With the launch of USANA Whey Protein Booster in New Zealand, we thought we’d give you the down low on protein. Protein is a powerful nutrient made up of 20 amino acids that are components of every cell in your body. Protein is used to build and repair tissues and make enzymes and hormones, blood cells and many other substances essential to life. It is also an important building block for muscles, bones, cartilage and skin. Even your hair and nails are mostly made up of protein. Just like fat and carbohydrates, protein is a macronutrient (meaning that your body needs relatively large amounts). But unlike with fat and carbs, your body doesn’t store usable protein. Your amino acids stores are constantly used and must be replenished. If dietary sources don’t provide enough, your body will start to take it from your muscle mass. An adequate dietary protein intake is important across the life cycle, especially as we age. Protein deficiency can lead to fatigue, muscle weakness and hair loss and can contribute to a variety of other conditions.

Why Make Protein Part of Your Diet

Protein has long been used by body builders to help build muscle, but it is also an excellent part of a low-carb diet or weight-management program. Slow-release proteins such as casein from dairy can help stabilise blood sugar — this also helps you feel more satisfied so you are less likely to go back for seconds (or thirds), meaning you consume less calories. During exercise, your body requires a higher intake of good-quality protein to build and maintain muscle (lean mass) and promote recovery. Adjust your protein intake accordingly by consuming more if you are highly active or want to gain lean muscle.

Protein Requirements for The Average Person

Male
19-70 year olds: 64g per day
Under 70 year olds: 81g per day

Female
19-70 year olds: 46g per day
Under 70 year olds: 57g per day

Muscle Mass and Ageing

After the age of 35, a healthy person loses muscle mass at a rate of 1–2%. While losing lean body mass an average adult can expect to gain approximately 0.5 kg of fat mass per year between the ages of 30 and 60. These changes can be masked by unchanging body weight.

USANA Whey Protein Booster

USANA Whey Protein Booster provides you with pure whey protein to boost your daily protein intake, helping to fuel your active lifestyle. Whey protein is easily digestible and contains essential amino acids helping to support muscle repair and increase lean muscle mass. Protein helps with satiation or a feeling of fullness, supporting your weight management goals.

The source of whey protein in USANA® Foods is from cows that have not been treated with synthetic hormones (no added rbST or BGH). In addition, the whey protein has been processed using low temperature pasteurisation to minimise denaturing of the protein.

Mix 2 tablespoons of Whey Protein Booster with your USANA shake for an additional 10 grams of high-quality, complete whey protein. Alternatively, add to your favourite food or beverage such as water, almond milk, juice or soup.

Quick USANA Whey Protein Booster Facts

• 100% Whey Protein Concerntrate
• 100% pure, not genetically engineered
• 10g high quality protein per serving
• No additives
• No fillers
• 50 calories per serving

Team USANA Testimonials

Britta Martin, New Zealand Triathlete & Team USANA Athlete

“I really love the new product. I add it into all my post run smoothies and it helps a lot with my recovery. I have my next big race coming up in 2.5 weeks, a 60 km Ultra run (Kepler Challenge), so I need every help I can get for my recovery!”, Britta Martin, New Zealand based Professional Triathlete

“I love adding the new USANA Whey Protein to my Nutrimeal shakes. It makes for a great recovery meal after a really hard training session. It’s been working really well lately, especially because I am loading pretty heavy at the moment”, David Bishop, New Zealand Gymnast

Another training session done. Now time to recover with some USANA whey protein. #usananewzealand #earnthefern

A post shared by David Bishop (@davidbishop111) on Nov 9, 2017 at 3:05am PST

Associate Testimonials

Matt Yee, Personal Trainer & USANA Associate

“USANA Whey Protein Booster helps personal trainers, like myself, or elite athletes with the recovery process and nutrition, whilst our body is under intense pressure in order to achieve desired results”, Matt Yee, Personal Trainer

Dr. Dawn Ngatokorua, Paediatrician & USANA Asssociate

“Proteins contain amino acids which I refer to as the building blocks of our bodies. As a paediatrician and a mother of three, I am constantly challenged with how children are meant to get enough nutrients to help build their growing bodies in this day and age of poorly nutritious food options. Whey protein contains an incredible range of essential amino acids, which are absorbed quickly hence the reason why I now make sure my son takes his Nutrimeal shake to help him with his sports training and his fast growing needs”, Dr. Dawn Ngatokorua, Paediatrician

USANA Banana Choc Protein Smoothie

Ingredients
1 serving

• 2 Tbs USANA Whey Protein Booster
• 1 sachet USANA Nutrimeal Dutch Chocolate
• 150 ml ice
• 150 ml water
• ½ banana

Method

Pour ice and water into a blender. Add USANA Nutrimeal, Whey Protein Booster and banana. Blend until mixed into a smooth consistency. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

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It is suggested that you take these products to your physician and secure their advice if you intend to change your diet, begin an exercise program, are pregnant or lactating, have allergies, are taking medications, or are under the care of a physician.

8 Tips to Rock Your Bikini (or Board Shorts) in Summer

The post USANA Whey Protein Booster – Bonus Protein Smoothie Recipe! appeared first on Usana Health Sciences Organization.

In case you’re not sure what I mean by lemon and honey water, I’ll explain how you make it. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon into a mug, then add a teaspoon of honey. Pour boiling water in and mix together until the honey is dissolved.

To understand the benefits of lemon honey water, I thought it would be easiest to break it down by its three components to understand whether it’s healing properties are myth or magic.

1. The Healing Benefits of Honey

Honey is highly nutritious. It contains traces of minerals, vitamins and antioxidants which destroy free radicals and delay aging. It is used medicinally around the world. Furthermore, it’s an energizer, has anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. It can be used to help to treat a range of health issues from nausea, coughs, osteoporosis, and even cancer growth. It’s possibly one of the best sweeteners in the world! Reason enough to make honey a habit?

How to Choose the Right Manuka Honey

Not all honey is created equal. Manuka honey is a special type of honey only produced in New Zealand, created by bees who pollinate the manuka bush and then extract the nectar from the flowers to create honey. It’s a little more pricey than your regular honey, but many believe it has extra healing benefits. So how do you know which one to buy?

Unique Manuka Factor (UMF) is used as a measure of the quality or potency of manuka honey. For manuka honey to be used for medicinal purposes, it should have at least UMF 5, which is adequate, or ideally UMF 10 or higher, which is a ‘good’ potency. So look on the label to ensure you’re getting a good quality honey next time!

2. What’s the Juice on Lemon Water?

Lemons are packed with vitamin C. Roughly two lemons provides you with almost 90% of the daily recommended intake of vitamin C! It acts as an antioxidant, and as we mentioned before, destroys free radicals, that could otherwise damage your cells. It’s also vital in producing collagen, which helps give our skin strength and elasticity, among other things. Many of us don’t eat enough lemons to get the recommended amount of vitamin C, because of the sour taste, but that’s why lemon water is a great way to enjoy lemons! You could also boost your vitamin C intake with a high quality supplement. Research has shown that eating fruit and vegetables high in vitamin C can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

As well as this, the soluble fibre in lemons can help improve gut health and more!

In addition, lemons can help you stay hydrated. They add a bit of flavour which can make your standard glass of water seem a bit more appealing!

3. The Unexpected Health Benefits of Hot Water

It’s pretty straight forward, water is necessary for human survival… However, aside from the survival aspect, drinking warm water can provide lots of additional health benefits. It can help with digestion, regulate bowel movements, prevent premature aging, relax nerves and aid in sleep.

Hot water is a great natural remedy for cramps as the warmth helps relax muscles and improve capillary circulation. The relaxing effect can also aid with nerves and sleep. Pro tip: magnesium can also help relax muscles and be a natural stress relief.

Warm water can even prevent premature ageing. Whaaat? When the body accumulates toxins, it becomes susceptible to disease and ageing. Warm water can help flush out the unwanted toxins to keep you young and healthy!

Drinking warm water in the morning could even help you lose weight. Drinking warm water can raise body temperature, which can increase your metabolic rate, that allows the body to burn more calories.

Three’s a Charm

Separately lemon, honey and warm water have some amazing health benefits, so making a lemoney, sweet concoction with all three just makes sense, especially when they taste so good together.

Do you have your own variation of lemon honey water? Let us know your favourite way to make it in the comments!

Written by Monique Sparks
Marketing Assistant | USANA New Zealand

The post The Health Benefits of Drinking Lemon Honey Water appeared first on Usana Health Sciences Organization.

Piña Colada Sunrise

Try and stop yourself from adding a tiny umbrella to this delicious shake once you taste how close the flavors come to its original counterpart.

• 280g water
• 3 scoops Vanilla Nutrimeal
• 1/2 tsp. coconut extract
• 130g fresh pineapple
• 1/2 c. ice

Coconut Breeze

One sip of this tempting shake will make you feel as if you’re sun bathing on the sandy beaches of Tahiti.

• 340g water
• 3 scoops Vanilla Nutrimeal
• 1/2 tsp. coconut extract

Grasshopper

Mint and chocolate— two ingredients destined to be together. The flavor combination makes this shake completely refreshing and satisfying.

• 340g water
• 3 scoops Chocolate Nutrimeal
• Mint extract to taste

Razzle Dazzle

One burst of raspberry flavoring mixed into your traditional Chocolate Nutrimeal will add a twist of fruity flawlessness to your day.

• 340g water
• 3 scoops Chocolate Nutrimeal
• 1/2 tsp. raspberry extract

Whack n’ Unwrap

If you love milk chocolate and orange, we’ve got the shake for you.

• 340g water
• 3 scoops Chocolate Nutrimeal
• 1/4 tsp. orange extract

Bobbing for Apples

Nothing adds to the refreshingly tart flavor of crisp apple like some sweet and delectable caramel. Bring these wonderful flavors together, blend with ice, and you won’t believe your taste buds.

• 280g water
• 3 scoops Vanilla Nutrimeal
• 1/4 tsp. caramel extract
• Red apple extract to taste
• 1/2 c. ice

Razz-A-Cran

Bring a smile to anyone’s face with this mouth-watering mix of two fruit flavors, ice, and Vanilla Nutrimeal.

• 280g water
• 3 scoops Vanilla Nutrimeal
• 1/4 tsp. cranberry extract
• Red apple extract to taste
• 1/2 c. ice

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Now you can savor the delicious flavors of pumpkin pie anytime—without the guilt.

SERVINGS: 2

• 280g water
• 3 scoops Vanilla Nutrimeal
• 2 tsp. Fibergy® Plus (optional)
• 1/2 c. canned or fresh pureed pumpkin (unsweetened)
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 c. ice
• 1 tsp honey (optional)

Cool Banana Chai

This particular shake is meant for those looking to give their early morning or dragging afternoon the energy boost it needs. It’s also packed with the perfect flavor combination of banana and cinnamon.

• 340g water
• 3 scoops Vanilla Nutrimeal
• 1 banana
• 1 tbsp. cinnamon
• 1 Rev3 Energy® Surge Pack

Recipe inspired by Associate Paul Rohatensky

The Joy of Almond

After you’ve chugged this blended shake, you’ll be delighted to know you’ve discovered a healthy, low-glycemic alternative to one of your favorite candy bars.

• 280g water
• 3 scoops Chocolate Nutrimeal
• 1/4 tsp. almond extract
• 1/2 c. ice

The Banana Stand

Who would’ve thought it’d be possible to recreate the flavors of a chocolate banana-split sundae in one of our traditional Nutrimeal shakes? USANA—that’s who!

• 280g water
• 3 scoops Chocolate Nutrimeal
• 1 banana
• 1/2 c. ice

Mounds of Joy

A spin off of the popular “The Joy of Almond” shake, this Nutrimeal combination shares the same flavors with the addition of yummy coconut.

• 280g water
• 3 scoops Chocolate Nutrimeal
• 1/4 tsp. almond extract
• 1/2 tsp. coconut extract
• 1/2 c. ice

Orange Creamsicle

This shake holds true to the classic summer favorite by tasting just as creamy and delicious as the original.

• 280g water
• 3 scoops Vanilla Nutrimeal
• 1/2 tsp. orange extract
• vanilla extract to taste
• 1/2 c. ice

Ginger Snap

Cookie cravings? Instead, combine these ingredients to create a healthy and scrumptious alternative.

SERVINGS: 2

• 230g water
• 3 scoops Vanilla Nutrimeal
• 1 tbsp. molasses
• 1 tsp. ginger powder
• 1 c. crushed ice

Aloha Pineapple

The addition of crushed ice and yogurt in this shake balances out the acidity and tartness of the juicy pineapple.

• 280g water
• 3 scoops Vanilla Nutrimeal
• 110g low-sugar plain yogurt
• 1/2 c. crushed pineapple
• 1/2 c. ice

Root Beer Float

Everyone loves the classic combination of root beer and vanilla ice cream, but who needs the excessive amount of sugar and calories that come with it? This shake is your solution!

• 280g water
• 3 scoops Vanilla Nutrimeal
• 1 ½ tsp. root beer extract
• 1/2 c. ice

Morning, Sunshine

Do you desperately need a latte or cappuccino morning “pick me up”? Try this tasty shake instead.

• 280g water
• 3 scoops Vanilla Nutrimeal
• 1 tsp. instant coffee
• 1 tsp. condensed milk
• 1/2 c. ice

Fudgy Wudgy Shake

For all the chocolate lovers out there—this should be your first stop when choosing which shake to dive into first.

SERVINGS: 2

• 1 c. low-fat milk
• 3 scoops Chocolate Nutrimeal
• 1 c. ice

Hog the Nog

Eggnog is a favorite holiday treat for many of us, but it’s important to remember just how much fat is packed into every glass of it. Avoid holiday weight gain by making this shake your go-to treat for the winter season.

SERVINGS: 2

• 1 c. low-fat milk or dairy alternative (such as soy or rice milk)
• 4 scoops Vanilla Nutrimeal
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. cinnamon extract
• 1 tsp. Fibergy Plus (optional)
• 1 c. crushed ice

Click the below hyperlink for the PDF version!

Delicious Twists to Nutrimeal Shakes

The post USANA Nutrimeal Shakes with a Delicious Twist appeared first on Usana Health Sciences Organization.

Ingredients

• 1 kg pumpkin, remove skin and seeds, then chop into large chunks
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 cup milk
• Salt and pepper to season

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients, except salt and pepper, in a sauce pan. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until pumpkin is tender. Roughly 15-30 minutes.
• Remove from heat and blend with a stick blender until smooth. (If you need to use a regular blender SEE NOTE 3!).
• Season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve with crusty bread.

Notes

1. Half a pumpkin should be roughly 1 kg.
2. I used coconut milk in this recipe, but you can use dairy, almond, or soy milk. You could even substitute milk for cream for a richer finish, but add it after blending and do not bring to a boil.
3. If you don’t have a stick blender, you can use a blender but make sure the soup is cooled slightly before blending it. Hot soup + blender = soup explosion. The lid will blow off the blender when you start blending, so don’t make this mistake!
4. You can also garnish it with a dollop of yoghurt, sour cream or crème fraiche.

Written by Monique Sparks
Marketing – USANA New Zealand

The post Easy Pumpkin Soup Recipe appeared first on Usana Health Sciences Organization.

This recipe is dairy free and contains a good amount of fibre from oats, psyllium husks and flaxseed meal. Despite the fibre-rich ingredients, the persimmon, almond meal and coconut oil keep the scones moist and tender. Psyllium husk can also be substituted for Fibergy.

Scones freeze well up to a month.  Keep them in double plastic bags in the freezer.

Persimmon contains a high amount of vitamin A, vitamin C, fibre, B-complex vitamins, and antioxidants. In 100g of persimmon there are 70 calories and 4g of fibre. The sugar content differs depending on how ripe it is. So it’s best to consume ripe persimmon in moderation.

Persimmon Scones

Makes 10-12

Ingredients

3 cups persimmon, diced
2 tsp. coconut oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
360g all-purpose flour
120g oats, finely ground
40g flaxseed meal
40g almond meal
10g psyllium husk (or Fibergy)
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
50g coconut sugar
1 tsp. salt
150g coconut oil, in solid form
330 ml non-dairy milk
1 tbsp. vinegar
20g rolled oats, to sprinkle

Method

1. Oil a 9” pie dish. Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
3. Peel and dice the persimmon.
4. Fry the persimmon in a pan with coconut oil for 5-10 minutes or until soft. Mix in the vanilla extract. Then set it aside to cool.
5. Thoroughly whisk together the flour, oats, flaxseed meal, almond meal, psyllium husk, baking soda, sugar and salt in a medium bowl.
6. Rub the coconut oil into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
7. Mix the milk and vinegar. Pour into the flour mixture and mix with a spatula. Add rolled oats and continue mixing. Make sure not to overmix. The end mixture should be slightly wet.
8. Put the mixture into the pie dish and cut into wedges. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.
9. Cool on a wire rack and then enjoy!

Written by Lismi Wong

The post Persimmon Scones Recipe appeared first on Usana Health Sciences Organization.

The Benefits of Oats

Half a cup of raw oats has roughly 50g carbohydrates, 13g protein, 5g of fats and 8g of fiber. It’s also high in many essential nutrients and antioxidants. A unique group of antioxidants called avenathramides is found mainly in oats. A number of studies have shown avenathramides to reduce blood pressure and have anti-inflammatory and anti-itching properties.¹

Oats are high in soluble fiber beta-glucan, which studies have shown to have many health benefits. These include reduced LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol, improved blood sugar levels, increased insulin sensitivity, increased satiety (which help in weight loss and management) and promoting good bacteria growth in the gut. ²

Oats in a finely ground form, known as colloidal oatmeal, is used in skin care products to treat dry and itchy skin.

What Are the Different Types of Oats?

Photo Credit: The Craftsy Blog http://craftsy.me/2riGVMU

There are many different types of oats including oat bran, oat groats, steel cut oats, rolled oats, quick rolled oats and oat flour.

In the recipe below I use rolled oats, as that’s what I had available. You can use steel cut oats or quick rolled oats if you prefer. This recipe doesn’t require cooking. When cooking, steel cut oats require about 15-20 minutes on the stove top and rolled oats only 5-8 minutes. Quick rolled oats require the least time, but they aren’t as creamy and thick. Nutrition wise, there is not a lot of difference between them.

This oat breakfast can keep well in the fridge for 3 days.

Blueberry Pie Overnight Oats

Serves 4

Topping Ingredients

20g rolled oats

20g walnuts

½ tsp ground cinnamon or mixed spice

1 tablespoon coconut sugar

1 tablespoon coconut oil

Pinch of salt

Oats Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats

1 tablespoon chia seeds

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup frozen blueberries

2 tablespoons coconut sugar

1 ½ cups skim milk

1 cup yoghurt

Method

1. Mix all the topping ingredients by with your hands or pulse them in a food processor. Set aside.
2. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a medium size bowl. Portion into 4 servings.
3. Divide the topping amongst 4 servings. Leave in the fridge overnight.

Written by Lismi Wong

The post Blueberry Pie Overnight Oats appeared first on Usana Health Sciences Organization.

The nutritional profile is impressive.

One ounce (28 grams) of chia seeds has:

Energy: 140 calories
Protein: 4 grams
Fat: 9 grams (5 of which are Omega-3s)
Fiber: 11 grams
Calcium: 18% of the RDA
Manganese: 30% of the RDA
Magnesium: 30% of the RDA
Phosphorus: 27% of the RDA

Chia seeds can offer many health benefits, such as supporting healthy cholesterol levels, lowering blood pressure and heart disease risk, as well as having anti-inflammatory properties. It is a great source of plant-based omega-3 fats in ALA (Alpha Linolenic Acid) form. ALA is an essential fatty acid that our body can’t produce itself so it has to be obtained from our diet.

Chia seeds come in black and white colour. Both colours contain similar amounts of nutrients like omega-3s, protein, and fiber but dark chia seeds contain higher amount of antioxidants.

This chia seed pudding recipe is brought to a new level. Caramelised banana chia seed pudding. I can also call it brûlée chia seed pudding because I burn the top part. Fancy isn’t it?

The process is easy and simple. Mix all ingredients like how you would normally prepare chia seed pudding. The difference is the extra step where you burn the top of the pudding using a torch light or the grill in the oven.

Caramelised Banana Chocolate Chia Pudding Recipe

Ingredients

½ cup milk

½ cup yoghurt

1/3 cup chia seeds

¼ cup cacao powder

3 tablespoon Soyamax

5 tablespoons coconut nectar or honey

1 large banana, thinly sliced

Coconut sugar

To decorate

Cinnamon powder

Coconut chips

Walnut

Honey

Method

1. In a medium-sized bowl, mix all ingredients, except for the banana and coconut sugar, with a whisk. Leave in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight.
2. Pour into a blender and mix until smooth. Divide into 4 ramekins.
3. Put banana slices on top. Sprinkle with coconut sugar. Caramelise with a torch light or grill in the oven for 3-4 minutes.
4. Refrigerate until cold.
5. Before serving, sprinkle with cinnamon powder, coconut chips, walnut and drizzle honey on top.

Written by Lismi Wong

The post Caramelised Banana Chia Pudding appeared first on Usana Health Sciences Organization.

Tahini is a Middle Eastern paste or spread made from ground sesame seeds. To my great surprise, Miso and tahini, although from different cuisines, complement each other really well.

Including buckwheat in this recipe means it is fulling enough to be a complete meal on its own. This dish contains a good amount of carbs, protein, good fats and fibre. Buckwheat provides various plant compounds and is richer in antioxidants than many common cereal grains. Despite its name, buckwheat is not a wheat, and is therefore gluten-free.

Ingredients

1 butternut squash

¼ cabbage

2 spring onion

½ onion

5 garlic cloves

3 tablespoons ginger

1 cup buckwheat groats

4 cups vegetable broth (or 4 cups water and 2 tablespoons vegetable stock)

3 tablespoons miso paste

3 tablespoons tahini

1 tablespoons sesame oil

White and black Sesame seeds

Method

1. Skin and de-seed the squash, then cut into chunks. Thinly slice cabbage and spring onion. Set aside.

2. Chop onion, garlic and ginger. Sauté in a big pan for five minutes or until fragrant. Add in buckwheat groats and fry for another 5 minutes.

3. Add in broth. Let it boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the squash and buckwheat is soft.

4. Add in miso paste, tahini and sesame oil. Mix thoroughly. Add in cabbage. Turn off the heat and leave on the stove with the lid on for 5 minutes.

5. Sprinkle with spring onion and sesame seeds.

Written by Lismi Wong

The post Miso-Tahini Squash Soup appeared first on Usana Health Sciences Organization.

Homemade parathas are much better than frozen. Well, it seems like I am going to cook Indian food more often now. I have also stocked up my spice rack with some Indian spices.

I made this dish using long skinny eggplants that you normally find in Asian grocery shops. They are seasonal and I thought I would use them instead of zucchinis. If you can’t find them, use zucchinis or replace with 1 big eggplant.

This dish is simple and requires no fancy spices. You can have it with basmati rice or any kind of roti. Go easy with roti though as it’s high in calories. As a guide, I suggest having 1/3 of the amount of rice you would normally have and a piece of roti. But if you have small roti, then feel free to have 2 pieces. I know I will!

Eggplant and Lentil Curry

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 large onion

10g fresh ginger

2 carrots

5-6 long skinny eggplants (can be substituted with zucchini or 1 regular eggplant)

2 tablespoons tomato paste/sauce

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon chili flakes

1 can tomatoes

1 can lentils

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Finely chop the onion and ginger. Dice the carrots and eggplants.
2. Fry the onion and ginger until fragrant in a big pan on medium heat. Add in the tomato paste and spices, then stir for 5 minutes. Add in the carrots, eggplants, canned tomatoes and lentils. Mix thoroughly. Let simmer for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to ensure even cooking. Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Written by Lismi Wong

The post Eggplant and Lentil Curry appeared first on Usana Health Sciences Organization.

I tweaked the recipe for zucchini noodles a bit to add an Asian flavour. I added pineapple chunks on the side and the flavours complement each other really well! The texture reminds me a bit of papaya salad, but the dressing is not as light and refreshing because I use coconut milk. If you want something that tastes lighter, you can ignore the coconut milk and use a fish sauce and water mixture to replace the coconut milk. You might also want to up the lime juice and use 3-4 limes instead.

I use toppings made up of a mixture of buckwheat and sunflower seeds, as that’s what I had at hand. I think fried shallots and peanuts will work really well too! If you love Asian salad, then that is the way to go! You can find fried shallots from Asian shops.

Enjoy!

Zucchini Noodles – Asian Style – Ingredients

5 zucchinis

2 carrots

½ fresh pineapple or 1 can pineapple chunks

1 large handful of herbs e.g. parsley, coriander and mint

Juice and zest of 2 limes

2 cloves of garlic

15g fresh ginger

1 tsp turmeric powder

250ml light coconut milk (or 2 tablespoons fish sauce)

1 tablespoon coconut oil

Pinch of coconut sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Topping Ingredients

½ cup mixture of buckwheat groats and sunflower seeds

OR

¹/₃ cup crushed peanuts and 2 tablespoon of fried shallots

Method

1. Slice zucchini and carrots thinly using either a spiralizer, mandolin or knife. Put them into a big bowl.
2. Cut the fresh pineapple into small chunks. If you are using canned pineapple, reserve the juice to replace the water for dressing later.
3. To make the dressing, zest the limes, chop the garlic and grate the ginger on a chopping board. Transfer into a medium glass jar (with a lid). Add in juice of limes, turmeric powder, coconut milk (or fish sauce) and oil. Add a pinch of coconut sugar, salt and pepper to taste.
4. Shake the jar thoroughly and pour the dressing over the salad. You can thin down the dressing using the reserved pineapple juice or water.

Written by Lismi Wong

The post Zucchini Noodles – Asian Style appeared first on Usana Health Sciences Organization.