THE BEST HEALTHY RECIPES OF JORDYSCOOKING - CELEBRATING 20K SUBSCRIBERS

So recently I hit 20,000 subscribers on my cooking channel...now to me that is absolutely insane! Mainly because I started my cooking channel well after I started my beauty channel and for it to surpass my beauty channel in such a short amount of time blows my mind. Despite not being around for very long I feel like my cooking channel has changed in so many ways as I have grown as a person and my lifestyle has transformed. I started by putting up dessert recipes covered in sugar and chocolate but soon found my way to healthy snack ideas and meal prepping tutorials.

 

I wanted to put this post up on not only my JordysCooking blog but also my JordysFitness blog because I feel like my Jordy's Cooking channel sparked the inspiration for Jordy's Fitness because with the healthy recipes began my love for fitness and exercise too. So much so that I needed to create a whole separate blog for all the healthy recipes and fitness tips.

 

Without getting too mushy, I wouldn't be where I am today without starting my cooking channel because it expanded my horizons to health and fitness which without I wouldn't be as fulfilled as I am now. I also turned vegetarian between starting this channel and now which comes down to me being inspired (by starting this channel) to find out more about where food comes from and all about nutrition.

 

So in celebration of reaching such an amazing milestone, here are my top five favourite recipes from Jordy's Cooking, all of which are pretty recent because I feel like I've never been creating as good content as I am now.

 



HOMEMADE HUMMUS
Click HERE to watch the video.
Click HERE to read the recipe.

 

BANANA OAT BREAKFAST BALLS
 Click HERE to watch the video.
Click HERE to read the recipe.

 

BANANA OAT MUFFINS
 Click HERE to watch the video.
Click HERE to read the recipe.

 

BANANA PROTEIN SMOOTHIE
 Click HERE to watch the video.
Click HERE to read the recipe.

 

VEGETABLE BAKE
Click HERE to watch the video.
Click HERE to read the recipe.

You want to know the best part about creating these recipes for you? It was seeing all of YOUR pictures sent in of you recreating my recipes. I loved creating all these new and different healthy dinner/snack/lunch ideas because I knew that some of you would give them a go and be eating a healthy and nutritious meal.

Now here's to another 20k subscribers because I know that I will be making cooking videos for a long time to come.

 

 

Thank you for reading :)




 



VEGGIE NUGGIES (VEGETABLE NUGGETS) RECIPE

Last night I posted a picture of my dinner (veggie nuggies) to instagram and had so many of you ask for the recipe and how to make them so that's exactly what I'm doing! One of my favourite things to do is play around in the kitchen trying out/inventing healthy recipes and I absolutely love the way this one turned out so will definitely be making it in the future! This is a great source of vitamins, minerals and nutrients (from the vegetables) and protein (from the egg and LSA meal) but the best part is that it tastes like you're eating a deep fried nugget or something even though it's pretty much just baked vegetables. Keep reading to find out how to make these super delicious Veggie Nuggies.

2 QUINOA RECIPES! LEMON QUINOA AND VEGGIE QUINOA!

Quinoa is basically a healthy substitute for rice! It has soo many health benefits but head over to my Health/Fitness blog for more information on that. Here I'm going to be focusing on sharing two of my favourite ways to eat Quinoa!

Recipe 1: Lemon Quinoa

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Quinoa

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 Lemon

1 Shallot

Method:

Step #1- Cook 1/2 cup of Quinoa by boiling it on the stove in a pot for about 10 minutes.

Step #2- Drain the water from the Quinoa.

Step #3- Mix through the Quinoa; 1 tbsp of olive oil and the juice from half a lemon. 

Step #4- Cut up some shallots and sprinkle on top or mix through.

Recipe 2: Veggie Quinoa

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Quinoa

1 Celery Stick

1 Sml Carrot

1/4 Capsicum

Chicken Breast

1/2 Onion

1 Shallot

Almonds

Coconut Oil

Chia Seeds

Method:

Step #1- Cook 1/2 cup of Quinoa by boiling it on the stove in a pot for about 10 minutes.

Step #2- Drain the water from the Quinoa and mix through 1 tbsp of olive oil.

Step #3- Place cut up celery, carrot, capsicum, onion and shallots into a frying pan with water.

Step #4- Cook chicken breast in coconut oil and then add it to the vegetable mix.

Step #5- Once the vegetable/chicken mixture is completely cooked through and the vegetables have become soft, turn the heat off.

Step #6- Serve chicken/vegetable mixture on a bed of the Quinoa then garnish with chia seeds and almonds.

Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed the 2 recipes!

HEALTHY PEAR AND BANANA DESSERT!

A dessert that's not only sweet and delicious but also really good for you as it only uses healthy ingredients! 

Ingredients:

1 pear

1 banana

Honey oat granola

Peanut butter

Coconut oil

Chia seeds

LSA meal

Cinnamon 

Method:

Step #1: Cut up your pear and banana into bite sized pieces and place them into a bowl.

Step #2: Top with banana, honey oat granola, coconut oil, chia seeds, LSA meal and cinnamon.

Step #3: Heat it up in the microwave for 30-40 seconds.  

Tweet or email me (mail@jordyscooking.com) pictures if your recreate any of my recipes and want to be featured in my "Shared Photos" section

HEALTHY HABITS: MEAL PREPPING!

Meal Prepping

The motto "prep once, eat healthy all week" explains the importance of meal prepping! Eating healthy all the time doesn't have to be a chore. The key is preparation, especially at the beginning of the week. By taking an hour out of one day to prepare some healthy meals will leave you with something wholesome to eat throughout the week and stop you from making bad food choices.

Who should meal prep?

This is perfect is you have a busy lifestyle and usually rely on take away or quick microwave meals because not only does meal prepping provide you with much more nutrition (depending on what you make I suppose) but it's also super quick and is only going to take one hour out of your week! 

Why should we meal prep?

I like to do this for uni because food on campus is really expensive and not very healthy, plus you never know what is actually in take away foods so it's safer, healthier and more affordable to meal prep instead. I only prepare meals for the four days that I have uni because other times, I am usually at home and able to make healthy options. 

When should we meal prep?

Pick one day to cook! Choose a quiet afternoon or evening to prepare a large meal that will feed you for a couple of days, or even the whole week. I like to do my meal prepping on Sunday afternoons/nights so that the food is as fresh as possible for the next four days that I have uni. 

How much food should we make?

For the purpose of this recipe, I am writing enough ingredients for five days because I know that a lot of you readers probably go to work or even uni for the usual five days a week. Of course, just tailor this recipe to your amounts and needs.

Delicious Chicken and Vegetables Recipe

Ingredients:

5x Chicken Breast

500grams of Mixed Vegetables 

3x Onions

1/4 Pumpkin

Oil (I use coconut oil)

Method:

Step #1- Cut up the onion into slices and the pumpkin into thin squares then place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Pop them in the oven for about 30 minutes on 280 degrees. 

Step #2- Add your mixed vegetables to a steamer and leave to steam for about 20 minutes on low heat.

Step #3- Heat a pan with coconut oil in it and then put in your chicken breasts, cooking on each side for about 7 minutes on low heat. 
Step #4- After all of your different foods have finished cooking, evenly distribute them among your containers and pack some in the fridge and others in the freezer (to keep them fresher).

I hope this recipe was educational and helpful! Please let me know if any of you start meal prepping and how you're liking it as well as if you already meal prep and what you think about it!  

Do you keep the meals int he fridge or freezer?
I keep half in the fridge and the other half in the freezer (just so that by the end of the week, the food is still fresh).

How long do you heat the meals up for?
If it's just coming out of the fridge, probably only 2 minutes in the microwave but if it's coming out of the freezer 2 minutes on defrost and 2 more minutes on the normal setting.

Tweet me pictures if your recreate any of my recipes and want to be featured in my "Shared Photos" section

 

WHAT I EAT BEFORE A WORKOUT

I'm someone who loves to eat before a workout because I find that it gives me heaps of extra energy to exercise harder and longer! Sometimes the difference between eating something or not can determine how much you get out of your workout.

Almonds

Almonds are known for all of their amazing health benefits including; lowering of cholesterol levels, high in antioxidants and healthy fats as well as providing magnesium, potassium and vitamin E.  What makes them perfect for snacking on before a workout is that they are a great source of protein and they give you heaps of energy.

Bananas

This fruit is an amazing source of natural energy as they are packed with vitamins and minerals! If I am feeling tired of sluggish, these always fill me with extra energy without the crash that you would get with caffeine or sugar. It's like natures energy bar!

Goji Berries

These little berries are packed full of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and amino acids! Super high in antioxidants with a score of 25,300 compared to blueberries which are 2,400. They include 18 amino acids making them a complete protein, 21 minerals and super high in Vitamin A and C.

Coconut Butter

I love to have a couple of spoonfuls of coconut butter before I workout because it is a great source of natural energy and it also promotes weight loss! If you click on the title above, it will take you to a whole other article I wrote about the benefits of coconut butter!

Greek Yoghurt

Yoghurt is in general an amazing source of protein and calcium. However, Greek yoghurt is even better as it has less sugar and usually low or no fat. It's also much creamier which will fill you up for longer and leave you more satisfied and is usually less processed!

Coffee 
Coffee is a great pre workout drink as caffeine can help you get pumper up and energised to work out. It increases your heart rate so you burn more calories and work out longer and harder. It helps you go faster and feel less tired as well as make you feel better about your workout.

HOW I STAY MOTIVATED AND FIND TIME TO EXERCISE!

I have been really getting back into exercising lately! I sort of fell off the fitness bandwagon when I started Uni as everything was so overwhelming and I was trying to figure out how to juggle homework, blogging, YouTube and socializing not even thinking about exercising! It's not that I dislike exercising either, I actually really enjoy the feeling after an intense workout, it was just about finding the time and staying motivated. So I thought, since I'm pretty sure that a lot of other girls probably deal with the same issues, I'm writing about my tips for finding time to exercise and staying motivated.

1.YOU HAVE THE TIME

Think about it this way, a one hour workout is such a small portion out of the 24 hours you have a day. Granted that you probably sleep for at least seven of those 24 hours...but still, it's a really short period of time that you can squeeze into your day.

2. SET GOALS

If you aim for something and have a vision in mind of what you want to achieve then you're more likely to work harder to reach your goal! Say you want to loose 2kg next month, you are definitely going to work at it to make sure that you reach that goal otherwise you know that you will disappoint yourself. It has definitely worked for me in the past and even if you don't actually reach that goal, it drives you to work even harder towards the next goal you have. 

3. HAVE FUN

If you hate running then don't force yourself to go on a treadmill. If you're scared of the water then obviously don't force yourself to swim! Fitness it supposed to be fun and make life more enjoyable not make you depressed or scare the crap out of you. It seems obvious but just engage in in the physical activities which you enjoy, even if that means giving your dogs a walk or doing some sit ups, everything counts! 

4. GET USED TO IT

Make it second nature where it's instinctive to exercise everyday! By including physical activity as part of your everyday routine, it will become strange not to exercise, like a healthy habit. I admit, I am still working on this one, I honestly don't just instinctively start working out YET but it will happen..one day...hopefully!

Those are my tips for finding time to exercise and keeping motivated! I hope you found this helpful!

WHATEVER YOU BE, MAKE SURE IT'S HAPPY! + WATERMELON JUICE RECIPE ❤

We all have to do things in life that we don't particularly want to; whether it be our essay on how the ancient world influences our modern society, being forced to be nice to that customer you can't stand or doing taxes...they are things that have to be done but we really hate doing! Taking time out for things that you enjoy can help outweigh the negatives. Just make sure that you put your happiness first! If you're feeling really stressed out and like the weight of the world is on your shoulders then take a break! Don't keep continuing to stress yourself out further. Even if it's just a short break, taking that half an hour to calm yourself down and relax will really help you continue doing whatever you need to do. What I like to do to relax is stay in my pajamas and sit out in the sun, reading a book and sipping on watermelon juice. I thought I would share with you all my Watermelon Juice recipe, although it's really simple I never thought to actually make it so definitely give this one a go!

Watermelon Juice Recipe

1. Slice up your watermelon into medium sized pieces. How much watermelon you use depends on how much juice you want but generally I use a 1/6 of a whole watermelon and that makes about a litre.

2. Add your watermelon to a blender with a small amount of cold water. This will help the watermelon initially start blending. Make sure to blend until the mixture is completely smooth.

3. Once all is blended, I like to mix some chia seeds through the mixture before pouring into a glass/mason jar and garnishing with a wedge of watermelon and a straw. 

I apologize for neglecting this website lately, hopefully I can keep up to date with it more often from now on!

HEALTHY HABITS: SUPER FOOD- COCONUT BUTTER

We often hear about these "super foods" which apparently contain properties which are the key to success in a healthy eating plan. I have decided to join the hype and begin experimenting with these super foods to see what I think about them. This time I will be talking about Coconut Butter! What it is, how it benefits you, what it tastes like, how you eat it and if it's worth it.

What is it?

Coconut butter is a solid fat obtained from the flesh of the coconut.

What are the benefits?

* Aids in weight loss as it helps stimulate the metabolism, so you burn more calories each day which helps with weight loss and energy levels. 
* Boosts immunity as it is rich in lauric acid.
* Promotes healthy skin as it is highly moisturizing and increases skin elasticity. Coconut oil and butter have youth enhancing, glow encouraging properties for the skin. 

What does it taste like? How do you eat it?

It tastes just like coconut and is super delicious. You can drizzle it over yoghurt and muesli, use it to cook with, add it to desserts or just eat it by itself! It's actually really delicious and can be used for sweet and savoury purposes. As a side note coconut butter can also be used for many beauty and health purposes for the outside not just inside. It can be an amazing hair treatment and body moisturiser!

Are they worth it?

Like most health foods, coconut butter doesn't come cheap usually costing around $10-$15 for a 180g jar. I would say that it is definitely worth it though as it is such a multipurpose product and can be used for so many things that you will definitely find at least one use for it!

I seriously recommend checking out coconut butter or oil because it is an
amazing super food and beauty treatment.

HEALTHY HABITS: DRESS UP YOUR YOGHURT

Dressing up your yoghurt not only makes for a delicious breakfast or snack but it also gives you an opportunity to get a variety of seeds, nuts and grains into your diet that you otherwise might find difficult to do so. If eaten for breakfast it sets up your metabolism for the day, releases energy gradually keeping you fuller for longer and fills you up with fiber, nutrients, antioxidants and minerals due to all of the nuts, seeds and, berries and mixes we are using. It also makes for a great snack that satisfies any cravings and keeps you full for a long period of time. 

Ingredients:

Plain Chobani Greek Yoghurt

Carmen's Muesli Mix 

Black Berries

Goji Berries

Walnuts

Pepitas

Chia Seeds 

Coconut Oil

LSA Mix 

Let me know if you like this recipe and if you try it out!

HEALTHY HABITS: KALE CHIPS RECIPE

Ingredients:

Kale

Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Method:

1. Thoroughly wash and dry the kale. Ensure that it is extremely dry otherwise it won't crisp properly.

2. Remove the Kale leaves from the stem and break them up into smaller pieces the size of chips. 

3. Add some olive oil and sea salt then mix it up with your hands in a bowl. 

4. Place the kale pieces on a baking tray covered in baking paper, make sure not to cover them with each other otherwise they won't crisp properly.

5. Bake for about 10-20 minutes on 180 degrees but it does depend on your oven so keep checking them because they burn pretty easily.

Watch my recipe below :)

Click here to read more about Kale, 

Thanks for reading!

HEALTHY HABITS: SUPER FOOD- KALE

 

We often hear about these "super foods" which apparently contain properties which are the key to success in a healthy eating plan. I have decided to join the hype and begin experimenting with these super foods to see what I think about them. I have written about Chia seeds and Goji berries and this time I will be talking about Kale! What they are, how they benefit you, what they taste like, how you eat them and if they are worth it.

What is it?

Kale is a type of cabbage which has usually green or purple leaves.

What are the benefits?

* Diet and Digestion, one cup only has 36 calories and no fat so it's a great diet food. It is also packed with fibre, making it great for digestion.

* Super high in antioxidants because of it's large amounts of carotenoids and flavonoids.

* Anti-inflammatory due to all of their omega-3 fatty acids.

* The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities work together to prevent cancer.

* Lowers cholesterol due to the high fiber content.

* Glucosinolates found in kale aid in the body's detoxification process.

* Contains Vitamin K, A and C.

What does it taste like? How do you eat it?

It tastes very bitter and plant/garden like by itself so the best way to eat it is by mixing it into smoothies, blending it into soups or making chips out of it (watch my recipe here).

Is it worth it?

Kale can get pretty expensive costing $20 a kg but it's fairly light so a bunch usually only comes to $3 or $4. Considering it's so dense in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals it is cheap for what it contains and all of it's benefits. I would say it is definitely worth it!

 

Go out and try some! Don't be discouraged because of the taste because you can mix it into so many different things and not even taste it but still get all of the nutritional benefits.

Thanks for reading!

 

 





HEALTHY HABITS: FEED YOURSELF!

I spend a fair amount of time on instagram and some of the girls I see on there promote these awful diets of cake, chocolate, sausage rolls and chips all because it fits into their "calorie budget" for the day! It has inspired me to blog all about FEEDING YOURSELF! Your body needs nutrition to survive and nutrition is not something you get from cakes and chips. You need to have a balanced diet incorporating fruits, vegetables, protein, wholegrains, seeds and nuts (pretty obvious I thought) so I don't understand how some people survive on these diets of doughnuts and ice cream and I can't imagine what it's doing to them and their health. It's not the junk food that's so horrible because I eat cake, chocolate, ice cream and chips but I eat them as part of a healthy diet alongside fruits and vegetables and as a treat. Living on a junk food diet is almost as bad as the girls who don't eat at all as a diet because both ways your body isn't getting the nutrition it needs and deserves. The message is that "people need to stop worrying about the calories and worry more about what is the food that makes up those calories" because being skinny and unhealthy living on diet coke and chocolate is in a horrible position compared to being fit and healthy living on a balanced diet of fruit and vegetables. When your healthy you are at a lower risk of developing diseases and conditions, you have more energy, your happier and fitter.

The best way to loose weight is to eat, sounds crazy but a plate full of fresh fruit and veggies is more effective in helping you loose weight than an empty plate. If your familiar with the term "starvation mode", it's a state that your body goes into when it thinks it's starving and what it does is when you do finally eat it takes all of that food and stores it as fat compared to when you eat normally your body just takes what it needs and burns the rest off. Our bodies still think in a "hunter and gatherer" mentality where our body assumes that if it's not getting food there isn't any or there is a famine and once it does get food after starving it stores it all in case there isn't going to be anymore food for another long period. So in short, not eating makes you fat.

Don't limit or count calories, as long as your eating well and healthy foods you shouldn't have to worry about counting everything that goes into your body. Especially because calories don't take into consideration nutritional values like protein, carbohydrates, fats etc. For example, for 250 calories you could eat a chocolate bar or a yoghurt, apple, egg and some nuts. Which is going to fill you up more? It's pretty obvious which is the better lifestyle choice.

You are what you eat and drink! I think the picture really sends the message but basically if you eat crap, your going to feel like crap and if you eat healthy your going to feel healthy. It's as simple as that, how you feel and look depends on what you eat and drink.

I'm sure most of you understand all of this but I just really wanted to contribute my part to the "Feed Yourself" revolution because it's something I really believe in. If you are living an unhealthy lifestyle, it's never too late to change and start making small steps in the right direction! 

"There is no diet that will do what eating healthy does"

Thanks for reading :)