“I wish I ate less healthy”…. said nobody, ever. The truth of the matter is, most of us would like — and should — eat a little better. Eating a colourful diet that’s chockful of nutrients has endless benefits that go far beyond giving you an epic rig (although, that’s always a nice plus). It helps protect you from illness and disease and gives you bucket loads of energy.
The good news is, you don’t have to fill your entire pantry with pricey, hard-to-pronounce superfoods in order to eat well. Often, it’s simply about getting creative with what you’ve already got.
“There’s no need to go overboard with weird and wonderful ingredients that are hard to track down and even harder to know what to do with. The simplest ingredients we take for granted every day are in our condiments cupboard– and they’re not just for toast toppings or simple dinner garnishes,” says Vladia Cobrdova, About Life Wellness Ambassador. Here, Vladia shares 11 genius health hacks that use ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
Sea Salt: Add a teaspoon of sea salt to a bottle of water, plus a squeeze of lemon, to make your own electrolyte drink for extra hydration. Perfect for after an intense workout or during a long run.
Black Peppercorns: Battling a cold? Black pepper is antibacterial and rich in vitamin C, ideal for relieving coughs and the sniffles. A teaspoon of honey sprinkled with freshly ground black pepper will do the trick to clear you up and fight bacteria.
Free Range Chicken Stock: Ever thought of using chicken stock as a base for your jelly? Just combine chicken stock, fruit juice, chopped fruit, and grass-fed gelatine powder. Leave to set in the fridge in moulds, and voila! As a basic rule of thumb, use 1 cup of liquid to 1 tablespoon of gelatine.
Vegetable Stock: Instead of using water, cook your grains in vegetable stock for a boost of vitamins and minerals.
Tomato Ketchup: Love a smoky spicy flavour to your sauces? Add smoked paprika and cayenne pepper to tomato ketchup for the ultimate boost in flavour.
Image: Instagram @sarahs_day
BBQ Sauce: Jazz up the humble BBQ sauce by making it into a BBQ pineapple salsa. Add some pineapple chunks, chilli flakes and coriander to BBQ sauce and dollop it on your burger or enjoy as a side to a grilled protein meal.
Tamari: Consider tamari as a salt substitute that is also wheat free, especially when seasoning brown rice, making a stir-fry, or even just as a great dipping sauce.
Seeded Mustard: Turns out, it’s not just a garnish. Seeded mustard can be a great low-sugar glaze for pork. Simply brush the mustard over the meat and grill.
Strawberry Jam: Add a spoonful of strawberry jam to vinaigrette, and serve as a salad dressing.
Crunchy Peanut Butter: Yes, peanut butter on toast in freakin’ delicious. But did you know you can also use it to make hummus? Simply replace tahini with peanut butter.
Raw Honey: A teaspoon of honey on an empty stomach every morning is a great way to show your gut some love. Honey is a prebiotic, which feeds good bacteria.
Chilli Flakes: Give your metabolism a kickstart by adding chilli flakes to your morning hot water and lemon.
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