Simple Summer Food

For this week’s column I thought I’d share a bit of a spring/summer inspired menu to help us move away from warm milky chai and stodgy comfort foot, to fresh, cleansing salads, juices and lighter meals.

People always ask what I eat. And truth be told, it’s not always perfect, but I try to eat my rainbow of fresh produce, some protein, plenty of water and listen to my body’s hungry cues.

You see, I’ve moved away from habitual snacking, to just listening to when my body tells me to eat. You don’t have to snack in between meals if your meals are nourishing and balanced.

So, here’s a rough idea of what’s on rotation on my plate.

Breakfast options:

• My brekky slice, which is essentially eggs mixed with sautéed kale, pine nuts, onion, sundried tomatoes, spinach and fresh tomato. Mix in some fresh tomato and goats cheese and bake in the oven.
• A poached egg on organic sourdough.
• Smoothie with frozen banana, berries, cashews, flaxseed, tahini and water.

Lunch:

• Normally leftovers of soup or casserole or:
• Salad with tuna in olive oil, tomato, avocado, basil and goats cheese on seed crackers.
• Boiled egg on seed crackers
• Paleo loaf with nut butter
• Fresh fruit if I’m not overly hungry

Dinner

• “Tacos” made with lettuce cups stuffed with baked chicken, kraut, avocado and whole egg mayo.
• Fish and roast veggies and a green salad.
• Chicken breast with sweet potato chips and salad.
• Simple meat and veg.

In between , if I’m hungry, I’m currently tucking into fresh mangoes, cashews in a little Celtic sea salt, a boiled egg, herbal tea, cold pressed juice, and for a bit of a treat, some coconut ice cream.

You don’t have to be a gourmet chef, and don’t over complicate things. Just ensure your fridge and pantry are stocked, you’ve got prep time and keep things simple.

Bec Winkler is a naturopath with more than 10 years’ experience. She works at the Chiropractic Centre, Jan Juc.