Banana Split on Rye

Fill the tank before a big workout with this sweet sandwich


100% rye bread
100% natural peanut butter
Cottage cheese
1 Banana, sliced
2 Dates, sliced
Cinnamon

Spread rye bread with peanut butter. 

Top with cottage cheese, banana slices and dates.

Lunch Ideas to get you out of the sandwich rut

Hors d'oeuvres - Serve whole-grain crackers with 3 tablespoons goat cheese; top with halved grape tomatoes and fresh basil. Or spread on spicy hummus and top with sliced black olives and chick peas.

Fruit and Nut Wrap - Spread 2 tablespoons cashew butter on a whole-wheat tortilla; sprinkle raisins on top.

Mediterranean Meal - Open a whole-wheat pita and fill with 1 to 2 tablespoons tahini, fresh spinach leaves, sun dried tomatoes and 1 ounce string cheese.

Salad-to-Go - Mix a small container of tuna (packed in water, drained) with light mayo, grated carrots and diced celery. Serve with whole-wheat crackers.

Fruit kabobs - Thread melon chunks, grapes, and banana slices on a skewer. Dip into 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt mixed with 150 calories of whole-grain cereal.

Trail Mix Meal - Mix about 1 cup whole-grain cereal, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds (without the shell), 2 tablespoons dried apricots and 1 tablespoon raisins. Serve with fresh sliced veggies

Banana and Coconut Loaf

1 1/2 cup SR flour
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup caster sugar
1 cup mashed banana
1 egg lightly beaten
1 cup coconut milk (or carnation light n creamy coconut flavoured milk)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 160C
Grease and line a 10x20cm loaf tin
Sift flour and mix dry ingredients together
Mix in dry ingredients until just combined and pour into loaf tin and bake for 1 hour
Let cool in the tin for 10 mins before turning out onto wire rack to cool right down
Serve warm with butter or on its own

Variations: Use wholemeal flour or half/half, add some crushed pineapple and use raw sugar.

Breakfast Smoothies

Tropical Dream Smoothie
200g tub vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped mango
1/4 cup chopped banana
toasted shredded coconut, for sprinkling

Mixed Berry Combo Smoothie
200g tub vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)

Spiced Vanilla And Banana Smoothie

200g tub vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup milk
pinch cinnamon
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 cup banana
extra cinnamon, for sprinkling

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

Pour into 2 tall glasses and serve with a straw.

Banana, yoghurt & walnut muffins

Makes: 18 Prep: 10 mins Cook: 22 mins

1 1/4 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup rice flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup plain yoghurt
3 medium, ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup golden syrup
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 190°C.
In a large bowl, whisk together oats, flour, flaxseeds, baking powder and baking soda.
In a separate bowl, combine eggs, yoghurt, bananas, syrup and oil. Add flour mixture and fold in walnuts.
Divide batter into paper-lined muffin cups. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly pressed.
Cool on a wire rack.

Per muffin: 615kJ, 7g fat (1g saturated fat), 103mg sodium, 20g carbs, 2g fibre, 3g protein

Banana Bread

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cup mashed banana
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together and bake at 350F for approx 45-60 mins.
If baking in muffin tray - approx 20mins

Bircher muesli with bran

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup untoasted muesli
1 cup unprocessed wheatbran
2 cups hot water
2 Tbs lemon juice
¼ cup almonds
200g low-fat flavoured yoghurt
1 lg green apple, grated
150g seasonal fruit (berries, peaches, nectarines, bananas) per serve
2 Tbs honey

Place oats, muesli and bran in a large ceramic dish and pour water and lemon juice over.
Allow to soak for 30mins. Add almonds, yoghurt and apple and stir to combine.
Cover & refrigerate overnight.
Serve with fruit and drizzle of honey, plus extra yoghurt from your daily allowance if desired.

Bircher muesli keeps for – and actually improves over – about 4 days.
Make on Sunday night and enjoy throughout the week

Choc Banana Protein Shake

I'm on a bit of a health kick at the moment and have been keeping my calorie intake down to around 1400 per day as well as exercising and avoiding my beloved white wine.

I've been doing pretty well, sticking to my eating plan, getting exercise a few times a week and the kilos have started to come off. To ensure that I don't hit a plateau I need to ensure that I don't under-eat and go into starvation mode because my body will start burning muscle instead of fat.

So when I'd had my standard breakfast of Forme yoghurt (Peach & Mango today), a toasted cheese sandwich for lunch, some La Zuppa Cauluflower & Pea soup mid afternoon, celery with cheddar cheese spread after my run, and pesto chicken with loads of vegies for dinner and found myself sitting around 1000 calories I decided to make mysef a smoothie.

I've been trying to incorporate more protein and flax seeds into my diet so I came up with this delicious thick & creamy smoothie. I had it all to myself but it really should serve 2 because I'm still struggling to finish it while typing this...

200ml Zymil Lacose-free/Low-fat milk
1 medium banana, sliced
1 tub (175g) Yoplait Forme Yoghurt - French Vanilla
35g sachet Xantrax Diet Shake - Chocolate Fudge
10g flax seeds, ground in a mortar & pestle or coffee grinder

Add all ingredients to a blender and pulse until combined.

Serves 2

Per serve: 229 cal / 956 kj
Total: 458cal / 1913 kj