Category: Recipes

How to gain weight with Macadamia butter.

Macadamia nuts

Macadamia trees are currently grown in various parts of the world, including Kenya, Costa Rica, Malawi, South Africa and New Zealand, but originating in Australia.

Macadamia nuts, like most other nuts, are rich in nutrients and useful compounds. They are also associated with various advantages, including enhanced digestion, heart health, weight management, and control of blood sugar.

Macadamia nuts contain high levels of healthy fats and may help those who try to lose or gain weight. A macadamia nuts serving also contains dietary fiber, protein, manganese, thiamine, and a good amount of copper.

Can Macadamia Butter Make You Gain Weight?

If you’re under a healthy body weight, it can be difficult to add on some pounds. A common— and wise— tip for weight gain is to eat calorie-dense foods in small portions that provide a large amount of nutrients.

Macadamia butter is indeed an ideal candidate, with 90 calories per tablespoon. Search for every opportunity to fit it into your diet to gain weight with macadamia butter.

Consuming many small healthy meals all day long keeps your body supplied with a constant fuel source. Adding just 1 tablespoon of macadamia butter per meal to a six-meal-a-day diet adds more than 500 calories to your daily intake of calories. In hot cereals, mix macadamia butter, spread on fruits among other examples.

How to eat macadamia butter?

Smoothies

Drinking calories is a simple way to sneak into more weight gain before or after your meals. Make smoothies for a nutrient-rich drink with fresh fruit or vegetables, some frozen yogurt or ice, and a generous helping of macadamia butter. The macadamia butter adds up and goes well with most smoothie flavors. Mix frozen yogurt, rolled oats and a few servings of macadamia butter for the main flavor for a macadamia-based smoothie.

Homemade ice cream.

Of course, adding macadamia butter can improve your meal’s calories— but why not use it to make a tasty and healthy snack?
Simply mix frozen diced avocado with a heaping macadamia butter scoop in a blender until smooth and serve! Add even more calories by mixing warm macadamia butter with a fair amount of coconut oil and a spoon of cocoa powder for a “Macadamia butter cup” sauce.

Pre- and post-exercises.

Strength training and cardiovascular exercise will help you gain weight and stimulate your appetite through muscle bulking. It’s the perfect time to have a serving of macadamia butter after an intense workout. The protein helps rebuild fibers in your muscles, increasing their size, strength, and overall weight as they heal. Before exercising, eating macadamia butter is also beneficial, as its carbohydrates provide energy for your body.

How to add macadamia butter to your diet

Macadamia butter is a healthful option when enjoyed as part of a balanced diet.

Eating more macadamia butter is easy. Sometimes, it can be too easy — so be sure to be mindful of your intake to avoid eating more calories than you may need in a day. Remember 2 tbsp of macadamia butter is close to 200 calories.

People can include macadamia butter in their diets by:

  • Making a classic macadamia butter and jelly sandwich, using whole fruit, low sugar jelly, and whole-grain bread.
  • Spreading macadamia butter on rice cakes and top with banana slices.
  • Whipping up a macadamia dressing for salads, using lime juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and honey.
  • Adding a spoonful of the nut butter to smoothies to make them more filling.
  • Dipping apple or pear slices into macadamia or peanut butter for an easy snack.
  • Stirring macadamia butter into yogurts or warm oatmeal.

A few macadamia Snack Recipes you can try.

Crunchy Macadamia Butter Cookies

Macadamia butter cookies.

Makes 24

1 cup crunchy Macadamia butter, preferably organic
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract

  • Heat oven to 350°F.
  • Grease several large baking sheets with cooking spray or margarine.
  • Mix Macadamia butter, flour, baking soda, brown sugar and ¼ tsp salt in bowl.
  • Add the lightly beaten egg and vanilla extract and beat until smooth.
  • Shape the dough into 24 balls and arrange on prepared pans. Dip tines of a fork into flour and gently press a crisscross pattern into top of each cookie.
  • Bake until lightly browned on bottom, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool.
  • Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Chocolate Chunk Macadamia Butter Cookies.

Makes 30

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil spread
1/4 c crunchy Macadamia butter, preferably organic
1/8 tsp salt
1  egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 oz semisweet baking chocolate, broken into 30 small chunks

  • Heat qoven to 350ºF. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment.
  • Mix sugar, spread, Macadamia butter, egg yolk, and vanilla in large bowl and mix until well combined.
  • In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and 1/8 tsp salt.
  • Add to Macadamia butter mixture and stir until well combined.
  • Divide dough into 30 cookies, using 1 generous tsp per cookie, and place on baking sheets.
  • Gently press each of the cookie down with your finger tips until slightly bigger than a quarter and about 1/4 inch thick.
  • Bake until golden brown 10 to 12 minutes.
  • Remove your cookies from the oven and immediately press a chocolate chunk at the center of each.
  • Cool completely on baking sheet or chill 15 minutes to firm chocolate.

Chocolate–Macadamia Butter Shake

Serves 2

1 cup whole milk or soy milk
1 envelope (3/4 oz)
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp Macadamia butter, preferably organic
1 1/2 cup ice cubes

Blend milk, shake mix, and cocoa in blender. Process to mix well.

Add macadamia butter and ice and blend until smooth and frosty. Serve in to 2 glasses.na

Summary

Macadamia butter can be a healthful option just like peañut butter when people enjoy it as part of a balanced diet. It is rich in a multitude of nutrients including protein and magnesium that can assist safeguard the heart and handle sugar in the blood and body weight.

However, eating too much macadamia butter can increase a person’s daily intake of saturated fat, sodium, and calories

Those who have a  macadamia or peanut allergy should avoid these butter as it could trigger a potentially deadly reaction.

Continue reading “How to gain weight with Macadamia butter.” →

6 smoothies for Better and Faster Healthy Weight Gain.

Let’s understand weight gain.

Healthy weight gain is an increase in weight. This may require a rise in muscle mass, deposits of fat, surplus liquids like water or other variables.

Putting on weight may be necessary for a person who is underweight. It may also be a measurable goal for someone who is aiming to build muscle.

Generally, eating more calories than the body burns will lead to weight gain. The calorie intake necessary to achieve this will vary from person to person.

As a guide, simply eating 300–500 calories more than the body burns on a regular basis is generally adequate for constant weight gain. For faster weight gain, a individual may need to eat up to 1,000 calories more per day.

Many people inaccurately estimate the number of calories they consume each day. It can be useful to keep track of daily calorie intake over a period of 2–3 weeks. This can assist a individual know how to modify their diet in order to gain enough weight. Several internet applications are accessible that can help with calorie monitoring.

How to safely add weight.

Eating more often is one of the best ways to put on weight safely. Try to eat at least six smaller meals instead of eating two or three big meals during the day. It is particularly essential to begin doing this for individuals who eat just once or twice a day. Using distinct sauces, condiments and spices to create these meals as delicious as possible is a good idea to assist you eat as much as you can. As liquid can fill your stomach and suppress your appetite, make sure you don’t drink water or anything else before meals. It should be noted that your meals should consist of ingredients rich in nutrients. There’s a good chance you don’t get enough nutrients into your body if you’re underweight.

Some of the best foods you can eat include high-protein foods including fish, nuts, seeds, dairy products. Keep in mind that protein is the most significant nutrient for weight gain. Remember to include fruits, some carbohydrates and vegetables to make your meals balances.Most of the additional calories you eat would end up as body fat without this Macro- nutrient -Protein.That’s precisely why if you want to put on some weight, it’s not a good idea to eat junk food.

But just because protein is good for you, it doesn’t imply you should only eat foods with a high macronutrient content. Note that you should not eat more than one gram of protein a day per pound of body weight.

You may reduce your appetite by significantly increasing your protein intake, which is something you don’t really want to do when you are trying to add some healthy weight. You should, of course, aim to obtain 50% of your total calories from carbohydrates

How High-Calorie Smoothies can cover up for extra calories.

Sometimes it can be extremely difficult to eat five to six meals daily when you have issues with your appetite. This is the sole reason why you should start drinking smoothies to gain weight more easily. Instead of drinking soft drinks that don’t contain a lot of nutrients,simply prepare a high-calorie smoothie that is both nutritious and easy to consume.

Foods you can incorporate in your smoothies.

  • Nuts– Cashew nuts, ground nuts, almond are among nuts that contain a lot of good fats, which also translates into calories. Some nuts are higher in energy than others. Most nuts also have a decent fiber content, including almonds. To get their benefits, you can blend or mix these nuts in your smoothies or use nut butters like almond butter or peanut butter.
  • Avocado– They are highly nutritious fruits which contain a lot of potassium, high fibre and good fat.Since its creamy it can blend well with other foods to make nutritious smoothies.
  • Bananas– Bananas are sweet and nutritious too and readily available. Blend in smoothies or eat whole with other snacks to add up some pounds.
  • Nut butters– Are a spreadable foodstuff made by grinding nuts into a paste eg almond or peanut butters. You can blend this butters with fruits or dairy products to make calorie dense smoothies.
  • Seeds– Some great choices include chia seeds,flax seeds and hemp seeds which are high in proteins and easily blend well in smoothies.
  • Dairy products– Milk and yoghurt are examples that are readily available and high in calories.

TIPS.

Calories and nutrition.

Substitute non-fat milk for the whole milk. These drinks can be useful to dieters, too. Fruit based Smoothie and yogurt are well suited as breakfast stand-ins.

The use of yogurt instead of milk gives the drinks more body so they are more apt to hold you over until lunch time. Use nonfat plain yogurt to cut down on calories, and skip the sugar

Use ice milk where ice cream is required since it is a good alternative. The milk fat in the former ranges from 2% to about 7% by weight according to the federal standards whereas the milk fat content of whole milk ice cream ranges from 8% to a whopping 14%.

Below are some simple recipes you can try.

1.Banana-strawberry, Peanut Butter Smoothie

Ingredients

  • 1 Small ripe banana
  • 3 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup cold milk
  • 1/2 cup yoghurt
  • 5 frozen strawberries

Preparation.

Blend the peeled banana,strawberries, milk, peanut butter and yoghurt until smooth.

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Banana-strawberry peanut butter smoothie.

2.Carrot- Peanut Butter Smoothie.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups milk
  • 1/3 cup peanut butter
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 2 tablespoons sugar

Preparation

Wash your carrots, chop then cook your carrots in a sauce pan for around 15 mins. Place the drained carrots in a blender, add a small amount of milk and the peanut butter. Add remaining milk and sugar and mix well. Chill and stir before serving. Makes 2 servings.

PER SERVING: 456 calories; 19 gm protein; 32 gm carbohydrate; 30 gm fat; 380 mg sodium; 619 mg potassium. USRDA Protein 30% Riboflavin 27% Vitamin A 07% Niacin 32% Vitamin C 04% Calcium 31% Thiamine 08% Iron 04%

Carrot smoothie with peanut butter and milk.

3. Wheat germ- pineapple Smoothie.

Ingredients

  • cup wheat germ
  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • 1 cup strawberries
  • 1/2 cup canned pineapple juice
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparation.

Combine wheat germ, yogurt, strawberries, pineapple juice, sugar and salt in blender container and process
until blended and smooth. Makes about 2 servings.

PER SERVING: 211 calories; 8 gm protein; 39 gm carbohydrate; 4 gm fat; 198 mg sodium; 491 mg potassium. USRDA Protein 13% Riboflavin 21% Vitamin A 03% Niacin 07% Vitamin C 87% Calcium 17% Thiamine 21% Iron 11%

Wheat germ pineapple smoothie with strawberries.

4.Apricot-honey Milk.

Ingredients.

  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1 2/3 cups orange juice
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1 cup non-fat dry milk powder
  • 2 (12-ounce) cans apricot nectar
  • Nutmeg
  • 6 cinnamon sticks

Preparation

Beat eggs with honey.
Blend in the orange and lemon juices.
Stir milk powder into apricot nectar and add to egg
mixture. Beat until foamy.
Chill and beat again before serving.
Serve with a sprinkle of nutmeg and cinnamon stick stirrers.

Nutritious Apricot smoothie with milk and honey.

5.Avocado Chocolate Smoothie.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 an Avocado
  • 1 cup nut milk e.g almond milk
  • 3 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1 tbsp cocoa powder
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon

Preparation.

Put all your ingredients in a blender, blend until you get a creamy consistency.

Avocado smoothie with chocolate.

6.Banana Peanut butter smoothie.

Ingredients

  • 2 zmedium ripe bananas,
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter,
  • Almond milk or whole milk.

Preparation.

Peel the bananas and chop them. Add milk into a blender, the bananas and the peanut butter. Blend until smooth.

Conclusion.

Just as weight loss can be tasking, so is weight gain. Smoothies are a great way of piling up on the extra pounds you need. This drinks are nutritious and easy to digest and is the reason why you should try them.

Enjoy the taste of these incredibly delicious fruit smoothies packed with the punch of great health that will help you achieve your goals of weight gain.

5 unique high calorie breakfasts for your little superheroes.

When planning out healthy meals, it’s important for you to consider options that will not only taste good, but also supply energy and satisfying proteins.

Countless studies have hailed the breakfast as the most important meal of the day and the Public Health Agency goes on further by saying it improves concentration in school and wards off the urge, for all ages, to turn to quick-fix unhealthy snack mid-morning.

Other research states that those who eat a healthy breakfast are more likely to reach their nutrient targets throughout the day and consume less calories but when the standard cereal and toast isn’t tempting your little ones to eat up before the school run, you can make these five alternativesl that will keep them on their toes throughout the day.

1.OATMEAL,RAISIN, YOGURT PANCAKES

Oatmeal pancakes

Healthy Pancakes mixed with oatmeal, yogurt, banana and an egg! Easy to prepare, its filling and rich in protein!

Ingredients

1/2 cup oats
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
500ml vanilla yogurt
1 medium ripe banana
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/3 cup raisins, plus more for serving

Preparation time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 5 mins
Total time: 20 mins

Cooking Instructions

  • Put all ingredients except the raisins into a bowl; mix until smooth. You can blend if you choose to.
  • You may need to add a teaspoon or two of almond milk if batter is way too thick.
  • Set batter aside to thicken up for a few minutes.
  • If batter is too thin, add a tablespoon or two more of oats and mix again.
  • Lightly coat a large non-stick skillet or griddle with butter and heat over medium low heat.
  • Drop batter by 1/4 cup onto non stick frying pan and spread it with the back of a spoon to increase its diameter. Add a few raisins on top.
  • Cook until bubbles appear on top.
  • Turn the pancakes and let it cook until golden brown on underside. Wipe skillet clean and repeat with more cooking spray and remaining batter.

2. SPECIAL FLAKES

I love this breakfast because covers grains, protein and fruit in one tempting little dish that comes cleverly disguised as a dessert!

Fibre-rich and full of vitamin C, K and E as well as B vitamins and more, this raspberry breakfast packs a healthy punch.

Ingredients

150 g Raspberries
150 g Strawberries- hulled and quartered
1 pinch Caster Sugar
0.5 whole Lemon juice only
400 g Low Fat Yogurt
60 g Special Flakes Red Fruit

Special Flakes Eton Mess Pots

Preparation time: 10 Min.
Extra time information:
30 more minutes resting

If you prefer to serve them for breakfast or as a healthy dessert, these beautiful pots will taste as good as they look. If you’d rather exclude the sugar try exchanging the fresh fruit for frozen, leaving it to defrost and soften before mashing. 

Cooking Instructions

  • Add the raspberries, caster sugar , strawberries & lemon juice to a bowl.
  • Stir to combine then leave to stand for some 30 minutes.
  • After 30 minutes, crush the mixture with a fork.
  • Layer the fruit, yogurt and cereal into glasses and enjoy, or chill until ready to serve.

3. HIDDEN SEEDED TREAT-EXOTIC TRAIL MIX CLUSTERS

This Exotic Trail Mix Clusters, using its Multigrain cereal, cram in dried mango packed with Vitamin B for boosting energy, dried pineapple and mixed seeds which are an excellent source of fibre and good fats.

These clever little Clusters make for a great sweet treat for those mornings when you need a little pick me up.

Ingredients

40 g Pineapples- dried and chopped
40 g Mango- dried and chopped
30 g Mixed Seeds
25 g Multigrain cereals.
100 g Caster Sugar
100 g White chocolate broken
Cooking Instructions

Cooking time: 30 Min.
Additional time information:
Plus setting

Cooking Instructions

These fruity trail mix clusters are perfect for those days when you need a sweet treat to lift your spirits. Packed with dried fruit, seeds and our multigrain hoops, they’re finished off with a coating of silky white chocolate.    

  • Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
  • Combine the pineapple, mango, seeds and hoops in a bowl and stir to combine.
  • Place a frying pan over a medium-low heat and add the sugar to melt. Don’t be tempted to stir the sugar, simply tilt the pan from side to side to help it melt evenly.
  • Once melted, quickly tip the cereal mix into the melted sugar along with 1tsp water and quickly stir to coat – don’t let the sugar brown.
  • Tip the coated cereal mix out onto the prepared baking sheet and spread out slightly and allow to cool completely.
  • Once cool, break it up into small bite-size pieces.
  • Melt the chocolate over a pan of simmering water.
  • Carefully dip the base of each cluster into the chocolate and return to the tray.
  • Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

4. THE OVERNIGHT JOB

Fruit and Fibre Overnight Pots are a novel way of presenting the traditional breakfast cereal while bunging in some vitamin-boosting shredded apple and natural yoghurt.

Make up the night before to save time in the morning and serve up in individual pots.

Ingredients

2 whole Green Apples
1 tsp Lemon Juice
125 g Fruit and Fibre Flakes
125 ml Cloudy Apple Juice
175 ml Milk
plus extra to loosen, if necessary
350 g Greek style natural yogurt
100 g Blueberries
Honey to serve (optional)

Cooking time: 15 Min.
Additional time information:
Plus soaking overnight

Cooking Instructions

Fruit and fibre overnight pots 

  • Coarsely grate one apple and toss with the lemon juice to prevent browning.
  • Add the cereal to a large food bag, seal and bash with a rolling pin to form chunky crumbs.
  • Tip the crushed cereal into a bowl and stir in the grated apple, apple juice, 175ml milk and 150g yogurt until combined.
  • Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  •  In the morning loosen the cereal with a little milk (if necessary) and divide between 4 pots or bowls then top with the yogurt.
  • Finely slice the remaining apple and arrange over the top with the berries.
  • Finish with a drizzle of honey and serve. 

Tip: Give yourself a little extra time in the morning by making these handy breakfast pots the night before, which are a twist on overnight oats using Flakes Fruit and Fibre. Add variety throughout the year by swapping the blueberries for your favourite seasonal fruit. 

5. PIZZA?

We know it sounds ridiculous but when you swap the ingredients for breakfast-friendly food groups, Bran Flake, almond and cashew fruit pizza is the ticket.

This is one for the parents with a bit more time to indulge in.

Ingredients

65 g Almonds
60 g Cashew Nuts
120 g Bran Flakes
120 g Date roughly chopped
60 g Coconut Oil
2 tbsp Honey
200 g Greek Yogurt

Cooking time: 20 Min.
Additional time information:
Plus chilling

Bran flakes, almond and cashew fruit breakfast pizza 

Cooking Instructions

This healthy, sweet breakfast pizza is a great way of getting the whole family to eat more fruit, although it looks good enough to serve at a special brunch too.

  • Add the almonds, cashews and Bran Flakes to a food processor and blitz until roughly broken.
  • Add the dates, coconut oil and 1 tbsp honey and blitz again until the mixture clumps together.
  • Press the cereal mixture into a 20cm round loose bottomed tart tin and level with a spatula.
  • Pop in the fridge to chill for 2 hours, or until set.
  • To serve, spoon the yoghurt evenly over the base, leaving a 1cm border.
  • Decorate with fruit of your choice, mint leaves and a drizzle with remaining honey, slicing into even pieces before serving.Add colorful mixed fruit and berries to garnish and mint sprigs if desired.

Tip: Prep the bran flake base the night before and serve in slices in the morning with a centre piece of fruit toppings and yoghurt.
For extra fun, serve the fruit in the centre of the table and let everyone load up their own slice.

6. GREEN EGGS

Green eggs

It’s a firm favourite with the health-focussed eater and there’s no reason why the avocado and egg on toasted bread dish can’t please a younger audience.

Avocado and eggs are great brain foods and packed with protein which keeps your little ones fuller for longer.

Ingredients

1 large Avocado (whole)
1/2 half Lime
1 pinch Salt
1 pinch Pepper
1 splash Olive Oil
2 slices Whole Bread
1/2 tsps Paprika
1/2 sticks Spring Onion/ coriander leaves.
2 Eggs
1/2 tsp Sesame Seeds

Cooking Instructions

Preparation time: 15 Min.

  • Cut the avocado into 2 halves and remove the stone.
  • Remove the flesh from the skin into a bowl.
  • Add the juice of one lime, and a pinch of salt and pepper
  • Mash the avocado. You can use the back of a fork.
  • Put some water in a pot on fire and boil your eggs to your feel( approximately 15mins). You can also choose to break your eggs and fry them as you please.
  • Meanwhile, toast the two slices of bread. Apply the smashed avocado onto the two slices of toast.
  • Mix 2 tablespoons of olive oil with half a teaspoon of paprika and half a teaspoon of sesame seeds.
  • Peel you eggs and slice them into 2 halves and place on top of the toast with avocado. Sprinkle the paprika and sesame seed oil on the fried egg.
  • Top with the finely sliced spring onions or coriander leaves.