In the last weekly nourish, I talked all about those nasty hidden sugars that keep cropping up in many of the foods we know and love. But at TNA, you are never expected to restrict yourself and give up those delicious favourites. Instead, we provide you with the tools & knowledge to choose foods that nourish AND satisfy you.
The key? Cooking more at home! Only by cooking your own food, do you know exactly what your are putting inside your body. That's why we give our members access to an online library full of nourishing recipes that don't overcomplicate things, and always keep the time in the kitchen to an absolute minimum.
As promised, here is a sneak peak into the TNA recipe archives with some low sugar recipes which you can swap for the shop-bought high-sugar alternatives.
Don't forget to tag @thenourishmentacademy in your scrummy pics - enjoy!
Refined-Sugar Free Thai Green Curry Paste
I was shocked to see how much sugar was hidden in something like a curry paste so I decided to make my own, and to my surprise, it resulted in the best Thai green curry I've ever had! And it truly couldn't have been easier to make; just throw all your ingredients in a blender, and blend into a paste. Then, simply use the paste to make the curry as you normally would.
4-6 medium green chillies,
2 shallots
2 garlic cloves
small bunch of coriander
2 stalks lemongrass
5cm ginger
1 lime
4 kaffir lime leaves
1tsp cumin
1tsp ground black pepper
3tbsp olive oil
***Lasts for up to 3 weeks in the fridge!
Low-sugar Sesame Ginger Salad Dressing
I find it frustrating when something like a salad dressing which is advertised to be super healthy can be so misleading. As an alternative to the sugar-packed dressings you'll find in a plastic bottle, try my go-to sesame ginger dressing:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, finely minced OR 1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon peel and grated fresh ginger OR 2 teaspoons ground ginger
Combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, shake until well combined.
Natural Nutty & Chocolatey Granola Bars
Granola bars are another one of those foods that are sold as 'healthy' but are normally far from it. This recipe is a TNA favourite that is actually much simpler than it looks. These bars are guaranteed to save you from a bout of hanger! You can also switch out the cocoa nibs for any other flavour of your choice: maybe some orange zest or a handful of berries?
1 cup Cashews
1/2 cup Almonds
1/2 cup Pecans
1/2 cup Cacao Nibs
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp Honey, a total of 9 Tbsp
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper, leaving flaps on all 4 sides.
Roughly chop the almonds and cashews.
Combine all ingredients except honey in a large bowl and stir until combined. Pour in the honey and mix with a fork until everything is evenly coated.
Spread mixture into the prepared baking dish, pressing down to pack it in and reach all edges and corners of the pan.
Bake for 20 minutes (watch carefully towards the end to be sure the honey isn't burning).
Remove from oven to a wire rack. Use the parchment flaps to carefully press the bars down some more and compact them while they cool all the way.
After the bars have cooled about 30 minutes, lift the bars out of the pan by the parchment paper flaps and flip over onto another piece of parchment so the bottom is now the top.
Reshape back into a square and press down a little if the flipping moved things around a little. Peel off the parchment paper.
Allow to cool completely (don't rush it, they need to be cool for sharp edges that don't fall apart) and cut into (16) 2" x 2" bars.
Wrap individually in parchment to keep them from sticking together. Eat within 2 weeks.
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