When you're on holiday, it's understandable that you don't want to spend all of your time cooking. That's why simplicity is important when it comes to healthy (and affordable!) holiday food. The fewer ingredients you have to buy at the supermarket, the less intricate your recipes, and the less time you'll have to spend putting together your meals.
It can be difficult to find affordable recipes that are also healthy enough to keep you feeling your best while you're on holiday. If you're at a loss as to what you should cook while staying in your holiday accommodation, we've put together a few ideas to get you started.
Did you know that you can prepare oats in such a way that you'll be able to eat them straight out of the fridge, first thing in the morning? No cooking involved! Don't believe us? It's a breakfast phenomenon called overnight oats, and it's making waves in health-conscious circles.
Our favourite way to prepare these oats with a super-healthy twist is to make them vegan style, a la Angela Liddon, cookbook author and writer at the popular vegan cooking blog Oh She Glows. To do so, simply combine ⅓ cup of dry, uncooked oats 2 tablespoons chia seeds (for thickness), 1 cup non-dairy milk such as almond or coconut milk and a hint of maple syrup to sweeten. Let the mixture sit in your fridge overnight, and by the time the sun rises, your oats will be as soft and palatable as they would be if you'd spend time cooking them over a hot stove. In fact, combine them with some pureed or blended berries or bananas, and you'll find that the meal tastes a bit like sweet parfait!
"Did you know that you can prepare oats in such a way that you'll be able to eat them straight out of the fridge, first thing in the morning? No cooking involved!"
For a quick, light, flavourful lunch dish, serve up lip-smacking haloumi cheese alongside portobello mushrooms. There isn't really any trick to making this dish - it's as simple as it sounds, and the combination of tangy haloumi with smoky portobello mushrooms is to die for. If you have a grill in your holiday accommodation, by all means use it - otherwise you can simply 'grill' the dish in a saute pan. Place the mushrooms on the pan first, with the gills facing upward. Cook for about 5 minutes, then top with haloumi. Cook 5-10 minutes longer, dress with salt, pepper, garlic and onion if desired, and enjoy!
Did you know that you can use healthy avocado to create a creamy-textured sauce that requires no sifting, stirring, measuring or mixing? Not only is it easy, avocado is a monounsaturated fat, which means that it's great for heart health, according to the Mayo Clinic. To make an easy pasta treat, cook your favourite dried pasta on the stove top. While it's boiling, mix one ripe avocado, a clove of minced garlic, the juice of half a lemon, a tablespoon of olive oil and a handful of spinach in a blender. Once your pasta is done, drizzle the sauce on top, combine thoroughly and eat up!
If you want to impress your friends with a snack that appears to be highbrow but only takes about five minutes to create, Caprese salad is right up your alley. All this snack requires is sliced tomato, a few basil leaves and slices of fresh mozzarella cheese. Layer these flavourful ingredients on top of each other, place on crackers or crisp bread toasts if desired, and drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette for a delicious Italian treat.