When you’re on a restricted diet or trying to eat well meal prep is key. It also saves so much money, and fills you up far more than anything you’re likely to grab out and about.
This isn’t really even a recipe as such – just a one of the tricks I’ve picked up! I’ve been meal-prepping for years – as an elite athlete it was very important to eat well, and even though I’m retired now old habits die hard. And it’s definitely given me lots of tips that I can use when following the low fodmap diet, as it can be very hard to find good meal options on the go!
So easy and simple…
Take a packet of microwave rice (we’re all about timesaving here, but you can cook your own!), frozen vegetables (roasted or normal) and a protein source (see below for some ideas!). Cous cous is another option (gluten free if required!).
Cook the rice and veggies in the microwave, and mix with your protein of choice.
See below for some optional add-ins.
Add any herbs and spices you want – smoked paprika goes really well if you use chicken.
Takes about 5 minutes start to finish, and makes two meals for me. Easy peasy! Double, triple etc for a whole weeks-worth of meals!
Protein ideas:
Tin of:
Tuna/Salmon/Sardines/Mackerel (either plain, flavoured or in tomato sauce works well!)
Shredded chicken
Ham/Bacon
Kidney beans, Chickpeas, Butter Beans (note none of these are low fodmap!)
Boiled eggs
Optional add-ins
Chopped nuts – roasted almonds is a favourite of mine!
Avocado (beware of quantities if you’re low fodmap!)
Cheese (beware of lactose content if you’re on the low fodmap diet!)
Anything you can think of really!
Would anyone be interested in more meal prep posts? I’ve got a few more tips and tricks up my sleeve!
Let me know if you give it a go – tag me on instagram @learningtolivewithibs, on twitter @amytodd93 or use the hashtag healthywithamy. I’d love to see what you think!
I absolutely love baked oats – they’re one of the best breakfasts for when you need something quick. I go to the gym before work and so need something I can grab and go. Baked oats can be made the night before, you can make a big batch for a few days and they taste great hot or cold! You can also cut them into bars and eat them as a snack rather than as a breakfast! They’re packed full of protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates, making them really filling.
Cut into bars for an on-the-go snack!The flavour combinations are endless – so far I’ve posted
But sometimes I’m indecisive and can’t decide which flavour I’d like! This led to a new creation – double layered oats! One layer of peanut butter and banana oats, and one layer of dark chocolate chip and raspberry.
The recipe below is for one serving, but I’d recommend doubling or tripling to make it perfect for a few days. And the recipe can be a bit more effort for just one serving!
Let me know if you give it a go – tag me on instagram@learningtolivewithibs, on twitter @amytodd93 or use the hashtag healthywithamy. I’d love to see what you think!
So the other day I did something completely new – went to my first Body Power Expo! For those of you who don’t know what it is, it’s basically a massive health and fitness show. There’s loads of stands there giving you the chance to try out new products, some big names in the health and fitness industry, talks and demonstrations.
It’s an absolutely amazing place to go – the sheer size of the place and the chance to meet and chat to people interested in the same things as I am was incredible. I bought a ticket off of somebody I met on instagram, @healthyandlovinglife. We’ve chatted online but had never met – and I haven’t met many people I’ve clicked with as quickly as her! Within half an hour it was like we’d known each other for ages! This is why places like instagram and twitter have been so good for me – I’ve managed to meet people with similar interests in health and fitness who I can relate to so well! Frankie and I just clicked, and it made the day even better! I was also lucky enough to meet some of the other people I’ve managed to meet on instagram, and to meet one of my idols in the health and nutrition world, Ben Coomber. He’s got an absolutely brilliant podcast packed full of information that I’d recommend everyone to listen to. Frankie and I got to ask him some questions, and I could have quizzed him for hours.
Frankie and I “on a quest”Ben Coomber – such a lovely guyI have never felt so small in my life!
The number of samples on offer was crazy – the picture below is just a few of the things I picked up! Being gluten and lactose free meant I did have to be a bit wary – my brother loved me for the amount of samples I picked up for him! I made up for it by trying out all the nut butter on offer!
Some of the favourite things I purchased/managed to blag:
Pip and nut butter – just one of the best nut butters on the market. They come in a set of three. Almond, Peanut and Coconut Almond. Try them out if you haven’t – I visited the stand four times… – you never know, the nut butters may have changed taste!
Quest bars – before I was low fodmap I had these quite a bit. I managed to blag three. They’re not strictly low fodmap thanks to the erithrytol, and personally the last time I ate them I wasn’t the biggest fan. However, people rave about them so I thought I’d try again.
Ugg foods – I was seriously impressed when tasting samples of these. They produce dairy and gluten free bread, loaf and muffin mixes that you only need to add eggs, oil and a few other bits and pieces to. Then you’ve got delicious-tasting, healthy treats! I picked up the lemon chia seed muffin mix, but the fruit and seed loaf was incredible too!
Munchy seeds – I’ve heard a lot about these but never tried them! They were incredible! I went for the choccy apricot pot – sunflower and pumpkin seeds with pieces of dried apricot (be careful if low fodmap!) coated in chocolate! These are seriously addictive… I’ve been eating them by the handful. The chilli bites would also be a great addition to stir fries/salads.
Meridian bars – Keep an eye out for the new meridian bars – the banana and peanut bar and the berry and peanut bar were absolutely delicious – coming to a Holland and Barrett near you soon!
Muscle food – I was so impressed by all the sample on offer! They did some chicken on a stick that was full of flavour and went great on the salad I made myself when I got home (was craving some veggies after all the protein!). I also picked myself up a chicken and pepper protein pizza – gluten free, it’s the best tasting pizza I’ve found! And with 67g of protein it’s also a healthier way to treat yourself! I’m definitely going to be making more orders with them (and if you’re interested in getting four free chicken breasts with your order, use the code AT75018!).
Koko chocolate coconut milk – personally I’m not the biggest fan of strong coconut flavour. However, this stuff is incredible! Really creamy, and the minute I tasted it I knew it would go great in baked oats – and I was right!
All in all it was a fantastic day. I got the chance to meet some of the lovely people I’ve been chatting to on instagram, learnt a lot and picked up some goodies too. There wasn’t much for me in the way of protein powder – being lactose-free means whey protein is out of the window and I’m still on the hunt for a palatable vegan whey… Any suggestions let me know! I’ll leave you with a few more pictures from the day! I’d definitely recommend going next year – I can’t wait already. It was a great experience, and I’m so glad I went!
These would be great at any time of the day – breakfast, lunch or a snack. They’re so simple to make, full of healthy fats and protein and the combinations of fillings are endless. They’re perfect to grab and go – keeping you full for ages! And you can easily double or triple the recipe to make enough for days! Per serving (recipe makes 1 serving):
I’ve been looking for high protein snacks that I can grab and go for work. I find vegan protein powders aren’t very appetising, so wanted to make a recipe without any protein powder that was still high in protein and delicious.
So these were born! They’re incredibly moist and airy, full of goodness and taste very indulgent. They’re gluten free, lactose free and low fodmap. Naturally sweetened with banana and some maple syrup.
Let me know if you give it a go – tag me on instagram @learningtolivewithibs, on twitter @amytodd93 or use the hashtag healthywithamy. I’d love to see what you think!
This recipe was born when I was wandering around the supermarket the other day and found a tin of crabmeat. They’re high in protein, so will keep you full for a long time and really delicious. I served mine with a large side salad. They’re gluten free, paleo, lactose free and can be made with store-cupboard ingredients for an easy, healthy lunch! They could be made in advance and taken with you for an on-the-go meal/snack.
Let me know if you give it a go – tag me on instagram @learningtolivewithibs, on twitter @amytodd93 or use the hashtag healthywithamy. I’d love to see what you think!
Per serving (recipe makes 1 servings – or two small ones!)
I’m a big fan of baked oats – I’ve done many variations (check out my instagram feed for more ideas – and I’ll do a post on them at some point), but from next week I’m starting shift work, so need breakfasts I can take with me and eat on the go. Crumbled-up baked oats were born! These ones are blueberry, raspberry and cinnamon. I added soy yoghurt, some microwaved berries and peanut butter as a topping. Banana would also be delicious, and these taste incredible hot or cold! The combinations are endless – you could use different berries, sultanas, cranberries, and top with anything you like (nut butter, maple syrup…). You could also make double and have breakfast ready-to-go for two days. Per serving (with no toppings):
learningtolivewithibs 