With Christmas just around the corner and a slightly increased internal pressure to ‘get/stay in faaaaabulous Summer shape’, my initial thoughts were to power through December fueled on nothing but protein, good fats and greens. Christmas treats or indulgences? Who needs ‘em?! I’m sure I can make do with just a sniff and a wistful glance at what others are eating. Can’t I? Can’t you?

Well. I don’t know about you, but I’m actually quite happy to say that I’m just not that girl. And nor do I particularly want to be that girl! After all, a life without delicious Christmas-y type goodies is hardly one worth getting excited about, is it?

So when Nuffnang asked me to write a sponsored review for magshop about the Super food ideas magazine latest issue, I decided not to inform them that I don’t eat like a ‘normal Aussie’ and instead welcome the challenge of remodelling a few of their admittedly delicious-looking recipes into a Kat-approved-version!

After all, the real question is not whether or not we can ‘power through’ without ever letting our hair down, or whether we can in fact have the best of both worlds …

Super Food Ideas – with a twist!

I have to say that as my cooking and baking skills have grown (largely due to actually testing out those skills!), I am starting to really be quite proud of myself at how simply I can change conventional recipes into super-healthy and equally tasty food ideas.

And whilst I have not picked up a mag like Super food ideas for a long time, it was actually quite luxurious to leisurely flick through and remember that the word or thought ‘food’ doesn’t automatically have to be associated with ‘getting lean’ or ‘obsession’. Sometimes it can just be about pleasure and enjoying the fruits of your hard work all year.

5 Easy Mains Using Only 6 Ingredients

There’s nothing like new ideas for quick dinners, which is why this article particularly jumped out at me. Super Food Ideas provided recipes for the following yummy-sounding quick dinner feasts, and just below I’m going to share with you how I’d transform these dishes into super healthy feasts!

1. Spicy prawn fried rice
2. Chicken, green bean and almond salad
3. Ham, rocket and tortellini salad
4. Beef rissoles with sweet potato wedges (yum!; personal fave!)
5. Sweet chilli pork with avocado salsa

Whether or not you actually read this magazine and happen to come across these exact recipes, the following ‘remodelling’ tips can be easily applied to many a standard meal idea that you may find on the ‘net or have shared by a friend.

Kat’s remodeling tips!

• In the spicy prawn fried rice: switch peanut oil for macadamia nut oil, and make sure it is organic. Peanut oil is heavily pesticided and can often be rancid. Macadamia nut oil is an excellent ‘fat loss fat’, but all fats should be bought organically in order to minimize toxins. I would also switch jasmine rice in recipes for brown or wild rice, and usually halve the recommended amount.

• In the chicken, green bean and almond salad: this recipe has nothing I would take out, but where you see chicken breast in recipes I often use chicken thighs. Organic thighs are high in organic fats – and that’s something I’m a fan of. They also are higher purine, which is an energizing and satiating form of protein.

• In the ham, rocket and tortellini salad: okay, pasta of any kind is something I have not much time for, partly as it’s just processed carbs and also as I’m not a gluten fan. I like to remodel pasta salad type recipes by using cubes of sweet potato or pumpkin instead. For an occasional treat, try some gluten free pasta.

• In the beef rissoles with sweet potato wedges: Mmmmm …. sweet potato wedges. Yummy. I bake my own quite often, in coconut oil. Rissoles or burgers of any kind usually include breadcrumbs – this is easy to eliminate and use some almond or hazelnut meal, or my new favourite flour coconut flour instead. More flavour AND more goodness! I made this exact recipe for dinner the other night (with coconut flour) and it was fab. I added a fried egg and some beetroot on top

• In the sweet chilli pork with avocado salsa (in a wrap): Wraps are not your friend if fat loss is a goal. Contrary to popular opinion they are quite high in carbs, and also tend to have a lot of emulsifier-type-things in them. Even if gluten free. I love using lettuce leaf wraps instead of bread-y ones. This is also great for making breadless burgers. Trust me, you won’t miss the wraps and your waist-line will thank you!

Super Food Ideas made even more super!

It was quite interesting to me to see how many really very healthy options were actually published in this mag actually. If you look at most recipes out there, it’s often just a matter of removing some added sugar from a salad dressing or meat marinade and you have a perfectly 100% wholesome new idea.

I like knowing that I can still indulge in ‘food porn’ without straying from my chosen path of nutrition! Of course the honeycomb ice-cream cake may just have to stay as a ‘full treat’  – and well deserved at Christmas I think!

So how about you? Do you think it’s ‘okay’ or ‘safe’ to read conventional cooking magazines and perhaps add your own flair or a paleo twist when baking? Or do you think you’d just be quite happy to let yourself get carried away and skip the paleo/primal style eating over the festive season?

I hope I’ve given you some good ideas for how to easily ‘better’ traditional recipes, and would definitely love to hear from you if you can suggest any substitutions for other commonly used ingredients. Hit me with your thoughts below!

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