The Wellness Scoop

Are Smoothies Really Healthy? Processed Meat Risks & Lunchbox Upgrades

The Wellness Scoop

Show Notes

Are smoothies actually as healthy as we think? This week, we’re clearing up the confusion around blending fruit, what happens to the fibre and how smoothies compare with eating whole fruit.

We also look at whether organic processed meat is any better, share easy ways to make tofu genuinely delicious and tackle the eternal workday question: what can I actually take for lunch? Plus, does batch cooking reduce the nutrients in your vegetables, and is a quick stir-fry really better than a slow-cooked stew?

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Ella’s recipe: Mushroom and coconut Noodle bowls

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 × block of firm tofu (about 300g), drained and cut into bite-sized pieces

3 shallots, finely sliced

2 garlic cloves, grated or crushed

Small chunk of ginger (about 15g/2cm), peeled and grated

200g mixed mushrooms (use shiitake mushrooms if you can find them), sliced

3 tablespoons brown rice miso paste

1 × 400ml tin of coconut milk

500ml hot vegetable stock

2 servings of udon noodles (about 50g per person)

3 large handfuls of baby spinach (about 150g)

Grated zest and juice of

1–2 limes

Sea salt and black pepper

Warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large frying pan set over a medium–high heat. Add the tofu and cook for 10–12 minutes, turning every 2 minutes or so, until crisp and golden all over. Remove from the pan and set aside on some kitchen paper.

While the tofu is cooking, set a large saucepan or wok over a medium–high heat and add the remaining oil. Add the shallots, garlic, ginger and mushrooms and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until softened and fragrant.

Next, whisk in the miso, coconut milk and vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Add the noodles, cover with a lid and cook for 8–10 minutes or until the noodles are just cooked.

Stir through the spinach and tofu, then divide the between bowls, add the lime juice and scatter over the zest

Enjoy!

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