INSPO Fitness Journal December 2018

FRESH START,
Feel Good!
The fresh start of a new year is usually paved with good intentions. For many
this involves a focus around health, fitness and wellbeing. Healthy eating is a
key part of success in all these areas, and Nadia Lim’s Fresh Start, Feel Good!
is the perfect tool to accompany your new intentions.
There is enough information out there
now that most of us know that eating
fresh wholesome ingredients is a win
in terms of creating a healthier lifestyle.
What’s not so simple however is keeping
mealtimes interesting and delicious, and
knowing what ratios and servings are best
for your requirements.
With eight best-selling cookbooks, celebrity
chef, qualified dietitian and My Food Bag
co-founder Nadia Lim has knocked it out of
the park with Fresh Start, Feel Good!.
Packed with delicious recipes (as expected),
her new offering is more than a
cookbook. It simplifies your daily or weekly
meal planning with every recipe under 450
calories. So you can simply choose from a
breakfast, lunch and dinner recipe option
and know that you’re fuelling your body with
all the right stuff.
The focus is on packing in vegetables and
other nourishing ingredients, while cutting
down on carbs and refined sugar, without
sacrificing flavour. Nadia also shares her nofuss,
fad-free approach to kickstarting health
goals and losing weight.
However she’s quick to assure that this
isn’t a ‘diet book’.
“I don’t believe in inflexible diet rules,
fads or cutting out any specific foods,
because it’s simply not a sustainable – or
enjoyable – approach to eating,” she says.
“You can expect realistic, down-to-earth
recommendations and advice here, alongside
delicious, simple recipes that use normal,
everyday ingredients.”
With all recipes conveniently coming
in under 450 calories or less, it’s a simple
process to just choose any three meals (and
snacks), equalling an approximate 1200-1600
calorie-per-day eating plan, which Nadia, a
trained dietitian, says is about right for most
people wanting to lose weight.
From smoothies and salads, to soups and
quick dinners, there’s even a lighter, healthier
twist on comfort foods like pizza and
burgers, as well as
sweet treats without the
guilt, such as Frozen
Berry Ripple Cake and
Chocolate Coconut
Rough Cookies (yum).
Enter to win a
copy of Fresh
Start, Feel Good!
on page 22.
Christmas menus often focus
around traditional family dishes.
Start a fresh tradition this year
with this delicious summery
frozen cake. It’s a recipe you’ll
keep wanting to re-create. Plus
it’s gluten free and dairy free
(use coconut cream and coconut
yoghurt) and just 335kcal.
Frozen Berry Ripple Cake
Recipe extract from Fresh Start, Feel Good!
by Nadia Lim. RRP $49.99.
This frozen ice cream/yoghurt cake is
incredibly refreshing and summery, and so
quick and easy to make (plus you can make it
well in advance). It’s a great one to make for a
special occasion without wanting to blow out
on dessert calories. You could use a mixture
of boysenberries and blackberries instead of
raspberries and strawberries to get a different
berry flavour and colour.
Makes: 8 portions
Prep time: 15 minutes + at least 6 hours
freezer time
Base
• ½ cup desiccated or shredded coconut
• 7–8 pitted medjool dates (or 15–16 normal
dried dates soaked in boiling water for 5
minutes)
• ⅓ cup sunflower seeds or almonds
Filling
• 500g mix of frozen raspberries and
strawberries, defrosted
• ¼ cup runny honey or maple syrup
• 1–2 teaspoons rosewater or vanilla bean
paste or extract
• 1 cup cream or coconut cream
• 1 ¼ cups unsweetened natural Greek
yoghurt or coconut yoghurt
• Grease the bottom and sides of a 20–21cm
round spring-form cake tin and line with
baking paper.
1. To make the base, place all ingredients in a
food processor and blitz until well combined
and the mixture has formed a slightly
sticky dough that holds together well when
pinched between your fingers; if it’s still
a little crumbly just add 1–2 tablespoons
water and blitz again. Scrape down the sides
of the food processor as necessary to ensure
all the ingredients are incorporated. Spread
mixture over the base of prepared cake tin
using the back of a spoon – it will be quite
a thin layer. Place in the freezer while you
make the filling.
2. Blend berries, honey/maple syrup and
rosewater/vanilla until smooth. Scoop out ½
cup berry mixture and set aside in a bowl.
3. Add cream/coconut cream and yoghurt
to remaining berry mixture and blend together
briefly until combined and a pretty
pink colour.
4. Pour filling over the base and roughly
smooth out the top. Spoon reserved berry
sauce over the filling and use a teaspoon or
knife to create a few pretty swirls. Freeze
for at least 6 hours (or overnight) until firm.
When ready to serve, remove from freezer and
stand at room temperature for 10–15 minutes
to slightly thaw, before releasing spring latch
and removing cake from tin. Decorate with
extra berries and flower petals if you like.
Use a large, sharp knife to cut into portions.
INSPO – FITNESS JOURNAL DECEMBER 2018
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