Healthy kale and tomato pesto courgetti recipe

What advice do you have for people trying to give up sugar and what's the hardest part?

We’d say the biggest problems are breakfast and those mid-afternoon slumps that people experience whilst at their desks. Breakfast is a complete minefield, there are hundreds of cereals on the shelves, and only maybe 3 or 4 don’t have sugar in them! Other than sugary cereals, there's also all those flavoured yogurts and the overly modified bread and those utterly fake and oxidative, hydrogenated  ‘spreads’ that are polluting our supermarket shelves.

Anyway, it’s not all bad news! We’re a big fan of oats as they are super versatile – we love combining with any of the following:

• chia seeds
• cashew or almond milk
• some frozen berries
• a sprinkling of sprouted buckwheat flakes
• some cacao nib
• roasted coconut flakes
• a dash of nut butter
• some coconut yogurt

You don’t, of course, have to combine the whole lot – but they are all long lasting products so we buy in bulk and just keep them in our cupboards – usually making breakfast the night before going into work. We also eat lots of SFS Granola and we’re also big fans of eggs, a slice of sourdough with avo with a pinch of Himalayan salt, pepper, turmeric & a little coconut oil. Or...smoothies! A big yes, although the mostly veggie rather than fruit based ones.

Mid-afternoon slumps are an interesting one, because, in reality, they are pretty much always just a sugar craving. After lunch when the sugar spike has worn off on the brain, then you crave another injection of the sweet stuff – so when you’re not hooked on the nasty stuff then you really don’t have this kind of craving! The trick is to have healthy supplies to hand, so be sure to have some nut butters on the shelves, carrots in the fridge or good mylks in the fridge so that you can make yourself a hot cacao or turmeric latte.

As with any dietary changes, it can take time to plan and adapt to new ways of eating, do you have any time-saving hacks for healthy eating?

Stock the cupboards & do NOT throw away leftovers! Stocking up is by far and away the best advice, I can’t tell you the excitement we feel when we go home and are confronted with shelves that are full of sugar free goods – particularly coconut based goods, herbs and spices, an abundance of veg from the farmers market, a good quality (but cheap) cut of meat from the butchers (we’re super into slow cooking our meat at the moment), a freezer full of discounted organic berries from the supermarket, or a pile of leftovers from Sunday lunch which we re-invigorate with some tahini dressing and some good old fresh leafy greens! 

Finally, are there any unexpected benefits of going sugar-free?

Any benefits – well suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuure! There are numerous!

1. No afternoon energy crashes
2. Clearer skin
3. A more positive mindset
4. An understanding of satiety – suddenly the real food actually fills you up when you eat, rather than being an endless cycle of ‘wow, weird that I can eat a whole bag of Malteser's and not feel that full’! 
5. Stronger immune system
6. Healthier heart and liver
7.  Improved digestion
8. Stronger nails, healthier hair & improved circulation
9. And many more! But in general a healthier, happier, better version of yourself – and a way of life that you will not want to turn away from, trust us. 

Need any more convincing? Thought not...let's get started! 

Kale And Tomato Pesto With Courgetti

Serves 4

Pesto

• 5tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 large tomatoes
• 2 handfuls purple or green Kale
• Good pinch of pink Himalayan salt & pepper

And the rest….

• 2 peppers
• 1tbsp coconut oil
• 3 courgettes
• 3/4 handfuls purple or green kale
• Good pinch of Pink Himalayan Salt & Pepper

Instructions: 

1. Turn the oven to 180oC. 
2. Make the pesto by simply combining all ingredients in a whizzer and leave to stand. 
3. Slice the peppers before adding to a medium heat frying pan with 1/2tbsp coconut oil, salt & pepper. 
4. Whilst the peppers cook, spiralize your courgettes before popping your kale in the oven with the remaining ½tbsp coconut oil, salt & pepper for c. 8 minutes – give them a quick shake after 4. 
5. When the peppers have softened after about ten minutes add the courgetti to the pan, soften for a further two minutes before adding the kale pesto. 
6. Heat through, combine with your crispy kale and boom, serve! 

*Note if you have leftover organic (meat/ or veggie!) sausages or would like a non-veggie dish then simply add some to the dish! 

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