Complete the Cook - week 3

 

Are you shopping on a budget?  But want to find cheap, healthy products?

We've got you covered with 3 of the best budget buys we found this week

Product recommendation: Oat Dream

Oat Milk 

£1 for 1 litre (current offer reduced from £1.50 @ Tesco)  

More about OAT DREAM 

We love dairy alternatives when it comes to milk and there are so many different varieties now, its getting difficult to choose.  Ive always gone for GOOD HEMP milk or OATLY (original or Oatly chocolate is the BEST) - and honestly there is no beating them for cereal, puddings, cooking, and in hot drinks BUT on a budget we tried this one this week and its come up trumps.  Works perfectly in coffee/tea - no curdle!  And its creamy, silky texture works so well to make drinks and smoothies that little bit more luxurious.  A really subtle flavour that works with just about everything.  Great substitute for almond milk in the breakfast smoothie bowl recipe below.

Product recommendation: Chia Seeds

Chia Seeds
£1 for 150g (@Tesco - own brand)
Shop HERE 

**Want to learn more about Chia Seeds? SIGN UP today for our FEATURE FOODS email Starting with the lowdown on Chia Seeds (and followed by a focus on many other "superfoods", "added extras" and "magic powders" you can use while still on a budget) we will take you through the pros and the cons of each, with nutritional info, recipe ideas and of course where to buy the cheapest versions or alternatives that might be just as good to power boost your smoothies, salads and more #nononsense!

Product recommendation: Lancashire Farm, Natural Bio Yoghurt

Whole Milk Yoghurt

An amazing £1 for 1kg

More about LANCASHIRE FARMS products 

We were championing The Collective Dairy in a previous Complete the Cook blog and we are still loving their work, their product, their branding, their ethos and everything about them! The only reason we are sharing this one with you today too is that its a KG for a £1 !!  So in the theme of a great budget buy - this is a fantastic one.  And its still healthy and versatile for breakfast, pudding, in sweet or savoury recipes!  We chose the Whole Milk variety.  There are also lower fat versions available if you prefer, but we never recommend low fat.  If you are doing it, do it properly - its still unsweetened natural yoghurt, its still not a "baddie" so be good to yourself and choose the whole milk version with a thicker, creamier texture and ultimately a better taste (in my opinion).

OK - to finish you will want the recipe:

BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE BOWL - for protein, fibre and energy

Ingredients:

• Yoghurt (large tbsp) as per last weeks recommendation or AS ABOVE
• Almond milk (as per last weeks recommendation) or Oat Milk AS ABOVE 
• Milled flaxseed (large tbsp - the more you add, the thicker it will be) 
• Bran (2 handfuls of all bran / bran flake cereal) Almonds (handful) 
• Chia seeds (large tbsp) 

Topped with: 

• More almonds (as much as you can see) 
• More Chia seeds (as much as you can see) 
• Rolled oats (as much as you can see) 
• Maca powder (as much as you can see)     

**WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT MACA?  Maca will be in our Featured Foods series starting soon - sign up to be first to receive info**

• Maple syrup (drizzle over the top, quantity up to you depending on your sweet tooth)

Just remember we recommend this for after exercise so don't ruin what you just worked so hard for, by topping up on too much sugar and sweet!

Method: 

• Pop the flaxseed, bran, almonds and chia into a blender 
• Cover with milk and blend until thick and smooth and creamy 

*note* More flax will thicken, more milk = less thick - find your consistency to sit nicely in the bowl or add more milk and drink as a smoothie, adding a tiny bit of honey and maca powder to sweeten your drink too! 

• Pour/spoon into bowl
• Top with the added extras and fresh fruit to taste

If you're sick of protein shakes and you don't have time for eggs, its too early for chicken or fish as a protein source - get on this.  Great after exercise or training to help repair sore muscles and to give you some slow release energy to keep you going until lunchtime.  Plus you can prep it in advance ready for when you return from your run, or take some in a sealed pot in your gym bag with you!

More recipes to come in complete the cook next time!  If you don't want to miss it - you can sign up for the FREE newsletter HERE

Want to know more about maca, chia and other perhaps not so common ingredients we use to boost our smoothies, salads, snacks and more?  Then be one of the first to receive our "Feature Foods" series where we focus on pros and cons of so called superfoods and provide no nonsense shopping lists of the added extras - just click HERE

 

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 **Please remember this is advice ONLY (as is all other information contained in this blog, the website and social media related to it) None of the info or advice is intended to override any recommendation from your GP or health professional**