Bowls are the new plates

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Every now and again, a food trend comes along from nowhere and takes us by storm.

This year is no different, but it isn’t a super food or celebrity chef, it’s the mere kitchen bowl.

From breakfast and lunch through to dinner with a snack along the way, if you are going to eat, then do it from a bowl.

We aren’t talking nuggets and chips being tipped into a cereal bowl and squirted with extra ketchup, but more about blending grains, veggies and proteins to balance portion control and goodness.

Bowl meals are fast, unfussy and full of fantastic flavours. They can be prepared the night before and be eaten while working or enjoyed at home, tucked up on the sofa with no trays and balancing needed.

We have put together our favourite combinations, so you can have a try.

Don’t be afraid; all you need to do is mix the ingredients together and then decide which bowl you are going to enjoy them from.

Cucumber, cherry tomato, rye bread and halloumi
1 handful of ripe cherry tomatoes, washed and halved
40g of halloumi, cut into slices and stir fried
Cucumber, chopped into chunks
1 slice of rye bread, toasted and cut into strips
1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds
A drizzle of olive oil
Fresh basil to decorate
Salt and pepper to season

Courgette, bean and mackerel
1 courgette, shaved
1 handful of olives (black or green), pitted and halved
4 tablespoons of kidney beans, washed and drained
1 smoked mackerel fillet, skin off and shredded
A drizzle of olive oil
Fresh parsley to top

Tuna, bean and rice
1 red onion, finely chopped
½ can of tuna
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
1 small can of sweetcorn
4 tablespoons of red kidney beans, washed and drained
300g cooked brown rice with added quinoa
50g kale, washed and chopped
Lime wedges and natural yogurt, to serve

Salmon and broccoli
½ head broccoli, cooked and cut into florets
100g fresh salmon fillet, skinned, deboned and pan-fried
½ cup of peas, cooked and cooled
2 eggs, hard-boiled and chopped
1 tablespoons of mayo

Grilled chicken and red pepper
1 chicken breast, cooked
1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into strips
1 cup of organic baby spinach, steamed
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon of roasted sunflower and sesame seeds
1 tablespoon of olive oil
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Sweet and green smoothie bowl
75 ml organic apple juice
1 banana, peeled and sliced
2 Juice of ½ a lime
1 large handful spinach
1/2 avocado, peeled and stoned
100g pineapple chunks
Granola, blueberries and raspberries to serve

To make this sweet bowl, put the banana, lime juice, spinach, avocado and pineapple in a blender and whizz until smooth. Pour into a bowl and then add the granola and blueberries and enjoy.

Each suggestion on this list makes one bowl and ingredients can be varied to suit tastes.

Got a bowl meal you love? Let us know about it so we can give it a try.

Team Pure Beauty

Free your mind

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Stressed?

Over worked and under paid?

Tired?

Anxious?

Far from being words that are banded around for the sake of it, for many of us this is the reality of 21st century living.

We are expected to be on the ball, on trend and down with the kids 24/7 and sometimes, things can get a bit too much.

We have put together some easy ideas of how to free your mind so you can relax and chill out once in a while rather than constantly having your brain in free fall mode.

Breath
Before you do anything else, sit back, count to ten and breath. Focus on your breathing, feel the air go into your body and out and just stop for a few minutes and regroup.

Talk
After breathing, comes talking. If you bottle everything up, then it is only going to get worse and seem harder and harder to deal with. Open up to your partner, mum or a close friend and they may have ideas about how you can make changes and find a positive way forwards.

Live in the moment
Whatever is making you anxious right now, isn’t going to last. Breakdown what is bothering you into manageable chunks and tackle it one step at a time. For example, if you are moving house you might feel overwhelmed, but step back, make a list, work out what needs to be done and if you can, delegate.

Not this again
If you are worried about an interview, think back and see if was the same the last time you went for a new job? If it was, and you got the job, what are you worried about? You aced it last time and we bet it will be the same the time round too.

It’s not all about you!
Harsh we know, but not everything that happens in this world is about you. Yes we can all feel put upon or have our sensitive days, but thinking every situation revolves around you in some way can be really destructive and you could be missing out on a lot of fun.

Look at the bigger picture
Ask yourself whether the issue that is on your mind right now will still be there tomorrow, in a week or in a month. It is unlikely it will be, so regroup, relax and look at what is going on in the world and see there is more to life than a difficult boss or messy flatmate.

Preparing for the worst
I will lose my job. He is going to dump me. She doesn’t want to be my best friend anymore. We tend to jump to conclusions and dwell on the worst-case scenarios and this can lead to stress and depression. It is far better to talk to the person involved face to face and find out what is really going on before you make yourself ill believing the world is about to end.

Take some exercise
Social media, long hours and desk based jobs mean many of us get less exercise than ever. Try to get some fresh air every day and even if you have a brisk walk or a quick swim, your heart beat will go up and the endorphins will pump good vibes around your body.

Laugh
If nothing else, remember to laugh. Life is short so make the most of it and enjoy every single day you have.

Team Pure Beauty

Make yours a healthy breakfast

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We all know breakfast is an important meal of the day, so getting it right is important.

Rather than opting for white toast loaded with margarine or a bowl of sugar-coated cereal that will have your mood drop before you get the bus, instead choose a meal packed with protein, vitamins and minerals that will keep you full until lunchtime, or at least your 11am banana break.

Poached Eggs With Mushrooms and Tomatoes
Beef tomatoes and golden brown mushrooms served with a perfect poached eggs is a breakfast winner. To help the egg whites set, add a splash of vinegar to your water and add a little olive oil to the toast. If you want to make this into a hearty dinner, add extra mushrooms, smoked salmon and a serving of iron rich spinach.

Avocado & Strawberry Smoothie
This creamy breakfast blend is high in calcium and low in calories and a great way to start your day, especially if you are on the run. You will need:

• ½ a ripe avocado stoned, peeled and cut into chunks
• 150g of strawberries
• 150g of blueberries
• 4 tbsp. of natural yogurt
• 200ml of almond or oat milk
• Lemon or lime juice, to taste
• Honey if needed
• Ice cubes

Put all the ingredients in a blender and whizz until smooth. If the consistency is too thick, add a little water then either enjoy at home, or put in a bottle and take to work.

Nut Butter, Banana & Chia Seed Toast

This is a superfood twist on classic peanut butter on toast. It is packed with vitamins and minerals and for one tasty serving you will need:

• Half a large banana (sliced)
• A teaspoon of chia seeds (soaked for 15 minutes)
• 1 slice of dark rye break, toasted
• 1 tablespoon of nut butter (we like almond)
• 4 strawberries

Toast the bread then spread the nut butter on top. Place slices of banana on the nut butter and top with chia seeds and serve with the strawberries for an extra vitamin boost and enjoy before making a second round!

Avocado on Toast
There’s a real benefit to starting your day with creamy avocado on toast, a dish that is popular with our team. The fruit is loaded with fibre and fab cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fats. Plus, the whole meal is ready in just three simple steps so you have to time to make it every day of the week. Mash the avocado onto toasted rye bread, drizzle with a little olive oil and lemon juice, then sprinkle with black pepper and enjoy. If you are extra hungry, added a serving of hot scrambled eggs.

Blueberry Muffins
Made with plump blueberries, whole-wheat flour, oats and Greek yogurt, these healthy muffins keep you full during those long Monday morning meetings. For 12 muffins you will need:

• ¼ of a cup of wholewheat flour
• 1 cup of large organic oats
• 2 cups of fresh blueberries
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 a teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt
• ½ a cup of light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest, plus two tablespoons of pure orange juice
• 2 medium free range eggs
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

To start with heat your oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and line a muffin tin with muffin size paper liners.

Place the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a food processor and blitz until you have a fine powder. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, butter, orange zest and juice, egg, and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and mix together before adding in the blueberries. Make sure all ingredients are folded together well. Divide the mix into the muffin cases then bake for 20 minutes until they have raised and golden. Eat them at home or take to work and share.

Happy breakfast eating.

Team Pure Beauty

Keep your sweet tooth at bay

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December is a time when we sit back, enjoy life and over indulge. Sugar is on pretty served on tap over the festive period and now many of us are looking to make some sensible, healthy swaps.

This said, you don’t have to live on water and dry crackers to get healthy but we have to tell you, the only way to kick a sugar habit is to cut right back.

This won’t be easy but over time your body will crave sugar less and you will feel so much better.

We have had a look at some delicious alternatives to sugary snacks and drinks that will keep your cravings for the white stuff at bay.

Porridge with sliced fruit isn’t just a brain boosting breakfast but can also be a filling snack. Keep a stash at work and you won’t be tempted to reach for that chocolate cake.

If you want a healthy snack with a naughty edge, go for rice cakes with peanut butter and chopped banana.

Popcorn can be a great, healthy treat. We aren’t talking about the mega buckets at the cinema but instead fresh popcorn made at home with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Give it a go; we think you will like it, a lot.

Organic oatcakes with hummus and slices of cucumber make a protein packed snack that will keep hunger locked up until lunchtime.

Bananas are great on cereal and smoothies but peel and chop ripe ones into bite-sized chunks and you have crunchy treats that are full of Vitamins B6 and C, potassium, and a serving of fibre too. Frozen grapes are pretty good too.

For an on the run snack that is as easy to make as it to eat, go for homemade trail mix. Throw together coconut flakes, dried fruit, goji berries, raw ruts and seeds and you have an instant, delicious snack that will keep you away from the vending machine. Just watch portion sizes.

Keep a stock of frozen berries in the freezer and add them to low-fat Greek yoghurt for an evening treat. This tastes great but it’s low in sugar and high in protein so will keep you fuller, for longer.

Chunks of melon, strawberries and grapes make tasty fruit kebabs and top up that all-important five a day quota.

Pumpkin and sunflower seeds with a handful of nuts are a cracking combination.

For a real taste bud tingle go for an ice-cold smoothie packed with mango, banana, kiwi, cucumber, spinach, a splash of coconut milk and a little lemongrass. Delicious and refreshing.

Low fat milk with a little honey can give you the sweet hit you need without blowing the plan out of the water.

For a sugar free savory winner, how about sliced apple and pear with a layer of low fat cream cheese?

If you are having a bad day and only chocolate will do, we will let you have a square or two of good quality dark chocolate, but don’t eat it all.

Got a winning combination? Let us know what healthy snacks work for you.

Team Pure-Beauty

The perfect Christmas table

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aroma, beautiful, big day, cabbage, candles vases, champagne, Christmas, crackers, dessert, fish, fizz, flowers, fun, guests, hats, knocked over, linen, lunch, memories, Michelin star restaurant., name places, nearest and dearest, people, Prosecco, runners, serving bowls, setting, shine, smashes, sparkle, table, water jugs, wine bottles, wipeable, work

The pressure of hosting Christmas Day can be big.

There’s the decision over turkey or beef.

Whether to serve champagne or Prosecco.

Brussels or cabbage???

Who to sit next to whom and where everyone is going to sleep.

Well, one thing you don’t need to worry about is making a good impression when it comes to your dinning table as we can help you make sure it looks as amazing as any Michelin star restaurant.

First things first, decide on a colour scheme or theme. Maybe you love a little bit of bling, embrace Santa or like things to be cool and calm. Whatever you decide on, we are certain it will look great.

Christmas is one time of the year when can invest in new china, cutlery and linen, just because. A lots of shops have already started their sales so there are many bargains to be snapped up that look a millionaire dollars, but many only cost a few pounds.

Next, take a look at your dining table and work out just what can be achieved. The main thing to remember is that you don’t want to fill every inch of the table as it will look cluttered and things are likely to get knocked over and people might get upset.

If you have a separate dining room you can set your table as far ahead as you like, but if not, you may want to set it on the day to prevent things being moved or spoilt.

Before putting on the tablecloth take time to iron it, as this will look smart and professional. If you don’t want to use a linen cloth, you will find some stunning paper and wipeable alternatives in the shops that will sparkle and shine. The same goes for napkins and runners if you plan to use them.

Depending on who is coming for lunch, and how well people get on, you might want to consider name places!

When it comes to china, place the starter and main places on top of each other as this is the start of a a beautifully dressed table with a wow factor. Remember guests can move them as they wish once seated but you want that initial impression to be a good one.

When it comes to cutlery what you place on the table, depends on what you are serving on the big day, including a fish course. As a rule, you start from the outside and work in and you can the add dessert cutlery at the top of the place setting.

When it comes to glasses, go for one wine, one water and a champagne flute if you are serving fizz. If you have children at lunch, maybe go for beakers or plastic glasses to avoid any smashes and accidents.

Napkins can be added next with crackers, something that is a true part of Christmas lunch. Buy ones that match your theme and again, if little ones are joining you, you might want to get fun, junior crackers to keep them happy and stop big hats covering their eyes.

A really nice touch is to add a vase or two of seasonal foliage and flowers to your table as well as candles. This not only creates a lovely aroma but also looks really festive and welcoming. Do look at where these go as you don’t want to stop people from speaking and you of course don’t want any holly to catch fire mid starters.

It is a good idea to leave some space on the table for the wine bottles, water jugs and serving bowls.

With all of this done, the main thing is to have a fantastic time with your nearest and dearest and to make memories that will last way longer than the turkey.

Team Pure-Beauty