A Feast of Election Night Madness!

Will you be staying up into the wee small hours on Election Night to watch dear, dear David in his role as BBC 'anchor man' for the very last time and to keep a keen eye on Jeremy and his oh-so-addictive 'swingometer'? If so, a bit of snacking might be in order!

If things are going your way, it might with luck, mean 'healthy and happy snacking' but if it's all going horribly wrong, so could the snacks so a bit of pre-planning could be the saviour of your waistline (if not the saviour of your chosen party)!

You don't want to be continually bobbing up and down to prepare something when you are glued to the TV so here are a few dishes and snacks that can be thrown together earlier in the evening so you can simply grab them and get back to the sofa! 

roast a chicken and a bunch of vegetables earlier in the evening and pick at the leftovers later on - lots of great protein and energy-enhancing carbohydrates!

have a dip or two in the fridge and some crunchy raw vegetable sticks - they really take the edge off sugary and salty snack attacks!

midnight is the perfect time for half a creamy, fat-rich avocado - just stone it and spoon the flesh out of the shell or pile in some tuna or prawns!

switchel... a great alternative to alcohol as the night ploughs on! really tasty and great for the digestion. see my recipe page...

... and/or prepare a super green salad, sling some of the cold cooked chicken on top and smother with a Balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil dressing!

you can't beat a bowl of fresh fruit 'bites' at this time of the year - the more colourful the better and the choice out there is staggering!

my very quick tomato soup sharpens up the palate and is great in a mug! the added dollop of yoghurt is inspired! see my recipe page...

... or perhaps a pot of calming and refreshing herb tea? mint is especially good - just soak a bunch of fresh leaves in a pot for 10 minutes...

olives are a tasty and brilliant source of filling and brain-focusing fats - mixed, stuffed with anchovies or with feta cheese, they won't let you down!    

... and have a handful or two of nuts and seeds with your fruit for a bit of extra 'crunch', a few more good fats and to keep hunger at bay !

a fruit or vegetable smoothie (sipped not gulped) hits the spot as the night progresses! create your own or get one off the shelf...

chocolate works no matter how the voting is going - but make it small, very, very dark and perhaps with added chilli to spice things up!

I Don't Like Mondays and I Don't Do Breakfast!

How often have you read or heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? And yet most days, the last thing on your mind first thing in the morning is food! Are you risking your health? Are you setting yourself up for likely weight gain? Time for some informed clarification!

Yes, there are a number of studies out there that indicate that those who took part in various experiments and had breakfast every morning were less hungry throughout the day and therefore ate less than those who body swerved breakfast BUT - and it’s a rather big BUT - there are equally many studies that indicate that breakfast-skippers don’t eat more during the remainder of the day and don’t gain weight.

The most important advice I wish to pass on here is that it has a great deal to do with the following:

what you ate yesterday (particularly later in the day)

how hungry you are first thing in the morning

how the day ahead looks

If you can’t force down anything other than a cup of tea or coffee or perhaps some fruit juice first thing in the morning but know that you are going to have time for a nourishing mid morning snack, go for it. However, if your morning is likely to be full-on with little chance of any nourishment until lunchtime, a bit of goodly nourishment - whether it be first thing, on your way to work or once you get there - IS A MUST.

The biochemical reasoning behind this advice is that if you wait until the level of glucose in your bloodstream takes a dive, not only will you begin to feel a bit lightheaded and (god forbid) be a bit ratty with friends, family or work colleagues but you also run the risk of possibly grabbing and hoovering down the kind of quick-fix snack that will likely do little other than keep you going for an hour or so and probably add rather more than you wish to your fat stores!

---

juices and smoothies

ham'n'eggs

fruity oaty breakfast bake

crisp breads

overnight muesli

salmon kedgeree

If you are following one of my diets that champion 3 meals a day with no snacks, breakfast is important and as long as you plan ahead, there are plenty of protein and fat-rich choices that you can either have before you go out the door or as soon as you feel hungry during the morning.

If you prefer my small meals and snacks throughout the day diet options, it's simply a matter of fitting your first meal/snack into your morning when hunger beckons. The only warning here is that you should avoid waiting until an energy dip starts to overwhelm you - be ahead of the game and all will be well!

the images above are some of my top-notch early to mid morning recommendations - and you can find them all on my recipe page