Guest post: long term weight loss recipes

Luckily, most families in the UK do not have the obesity problems recently discussed on BBC Radio 4 (The Report: Childhood Obesity 16.8.2012).  However, the programme was a timely reminder that an inability to control weight is an increasing problem in some families.  The demands of family life mean that, more often than is desirable, hard pressed carers resort to processed food to fill dietary needs.  Not everyone enjoys cooking and many of us have little confidence in our ability to produce healthy meals from natural ingredients.  However, it is possible to cook healthy meals, which will over the long-term keep weight in check and ensure that we remain healthy.  Experts agree that fad diets do not produce lasting results and in fact can mean increased weight gain within a short period.  These healthy recipes are simple to master, will support weight management within the family and are delicious to taste.

Green Bean, Olive and Tuna Salad

 

Serves 4

500g small potatoes, quartered

200g tuna, drained

4 eggs

400g green beans, trimmed

2 tsp mustard

2 tbsp red-wine vinegar

60ml olive oil

Small bowl mixed olives, pitted

Fresh basil leaves, torn

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Hard boil the eggs and allow to cool.  Shell and cut in half.

Boil the potatoes, carefully remove from water and set to one side.

Use the potato water to blanch beans for 3 or 4 minutes.  Plunge into iced water to preserve colour.

Mix mustard and vinegar in a bowl.  Add the oil a small amount at a time until it is well mixed and season with salt and pepper.

Flake the tuna.

Arrange eggs, potatoes, beans, tuna, and olives on a platter and drizzle with vinaigrette before sprinkling with basil leaves.

One Pot Chicken

500g chicken pieces, breasts and/or thighs

400g broccoli florets

400g shredded spring greens

150g frozen peas

1 tbsp olive oil

1 chopped onion

300g small potatoes

½ litre vegetable stock

A bunch of sliced spring onions

3 tbsp pesto

Salt and black pepper

Method:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan pan. Add the onion and sauté for 5 mins until soft, add the chicken, then fry until lightly browned. Add the potatoes, stock and black pepper and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 30 mins until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is cooked.

Add the broccoli, spring greens, peas and spring onions and bring to the boil. Cover and cook for 5 mins. Add the pesto, heat through and serve.

A tip to aid the weight loss mission is to plan meals ahead.  Take a shopping list to the supermarket and do not deviate from the list. This will stop the impulse buying of ready meals or snack foods.  Of course, overeating the healthiest of food will lead to weight gain and, where this occurs, it is a clear signal that there are other factors to be confronted.  A desire to lose weight might be the trigger needed to set about investigating how weight loss hypnotherapy with thetherapylounge.com could help. Recognizing that each individual has their own particular pattern of behaviour, the therapy lounge hypnotherapy programme, works to uncover how and why these patterns are established. All behaviour, including compulsive overeating, is learned and through practice is reinforced so that it appears natural. However, most of us need support to unlearn harmful practices and to understand how these destructive habits are established in the first place.

 

 

 

One Response to “Guest post: long term weight loss recipes”

1. Jennynib says:

   August 19, 2012 at 10:03 am

   I’m loving that one pot chicken ressup – thank you!

   Reply