tasty – Jazzy B Fit

Vegan Biscoff Tiffin

September 9, 2018 jazzybfit

OH. MY. probably the best tiffin I have ever tasted! First of all, I should really explain what Tiffin is, as I was unaware of how many people hadn’t heard of it before! It is a dessert typically made from crushed biscuits, golden syrup, raisins, and chocolate. I think the texture is what makes tiffin so unique as it melts in the mouth, but you also get a juicy burst of flavour from the raisins and a sweet crunch from the biscuits.

Tiffin is one of my favourite things to make because it is hassle-free, and doesn’t require lots of ingredients. It’s one of those desserts that you can guarantee will go down a treat!

I’m collaborating with the lovely Blogtastic food to vegan-ify some classic desserts and sweet treats, and so naturally I wanted to put a vegan spin on one of my favourites. This tiffin is made using Biscoff (yes, they’re actually vegan!), and I think it only adds to the flavour! Sometimes tiffin can be quite rich, but I find with the addition of biscoff biscuits it balances out the sweetness from the chocolate.

When I shared this with family and friends, I didn’t tell anyone that it was vegan. I think people always expect to taste a difference between vegan and non-vegan desserts, but with this tiffin, you really can’t! I was actually told it tasted better!

Ingredients:

(makes 9 squares)

4.5 tbsp of agave nectar
150g of unsalted butter (I used dairy free flora)
250g of vegan chocolate (put 50g aside)
50g of white chocolate
250g of biscoff biscuits, 100g put aside
150g rich tea biscuits

Method:

Measure out all your ingredients beforehand and line a square tin with greaseproof paper or cling film (I used clingfilm) with enough to overhang the tin.
Place a glass bowl over a barely simmering pan of hot water and add the 200g of chocolate, butter, and agave nectar until melted. Leave to cool for 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, crush the biscuits in a food bag until there are no large pieces of biscuits left.
In a separate bowl add all the dry ingredients (raisins, rich tea biscuits, biscoff, and remaining chocolate, broken into pieces) and mix.
Once the chocolate has cooled, gradually add the dry mix, until it starts to come together.
Spoon into a square tin, and pack the mixture down with the back of a spoon, then leave to chill in the fridge for 2 hours.
Melt the remaining milk chocolate to coat the top of the tiffin, then once completely set, repeat for the white chocolate and drizzle all over.

In terms of storing the Tiffin, this all comes down to preference! If you like a bit of bite to your tiffin store it in the fridge, but otherwise, it’s perfectly fine out of the fridge. To serve, I crumbled biscoff on top and topped with raspberries, but you could also serve with a scoop of ice cream.

For more vegan dessert inspo be sure to check out this lemony goodness! Hope you like this recipe,

Jazzy B ❤

Foodie Finds – June 2018

June 30, 2018June 30, 2018 jazzybfit

Thank you, UK for actually giving us a nice summer this year! This is the first summer that I’m actually thankful that I’ve booked a holiday for later in the year, so to make the most of this lovely weather! Overall, June has been a pretty good month…and not a bad football score either (not including the recent match… still all to play for yet! :’)). Also, I’m currently on my summer break from uni, so stay tuned for some interesting blog posts. Let’s get into this months foodie finds…

1) Livias Kitchen Nugglets

Probably my favourite Livias kitchen product that I’ve tried! I love the raw chocolatey flavour that they have and that they have no refined sugars in them. They are coated in chocolate also, making them so tasty. I would definitely give them a go if you are looking for a healthier alternative to satisfy your sweet cravings! If you’re looking to buy these, I got mine from Sainsbury’s, but Boots also sell them.

2) Tesco Naan Crackers

I am so obsessed with these things, and I’m not sure why as they aren’t exactly anything special :’) They literally are crackers that taste like Naan bread…I think it’s because I love the flavours of Indian cuisine (especially naan bread) so these were bound to be a winner from the start. I have tried both the multiseed naan crackers and the tandori crackers and both are divine. For £1.35 I would give them a go, and see if you become as obsessed as I am :’)

3) Pikelets

I had never heard of these before and had to give them a try. They are a cross between a pancake and a crumpet but taste more savoury than a pancake with the texture of a crumpet. Overall, I’d say they are very plain tasting but the concept is novel!

4) Hartleys Cloudy Jelly

I saw these in Tesco and as the flavours sounded different I wanted to try them out! I picked up the raspberry lemonade and the elderflower lemonade flavours. My favourite flavour was definitely the elderflower one as it wasn’t too sweet, but both make perfect summery flavours.

Thank you for reading,

Jazzy B ❤

Blog

Foodie Finds – May 2018

May 31, 2018May 27, 2018 jazzybfit

Where is this year going?! It is crazy to think I have nearly finished my second year at uni! With that being said, I am more than ready to have a break! :’) I managed to find some unusual treats this month such as Mochi, cacao nibs, and edamame pasta. Here are my foodie finds for May;

1) Bulkpowders Chocolate Orange Cookie

Yum. This is a soft protein cookie, containing over 27g of protein, that tastes so good! I love the chocolate and orange combo so this was bound to be a winner for me, but if that’s not your thing they also do a white chocolate and raspberry cookie. If you like soft cookies, you will love this. It costs £2.49 for one cookie, and although this may seem a bit pricey you do get a lot of protein for that…think of the macros! 😉

2) Sunwave Mochi Assortment

I first had Mochi ay Yosushi! and I honestly loved it so much I had to get some more. I actually bought this from Amazon (Here is the link if you’re curious ;)). The flavours here were red bean, peanut, and sesame.

Although this isn’t as nice as fresh Mochi, it still resembles it very well. I think I like this so much because it is the weirdest food I have ever had as the texture is so strange and chewy! Mochi is a soft ball of ground rice which is typically filled with a red or black bean centre and dusted with either cocoa powder, matcha powder, or potato starch. It originates from Japan, where they value the texture just as much as the flavour, which is what makes it so unique!

3) Bulkpowders Wholemeal and Oat Bagel

I love this idea of a high-protein carb, as it makes post-workout snacks so much easier! You get four in a pack, which costs £3.49, and each bagel has over 21g of protein. However, they are quite dry if you were to eat them without toasting them and topping them with something tasty. Nonetheless, I would get them again just because it makes life easier! I topped my bagel with almond butter, banana slices, desiccated coconut and cacao nibs.

4) Livias Kitchen Raw Millionaire Bites

These are so dreamy! They are chocolate orange flavoured mini brownies, with an oat base, a date ‘caramel’ centre and are topped with a raw chocolate brownie. Healthy alternatives to unhealthy treats are the best, especially when they taste as good as this. You get three in a pack, and although they are quite small they are very rich and so this makes them perfect to satisfy your sweet cravings!

5) Edamame Pasta

I actually posted a recipe for this last week using mackerel, olives, tomatoes, and lots of others yummy ingredients. If you want to check that out, I’ll link it here. You can get this spaghetti virtually anywhere now such as Holland & Barrett, Tesco, and Aldi (where I get mine from costing £1.99). It’s so versatile you can literally sub it for pasta if you’re looking to up the protein and lower the carbs of any dish. Other kinds of spaghetti similar to this include soybean and black bean, which both taste equally as good!

6) Bulkpowders Organic Cacao Nibs

I promise this post isn’t sponsored by Bulkpowders…they just had a very good sale on at the time I placed my order :’). Although they do sound a lot like cow nips, these are actually a raw, chocolate superfood. They come from the seeds of the fruit of the cacao tree. In terms of antioxidants, they have more than green tea, blueberries, and goji berries also, they are rich in sulfur and magnesium. A lot of people get confused between cocoa and cacao, so to clarify cacao is a more natural form of the cacao bean, that undergoes less processing than cocoa which dramatically increases the nutritional benefits. So cacao nibs are just one form that cacao beans can take. I will top my porridge with them or add them to Greek yoghurt for an intense chocolate hit.

Thank you for reading,

Jazzy B ❤

Dinner, Recipies

Edamame Pasta Dish

May 26, 2018 jazzybfit

I’ve recently become so obsessed with using pasta alternatives such as edamame or black bean spaghetti! I prefer it to whole wheat spaghetti, as it actually offers nutritional benefits such as 22g of protein per 50g (amazing!) plus it’s also lower in carbohydrates, with only 16g per 100g. Also, it is gluten-free, vegan, and a great source of fiber! Basically, I have come to love the stuff and so I really wanted to share a yummy recipe with you all so you could give it a go too!

This dish is one of my absolute favourites to make because it is quick, simple, and budget-friendly. You can find the pasta alternative in most supermarkets such as Aldi and Tesco, if not you can buy it online from Holland & Barrett.

Ingredients:

Edamame or black bean spaghetti
Tinned mackerel in tomato sauce
Sundried tomatoes
Fresh tomatoes
Red or white onions (diced)
Garlic
paprika
Salt
Black pepper
Cayenne pepper
Basil (fresh)
Olives
Spinach

Method:

In a frying pan sauté the onions for a few minutes, then add the fresh tomatoes and fry for a further two minutes
Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to the boil and add the spaghetti (this cooks very quickly, and so it should only take between 5-8 minutes
Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to to the frying pan
turn the heat down to a lower setting, and add all other remaining ingredients and spices
Serve and enjoy!

(I also added mushrooms and mangetout to my dish!)

Macros:

319 calories (per serving, sharing the mackerel between two dishes)
14.9g carbs
10.2g Fat
31.9g protein

You can also add any other veggies to this dish such as broccoli or top the dish with avocado, which also works really well. I hope you enjoy this healthy pasta dish,

Jazzy B ❤

Blog

Foodie Finds – April 2018

April 29, 2018April 29, 2018 jazzybfit

April saw sunny weather, my first cheerleading competition, and lots and lots of uni deadlines. But, I still managed to find lots of goodies for you this month…definitely, a chocolatey theme going on this month! ❤

1) Tesco Dark Chocolate and Peanut Bar

This makes the perfect on-the-go snack and is also a great post-workout snack due to the high-ish protein content from the peanuts. Compared to other cereal bars, this one is good in terms of sugar, containing less than 7g per bar. The flavour is really nice if you like that peanut and dark chocolate combo (which I definitely do), but it is very chewy.

2) Tetley Mango and Passion Fruit Green Tea

I love finding new summery flavours of green tea. I’ve tried so many but thought this flavour duo was quite novel. In all honesty, this just tastes like fruity green tea, nothing too special. However, it still makes a nice alternative to ordinary green tea.

3) Siro Sugar-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Amazing. I love that companies are coming out with more sugar-free alternatives, especially with things that you would least expect such as this! Considering they have no refined sugars in, I think they taste incredible. I love to crumble one on my porridge in the mornings as they are so good. I highly recommend these!

4) Rhythm 108 Praline Bar

I’m always on the lookout for healthier alternatives to chocolate, and this one certainly comes close. It contains 47% less sugar than your average chocolate, it’s also vegan, gluten-free, organic…basically everyone can eat this! I couldn’t taste the difference between this and a normal chocolate bar, seriously good!

5) Doisy & Dam Chocolate Snaps

Definitely saving the best for last. Wow. I know there has been a lot of hype about their chocolate, but I thought it was just another fancy dark chocolate brand filling the shelves. Most definitely not! I love their creative flavour combinations, this one was maple, pink salt, and toasted rice – honestly one of the best dark chocolates I’ve ever had. I will be getting another lot soon, as I ate this pretty quickly. Plus the packaging is so pretty too. Please give this a go!

Thank you for reading,

Jazzy B ❤

Blog

The Impact of Diet on Mental Health

April 21, 2018 jazzybfit

Yes, food really does affect your mood.

When you think about what effects your mental health, the typical answers are stress, self-esteem, and relationship issues, to name but a few, however, we often underestimate the impact that food has on our mental health. When you consider the science behind it and the growing evidence that food has a greater effect on our mental health than we give credit for, I think we could all check what we are fuelling our bodies with.

There is no doubt that what we eat has an impact on our mental health, this link has been proven repeatedly. A review of studies looking into the issue of diet and mental health found that regular consumption of a Western diet (a diet consisting of highly processed and sugary foods) increased the risk of depression (O’Neil et al., 2014). Moreover, a poor diet is proven to impact biological mechanisms that are commonly associated with depression such as impacting the immune system and altering the levels of certain brain proteins potentially leading to depressive symptoms (O’Neil et al., 2014). This further strengthens the link between diet and mental health.

Moreover, some of the factors that contribute to poor mental health, such as stress, have been proven to influence food preferences. For example, a study by Kandiah, Yake, and Meyer (2006) found that when participants were not exposed to stress they made healthy dietary choices 80% of the time compared to when participants were exposed to stress, which they made healthy food choices only 33% of the time. This highlights an issue, the fact that something like stress can lead to poor mental health, yet when we experience stress we tend to eat unhealthier options, also negatively impacting our mental health. Therefore, healthier dietary choices could break this cycle as evidenced by Ansari, Adetunji, and Oskrochi (2014) who found that when fruit and vegetables weren’t consumed on a regular basis, there was a greater association with experiencing more depressive symptoms for both males and females.

Although there is little research on a diet that has been proven to reduce the likelihood of depressive symptoms and promote better mental health, there have been studies conducted on specific foods. For example, the following foods have all been linked to better mental health when in their raw form; carrots, bananas, apples, dark leafy greens like spinach, grapefruit, lettuce, citrus fruits, fresh berries, cucumber, and kiwifruit (Brookie, Best & Conner, 2018).

I hope you found this an interesting read,

Jazzy B ❤

References:

Kandiah, J., Yake, M., & Meyer, M. (2006). Stress influences appetite and comfort food preferences in college women. Nutrition Research, 28(1), 118-123. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nutres.2005.11.010

Ansari, W.E, Adetunji, H., Oskrochi, R. (2014). Food and mental health: Relationship between food and perceived stress and depressive symptoms among university students in the United Kingdom. Central European Journal of Public Health, 22(2), 90-97.

O’Neil, A., Quirk, S.E., Houseden, S., Brennan, S.L., Williams, L.J., Pasco, J.A., Berk, M., & Jacka, F.N.(2014). Relationship between diet and mental health in children and adolescents: A Systematic Review. The American Journal of Public Health, 104(10).

Brookie, K.L., Best, G.I., Conner, T.S. (2018). Intake of raw fruits and vegetables is associated with better mental health than intake of processed fruits and vegetables. Frontiers in Psychology, 9(1). doi: https://doaj.org/article/956172bb66c747b1a3efbf9a4a4d9023

Lunch, Recipies

The Best Cheese on Toast

April 14, 2018April 13, 2018 jazzybfit

This is definitely not your average cheese on toast, but if you love cheese on toast and fancy trying a new version, this is the one for you. I wouldn’t normally do a blog post on how to make cheese on toast, but as this taste so incredible I had to share it with you. Think of it as gourmet cheese on toast 😉

Ingredients:

x2 anchovy fillets
grated mature cheddar
cracked black pepper
fresh basil leaves
finely chopped red onion
black olives
guacamole (optional)

Method:

Prep the ingredients.
On lightly toasted bread place the cheese, olives, anchovy, red onion, basil, and black pepper.
Grill for 5 minutes and serve with guacamole.

I Hope you enjoy this funky recipe,

Jazzy B ❤

Blog

Foodie Finds – March 2018

April 1, 2018 jazzybfit

Here are my foodie finds for the month of March. For me, March signifies the start of spring and better weather (not to mention the chocci easter eggs which I hope you’re all enjoying this weekend).

1) White chocolate whey balls

These are from Bulkpowders and are amazing! The best way to describe them would be like Maltesers, but with more crunch. I love how versatile they are, and they make the perfect sweet treat and taste great when added to porridge. They cost £10.99, but you do get 500g for this price, and they are so worth it!

2) Fellow Sugar-free cola bottles

I always see these sweets flying around Instagram, and had to give them a try. Considering they are sugar-free, gelatine free, and gluten free they taste pretty good! The only difference I found is that they were chewier than standard cola bottles, which is good considering they are free-from just about everything! You can pick them up from Sainsbury’s and Holland & Barrett.

3) Belvita Soft Bakes

Although definitely not the healthiest thing, I have always wanted to try these and I can’t deny that they taste amazing! It’s like a cross between a flapjack and a cake with a chocolate filling, and you certainly can’t go wrong with that.

4) LoveCorn BBQ roasted corn

I picked this pack up from Sainsbury’s and was pleasantly surprised. The texture was a lot crunchier than what I thought it would be, and the BBQ flavour was so intense. Also, the company uses all-natural ingredients and the flavour comes from the spices that they use, so worth a try.

5) Halo Top Peanut Butter cup Ice cream

SO worth the hype. I don’t know how they do it, but it tastes incredible! If you love your ice cream, I highly recommend this…plus at only 320 calories per tub, it’s guilt-free. I also saw they had other flavours like cookie dough, mint chocolate chip, and classic vanilla. You need to try this!

Thank you for reading and I hope you try some of these goodies,

Jazzy B ❤

Blog

Foodie Finds – December 2017

January 10, 2018 jazzybfit

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and new year! To me, every Christmas has a different feel to it, this year it most certainly was a busy one spent with lots of family and friends…So busy in fact, I’m a bit late on posting this blog. Nonetheless, it’s here and packed full of goodies that I hope you want to give a go…

1) PHD nutrition protein bar

I’ve always wanted to try these bars, and I’m very glad I did. I tried the cookies and cream flavour which was so good. The macros are very good with 20g of protein per bar, and also it is low in impact carbs. For me, nothing can beat Grenade, although these are still well worth a try.

2) Off the Eaten Path, pea and pinto bean sticks

Probably the best ‘healthy’ crisps I’ve tried. I found these in my local Sainsbury’s, they also have a good range of flavours to choose from, this pack is caramelised onion and balsamic vinegar. I love that they’re made out of something different other than potato, and plus the packaging is so cute!

3) Hike mince pie protein bar

Personally, I wouldn’t describe this as a protein bar, it’s more like a natural fruit bar as its made mostly out of dates. Each bar contains 10.5 g of protein, which is fairly low compared to some of the others. But… If you like mince pies, then you can’t fault the flavour of this bar!

4) Bulk powders honeycomb malted chocolate

One of THE best flavour of protein powder that I have tried. Bulk powders definitely need to make this a permanent one in their collection, as it tastes amazing. Unlike others flavours, this one really did taste like what it says on the packaging, it’s just a shame that it’s limited edition, otherwise I would definitely be placing another order!

5) Sweet Freedom caramel choc shake

You know you’ve made a good milkshake when you just can’t put it down, this new product from sweet freedom is a milkshake game-changer. I love that it’s so quick and simple to make, and literally only requires you to mix a tablespoon of the chocolate into some milk. Also, it tastes even better when you forth the milk! I’ve noticed they do a banana flavour, which I will be giving a go.

6) Moser Roth Salted caramel dark chocolate

Becuase what would Christmas foodie finds be without a bit of chocci involved?! Seriously this stuff is amazing, the dark chocolate and salted caramel go so well together…I think I’m addicted!

7) Wholewheat noodles

I picked these up from Tesco recently, and they’re fab. They only take 6 minutes to cook (either stir-fry or boil) and when flavoured well, they make the perfect addition to a stir-fry. Noodles are so great to incorporate into your diet as they are high in protein, and vegan-friendly, what with ‘veganuary’ now in full swing!

Thank you for reading,

Jazzy B ❤

Blog

Cooking with Quorn

December 10, 2017December 10, 2017 jazzybfit

If you couldn’t tell already from my Instagram page, I am OBSESSED with Quorn. I think they offer such as a large variety of meat-free substitutes, that it makes it so much easier to stop/reduce your meat consumption.Whenever I talk to people about cooking with Quorn, they’re always a bit skeptical. So this blog post is for those of you who are unsure as to how to incorporate this fabulous food into your diet.

There are so many advantages to cooking with Quorn, a few include:

Cheaper than meat
lower in saturated fat than meat
very versatile – can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner
high fibre content
guilt free

Cooking with Quorn is so simple. I love the innovations that the company is always coming out with, they now even do a whole vegan range. Also, they have bacon, chicken slices for sandwiches and snacks such as scotch eggs and cocktail sausages (which taste amazing!) It makes committing to these dietary choices so much easier, knowing that you can still have something that will provide you with protein, and far less saturated fat per serving.

Cooked Breakfast

Who doesn’t love a nice cooked brekkie?! For me, veggie sausages make a cooked breakfast SO much better, you also don’t feel bad for eating them as they a great in terms of macros. Plus, they make the best sausage sandwiches.

Roast Dinner

A nice Sunday roast with all the trimmings, please. Yep, still possible with Quorn. On my roast, I will have a Quorn chicken fillet with everything else that usually goes on a roast! Also, it makes cooking a roast far easier if you only have to put a Quorn chicken fillet in the oven.

Spaghetti Bolognese

This is a classic midweek winner, that you don’t have to miss out on if you’re vegetarian. According to the Quorn website, when this dish is made with Quorn mince, it contains 90% less saturated fat than regular mince! When I make this dish for friends or family…I always tell them it’s made with real mince, and half the time they don’t even notice 😉

Chicken Curry

Curry is another classic that I couldn’t live without. Quorn chicken pieces are great in curries, and reduce the cooking time by a lot…a win-win ;). The recipe for this red lentil and chicken curry dish can be found here, I highly recommend this as a mid-week dish as it is so easy and cheap.

As you become used to cooking with Quorn, you’ll realise that the possibilities are endless, you don’t have to stick to vegetarian recipes either, as Quorn work perfectly when subbed into recipes that would normally contain meat. Thank you for reading, and I hope I’ve inspired you to give Quorn products a go, even if it is only for one meal per week,

Jazzy B ❤

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