June 4, 2023 By Urvi Gohil 2 Comments

Healthy Eating: Fruit and Chia Salad With Nuts

Is preparing evening snacks a challenge for you? If you haven’t figured out what you’ll be eating today, this Fruit and Chia Salad with Nuts is perfect! This healthy recipe is filling and it will satisfy your sweet tooth as well. It can also be served as a cold dessert to beat the heat!

Ingredients:

Apple/Banana/Ripe Mango – 1 medium size chopped
Strawberries – 5-6
Kiwi – 1 medium size chopped
Chia seeds – 1 tbsp
Almond milk/ Coconut milk/ Low-fat milk – ½ cup (100 ml)
Honey – 1 tsp
Walnuts (4 halves), almonds (5), Pista (5), Cashews (4)
Cinnamon powder

Method:

Chop all the nuts roughly
Heat a pan and roast the chopped nuts for 3-4 minutes on low to medium flame to make them brittle and crunchy
Take 100ml low-fat milk/ coconut milk/ almond milk, add 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, pinch of cinnamon powder and 1 tsp of honey in it
Allow this mixture to stay in refrigerator overnight or for 8-10 hours to allow the chia seeds to swell up
Take a mason jar or a glass and start layering
Add chopped mangoes to base and add milk + chia seeds mixture on it to cover the mangoes
To this, add the chopped kiwi and again add milk + chia seeds mixture on it
Top this with chopped strawberries and again some milk + chia seeds mixture
Add the roasted nuts on top

Please Note: If you’re allergic to nuts, replace them with seeds.

Highlights of the Fruit and Chia Salad Recipe

Chia seeds are very rich in omega 3 fatty acids and fiber which makes this snack very filling
You can add seasonal fruits of your own choice and get all the seasonal nutrients
This will give a variation to your normal fruit intake

Did you like this fruit and chia salad with nuts recipe? Have you already tried it out? Share a pic on social media or the GOQii Arena and tag us! You can find more healthy recipes here.

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June 1, 2023 By Mariam Hussain 3 Comments

The Incredible Benefits Of Milk You Might Not Know

Milk is the most widely consumed beverage in the world and it’s an important part of a diet for most individuals.The major source of milk in India is from buffalo, cow and rarely from sheep and goat. It is essentially an emulsion of fat and protein in water, along with dissolved sugar (lactose), minerals, and vitamins. These constituents are present in the milk of all mammals, though their proportions differ from one species to another and within species.

Some Awesome Benefits of Milk

Most of us might have learned in school that milk is considered as a complete food. It is because of the presence of all the vital nutrients that the body needs for growth, development and sustenance. Mentioned below are a few of the many incredible benefits of milk.

Protection against cancer: Studies suggest that Calcium, Vitamin D (in case of fortified milk) and some other milk compounds are important in protecting against certain types of cancers like colorectal and bladder cancer.
Reducing cardiovascular disease risk: Consumption of low fat milk after adolescence helps in reducing cardiovascular diseases. The presence of Polyunsaturated fatty acids and calcium plays a major role in protection against heart diseases.
Some studies also show evidence that consumption of milk in required quantities lowers in incidence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.
For bones and teeth: Since time immemorial, this benefit of milk has been very common and well known to all. Apart from Calcium and protein, it contains various other nutrients like zinc, potassium, Vitamin-A and Vitamin-D (if fortified), that help in maintaining bone health. When taken in required amounts since childhood, milk helps in preventing osteoporosis and other bone fractures.
Good source of macro and micro-nutrients: It is a good source of energy, protein and other micronutrients like magnesium, selenium, zinc, riboflavin (Vitamin B2), cyanocobalamin (vitamin-B12) and Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5). Therefore, preventing a lot of micronutrient deficiencies.
Last but not the least, it is an essential component for growth and development and can prevent stunting especially during infancy. Infact, the dietary fat from milk which shows detrimental effects during middle age and elderly, proves to be extremely beneficial during infancy. It helps in preventing undernutrition and malnutrition especially in a population with a low fat intake.

To summarise it all, whole milk is essential for growth and development of infants and children. It is associated with reduced risk of non-communicable diseases like osteoporosis and possibly colorectal cancer and type 2 diabetes. Post adolescence, low fat milk has to be consumed to cut down on the saturated fat intake. Milk and dairy products can represent an important part of a healthy diet, as long as consumption levels are not excessive. However, any diet that exceeds the daily requirements over a period of time can lead to potentially significant health risks.

We hope this article on the benefits of milk helps you. If you are lactose intolerant, you might want to go through this article or consult your doctor, nutritionist or dietitian before consuming milk or dairy products.

For more information on milk, other foods or nutrition in general, speak to an expert by subscribing for GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

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May 26, 2023 By Navnee Garg 1 Comment

10 Ways to Add Vegetables to Your Breakfast

You’ve come across the saying “Eat breakfast like a king and dinner like a pauper”… being a nutritionist, I strongly believe in this. Yes, one should definitely eat a nutritionally lavish meal in the morning. Breakfast needs to be a combination of simple and complex carbs along with some high biological value sources of protein. But is it enough? Does it make a complete meal?

We often tend to forget to add fibres and other micronutrients in the first meal of the day, keeping it for later meals, and we miss on achieving the daily requirement. Adding vegetables to your breakfast can help you improve your health in numerous ways and make it a complete meal. Let’s see how we can do that.

Ideas to Add Vegetables to Your Breakfast

Try adding sautéed spinach to an open-faced egg or paneer sandwich. Spinach is a rich source of Vitamin A, C and K.
Replace other root vegetables besides potatoes in your basic recipes. Try sweet potatoes, turnips, and even beetroot to get some extra vitamin boosts from these colourful root veggies.
Cook a quinoa, veggie and egg scramble. A perfectly balanced breakfast for lazy mornings.
Add spinach to your savoury oatmeal. Fibres in all together.
Try shifting your salad to breakfast and add some grain along. Try Pizza crust waffle with a breakfast salad. A great way to indulge guilt-free.
Avocado can be used as a spread on breads. To enhance the nutritional value, chopped veggies, salt and pepper can be added as a treat to your taste buds.
Try skipping the toast along with omelette or scrambled eggs. Instead, replace it with Sauté greens. Whether you can add cream or simply cook them with garlic, is up to you.
Add sautéed vegetables and mashed paneer/eggs to the pancakes/cheela you make at home. This would make it more filling and add an extra boost of protein as well.
Busy enough to cook every morning? Drink it up then! Just blend up greens or vegetables into your morning smoothie and sip it on the way to the office.
And the Easiest: Add vegetables in everything you cook, be it poha, vermicelli, and even upma!

We hope this article helps you add more vegetables to your breakfast for a power-packed start to your day! Do try them all out and let us know in the comments below.

Get more healthy recipes here or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

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May 21, 2023 By Urvi Gohil Leave a Comment

Healthy Eating: The Ultimate Satiety Milkshake Recipe

If you’re looking for a snack or something to fill in your mid meals or the perfect way to start your day, look no further! Here’s a healthy and delicious ultimate satiety milkshake recipe, loaded with all the essential nutrients in one power-packed glass! The best part of this recipe is that there is “no added sugar” – so you can enjoy this treat completely guilt-free during summer.

What You Will Need:

Milk – 200 ml
Dates – 3
Anjeer – 2
Almonds – 5
Walnuts – 5
Chia seeds – 1 tsp
Cinnamon powder – ¼ tsp

Note: You can use basil seeds (soaked for 30 min) instead of chia seeds or 1 tsp of roasted flax seeds (add this while you blend the shake and not after).

How To Prepare:

Add chia seeds In a glass of water and allow this to soak overnight or for 5-7 hours. While making the milkshake, strain the excess water and keep the soaked chia seeds aside. Also soak the anjeer, walnuts and almonds overnight or for 2-3 hours.
In a mixer jar, add dates, walnuts, almonds and anjeer – blend them finely. Slowly add the milk and give it a blend.
In a glass, pour the dry fruit milkshake, add the soaked chia seeds on top and sprinkle the cinnamon powder.

Highlights of the Ultimate Satiety Milkshake:

The seeds provide the required healthy fats and a lot of fiber. These components keep you fuller for longer.
Rich in protein and good carbs.
A glass can keep you full for 2 hours minimum.
You can also add fruits to up the nutritional value of this milkshake. Albeit, diabetics should avoid adding fruits.

We hope you enjoy this ultimate satiety milkshake recipe. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below! Check out more healthy recipes here or speak to a GOQii Coach by subscribing to Personalised Health Coaching here.

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