Admit it. You’ve been caught with your hands in the peanut butter jar. Even we can often be seen walking around the office with a teaspoon and peanut butter jar in hand; it’s just that good! But do you know what’s even better? There is a whole day dedicated to our mutual love for this spreadable, nutty goodness: Happy Peanut Butter Lover’s Day!

By Jana du Plessis

DON’T UNDERESTIMATE

The funny thing about the peanut is the fact that it’s actually not a nut at all! Scientifically speaking, it’s part of the legume (hands up for beans and lentils!) family and are the seeds of the Arachis hypogaea legume crop. Unlike other nuts, like macadamias or Brazil nuts, that grow on trees, the peanut flourishes underground and is also sometimes called a groundnut. Peanut butter – and this counts for any other nut or seed butter around – is merely raw or roasted peanuts that have been ground to form a smooth paste. Their oils are released, resulting in those luscious buttery spreads we love.

THE HEALTH FACTOR

Luckily for us, peanut butter is not only a delicious toast topper and oat swirler, but also contains a good dose of nutrients. First off, incorporating healthy fats into your diet is essential for nourishing your cells and providing the lubricant that your joints and digestive system need in order to function optimally. Add a tablespoon to your smoothie or try a satay sauce on your chicken tonight if you’re stuck for ideas. Peanuts are also high in B vitamins which provide your body with the ability to metabolise your food into energy. Traces of manganese plays a role in bone health and allow to be the building blocks for essential enzymes needed for bone building. Vitamin E is great for your hair, nails and skin, while the protein count would make any vegan or vegetarian (or meat-eater!) happy to indulge.

FROM HARVEST TO HOMES

On the flip side, like all commercially produced products, peanut butter manufactured on a big scale is often filled with additives, stabilisers and extra oils to extend shelf life and improve the consistency. But, as we know, all these chemically added ingredients aren’t always a great idea for our health. Always look for natural peanut butter that only contains ground peanuts and perhaps an addition of some salt or flavouring like cinnamon – any ingredients more than that and that jar should rather stay in the supermarket. Or even better, if you have a high speed blender at home, try to make it yourself and you won’t want to buy a jar soon again!

OUR TOP 3 HEALTHFUL PEANUT BUTTER RECIPES

1. Oat energy balls

2. Peanut chicken noodles

3. Roast butternut with satay sauce

The post Wellness Wednesday: Celebrating Peanut Butter Lover’s Day appeared first on MyKitchen.

As South Africans, we cannot pass up a good glass of wine. Especially in summer, after a long work week. But what does having fun at happy hour mean for our waists? We’ve partnered up with CyberCellar to decipher the calorie and carb count of our favourite sips to see which ones fit best into our New Year’s resolution healthy living plan.

By Jana du Plessis

Camp white or red?
Have you also always believed that white wines are generally higher in calories than reds? Turns out, it depends on the varietal. While Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Black contain similar amounts of calories, 120 and 123 respectively, the carb count in a Sauvignon is 3 grams to Chenin’s 4.9 grams per glass. Chardonnay seems to be the overall your ‘lightest’ wine in terms of a great option when trying to lose weight. It only contains 84 calories and a modest carbohydrate count of 3.28 grams.

The in-betweener
If you’re not quite into your white wines and find reds a bit too dry, your go-to is probably a rosé or a sparkling wine. Wondering how they tip the scale? The pink-hued rosy goodness is surprisingly low in calories and carbs: Match the 83 calories and 2.9 grams carbs with bubbly’s 90 calories and only 1 gram carbohydrates and we may just have a smashing match for drinking without derailing your healthy eating habits!

Seeing red
If white wines are too acidic for your palette or the sweeter wine options are reserved for special occasions, you will be happy to know that red wine can still be enjoyed despite your quest for living a more wholesome life in 2017. A Cabernet Sauvignon will set you back with 126 calories and 3.82 carbs, while Shiraz doesn’t fare too badly with 122 calories and 3.79 grams of carbs. But the winner is Merlot with a mere 83 calories and 3.7 grams of carbs. Bonus, we heard that the antioxidants in red wine will actually benefit your health. #winning!

The alternative
Even if wine doesn’t tickle you fancy, there are plenty of other healthy options like gin, whiskey and beer. The key is to keep the mixes simple and sugar-free – go for soda water instead of tonic and a squeeze of lemon or lime, plus mint. Gin’s calories clock in at 263, but is nearly completely carb-free! As such, whiskys’ calories are 250 and the carb count 0.1 – great for a summer sunset and a glass on the rocks. For beer though, the carbs rack up to 13 grams, but the calories are only 153. We say, life’s too short to not enjoy a drink every now and then!

Check out this fun calorie and carb count infographic below:

The post How to have your wine and drink it too – on a calorie budget appeared first on MyKitchen.

By Jana du Plessis

What would our baked goods be without the binding power of an egg? What would breakfast be without that scrambled or fried egg on toast? Eggs are pretty awesome, yet there’s still debate as to whether or not this versatile protein source is a healthy part of our diets.

The egg stats

From a health point of view, eggs are filled to the brim with good-for-you nutrients and minerals. All nine essential amino acids (that’s the protein) are present in eggs, making them an excellent source of this muscle-building macronutrient. Then there’s the choline, which is important for cellular function, the liver and the delivery of nutrients to all areas of your body. They’re also packed with vitamin D (essential for maintaining healthy bones) and vitamin B₁₂ (which helps to regulate the nervous system and prevent fatigue). All in all, eggs are high in good-quality protein and a long list of vitamins and minerals.

A yolky business

The controversy regarding eggs comes in when we look at their fat content – saturated fat in particular. Research shows that saturated fat (the type of fat found in animal products) is an offender when it comes to raising cholesterol levels. The reason weight-watchers eat egg-white omelettes? An egg’s yolk houses its fat and cholesterol. But, as an important side note, the yolk is also where the fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E are found. If you don’t eat the yolk, you’ll be missing out on most of the egg’s nutrients, as well as 40% of its protein content.

Be aware and take care

We know that eggs are any bodybuilder’s best friend and a baker’s favourite sidekick, and who can resist that luscious yolk running over your eggs Benedict? Their utter yumminess and health benefits are great reasons to enjoy eggs regularly. They fall into the same food group as meat, poultry, fish and legumes. However, those who suffer from high cholesterol or are trying to lose weight should probably limit how many eat eggs they eat.

The post An egg-cellent question: What’s the deal with eggs? appeared first on MyKitchen.

‘Tis the season of boozy office parties, end-of-year celebrations, lavish Christmas meals, and many a bottle of Champagne. Family, friends and the promise of presents, are all reason to be jolly, but over-indulgent in festive treats might leave you ringing in the new year with just a few more kilos than you’d like. With clever planning, and a few of our sneaky tricks, you can still enjoy the hoilday season, without gaining a dress size by January.

By Jana du Plessis

Pace yourself!

Don’t arrive at the party ravenous. Remember, the main course will only be served later in the evening, and diving head first into the canapes might lead you to overeat. Grab an apple on your way out to curb your hunger and make sure you’re discerning when it comes to the snack table offerings. Try to avoid the deep-fried bites, the dips or really saucy snacks – these have higher calorie counts without much nutritional value. Rather opt for veggie and protein options, like quiche, tomato bruschetta or biltong. Come dessert time, pick the item that looks most appealing to you, or go half-and-half with your buddy if you’re having trouble choosing between fruit cake or malva pudding!

To sip, or not to sip

When it comes to drinks – alcoholic or otherwise – some are better for you than others. Cocktails are undeniably delicious, but those seemingly harmless tropical drinks are laden with sugary syrups, colourants and flavourants. Anything made with sweet, carbonated sodas, comes in at a very close second. Order a Martini if you’re looking for a low-calorie boozy drink, or go for a gin and tonic with lemon slices and mint. If you’re a whiskey-drinker, scotch on the rocks is a healthy choice that will still leave you feeling festive.

Don’t wory, be merry

Don’t begin your festivities with anxiety or dread over what the holiday season will add to your waistline. We all deserve a little fun and indulgence, especially after a long year! Enjoy a bit of everything, but don’t eat until you’re absolutely stuffed, stay active throughout (even if it’s only the occasional walk on the beach), drink plenty of water and try to eat balanced meals with fruits and veggies, lean protein and wholegrains, to fuel you in between especially indulgent meals.

How are you staying healthy this festive season? Comment below!

The post Season’s (indulgent) greeting’s appeared first on MyKitchen.

From advocates for going gluten-free to limiting fruit intake to lower sugar consumption, the internet has never been as saturated with health and wellness advice as it is right now. But the question is: how credible is this information?
Take Ella Woodward, a food blogger-turned-cookbook-author and owner of two highly successful health delis in the UK – all of this by the tender age of 24 and no health-related qualification. But does this mean we cannot trust the health tips she shares?

By Jana du Plessis

Deliciously Ella
Ella, better known under her blog name Deliciously Ella, has built her wellness empire on what started as a simple journey to improving her own health. After being diagnosed with a postural tachycardia syndrome and not finding a cure through conventional medicine, she turned to food for healing. Her blog was born, and as it grew in popularity, there was no denying the influence she had on her followers and fans.
Luckily Ella soon realised this and regularly reminds those visiting her blog or social media pages that her advice is purely personal and shouldn’t be interpreted as the holy grail of health and wellness. And what an important footnote to read! She follows a wheat-free, sugar-fee and plant-based diet, and avoids meat and diary at all costs. If you were to take this advice as the way you should be eating, you’d get awfully confused when you stumbled upon the Hemsley sister’s blog…

The Hemsley sisters
UK-based health gurus Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley started their catering service based on their passion for easy, affordable and nutrient-dense foods. Through that, Hemsley + Hemsley aims to educate people on the importance of gut health and having a healthy relationship with food. Although they also prefer going sugar- and wheat-free like Ellla, the rest of their philosophy promotes almost the exact opposite, with their love for grass-fed and organic meats and regular use of ghee and bacon.
So what should we listen to and what food philosophy should we adopt?

Different strokes
Although most of these bloggers, TV show hosts and cookbook authors aim to spread the language of nutritious food and healthy living – but they all admit to not having any qualification in the field of nutrition. It’s merely a love for food, life and a balanced life that drives them to discover new eating plans.
It is great to see that it no longer takes a medical professional to spur on healthy habits among the less healthy. But just because Ella is gluten-free, is doesn’t mean it’s the best way for everyone to eat; neither will eating bacon by the mouthful. We all are our own individual with varying needs and reactions to foods and should act in accordance to our unique bio-individuality.

Keeping an open mind
Your head may be spinning from all the contradicting takes on health, weight loss and lifestyle that you read online, but with an open mind and conscious effort, we can all learn something from them… Perhaps by experimenting with a plant-based diet you find that skipping meat benefits you. Or by choosing a fattier steak you feel more energetic than ever before.
Either way, as much as there is to learn from their different opinions, always check the facts with a medical professional before making a drastic change to your diet.

The post From home cooks to wellness gurus: Foodies are taking over the health scene appeared first on MyKitchen.