I love food just as much as the next person and just because I'm on a wholefoods diet doesn't mean I miss out on delicious foods or compromise my taste buds.

It also means that I don't have to stake out weirdly named super foods hand-picked by natives in the wilds of the Congo or from the far corners of a tropical rain forest. There are no strange names like camu camu or macca powder on my shopping list.

If you're looking for inspiration, the key to motivating yourself to cook starts with a well-stocked pantry and good food on hand.  My shopping list can vary depending on produce in season, what is available and what's on special.

The golden rule when you’re planning to shop is to remember to try and include organic ingredients where possible and try and swap out processed and packet food for fresh.  Look at the label and if it has more than 10 ingredients then it's probably not going to be good for you.

Here are some everyday foods that you can buy at your local supermarket, farmer's market, wholefoods store or online that will help you eat your way to health...

Vegetables

• Artichoke
• Asparagus
• Avocado
• Bok Choy
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Capiscum
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Cress
• Cucumber
• Daikon
• Eggplant
• Fennel
• Garlic
• Green Beans
• Kale
• Leek
• Lettuce
• Okra
• Olives
• Onions
• Pumpkin
• Radishes
• Rocket
• Rutabaga
• Shallot
• Snow Peas
• Yellow Baby squash
• Spinach
• Spring Onion
• Sprouts (all)
• Tomatoes
• Turnip
• Water Cress
• Zucchini

Meats:

(Preferably Organic)

• Beef
• Lamb
• Pork
• Chicken
• Duck
• Turkey
• Quail
• Organ Meats
• Veal

Seafood:

• Salmon wild caught
• Fresh Fish
• Anchovies
• Prawns
• Squid
• Tuna
• Sardines
• Scallops
• Sashimi
• Oysters
• Sea Vegetables

Eggs Organic

• Chicken
• Goose
• Duck

Dairy (if tolerated)

• Organic Butter
• Cream

Fats & Oils

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (cold pressed)
• Coconut Oil (extra virgin)
• Seed & Nut Oils
• Sesame Oil

Nuts and Nut Butters

• Hazelnut
• Brazil
• Macadamia
• Pecan
• Walnut
• Almond
• Pumpkin Seeds

Flours and Baking

• Almond Flour
• Coconut Flour
• Buckwheat Flour
• Brown Rice Flour
• Quinoa
• Buckwheat
• Millet
• Amaranth
• Baking Powder (gluten and additive free)
• Bi Carb of Soda
• Cacao Powder
• Cacao Nibs
• Cacao Butter
• Coconut Flakes
• Alcohol Free Vanilla Essence
• Vanilla Beans

Herbs/Spices

• Basil
• Rosemary
• Oregano
• Coriander
• Parsley
• Sage
• Thyme
• Tarragon
• Chives
• Ginger, Nutmeg, Cinnamon

Condiments

• Mustard Powder
• Eden Foods Mustard with ACV
• Celtic Sea Salt
• Fresh Black Pepper
• Wheat Free Tamari Sauce
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Stevia drops
• Stevia Powder
• Tahini

Fruits

(Low in fructose)

• Lemons
• Limes
• Berries
• Stone Fruits
• All other fruits in moderation

Supplements

• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Probiotics
• Cod Liver Oil
• Nutritional Yeast Flakes
• Vitamin C Vitamin E

Beverages

• Decaf Coffee/Tea
• Herbal Tea
• Dandelion Tea
• Coconut Water
• Mineral Water
• Soda Water

Healthy Home

• Epsom Salts
• White Vinegar
• Eucalyptus Oil
• Lemon Juice
• Tea Tree Oil

You can purchase baking items, nutritional yeast flakes and stevia here...

Happy Shopping 🙂

Lee xo

With its light, fluffy texture, cinnamon kick and unadorned ingredients, this loaf will
give you all the energy you need to be inspired. Any number of nut flours or gluten free flours can be substituted here. For a savoury flavour, replace the stevia with a little Celtic sea salt — let your tastebuds be your guide. This bread is incredibly versatile and can be served up as an accompaniment with avocado, fruit pastes or dips. It will make your heart sing!

The health benefits are amazing too...

Rich in proteins, healthy fats, omega oils and fibre, nuts are a delicious way to add flavour and crunch to a meal. Walnuts and almonds are densely packed with vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and E, and are mineral-rich too, containing manganese, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and zinc. They are reported to lower levels of harmful LDL cholesterol when consumed daily.

Ingredients:

• 150 g (51/2 oz/11/2 cups) almond meal
• 30 g (1 oz/1/4 cup) walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 95 g (31/4 oz/3/4 cup) arrowroot (tapioca) flour
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 organic eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon stevia powder
• 3 tablespoons grape seed oil
• 2 tablespoons Coconut Milk
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF/Gas 4). Grease a 20 x 9 cm (8 x 31/2 inch) loaf (bar) tin.
• Put the almond meal, walnuts, baking powder, cinnamon, arrowroot flour and salt in a large bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon.
• Crack the eggs into a separate bowl and whisk using an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 11/2 minutes.
• Add the stevia, grape seed oil, coconut milk and vinegar and mix gently. Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
• Spoon the mixture into the greased tin and bake for about 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the loaf comes out clean. Remove the bread from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Enjoy the bread melt-in-the-mouth warm, or at room temperature with your favourite topping.
• Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days, or wrap up tightly and freeze for up to 6 weeks.

Makes 1 loaf.

For more gluten, wheat, dairy, yeast and sugar-free recipes visit supercharged.wpengine.com

Lemony Herb Crackers

Tired of triangular biscuit bits wedged in your favourite dip? I want to introduce you to my itty bitty bickies… Their sturdiness stands up to the toughest of condiments and I’m so pleased with the result of these stoic, soldiers.

If you think you can’t have the perfect cracker in less than 15 mins, then think again. These simple and straight-forward biscuits are not at all difficult or fussy to make.

Living a life of optimum health doesn’t need to be a mission to the ends of the earth. Yes, you may need to abandon some of those ‘convenience’ food items in order to avoid preservatives, copious amounts of refined sugar and other artificial ingredients that destroy your health. But any convenient supermarket snack can be replicated at home with wholesome, living ingredients.

Take for example, traditional store bought crackers. Handy for parties, scrumptious with dips and a quick, convenient snack when you feel jelly legs coming on, the down side to the story is that most of these savoury supermarket aisle crackers and biscuits boast amazing health promoting promises:  ‘100% wholegrain’ or ‘High in fibre’; but along with the copywriter’s hot air and words comes high amounts of sodium, emulsifiers, vegetable oils, MSG, artificial colours, flavours and other harmful additives. You’d probably gain more nutrition by eating a handful of dirt, I kid you not.

(more…)

I’m a foodie ninety percent of the time but occasionally after a big, busy day, the last thing I want to do is spend hours in the kitchen concocting complex meals. I want to tuck into the most deliciously satisfying meal possible, with the least amount of effort. That’s why this humble spread gets my tick-of-approval. It’s a delicious, nutrient packed spread that works like a breath of fresh air to my action packed days. In its simplicity, I’m continually astonished by how this trusty topping can transform a plain cracker or modest piece of toast into an extravagant culinary experience within seconds.

When looking for the perfect spread, you don’t need to be limited to sugar-filled jam, high salt peanut butter or yeast filled vegemite when looking for a topping to grab and go. There are countless delicious possibilities that can be whipped up, boasting nutritional profiles and flavours that will leave any mainstream supermarket spread on the shelf.

A useful tip for supermarket shopping if you’re interested in supercharging your health: Stay away from the middle aisles of the supermarket as much as possible, where you’ll find foods with lengthy shelf lives. Alternatively, make choices from the outer edges of the supermarket; in the perishable sections. Here you’ll find fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and snap frozen goods. These perishable food items are more likely to have increased living enzymes and nutrients. Their shorter shelf life implies that they won’t contain large amounts of sodium, preservatives and additives that many of the inner section foods contain. Next time you are in the supermarket, take a walk down the middle aisles and check the labels of products, and in most cases you’ll be surprised by what you find.

Many commercial spreads that are so popular and readily available today are found lurking in these inner gangways, and happily reside for months supported by their copious amounts of sodium, preservatives, additives and GMO’s, all additives that are compromising to your health. To be on the safe side, if you’re purchasing items from these inner sections always read labels carefully to see what you are actually paying for. To find out more about what nasties may be lurking in your spreads, or other food items, click here.

Don’t settle for the dead spreads that have been sitting on the shelf for who-knows-how-long. This natural Creamy Avocado and Tahini Spread has no harmful additives and will really pep you up with its creamy texture and a burst of fresh, zingy flavours.  This topping is full of living nutrients and healthy fats to refuel your body and give you energy.

The superstar ingredient is the gorgeous avocado. Avo’s are a must have ingredient for anyone working to achieve optimum health through a wholefoods diet. They’re the butter of the plant world, and incredibly versatile; working wonderfully to create both sweet and savory dishes. Avocadoes are an abundant source of several essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, B, C, E and K, as well as calcium, copper, iron, magnesium and potassium.

One thing you may not know about avocados is that they’re a wonderful food for the female reproductive system, they help to stabilize blood sugar levels, have powerful anti-inflammatory qualities, help prevent certain types of cancer including breast, cervical and prostate cancer, and can lower bad cholesterol levels through their abundance of healthy monounsaturated fats, fibre, and a plant chemical known as beta-sitosterol.

Tahini, a paste made from ground sesame seeds is an ingredient that your insides will thank you for. Playing an important role in Middle Eastern cooking; tahini is commonly combined with eggplants to make baba ganoush, and with chickpeas to make hummus. Many people are afraid of limiting their calcium intake when cutting out dairy products, but you can rest assured that by adding tahini to your diet you’ll be supplying your body with this vital mineral.

Tahini contains all the amino acids, making it a high quality source of protein. It’s rich in lecithin, vitamin E, and has a high alkaline mineral content, making it a powerful ingredient for neutralizing acid in the body which can create an environment for illness to thrive. Tahini has a slightly bitter, nutty taste and is yummy when combined with citrus flavours to make spreads or create a zingy, creamy dressing. For more nutrient packed tahini recipes try this Rainbow Salad with Tahini and Lemon Dressing, and supercharged versions of the Middle Eastern classics; a scrumptious Baba Ganoush and this healthy No Bean Hummus.

For a super speedy, nutrient packed meal, look no further than this Creamy Avocado and Tahini Spread. Just whiz it up, and pop it onto a good bit of gluten free toast, I like to have mine with, Superseeded Bread which you’ll find in my recipe book. And lastly I promise that those conventional dead spreads will be out the window once you feel the health benefits and experience the scrumptious living flavours in this scrummy concoction!

Creamy Avocado and Tahini Spread

Ingredients

• 1 avocado
• 2 TBS tahini
• 1 TBS lemon juice
• ½ tsp Celtic sea salt
• 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• Sunflower, sesame seeds and torn basil to serve.

Method

• Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth
• Serve on Superseeded bread for the ultimate snack
• Keeps for 5 days in sealed container in fridge

For more gluten, wheat, dairy, yeast and sugar free recipes, a shopping list and meal planner visit supercharged.wpengine.com