Cooking healthily and eating well doesn’t have to be complicated, overly serious or even restrictive.
Social media star, cookbook author and fitness coach, suggests the secret to losing weight is all about eating more of the good stuff and whipping it up in delicious meals, cooked at home.
“Eat the right things at the right time and watch your body fat melt away,” Wicks says in episode two of The Body Coach, airing on SBS on Monday 3 September at 8.35pm.
Here are five rated ingredients from Wick’s weight loss recipes that feature in episode two.
Joe Wicks suggests the secret to losing weight is all about eating more of the good stuff. Source: Instagram
1. Eggs
Also referred to by Wicks as “heroes in a hard shell,” eggs are packed with healthy fats and proteins to keep you feeling fuller for longer.
“I love eggs,” Wicks says. “They contain 13 essential minerals and vitamins, including vitamin D for healthy bones. And they are cheap too.”
According to , eggs are a great source of healthy fats like omega-3 fats. that the cholesterol in eggs “has almost no effect on your blood cholesterol levels”. So you can eat up to six or seven eggs each week.
Also referred to by Wicks as “heroes in a hard shell,” eggs are packed with healthy fats and proteins to keep you feeling fuller for longer.
How to healthily hero eggs: Wicks cooks up egg and chorizo muffins to glorify this humble ingredient.
“Quick egg and chorizo muffins make a perfect snack and have reduced carbohydrates to give you lots of energy. They also taste just as good cold [as they do warm] the next day.”
2. Onions
Onions may be one of the most overlooked ingredients in your kitchen now but back in onions were worshiped and used in burial rituals.
Onions have also been used widely throughout the globe, from Iran to China to Rome, for
“The humble onion will add flavour to any savoury dish,” Wicks says in episode two of the show. “Now don’t cry – it has appealing properties. It’s great for those aching joints, even if you are feeling anti-exercise. [Onions also contain] quercetin, an antioxidant with anti-fungal and anti-inflammation properties.”
The humble onion will add flavour to any savoury dish.
How to healthily hero onions: Onions come in a variety of shapes and colours, from red to brown to white and can be used in a host of ways.
Wicks decides to use a red onion to make a ‘bad boy burrito, which he says can be eaten after an exercise session. “When you’ve worked up a sweat, the reward is really worth it. Packed with healthy fats, protein and carbs, there’s nothing better than my bad boy burrito.”
3. Broccoli
“Broccoli is the business. Tasty raw or cooked, its antioxidants can lower cholesterol and help fight off disease.
“It’s packed with fibre and high in vitamin C. It’s [also] a good booster for your immune system. What’s not to love?”
Broccoli is the business.
How to healthily hero broccoli: Wicks whips up a smoking superfood harissa salad on the show. This dish features broccoli, lentils, chickpeas, quinoa and grilled avocado. It's dressed with orange juice, apple cider vinegar and the hot chilli paste, harissa.
4. Cauliflower
“Often overshadowed by its green cousin broccoli, cauliflower is pretty cool too,” Wicks adds.
“Packed with vitamins and antioxidants, it contains a nifty vitamin – choline, [which is] thought to improve long-term memory, and vitamin K that can help improve your bone health.”
How to healthily hero cauliflower: A cauliflower rice is a healthy side dish to compliment most protein-based meals. Wicks serves it alongside chicken Kiev. To make it, he blitzes the cauliflower until it bears a couscous texture. Then he cooks it up in a pan coated with coconut oil.
5. Raspberries
Raspberries, when bought in season or purchased frozen can be very cost efficient, as they can be used in so many different recipes. The tiny berry is also bursting with health benefits.
"They are high in fibre to help your digestion," says Wicks. “Just one cup full of raspberries will give you half your RDA (recommended daily amount) of vitamin C. Raspberries also contain flavonoids, which can help to lower glucose levels. Now that’s what I call a lean mean berry."
How to healthily hero raspberries: Make Wick’s clafoutis – a French baked desert of fruit – using raspberries and oats, substituting Greek yoghurt and honey for double cream and refined sugar.
The new three-part series, , premieres on SBS on Monday 27 August at 8.35pm and continues each Monday at the same time thereafter. Watch all the episodes after broadcast on Episode one is available to stream below.
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