When working with clients on their goals to eat out LESS and cook more at HOME, one thing I often hear is that the meals they make at home just don’t taste as good. What do we know about restaurant and take-out food? There is often a LOT of added sodium (salt), fat and sugar to help give their food more flavour. Of course, this keeps customers coming back for more but isn’t ideal for our health. 

What I find with those who are new to making meals at home, is that they are a bit shy with flavouring their foods, and think that “healthy” = bland baked chicken and rice. This is not true! There are plenty of ways to flavour your food at home, without adding a ton of extra calories or salt. Here are my top suggestions for what to keep in your pantry so that meal prep is healthy AND enjoyable. ​

There’s nothing more satisfying than rolling out of bed to a warm muffin and a cup of coffee or tea. Imagine if that muffin was actually full of protein, keeping you satisfied for hours. Now it’s a reality! Make a batch of these delicious gems on the weekend and enjoy throughout the week. Bonus, they freeze well! No more worries if you hit snooze a few too many times in the morning.

​Who knew you could have pudding for breakfast without guilt, throwing off your diet and being completely vegan. It’s as simple as lining up a few jars, throwing the ingredients in, shaking it up, and letting it sit overnight. THEN VOILA!! Play with the toppings for added fun to your morning.

Mug cakes are ingenious - simply mix a few staple ingredients in your favourite mug, pop in the microwave, and in no time at all you can be enjoying a delicious cake-for-one. No leftovers to worry about going stale. No preheating the oven. No mixing bowls or whisks to wash up. For those who crave sweets, appealing to your taste buds first thing can squish those cravings early on. So next time you're craving something sweet but are short for time, this incredibly simple mug cake is sure to hit the spot. Plus high in protein! Just top with your favourite nut butter and fruit of choice.

​One thing I've noticed whenever I look for speedy breakfast ideas is that I always wind up with a lot of toast recipes on my hands. It makes sense if you think about it: Toast is almost always going to come together quickly (I mean, it is just toasted bread with stuff on top, after all). And, provided you're using sprouted grain, minimally processed or gluten-free bread or an alternative to bread like sliced sweet potatoes as the base, it can be a great healthy option, too. 

But, how boring is it to always have butter or peanut butter on toast? Not only does it lose it's novelty, but you're missing out on a key macronutrient - protein!

Read below for a list of some of our favourite protein-packed toppings to put on your toast!

Are you getting bored of eating chicken breasts (or another lean protein source) all the time? Or do you struggle with how to add easily add variety into your meals?

Then, you'll love this recipe!

The key is to make your own spice mix to add flavour to your meat. This is an easy way to make the same protein source taste different, without relying on pre-packaged, sugary and/or sodium-filled sauces from the grocery store.