BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE – 1 serve

1/2 cup yoghurt of your choice

1/2 cup milk of your choice

1 kiwi fruit, peeled and chopped

1 small banana or handful of berries

1 teaspoon honey or syrup

1 dessertspoon rolled oats

2 teaspoons seeds eg chia Or LSA

Ice

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

GREEN SMOOTHIE – serves 2

3-4 kale leaves (stalks removed) or 1 cup spinach leaves

1 celery stalk

1/2 small cucumber, peeled

Fresh italian parsley

Mint leaves

Fresh turmeric or ginger (fingernail sized nob)

1 small green apple

1 ripe kiwifruit, peeled or chopped mango cheek

250ml coconut water

1/2 small peeled beetroot (optional)

Ice

Blend together on high for up to a minute and drink asap

(NB you can use a variety of vegetables (carrot, broccoli etc), seasonal fruit (pineapple, pear, oranges, berries) & herbs eg basil etc.)

PROTEIN POWER SMOOTHIE

1 banana or 1cup berries

2 tablespoons vanilla or chocolate flavoured protein powder

2 tablespoons yoghurt of your choice

200ml milk of your choice

1 teaspoon honey/syrup if desired

Ice

Blend together

Going ‘Paleo’ is a buzz statement in the athletic and general population at the moment.  But what does eating paleo actually mean for athletes and the average Joe training hard?

A Paleolithic style of eating, or a caveman diet as some call it, entails eating a diet similar to what we believe our primal ancestors may have eaten in times before us.  The premise of the diet is that our genes were created eating this type of diet and that the current crisis in lifestyle related disease is due to our more modern and processed diet. Critics of the diet argue that our ancestors did not live for long enough to experience diseases such as high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease and insulin resistance.  They also make comment that our ancestors were not without illness, but that these illnesses tended to be fatal and therefore the genetic line was not passed on.

The actual specifics of the diet do change depending on where you source your Paelo information from.  Generally however, the diet is based on red (including offal) and white meat, fish and seafood, eggs, some nuts and seeds, oils and most vegetables.  Vegetables such as potato are often excluded, fruit is sometimes encouraged but not in all programs while dairy, legumes and grains are almost always excluded.  Sugar and processed food are heavily restricted.  Interestingly, coconut oil is encouraged as a healthy fat, while the majority of Cardiologists and Dietitians would recommend limiting coconut oil, milks & creams and its flesh due to its high saturated fat content.

The Paleo diet first became popularized in the mid-70’s by a Gastroenterolgist who suggested the diet to help his patients with digestive diseases such as Crohn’s, IBS and Colitis.  By the mid-80’s some research papers were emerging recommending to achieve the same proportions of nutrients as our ancestors by following a Paleolithic diet.  They did this through skim milk, wholegrains, brown rice and potatoes as well as animal meats, fruits and vegetables.  By the early 2000’s, many texts had been written on the topic with some quality research being undertaken for treating various medical issues such as weight loss, insulin resistance and coronary heart disease.  Somewhere during the 90’s the diet morphed to exclude grains and dairy but sweet potato and yams continued to be included.

The most popular version of the Paleo diet now encourages grass fed red meat, wild caught fish and seafood and the exclusion of starchy vegetables except for sweet potato.  Interestingly, Archaeological Scientists report that sweet potato was not available in our forefathers diet and that there is evidence of our ancestors grinding grains and legumes in to flours and meals.

So what about Paleo for athletes and those training hard?  There is no doubt that eating more fresh food such as fruits and vegetables, eggs, meats and seafoods is the basis of a healthy diet and has the potential to encourage athletic success.  These foods provide vital nutrients for recovery from training, vitamins and minerals for adaptations to training as well as supporting the immune system and preventing deficiencies.  However, a restriction on grains and legumes severely limits a person’s ability to consume adequate carbohydrate for fuelling and recovery.  Proponents of the paleo diet for athletes recommend a relaxation of the ‘rules’ around training where they recommend a low GI carbohydrate source before long duration training sessions, high GI carbs such as sports drinks and gels during endurance training or competition and a recovery formula post training which includes whey protein, starchy carbohydrates and possibly some dairy.  For those training twice per day this may not leave much time for being Paleo in between!  On a practical note, some may struggle to afford this high cost diet.

With the Paleo movement now extending to café’s, mass produced food products as such as breads (made with ground nuts and seeds), breakfast cereals (also made with ground nuts, seeds, dried fruit and often coconut) as well as protein powders and supplements; it is likely you will be targeted with advertising and strong marketing campaigns.  If a more liberal approach to a paleo style diet is used where carbs are used strategically placed around training and adequate calcium intake is maintained within the diet, then ‘going paleo’ may encourage a healthier nutrition intake; foods from the ground, from plants and from animals.  Absolute adherence to the Paleo diet guidelines may result in an under-fuelled athlete who struggles to maintain their athletic performance.  A Sports Dietitian would be well placed to design a suitable diet to encourage athletic performance in a Paleo adapted eating plan.

Kerry and Lauren prepare pre-game fuelling and post-game recovery for our Roar football players.  What are their favourite selections?

Banana bread, date & fruit loaf and protein balls.   Players will often use the banana bread and date & fruit loaf to top up glycogen (energy) levels before the game while protein balls proved a hit for recovery after the game.  Would you like to eat what the elite athletes eat to optimise their performance and recovery?  Here you go!

Banana Bread (serves 8 or slice smaller for non-athletes)

 2 tbsp oil

3 large ripe bananas

½ cup sugar

½ tsp baking powder

1 ½ cups plain flour

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 tsp salt

1 tsp bicarbonate soda

1. Preheat oven to 180’C.
2. Mash banana with fork.
3. Add the egg, oil, milk, sugar, salt, soda and baking powder. Beat well.
4. Gently blend in the flour and mix lightly.
5. Pour into a lightly greased loaf tin. Bake for 45 minutes.
6. Let cool for 5 minutes before taking out of pan.

Healthy Date & Fruit Loaf (serves 8 – or slice smaller for non-athletes)

½ cup chopped dates

½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

½ cup shredded coconut

1 cup self-raising flour

½ cup chopped apricots

½ cup sugar

1 cup low fat milk

1. Mix all ingredients together and bake in a moderate oven for 30-40 minutes.

1. Mix all dry ingredients together.
2. Place Peanut butter and honey in microwave safe bowl and heat for 35-40 seconds and mix well until blended smooth
3. Pour mixture into dry ingredients and mix well.  Use hands to knead ingredients together.
4. Roll into small balls and place into fridge to set.

Eat Smart is doing a series of posts on our favourite recipes.

Rebecca Evans’ favourite recipe is protein balls which she uses to sustain her through a busy day of patients, after her personal training sessions and also to fuel her runs as she trains for the Gold Coast marathon this weekend.

Bec’s Protein Balls  (for kids, non-athletes and those wanting to watch their weight)

Makes 30

6 tbs Sustagen Sport (Chocolate)

3 tbs Cocoa powder

2 cups Almond Meal

½ Cup Coconut (shredded)

1 ½ cup light Smooth Peanut Butter

1 cup Honey

1. Mix all dry ingredients together.
2. Place Peanut butter and honey in microwave safe bowl and heat for 35-40 seconds and mix well until blended smooth
3. Pour mixture into dry ingredients and mix well.  Use hands to knead ingredients together.
4. Roll into 30 small balls and place into fridge to set.

Per ball:

Energy:                     100 calories

Carbohydrate:     7g

Protein:                   3.3g

Fat:                            6.7g

Saturated Fat:    1.8g

This recipe is ideal for kids and can be used as a snack throughout the day.  Also a great calorie controlled snack for those watching their weight.

Bec’s Protein Balls (for after training or for a pre-training fuel source)

Makes 30

3 scoops WPI Vanilla Protein Powder

6 tbs Sustagen Sport (Chocolate)

3 tbs Cocoa powder or cacao

5 tbs Chia Seeds (Black)

2 cups Almond Meal

½ Cup Coconut (shredded)

1 ½ cup light Smooth Peanut Butter

1 cup Honey

1. Mix all dry ingredients together.
2. Place Peanut butter and honey in microwave safe bowl and heat for 35-40 seconds and mix well until blended smooth
3. Pour mixture into dry ingredients and mix well.  Use hands to knead ingredients together.
4. Roll into small balls and place into fridge to set.

Per ball:

Energy:                   122 calories

Carbohydrate:   7.2g

Protein:                   6.5g

Fat:                            7.5g

Saturated Fat:   1.9g

This recipe is perfect as a post-training recovery snack or even as a healthy but filling snack throughout the day.  3 protein balls could replace a protein shake as optimal post-training recovery fuel.  3 protein balls would provide 20g of high quality protein.

Many Australians have drastically reduced their intake of carbohydrates in an effort to reach their weight goals. Core grain foods are still an essential part of a balanced nutrition plan ensuring a variety of fibre types for bowel health, essential micronutrients such as thiamin and magnesium, as well as a source of physical and mental energy. Wholegrains also help protect against diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

The new dietary guidelines recommend 3-4 grain food serves per day even if you are watching your weight. Focus on low GI, high fibre wholegrain choices to ensure they provide maximum ‘bang for your bucks’! This could include oats for breakfast, wholegrain bread or a quinoa salad at lunch, a small serve of brown basmati rice or soba noodles at dinner, or a wholegrain cracker with hummus as a snack.

The new guidelines also encourage the inclusion of legumes 2-3 times per week. They are very budget friendly, low in saturated fats, contain protein, fibre, zinc and iron, as well as a range of other vitamins and minerals. They can be used as a protein alternative or as part of your vegetable intake. There are a great range of canned beans and legumes if you don’t have time to soak and cook in  the traditional way.

Try baked eggs with cannelini beans for breakfast, minestrone soup or four bean mix with tuna in a salad for lunch, and chilli with kidney beans for dinner. Roasted soy or chicknuts are also a great snack alternative.

Author: Holly Frail

There has been much in the media lately about supplements in sports and the quest to build bigger stronger faster athletes. The question is – are supplements absolutely necessary, especially for young athletes? The answer is no. Learning how to train, along with eating and growing are the tools required.

The key points for young athletes are eating and drinking very regularly (at least 5-6 times a day), planning a combination of protein and carbohydrates at each occasion (depending on the time of training sessions and the time of day), and being organised in order to have these items on hand as well as fit in all the kilojoules required.

Planning to eat/drink something that provides carbohydrate for energy is essential before training for young growing athletes. Recovery nutrition requires both carbohydrates and protein within the 30-60 minutes after all training sessions – especially strength sessions where muscle building and maintenance is the goal. Recent evidence also suggests that a large glass of  milk before bed may be very beneficial for muscle protein stimulation in those first few hours of ‘r & r’. Milk provides the amino acid leucine which is a key factor in muscle growth.

Examples of snacks providing the right stuff include tuna and rice, cheese and crackers, nuts and seeds with fruit, yoghurts and any type of milk (or milk alternative) drink.

For more individual advice see your closest Eat Smart consultant.

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius.  Grease a ~19cm square cake pan with spray oil.  Line with baking paper ensuring some overhang up the sides.
2. Arrange half the spinach in the prepared pan.  Top with half the ham.  Repeat.
3. Whisk eggs, garlic, cheese and milk in a jug.  Season to taste.  Pour over spinach and ham.  Top with halved tomatoes, cut side up.
4. Bake for 35-40 mins or until golden and set.  Serve.

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.  Put the peaches, cut side up in a baking dish.
2. Using an electric beater, beat the ricotta, icing sugar and cinnamon until smooth.  Spoon mixture in to the cavity of each peach. Bake for 8-10 mins or until golden.
3. Serve the peaches (2 halves per serve) drizzled with honey and sprinkled with almonds.

Did you read Body & Soul on the weekend? Great article on losing weight using a scientifically substantiated method. No fads, no meal replacements, no gruelling exercise regimes; just simple but effective nutrition and exercise advice.

Ladies, this one was specifically for you! This research looked at young females who had ~10kg to lose. They followed a sensible diet which included low GI carbs, lean protein, plenty of fruits & vegetables and good fats as well as exercised for 30 minutes per day. They lost substantial amounts of weight, and in fact the study was so effective that a few participants had to drop out as they had lost too much weight!

A dietitian can devise a meal plan to achieve long term, healthy weight loss without a special diet. Just smart eating!

Let an Eat Smart Dietitian help you achieve your ideal weight, size and shape…

Goodie Balls

200g trail mix (nuts/seeds/dried fruit) 50g almonds
2 tbs chia seeds 2 tbs flax seeds
2 tbs pumpkin seeds 2 tbs sunflower seeds
1 tbs peanut butter 2 tbs maple syrup

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and use a Bamix or blender to blend to a fine grain.
2. Roll into 15 balls.
Note: you can add ½ cup whey protein powder if you wish.

5g protein per ball.

Crunchy Cookies

½ cup ground linseed/flaxseed 2 cups ground almonds
½ cup pumpkin seed or sunflower seed 1 cup walnuts
½ cup dried cranberries or goji berries ½ cup macadamia nut oil
½ cup honey or organic maple syrup 1 tspn vanilla essence

1. Preheat oven to 150°C.
2. Combine linseed, almond meal, pumpkin seed, walnuts and cranberries
3. Add oil, honey and vanilla and mix through until combined
4. Divide into 30 balls, place onto a baking tray lined with bake paper and flatten slightly.
5. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until golden and cooked through.
6. Rest on tray until cool and store up to 2 weeks.

3.6g protein per cookie.

Very Berry Yoghurt

½ cup fresh or frozen berries 100g low fat vanilla yoghurt
2 heaped dsp crunchy muesli e.g. Carmen’s 1 flat dspn LSA

1. Layer berries and yoghurt.
2. Top with muesli and sprinkle over LSA.

Serves 1 and provides 8g protein per serve.

Have you read some of the debates lately about red meat? On the one hand some experts are strongly suggesting we cut out or drastically reduce our consumption of this type of protein to reduce heart disease, colon cancer etc. Yet on the other hand red meat is a great source of nutrients such as iron and niacin. Interestingly, as most of our cattle are grass fed in australia, it has now been suggested that the fat in these animals, as opposed to their grain fed counterparts, contains CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) that may be protective with regards to cancer and beneficial in other ways to our health and immunity. Our view, as always, is one of balance. Lean red meat included in a healthy diet 2-3 times per week is a great source of protein, omega 3 fats, iron, zinc and other nutrients. This should be balanced out with vegetables, fruit, grains, dairy and other real foods – with a limit on items that are more highly processed or containing additives that we should perhaps avoid.