Whole foods are any foods that are minimally processed, with no parts added or subtracted. For example, an egg that has been cooked is still a whole food, but wheat that has been refined and the bran removed, is no longer whole. Making whole foods a part of your lifestyle means eating real, natural, unprocessed foods. This includes fresh vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, fresh meat, milk and eggs.

Here are three recipes for a whole day of whole food: 

Breakfast: Baked eggs with peas and sun dried tomatoes 
Lunch: One pan lentils, veg and pork
Supper: Couscous with pan fried veg, pumpkin seeds and honey balsamic drizzle

(Click on photos to view full size)

Pizza is probably my favourite food. I love a thin base with a little bit of chew to it, a thick layer of tomato sauce over it, and I will eat pretty much any topping you put on it. And that is exactly the reason why it makes a good introductory food to the plant based diet for meat eaters. Here is a full recipe for everything from the dough for the base, to the sauce, and some of my favourite veg toppings (but feel free to buy ready made bases if you don't have time for the extra effort.)

Who doesn't love a braai? Here are some great ideas for a fun (but still healthy) braai. 

It’s that time of year. 

The time where people start stressing about whether they still fit in last year’s swimwear, but already start thinking about how much weight they are going to gain over the holiday season, and preparing their new year’s resolutions to lose it all over again.
 
Christmas is ONE day! It’s OK to indulge in potato salad and roast beef and grandma’s delicious pudding for one day. It’s OK to treat yourself and enjoy the festivities with your family. (It’s also OK to enjoy the leftovers on the 26th!) You wont gain weight or suddenly become very unhealthy if you overindulge once, just don’t do it every day for the whole of December.
 
During the holidays people tend to be more sedentary, lounging with a good book or movie, chilling on the beach or next to the pool with sugary drinks or cocktails. The good news is, healthy living is not a punishment. Summer holidays is the best time to take up a new fun, active hobby. Try cycling or mountain biking, stand up paddle boarding, canoeing, long walks on the beach…

The food also doesn’t have to be boring and bland, summer is the season of exotic fresh produce, watermelons, peaches, berries, and so much more.
 
Here is a recipe for a delicious sparkling spritzer to celebrate summer. I will be posting more holiday recipes soon.

These are probably not the healthiest, but still a good way to sneak some veg into a  delicious week night treat. 

These weird and wonderful brownies taste just like the real thing, despite being made with beans instead of flour! They are also PACKED with fibre! 

It is versatile, easy to prepare, available almost everywhere, and is quite economic. But plain boiled oats can get quite boring… so here are three exciting ways to eat your oats.
Oats are quite high in fibre, all of these servings contain about 10g of fibre, a third of your daily requirement!  

​APPLE AND CINNAMON OATS
1/2 cup oats
1 small apple, peeled and cut into small chunks
Some cinnamon
1 teaspoon honey
 
Boil oats in a small pot according to packet instructions, when it is about halfway cooked, add the apple chunks and boil it with the oats. Sprinkle cinnamon on top, and drizzle with a teaspoon of honey. Honey is still sugar, but when used sparingly, it can form part of a healthy balanced diet. 

CHOCOLATE AND BANANA OVERNIGHT OATS
This recipe was inspired by Cath Day and Gabi Steenkamp’s book, Food for Sensitive Tummies. It is the ideal oats recipe for people who do not have time to boil oats in the morning.
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup plain yoghurt
1 small or half large banana, sliced
2 blocks of dark chocolate
 
Mix oats, milk, and yoghurt together and leave overnight to soak. Microwave for a few minutes in the morning, melt two blocks of dark chocolate and stir into the oats, and top with the sliced banana.
 

ROASTED OATS WITH YOGHURT AND FRUIT
1/2 cup oats
1 teaspoon melted butter
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup plain yoghurt
1/2 cup fruit, cut into chunks
 
Mix oats, butter and honey well, spread out in a single layer on a lined baking tray, bake at 180C for about 10 minutes or until it starts turning golden. Leave to cool, and serve with yoghurt and fruit. The oats can also be prepared in larger batches and stored in an airtight container. You could also add nuts for an extra crunch!