make it low-fat! During my healthy eating (.... and weight-loss) journey I quickly realized that french fries are high in calories and fat. For years I avoided ordering fries as my side opting instead for the soup or salad. No biggie, I love soup and salad anyway, but lately I have been craving a hot serving of fresh french fries. And I'm not talking about the pre-cooked frozen potatoes in a bag from the grocery store that you bake in the oven kind. I'm talking about fresh-cut real potatoes cooked up crispy and hot. Now, because I have two growing boys who love French fries and a husband who is also a fan, I figured it would be worth the investment to get something to make fries at home. There are tons of new household deep fryers on the market but after a little reading I decided that I really didn't want to deal with the oily mess and that the food produced wasn't really low-fat. So then I took a closer look at the T-fal Actifry (and no, this isn't a product review except to tell you that I'm loving it!). The Actifry isn't truly a fryer, it's really more of a super hot air cooker that will cook food and crisp up the outside of most food you put in the machine. This is brilliant for a healthy lifestyle because with only a tablespoon of oil the paddle inside the machine will evenly distribute the oil over the potatoes and deliver a great alternative to fast food and restaurant fries. You don't even have to touch them until they're done. It's been a winner in our home! And at only 257 calories and 7 grams of fat per serving it's a win-win in my books!

INGREDIENTS

- 4 cups of julienned potatoes (approx 1 kg)
- 2 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
- ketchup or any sauce for dipping

DIRECTIONS

1. Slice potatoes as evenly into julienne as you can, this will help the potatoes cook at the same rate
2. Rinse potatoes under cold water to remove any residue and extra potato starch
3. Dry the potatoes as best as you can on a clean tea towel, this will help the oil stick to the potatoes for optimum crisp cooking
4. Put potatoes and vegetable oil into the Actifry and cook as per the directions (approximately 25-30 minutes)
5. Serve with ketchup or other dipping sauce of your choice!

Serves 4 cups

​*tip: don't peel the skin off your potatoes, there's a ton of nutrition and fibre there!

Alternatively if you don't have an Actifry you can toss the dried julienned potatoes with vegetable oil in a bowl to coat and cook on a foil-lined baking sheet the oven until cooked and crisp. Pre-heat oven to 425F and cook 20 minutes, flip fries and continue to cook for 20 more minutes.

​Have a great day and Love Good Food! ❤️

You can see that these homemade fries are a healthier alternative to restaurant and fast-food French fries!

Poached eggs are wonderful. They are made without oil, butter or milk. This is great for people watching every calorie or who are trying to cut back on fat. I love a beautifully made poached egg, it's just perfection. With a little practice you can master the art of making a poached egg. It really isn't difficult even if you don't own a poaching tray. I had a poaching tray at some point when I purchased my first set of good pots and pans, but after moving twice I honestly have no clue where it has gone. No problem though, making poached eggs in a pot of simmering water is super easy. You will agree with me on this, the clean up is a breeze, it's the least messy egg dish to prepare I can think of!

INGREDIENTS

- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vinegar
- 3 slices of baguette
- tsp olive oil
- few pieces of arugula
- handful of pea shoots

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and reduce to medium-low heat
2. Add vinegar to the water
3. Crack one egg at a time into a cup or small bowl and gently pour the whole egg into the pot of water on medium heat
4. Set the timer for 3 minutes for soft eggs, 4 minutes for medium and 5 minutes for firm eggs
5. Take your baguette slices and drizzle some olive oil over the bread
6. Broil the bread slices in the oven or in a toaster oven to brown the bread,
7. Using a slotted spoon remove the eggs from the pot and place in a bowl or directly onto the ham if you're ready to assemble

* adding vinegar to the water isn't necessary but it will help the proteins in the egg white to bind and help with the poaching

A tuna sandwich doesn't have to be laden with gobs of mayonnaise to be delicious. A great way to reduce the fat in your tuna sandwich is to skip the classic tuna salad recipe and make a "deconstructed" tuna salad sandwich instead. This sandwich spreads the mayo and then puts the tuna on the mayonnaise. Top with tomato wedges and zingy banana pepper rings and you'll forget about the traditional tuna salad!

INGREDIENTS

- 1 can of light tuna fish in water, drained
- 4 slices rustic French bread
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup pea shoots or other greens
- 2 small tomatoes cut into wedges
- banana pepper rings

DIRECTIONS

1. Open and drain canned tuna
2. Spread 1/2 tbsp of
mayonnaise on each slice of bread
3. Place some pea shoots on the bread
4. Place approximately 1/4 of the tuna on each slice of bread
5. Top sandwiches with tomato wedges and banana pepper rings and enjoy!

Serves 2

Have a great day and Love Good Food! ❤️

* calorie ratio 29:45:26

Okay, so this isn't really much of a recipe but for anyone stuck in their morning breakfast routine this might shake things up a bit and give you some new ideas. I really love this breakkie - its bright and light and super easy and fast to prepare. Honestly, you could have this any morning before heading out the door, even if you've slept in.

I love this breakfast because it is so perfectly balanced, you don't even have to think about it's nutrition. You just know it's healthy and full of good stuff. Fibre, protein, vitamins, carbs.... amazing, and it's delicious! Add some mixed seeds & nuts on the side for an extra pack of protein. Oh, and coffee, be sure to serve it with a hot coffee, or tea... if you don't drink coffee.
​

INGREDIENTS

TOAST
- slices of rustic hearty bread
- 1 tbsp cream cheese
- pinch of chia seeds

SMOOTHIE
- 1 banana
- 1 cup of spinach
- 1/4 lemon peeled and seeds removed
- sprigs of parsley


DIRECTIONS

TOAST

1. Take sliced bread and toast it.

2. Spread cream cheese on toast and sprinkle chia seeds.

3. Enjoy! (that's it - so simple!)

SMOOTHIE

1. Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth

2. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

​Have a great day and Love Good Food! ❤️


* Nutrition label includes both toast recipe and smoothie recipe as per recipe above