How to pack a healthy lunchbox

Tags

apple, bacon, balanced diet, balanced midday meal, Beef and broccoli, bows, brie, brown, carbs, carrot and coriander, carrots, cheese sandwich, cherry tomatoes, chicken noodle, chicken pasta, chocolate, chocolate bar, cold, cucumber, delicious, easy, egg, flapjack, flask, flatbreads, fridge, ham, healthy, High-fibre brown, hot, hungry, lentil, lunch, lunch staple, lunchbox, meal, Mexican bean, microwave, midday, Mixed beans, napkins, nutrient-dense sandwiches, nuts, olive rolls, packet of crisps and an apple, pasta, peppers, pickles, pitta, Protein pots, quick nutritious options, rice, rice salads, rumbling tummy, salad, salmon, Salmon pasta, sardines, satisfied, sauces, shapes, smoothie, soda bread, soup, spinach, sweet, sweetcorn, tortillas, tummy, tuna and tomatoes and teriyaki chicken, vegetable, veggie sausage pasta, veggies, white, wholemeal bagels

A cheese sandwich, packet of crisps and an apple might be a throwback from the ‘80s but for many of us it’s whatever we can make quickly, or buy, that gets put into our lunchbox.

While we know we need to eat a balanced midday meal, the reality can look very different, often grabbing something on the go that will only leave us hungry and reaching for a chocolate bar come 4pm.

We have had a look at some easy, quick nutritious options that will keep hunger at bay and they taste pretty good too!

Pasta pack ups
We know people worry about carbs, but pasta can be a brilliant lunch staple that can be eaten hot or cold. Whether you go for white or brown, lentil or rice in bows or shapes is up to you, but there is so much choice out there you can have something different each day of the week. Salmon pasta, chicken pasta and veggie sausage pasta can be made the night before and eaten straight from the fridge at midday or popped in the microwave and you’ll have a hot meal in minutes. You can add veggies or salad as well as sauces and pickles to create a lunch that is healthy and nourishing and won’t leave you with a rumbling tummy come 2pm.

Rice salads
High-fibre brown rice is a really good way to ensure you are left feeling satisfied all afternoon. Just as with pasta, there are a lot of ingredients that can be added from sardines, egg, ham and cheese and if you throw in some cherry tomatoes, cucumber, peppers and nuts, you will be the envy of the office.

Protein pots
We all know that we need protein for a balanced diet, but we don’t always get enough to help us get through the day without flagging. Beef and broccoli, tuna and tomatoes and teriyaki chicken are all tasty, easy lunchtime eats. Mixed beans, spinach, sweetcorn and sweet potatoes can all be added to pack out the protein and prevent you from running on empty during the afternoon.

Have a wrap
If bread isn’t for you but you want some energy giving carbs, flatbreads and tortillas are a good alternative. Peanut butter and carrots, salmon and veggies as well as humous and peppers are good ideas and you can load them up with salad to help get to your five a day. Warning; take napkins as these can get messy but they are so worth it.

Soup on the go
If you are busy but want something warm and filling, soup in a flask is a good option. Yes, you can open a can and bung it in the microwave but Mexican bean, vegetable, carrot and coriander and chicken noodle are super easy to make and if you cook in batches and freeze you will have something ready and waiting for you to take to work. Add in an apple and a smoothie, and you will be keeping bugs and hunger away as you boost your immune system with vitamins!

Super sarnies
OK, we can’t go without mentioning sandwiches, but there is more to this lunchtime basic than white sliced as soda bread, pitta, olive rolls and wholemeal bagels are all there for the taking. Bacon, brie, turkey, cottage cheese and avocado are the ingredients of lunchtime dreams and make delicious, nutrient-dense sandwiches that will make you want midday to come around fast.

Something sweet
You don’t have to stick to savoury at lunchtime. A fruit salad, yogurt with sliced banana, homemade flapjack with dried apricots and even a square or two of dark chocolate will give you something sweet to enjoy without overloading on nasties.

Why not make a batch of blueberry muffins on a Sunday, put them in an airtight box, or freeze half, and you will have something sweet a tasty to add to your lunchbox all week long.

Team Pure Beauty

The smart way to get your family screen free

Tags

addictive nature, age appropriate, apps, aviator glasses, balance, battle, bed, bedrooms, binge watching, block, box sets, breakfast, catching up, changes, children, clay masque, cook, couple of hours, digital age, digital detox, drastic, easy, eating together, emails, Facebook, Facebook feed, family, family time, filter usage, five minutes, friends, glaring lights, hour, impact, Insta, interact, Internet, kids, kitchen diners, laptops, less time, memories, monitor, movie, Netflix, no screens, Open plan living, park, passwords, pesto pasta, phones, photos, pizza, play, Practise what you preach, protests, reminder, remote, restrictions, rules, screen ban, screen break, screen free time, shows, smart, Sunday, swim, table, tablets, take back control, talking to, time limit, timer, treat, turn it off, TV dinners, TV screen, virtual reality, walk, watch, weekend, work

Let’s face it, many of us spend far too much time on our phones, tablets, and laptops, so now and again we need a reminder to take a screen break.

Yes, they help us work and play, but their addictive nature and glaring lights do little to help us rest.

We have some ideas of how you and your family can get back on track, spend less time online and interact with each other rather than living in a virtual reality.

Have a time limit
Five minutes on Insta can quickly turn into an hour, so having time limits early on is a great idea. No screens before breakfast, a couple of hours at the weekend, nothing an hour before bed and a screen ban in bedrooms can all help to get the balance right and save squabbles later on.

Keep an eye on the remote
In our digital age we often forget the impact of the mere TV screen, but you should monitor this as well. Does the TV really need to be on all the time? Is binge watching box sets the best use of family time together and do the kids watch age appropriate shows? Decide on family rules about the TV, don’t leave it on just because it’s easy and if all else fails, hide the remote!

Rethink TV dinners
Yes, a pizza and movie at the weekend is a treat and can bring you all together, but TV dinners every night might not be the way to go. Open plan living and kitchen diners mean that it’s super easy to eat a bowl of pesto pasta on your knee as you watch Netflix but eating together at the table and catching up on your news can be so much better, and if you cook together that is even better!

Digital detox
There might be protests, but even an hour of screen free time on Sunday can help make some big changes. Putting down the phones and tablets and going out for a walk in the park, having a swim or meeting up with friends will give you time together as a family and while you might not get any photos for Facebook, you will make some lovely memories.

Take back control
When it comes to kids and devices, you do have the option of taking back control and putting restrictions in place. There are various apps out there that allow you to block and filter usage and you can put a timer on the internet, or just turn it off altogether. While asking for passwords might not be your thing, knowing what they are doing online and who they’re talking to, is probably a smart move, even if it is an unpopular one as they get older.

Practise what you preach
If you’re looking at your emails or Facebook feed while you eat breakfast, your children are likely to think they can do the same. If you want your family to agree to changes, you need to ensure you are following the rules as well or you might have a real battle on your hands.

We don’t say you have to do anything drastic now, but doing one or two things differently could bring you closer together.

Team Pure Beauty

A quick guide to mindfulness for a happier life

Tags

adrenaline, apps, attention, bath, be at one, benefits, books, breath, breathing, brushing your teeth, calling, Calming, dinner, easier, easy, eat, enjoy, evening, experience, feel happier, feelings, focus, heart rate, here and now, improve, lunchtime, media, medite, mental wellbeing, mind, mind and body, mindful, people, present moment, progress, reconnect, regular basis, Relax, sensations, simply tips, sit down, sitting, sleeping patterns, slow, slowly, smell, sound, space, stop, stresses, take, taste, ten minutes, thoughts, train, tube, understand, walk to work, wanders, weekend, win, world, worries

Mindfulness is being talked about in the media today more than ever, but what’s it all about?

Quite simply, mindfulness is an awareness of ourselves as well as the world around us and it can improve our mental wellbeing, calming the mind and allowing us to focus on the here and now.

If we are more aware of the present moment, it can help us enjoy the world around us more and understand ourselves better. If this happens, we can experience and enjoy the people and things we have been taking for granted, and leave behind the stresses we don’t need.

What does it involve?
Just taking notice of your thoughts, feelings, sensations and the world around you is the first step towards mindfulness.
There are books, apps, and courses that give you a structured way to bring mindfulness into your life, but at the heart of it, what you are doing is stopping for a while and focusing on your breathing. You will then notice that your heart rate slows down, adrenaline production is reduced and you feel more relaxed. With practice you can develop greater focus, better sleeping patterns and start to feel happier as well.

It is true that some of us find the idea of sitting with our thoughts when we are stressed or unhappy, quite difficult, so we have some simple tips that could help you get to grips with mindfulness.

Mindfulness isn’t easy to learn at first, so you can start by reading up about it some more, taking a course, joining a group or using an app like Calm.

It is thought that just ten minutes of mindfulness meditation a day can bring massive benefits when it is done on a regular basis. If you can, do it at the same time each day – maybe when you are on the tube, at lunchtime or before you have a bath in the evening, and it’s at this time when you can really be at one with yourself and leave behind your worries and fears. Clear this space each day, stop everything else and practise your mindful meditation.

Start with short bursts of three, five or ten minutes – you can even do it on the train.

When you sit down to meditate, take a few moments to get comfortable. Notice the sounds around you and how you’re feeling. This will help your mind and body reconnect, so when you do start focusing on your breath, it’s a little easier.

When you are practicing mindfulness and meditating, all you need to do is notice your breath and when your attention wanders, which it will as you wonder what to eat for dinner or where to go at the weekend, let go of it and bring your focus back to your breath. Each time you do that, it’s a win and it gets easier.

When you progress and start to bring mindfulness to your daily life, our advice is to start slowly. We suggest that in week one, you are mindful when you are brushing your teeth – be aware of the sound, the smell, the taste, and the movement as you clean. Then build up slowly, adding a new thing each week, such as being mindful on your walk to work, or while stacking the dishwasher.

Mindfulness isn’t for everyone, but why not give it a try and in time we hope it can become a part of your life and one that will make things easier and happier for you.

Team Pure Beauty

How to get your life together this summer

Tags

ability to thrive, alcohol, amazing benefits, anxious, blood flow, body, bottle of water, boundaries, boxing, brain, burnout, cook, dawn to dusk, debilitating, demands, draining, easy, eat and drink, energised, energy, exercise, family, feel good endorphins, feeling, focus, friends, fruit and veg, glowing, good for you, GP, health, health and wellness, healthier, healthy skin, hormones, ideas, just say no, lash out, life, longest day of the year, marathon, meal planning, more organised, natural stress reducer, people pleasers, perform, pressures, priorities, rampant, Relax, rested, sacrifice, screens, shopping, shortcuts, sick, sleep, stress, stress levels, suck, sugar, support, take-aways, taste great, trainers, under control, wake

As we are fast heading to the longest day of the year, how are you feeling about your life?

Is everything great, or could things be just a little bit better?

A bit healthier?

More organised?

Could you sleep better and feel more energised?

Well, we have put together a few ideas that we hope will let you be the very best version of you, from dawn to dusk.

Nutrition
How often do you sacrifice meal planning and cooking from scratch, for taking shortcuts and getting take-aways? It is so, so easy to get caught up in the pressures of life and the demands of everyone around you, but the truth is that won’t do anyone any favours. But, we do get why it happens. The key is to figure out what to eat each week, ensure you have the shopping organised so that you can then cook recipes that don’t require a massive amount of preparation but taste great and are good for you.

Try to eat foods that nourish your body, support your life, and make you feel and look your best! Keep sugar and alcohol down and fruit and veg high.

Keep stress under control
Stress is totally debilitating, draining, and can have massive damaging implications on our health, energy, and ability to thrive. Let’s face it, stress can stop us from achieving lasting health and wellness, so it is important to look at how we deal with it so that we don’t burnout, or lash out. If we don’t monitor stress levels, we can age before our time, get sick more often than we should, and feel anxious all the time as hormones run rampant around in our bodies.

Think again about what you eat and drink. How much time you work and spend at your screens, and consider how best to get good sleep at night so you wake feeling rested. Make time for you and relax. If you are worried about your stress levels, speak to your family, friends or GP and get some support in place.

Exercise
We have said this before, but it is key to take exercise because it has so many amazing benefits. It’s a natural stress reducer, it gets the blood flowing through your entire body, including your brain, and this can help you focus, think more clearly and allow you to perform better. Exercise gives you glowing, healthy skin and can help improve your immune system.

We aren’t saying that you need to train for a marathon or start boxing for England, but find something you like doing and in time, you will love it and all that it brings to you.

So, grab your trainers, get some funky workout gear, a bottle of water, and let those feel good endorphins racing around your system, making you feel fab.

Just say no
This isn’t easy, as so many of us are people pleasers, but it is important to have boundaries in place so you are OK saying ‘no’. Yes, you want to be able to help others, but if you don’t put yourself from time to time, you won’t be able to help anyone else. Look at what you have to do day to day, work out what your priorities really are, and if you can’t take anything else on, don’t.

We hope you have a great summer and that some of these steps will ensure you are on the right path to being the best you.

Team Pure Beauty

An apple a day

Tags

an apple a day keeps the doctor away, apple, apple juice, apple pie, Apple purée, bake, baking sheet, brown sugar, bruises, comfort food, comforting, cooking apples, cool, core, countryside, crisp winter afternoons, crop, delicious, divine, easy, fresh, fridge, gin, ground cinnamon, ham, harvest, home, honey, hot, juicer, last-minute dessert, lemon zest, menu, mid afternoon snack, munch, mushy, natural goodness, oce, pick, pip, Plastic, recyclable bottles, ripe, roast pork, shortcrust pastry, slice, soft, spices, sterilised bottles, sticky, store, treat, true, vanilla ice cream, vitamin packed drink, wholesome

The old saying goes, ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ and while we aren’t sure this is 100% true, they are packed with natural goodness and they taste pretty too delicious.

Go out in the countryside right now, and you are bound to come across trees bearing fruit that is ripe to pick, but once you have got them home, what can you do with them if you can’t munch your way through them as they are? Well, we have a few ideas.

Apple juice
There is nothing quite as delicious as fresh apple juice. Take your washed apples, cut out any bruises and then use a juicer to blast your crop. Put your smooth blend into sterilised bottles and either store in the fridge for several days, or if you have a lot then you can put in the freezer – but we suggest going for plastic, recyclable bottles for this. Add ice and drink alone, mix with a little gin or add to smoothies for a really fresh, vitamin-packed drink.

Apple pie
Who doesn’t like apple pie? This is a really easy, comforting way to use up apples and why not make extra and freeze some for those crisp winter afternoons when comfort food is on the menu but the shops are shut. We would say go for shortcrust pastry, cut and cook your apples in a little water and sugar, load in the fruit in a pie dish with some spices and extra raisins and your pudding is good to go in the oven to bake.

Apple crisps
Whether you have eating or cooking apples, you can make fruit crisps with your harvest. Slice the apples thinly, take out the core and pips, then place on a lined baking sheet with a little ground cinnamon and bake for about half an hour, turning over halfway through. Let them cool and store in an airtight container, and enjoy as a mid-afternoon snack, add to cereal or use them to top ice cream dishes.

Apple purée
If you have a lot of apples, making them into purée could be a good move and save any waste. Peel and core the fruit, then add them into a pan with about 1cm of water. Add some lemon zest and a little sugar, cover the pot and gently cook on a medium heat until the apples are soft and a little mushy. Freeze in pots, taking out what you need, when you need it and enjoy with roast pork, ham or add to some creamy custard for a sneaky treat.

Baked apples
The baked apple is the perfect last-minute dessert that looks wholesome and tastes divine. This simple winter pudding is budget-friendly and even more delicious when it is served with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of honey. Wash your apples and heat your oven to 200C. Mix cinnamon, brown sugar, orange zest, and lemon juice together then spoon the juice onto each apple, then bake for around half an hour. They should be soft and sticky when served but mind little mouths because the apples will be hot!

So, what are you waiting for? Get cooking!

Team Pure-Beauty