Fats still cause lots of confusion. Many people avoid them yet they are an absolutely crucial part of your diet and have a huge impact on your long-term health too. The problem with fats is that most people eat too much of the less beneficial types and not enough of the super healthy fats. Here’s a quick guide to how you can get the balance right in your diet.

Easy ways to get more beneficial fats in your diet

1)    Essential fat mix no.1
2)    Essential fat mix no.2
3)    Chickpea champion bars
4)    Super healthy guacamole
5)    Banana berry smoothie
6)    Super greens juice

1) Essential fat mix no. 1

Grind an equal mix of sunflower, pumpkin and linseeds and store in the fridge in an airtight container. You can add a tablespoon of this mix to smoothies, muesli, sprinkle on salads or yoghurts to really boost your intake of beneficial fats.

2) Essential fat mix no. 2

Grind an equal mix of flaxseeds & hemp seeds, store in an airtight container in the fridge. You can add a tablespoon of this mix to smoothies, muesli, sprinkle on salads, yoghurts or even in soups, to really boost your intake of beneficial fats.

3) Chickpea Champion bars

You will need:

2 cups old fashioned or quick-cooking rolled oats
1 ¼ cups nuts, seeds, or a combination
1 cup dried fruit, chopped (eg. raisins, dried apricots, apples, cherries)
3 tablespoons flaxseed meal
½ cup milk – you can use dairy or non-dairy versions such as soya or almond milk
1 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
½ cup natural, unsweetened nut or seed butter (eg. peanut, cashew, sunflower seed, hazelnut)
½ cup packed pitted, soft dates
¼ cup agave nectar, honey, or pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ tsp fine sea salt

Method:

 • Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper and rub a small amount of olive oil onto the paper to cover
 • Preheat oven to 350F
 • Spread the oats and the nuts or seeds on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 6 – 8 minutes, shaking halfway through, until golden and fragrant; transfer to the bowl of a food processor and let cool.
 • Process the oats mixture, using on/off pulses, until the nuts and seeds are coarsely chopped; transfer to a large bowl. Mix in the dried fruit
 • Meanwhile combine the flaxseed meal and warm milk in a small bowl until blended. Let stand for 5 minutes before using
 • Place the chickpeas, nut or seed butter, dates, agave nectar, cinnamon, salt and flax mixture in the food processor (no need to clean bowl); process until the mixture is smooth
 • Add the chickpea mixture to the oats mixture, mixing with a spatula until coated
 • Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Place a large piece of parchment paper or wax paper on top of the bar mixture and use it to spread and flatten the mixture evenly in the pan. Discard the paper or plastic.
 • Bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the top appears somewhat dry. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
 • Using the liner, lift the mixture from the pan and transfer to a cutting board.  Cut into 20 bars.

Bar Keeping: Tightly wrap the bars individually in greaseproof paper or plastic wrap.
Room Temp: 2 days
Fridge: 1 week
Freezer: 3 months in airtight container (thaw 1 hour)

4) Super guacamole

You will need:

2 Avocadoes
Juice of ½ lemon
½ red onion
1 garlic clove
½ bunch mixed and finely chopped fresh coriander & flat leaf parsley
Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Place all ingredients into a food processor. Whizz and serve. If you like your guacamole a bit more chunky you can either mash with a fork or just blend half.

5) Banana berry smoothie

You will need:

1 x ripe banana
1 x tablespoon frozen berries (any of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries etc.)
1/2 cup apple juice / almond milk (add more for a runnier consistency)
Dollop of live yoghurt
1 tablespoon ground mixed sunflower, pumpkin and linseeds
1 tablespoon flaxseed oil
1/2 level tablespoon lecithin granules (you’ll find these in any good health food shop)

Method:

 • Liquidise all the ingredients to a smooth consistency and drink straight away.  If left, the shake will continue to thicken because of the lecithin granules.

 • You can adjust the quantities of the juice / yoghurt / frozen fruit to make it runnier / thicker / more fruity etc.

6) Super greens juice

You will need:

2 apples
½ cucumber
½ lemon
½ cup kale
½ cup spinach
¼ bunch celery
1 inch ginger
¼ head romaine lettuce

Method:

 • Juice all ingredients and drink immediately

 

Sources:
Power Hungry: The Ultimate Energy Bar Cookbook by Camilla V Saulsbury

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