We partnered up with Kelly Scholtz a Registered Dietician and private chef based in Cape Town, to develop healthy, wholesome meals for training athletes.
Kelly combines her dietetics and professional culinary backgrounds in the treatment of her clients and loves making tasty, real food to support good health and performance.
Listed below are a few of her favourite healthy and wholesome recipes, specifically developed for the training athlete.
Breakfast Time
Hot Cross Bun Smoothie Bowl
A good balance of carbs and protein for a recovery breakfast or snack after training.
Ingredients for one serving
1/4 cup rolled oats
2 dried pitted dates
1/2 cup milk or almond milk
1 small banana (use a frozen banana if you have one)
2-4 tablespoons plain or vanilla flavoured protein powder of your choice (this is optional, but adding 15-20g extra protein makes it a more satisfying smoothie bowl, especially if this is a recovery meal or snack after training)
1/4 peeled orange, or about 30ml fresh orange juice
1ml or a pinch each of ground cinnamon, ginger and cardamom (or other spices of your choice e.g. nutmeg or mixed spice)
Extra milk, water or ice is optional
Soak the oats and dates in the milk overnight (you can keep soaked oats for 3-4 days in the fridge, so you can make this well in advance) then blend with all the other ingredients. Add more liquid if you prefer to drink your smoothie. If you enjoy a smoothie bowl, then keep the consistency thick and creamy and garnish with slices of fresh banana and orange, toasted almonds, ground seeds and cinnamon.
Ratatouille
This is a great way to eat more vegetables with almost any meal, especially breakfast. It's a rustic, tasty vegetable stew that is very easy to make and freezes well, so make a big batch.
Ratatouille usually contains courgettes (baby marrows) and aubergines (brinjals) along with tomatoes, onions, peppers and herbs. Add other veg if you want to, or remove things that you don't enjoy - it's the idea of a tomato-based vegetable stew that works so well, not the specific choice of vegetables. It's less of a recipe and more of a method, starting with:
Chopped onion fried in olive oil in a big pot, adding the other roughly chopped vegetables of your choice and frying for 5 minutes.
Good quality canned tomatoes or very ripe fresh tomatoes (if they are not ripe or great quality they can be bitter, in which case a teaspoon of sugar may help),
Herbs (thyme, basil, oregano).
Simmer gently for 25-30 minutes, or until the vegetables are all tender. If you use something like spinach, which cooks quickly, it can be added at the end to retain nutrients.
If the sauce is too watery, either reduce (keep simmering until the extra water evaporates) or thicken with bit of corn flour, then add salt and pepper to taste.
Lunch Time
Black Bean Salad
Did you know that beans and grains complement one another when eaten together? That means you'll get all the essential amino acids for the complete protein your body needs.
This dish is usually full of Mexican-inspired flavour, but i have to make a lockdown plan because i had no lime, spring onion or fresh coriander. Fortunately it's just as colourful and delicious, and it's good to be creative with what you have.
1 cup black beans
1/2-1 cup cooked sweet corn - either fresh or frozen
1/2 large tomato, seeds scooped out (optional) and cut into cubes
Handful of any green leaves, including fresh coriander (I used a handful of rocket and some parsley)
1 spring onion, chopped (I used fresh chives, but a small amount of red or white onion will also work)
Olive oil and lime juice (I used lemon juice - vinegar would also work)
Salt, pepper and a pinch of chili flakes
That would feed one person as a meal, but you could divide it as a filling for wraps, adding some mashed avo and grated cheese, or even some cooked mince or chicken.
Snack Time
Seeded Crackers
A healthy and delicious anytime snack. Add a few toppings for the perfect in-betweener meal.
300g mixed seeds (try 200g sunflower, 80g sesame and 20g pumpkin)
80g flax seeds
5ml salt
5ml chopped fresh or dried rosemary
30ml psyllium husks
500ml water
Mix together and allow to stand for 30min before dividing and spreading into 2 standard baking sheets.
Total cooking time is 50-55min, but turn trays around at least 3 times during cooking. Sunflower seeds should be golden brown and the crackers completely dried and crisp when broken.
Use instead of bread and other crackers with toppings like cottage cheese and cucumber, avo, hummus, cheese and tomato, nut butter, tuna or egg mayo.
Portion control tip: Break into pieces about half the size of your phone and eat 2-3 crackers with toppings for a light meal or snack.
Treat Time 'The Healthier Way'
Date and Pecan Chocolate Eggs
Date balls are still high in sugar from the dates, but they are gluten-free, vegan (if you use coconut milk and vegan chocolate for the coating) and higher in good fats, micronutrients and fibre than other chocolates.
Makes about 20-25 bite-sized pieces.
Ingredients:
100g pitted dried dates, soaked in boiling water for 30 min or in cold water overnight and then finely chopped
100g pecans, finely chopped
30g ground almonds (about ¼ cup)
60g butter or coconut oil, melted (about 1/3 cup)
10g cacao nibs (a heaped tablespoon)
10g cocoa powder (a heaped tablespoon)
pinch salt
20g honey (a heaped tablespoon)
80g dark chocolate
1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and put in the fridge for 30 min to firm up.
2. Weigh out 10g amounts, roll into balls and then shape into small rugby balls to make little eggs.
3. Place the eggs into the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
4. Melt the dark chocolate in a bowl over a pot of simmering water or just on a low setting in the microwave.
5. Dip each egg into the melted chocolate and place carefully onto the wax paper on a board. Allow them to set before serving.
6. If you don’t eat them all immediately they can be stored in the fridge or freezer.
Mixed Fruit Crumble
A good balance of carbs and protein for a recovery breakfast or treat snack after training.
Ingredients
4 cups chopped fruit (Try a mix of peaches, apples and pears - anything firm that will poach well - see note in method re soft fruit. Leaving the peels on the fruit will contribute to the fibre content of this dish.)
1 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
2 x thumb-sized pieces of fresh ginger, peeled
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup desiccated coconut
3/4 cup brown bread or whole meal four
1/4 cup ground almonds (or a mix of any nuts and seeds ground up at home in a coffee grinder...which is also great topping for smoothie bowls/oats/yoghurt)
2 tablespoons sugar (or alternative e.g. xylitol)
pinch salt
50g cold butter, cut into small cubes, or cold coconut oil for a vegan version
Method
1. Combine the cut fruit, water, cinnamon stick and ginger in a pot and simmer for 10 min, or until the fruit is tender, but not falling apart. Transfer the cooked fruit and any liquid into a baking dish or 6 ramekins. If you want to add any soft fruit e.g. berries, add it raw at this point.
2. Combine all the dry ingredients for the crumble in a mixing bowl, using a whisk.
3. Remove the whisk, add the butter and use your finger tips to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until you get a rough, loose crumble.
4. Pour the crumble mix over the fruit - no need to pack it down because it settles as it cooks. If there is any remaining crumble, which often happens when I use ramekins, rather than a large dish, just put it into the freezer and use for individual portions at another time.
5. Bake at 170 degrees C for about 15-20 minutes, or until golden.
6. Serve with your choice of plain yoghurt, cashew cream or custard.
Coconut Bananas
A quick and delicious healthy dessert option.
Heat 1 teaspoon butter or coconut oil in a pan
Slice 1 banana per person and roll in desiccated coconut
Fry the banana slices for 2 minutes a side, or until golden
Serve with plain yoghurt, a drizzle of honey or maple syrup and a tablespoon of toasted coconut flakes and sliced almonds (these are best done on a baking tray in the oven and can be stored in an airtight container, so make some extra to use on porridge or as a smoothie bowl topping.
