How to pack a healthy lunchbox

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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

Seasonal Focus: Almonds

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Using seasonal produce is a great way to ensure that the body gets what it needs when it needs it; things which appear at certain times often contain essential nutrients which are ideal for their season. Winter is the season for almonds, which are not only highly nutritious, containing essential fats, they’re also a fabulous ingredient in beauty products. Here’s our top 5 almond-containing products from Decleor, Dermalogica and Elemis.

Decleor Essential Cleansing Milk

Almond oil is an incredibly nourishing ingredient which infuses moisture into the skin, reducing tightness and leaving it feeling soft and supple. This cleansing milk from Decleor contains sweet almond oil, among other ingredients, to cleanse the skin, remove all traces of make-up and daily dirt, and tighten pores for a clearer, more radiant complexion.

Elemis De-Stress Massage Oil

Almond oil is both moisturising and very neutral, making it the perfect carrier oil for other combinations of fragrant oils for massage therapy. This oil from Elemis is designed to de-stress the muscles and combines rosewood, melissa, marjoram, geranium, rosemary, lavender and chamomile in an almond base for regenerative results.

Dermalogica Multivitamin Hand and Nail Treatment

The hands and nails benefit hugely from moisturising products as they often have to deal with the harshest elements, such as cold weather and washing dishes, which contribute to dryness. This non-greasy hand and nail treatment from Dermalogica is made on an almond oil base and helps to repair chapped hands and strengthen brittle nails.

Decleor Micellar Oil

Micellar oil is a revolutionary way to cleanse the skin, which uses the powerful combination of oil and water to work deep into the pores, dissolving and dispersing dirt and impurities and removing all traces of make-up. Almond oil ensures hydration and make-up melting power, and even works on waterproof cosmetics.

Elemis Hydra-Nourish Night Cream

Almond oil contains oleic and linoleic fatty acids, as well as containing vitamins A, B1, B2 and B6, all of which are essential for youthful, well-balanced skin. This night cream from Elemis is a rich formulation which works intensively while you sleep to deeply hydrate the skin, regulating skin hydration, and helping to maintain skin’s firmness. Geranium and ylang-ylang add to the sweet fragrance of the formula, reviving the senses and counteracting stress, anxiety and depression.

The quick coffee ordering guide

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Walk along any High Street and between the supermarkets, chemists and boutiques you will find a plethora of coffee shops.

Chains and independents are both on the rise but if you are used to nothing more than an instant with milk, the fancy names and tricky terms might get you in fluster.

So, let’s go with a quick guide about getting it right when it comes to ordering the coffee the barista way, and no that doesn’t include ‘frappuccinos’.

Espresso (ehs-press-soh)
This is a full-flavored, concentrated form of coffee that come in pure ‘shots’. The shots are made by forcing pressurised hot water through finely ground coffee beans and the result can be drunk as a one hit wonder of used as the base for other drinks.

Americano (uh-meh-ri-kan-no)
One part espresso, three parts hot water, this is a diluted espresso shot and can be drunk black or with milk depending on your taste buds.

Macchiato (mah-kee-ya-to)
Quite simply, this is an espresso topped with a large spoon of milk foam.

Cappuccino (cap-ooh-chee-no)
This continental coffee cocktail is one-third espresso, one-third steamed milk and finally, one-third froth. The key to this drink that when the milk is being stretched (steamed) the barista will add more air, which creates more foam which results in a strong but delicate drink.

Caffe latte (kaf-fey lah-tay)
The general rule of thumb is that a latte will be served with espresso, steamed milk and about 1cm of milk froth will settle on the top of the drink. A skilled barista can generate micro foam when stretching the milk and if you are really lucky there will be a little bit of art on the top of your drink. This is perfect for coffee fans who love milk and like their coffee experience to last a little longer.

Flat White
The flat white is becoming increasingly popular as it is strong and smooth but less milky that a latte. It is made with milk that hasn’t had air add to it while being stretched so it’s more about the coffee than the froth and fluff.

Mocha (mo-kah)
An espresso shot mixed with steamed milk, chocolate syrup and a whipped cream topping if you so desire. The delicious combination of rich chocolate and bold coffee is a sweet, indulgent treat perfect when catching up with friends.

You have the coffees sorted but there’s a bit more jargon that comes with the whole ordering scenario.

Skinny is when a coffee is made with skimmed milk.

Ristretto is a short espresso shot that takes twelve seconds to create and one that is sweeter than a full shot which takes twenty seconds – yes coffee-making is an art and science.

Decaf shots are made using decaffeinated coffee beans, so you don’t get that ‘caffeine hit’.

Half-caf is one shot of regular coffee and one shot of decaf.

Wet is when you have the maximum milk the can fit in the cup and can be requested when ordering a latte or cappuccino.

Remember you can get drinks to stay or to go, in small, medium or large sizes. You get points for your purchase and can even take your own travel mug and get money off.

Happy coffee guys and let us know what you go for, and where!

Team Pure Beauty

Keep calm and get flipping

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Pancake Day, officially known as Shrove Tuesday, is heading our way and we are super excited!

The great thing about pancakes is that as well as tasting great they are easy to make and a really sociable way of cooking. Family and friends can all help with making the batter, fillings are a totally personal choice and of course, everyone likes to get involved with the flipping.

To avoid pancake disasters on the day, we suggest you get some practice in over the next week. For a basic, but brilliant batter, you will need:

140g plain flour
200ml whole organic milk
2 large free range eggs
Table salt
25g unsalted, melted butter
Vegetable oil (it has no taste)

With everything ready, sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a medium-size bowl. Create a shallow hole in the middle of the mix then add the milk and break your eggs into the hole and slowly whisk it altogether. Add the water, whisking constantly, until you have a smooth, lump free batter.

Keep the batter covered and leave it to settle for around 30 minutes, after this time you can whisk in the melted butter, again until your mixture is smooth.

Put a little oil in a non-stick pan and place on a medium heat.

Once hot, pour around two tablespoons of your batter into the pan and swirl around the based ensuring it is evenly coated.

The idea is to create a thin, delicate, crepe so you only need to cook for around one minute on each side.

If you are brave enough, flip your pancakes and hope for the best but for the more cautious cooks out there, use an egg slice to turn.

Once you have a stack of pancakes, it is time to get to work with toppings.

Sweet, savoury, healthy, naughty, skinny, loaded, sugary, veggie, fruity or plain, you can be as creative as you like when it comes to pancake fillings and toppings.

We are torn between sweet and savoury here at Pure Beauty, but our favourites, in no particular order, are:

Melted cheese and baked beans.

Fish fingers with lettuce and mayo – yes, really!

Ham, onions and blue cheese.

Peanut butter and ice cream.

Strawberry jam and whipped cream.

Chocolate sauce and marshmallows with a scoop of cookie dough ice cream.

Courgettes with feta cheese and red pepper.

Chicken and garlic mushrooms.

Soft fried egg and spinach with black pepper.

Rhubarb compote and organic, vanilla ice cream.

Kiwi fruit and blueberries with a drizzle of maple syrup.

Bacon with cheese and sun dried tomatoes.

Pulled pork with apple sauce.

Smoked salmon and cream cheese.

Banana and mango with crème fraiche.

Cooked apples with salted caramel sauce.

And of course, sugar and lemon.

Don’t forget, you can change your batter so it is gluten free, or use whole wheat flour instead of plain.

Pancakes are perfect for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner, so don’t keep them for just one day of the year, enjoy them all the time.

Have fun making your pancakes and let us know your favourite fillings.

Team Pure Beauty

Pancakes – How Do You Eat yours?

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bacon, batter, butter, cheese, chocolate, creme fresh, dollop, eggs, flip, ham, healthy, jam, lemon, Lent, lover, minute, pancake, prawns, savoury, Shrove Tuesday, strawberry, sugar, sweet

We don’t know how it has come around so quickly, but it is time get flipping, as Tuesday February 9 is Pancake Day.

Officially known as Shrove Tuesday, this is one day when you can be as creative as you like and concoct food combinations you might otherwise steer clear of.

Ever wondered why we celebrate Pancake Day and what it’s all about?

Well, let us explain.

Pancake Day isn’t just about stuffing ourselves silly, it is in the calendar because it marks the day before Lent, a period of fasting and prayer, before Easter.

The tradition of eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday started out as a way to use up ingredients including butter, milk and eggs that would otherwise go bad during Lent. Pancakes, particularly thin and buttery crepes, were a great way to clear the cupboards in one easy and indulgent dish with no waste to throw away.

The tradition has carried on and one many people around the world look forward to and enjoy.

We have a fail safe batter recipe to share with you so you will have perfect pancakes on the big day and can carry on this tradition.

Ingredients
140g plain flour
200ml whole milk
2 eggs
25g butter (unsalted) melted, plus extra for greasing

Method
Sift the flour and a pinch of salt into a medium-size bowl. Create a well and then mix in the milk and eggs and slowly start to whisk. Add the milk and water, whisking constantly and add the flour as you do so.

Whisk the batter until it is smooth, then set aside to rest for half and hour before whisking the melted butter into the batter.

Heat the pan over a medium heat and lightly grease with melted butter. Using a ladle, pour around two tablespoons of batter into the pan and swirl around the bottom so it is evenly coated.

You are aiming for a delicate, crepe like pancake so cook for just under a minute one each side and try not to drop the pancake on the floor as you flip it.

Slide the pancake out of the pan and get working on the next one as your testers try out toppings.

Talking of toppings, there are so many we don’t know where to start.

You can go simple with lemon and sugar, just sugar, strawberry jam or chocolate spread.

If you are more a savoury pancake lover how about ham and cheese, crispy bacon and maple syrup, prawns or cheese and broccoli.

If you are still on that New Year health kick, add berries, bananas, mangoes with a squeeze of lemon and a dollop of crème fresh.

Enjoy and let us know how you get on.

Oh, and don’t forget to give something up for Lent!