Derval O'Rourke: Easy snacks and little healthy wins for the return to the routine

Derval O’Rourke. Pic: Joleen Cronin

During summertime, my eating routine has gone a little out the window. 

Now that summer is ending, it’s a good time to take a step back and get a little more organised with my food choices. 

My goal is to make the healthy choices the easiest ones. 

This week, I will be sharing with you some of my go-to healthy snacks and meal ideas, lots of these are easy wins for school and work lunches. 

I’ll also be sharing with you a delicious recipe for Gnocchi with roasted vegetables, pine nuts and parmesan cheese, a great option for a weeknight dinner after a long day!

Snacks:

Hard-boiled eggs: 

Eggs are one of my favourite foods because they are nutrient-rich and an excellent source of protein. 

They are a great addition to a lot of meals and can be eaten at any time of the day. I love having some hard-boiled eggs on hand in the fridge. 

Cut in half, with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of salt and pepper, these can make a great snack for a midafternoon pick-me-up. Hard-boiled eggs can keep for up to a week in the fridge.

Mashed Avocado spread: 

We are all aware of the viral brunch trend of smashed avocado on toast with poached eggs, but smashed avocado can be a delicious snack too! 

With a little lime juice, extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper you have a delicious dip for any cracker, or raw vegetable that is rich in flavour and full of healthy benefits including fibre, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and much more. 

Store in an airtight container and bring with you to school or work for a delicious afternoon snack.

Hummus: 

Making your own hummus is really simple and it’s an ideal snack because it’s made from chickpeas so it’s naturally rich in fibre. 

My simplest hummus recipe is chickpeas, extra virgin olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and a clove of garlic. 

I eat it with vegetable sticks or pitta bread. It’s a really handy lunch box snack. Store in the fridge in an airtight container.

No-preparation snack ideas:

• Breadsticks
• Rice Cakes
• Trail Mix
• Fruit
• Turkey slices
• Cheese

Meals:

Overnight oats: 

I swear by these in my house. Mornings can be hectic enough without the stress of breakfast arguments, this is one breakfast everyone will eat in my house. 

Overnight oats are a quick and easy breakfast that you can prepare the night before.

I like to change the flavours, my go-to at the moment is a combination of oats, milk, chia seeds, berries, apples topped with some nuts and seeds in the morning. 

You can make these in little to-go tupperwares, or in bowls to eat at home. A pot of this is a really handy after-school snack. 

You can also make them in bulk and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. 

Pasta salads: 

These are great because they can be eaten cold and made using leftover pasta from dinner the night before. 

Whether you are a tuna, celery and cucumber person, or a tomato, basil, mozzarella, there is a pasta salad combination out there for you. 

I aim for a handful of pasta, lots of veggies, a protein source and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Stir fry:

Get your wok ready! This is a brilliant meal if you are leaning towards a healthy option. 

When choosing an oil, I tend to use either coconut, peanut, olive oil or rapeseed oil. Consider oils that have a high ‘smoke point’. 

Start with your protein choice, add your vegetables and to finish add flavour. 

My go-to is coconut oil plus chicken, plus a mixture of vegetables and a splash of soy sauce with a drizzle of honey, a nice add-on is a tablespoon of mixed seeds.

Planning:

Taking some time at the beginning of the week to plan how your week is going to be and what your food requirements are is a game changer in terms of healthy choices. 

Try to keep things simple. I aim for two snacks and three meals a day. If you are cooking, bulk up what you are doing and keep the leftovers for an easy lunch. 

Try to concentrate on your easy wins, if snacking is something you fall down on, consider how you can help yourself snack better for a couple of weeks, when this has improved then start tackling other areas like breakfasts or dinners.

Tips:

Fitness Tip: If you find it hard to motivate yourself, try listening to an audiobook or podcast while going for a run or a walk. I love ‘The Diary of a CEO’ and find it really motivating, particularly the episodes that focus on health.

Wellness Tip: Think about the little choices you make every day, and see where you can make healthier decisions - snacking, water consumption, exercise etc.

Gnocchi with Roasted Vegetables, Pine Nuts and Parmesan Cheese

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

My delicious recipe for Gnocchi with roasted vegetables, pine nuts and parmesan cheese - a great option for a weeknight dinner after a long day!

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 40 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Italian

Ingredients

• 1 packet of shop-bought gnocchi

• 1 red pepper, seeds removed and cut into chunks

• 1 yellow pepper, seeds removed and cut into chunks

• 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 small red onion, peeled and cut into chunks

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• Handful of fresh rosemary leaves, coarsely chopped

• Freshly ground black pepper and salt

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 30g grated dairy free Parmesan cheese, for serving

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

2. Place the gnocchi, peppers, tomatoes, onion, garlic, rosemary, salt, and a few generous grinds of black pepper in a large bowl.

3. Drizzle over the oil and toss gently to combine.

4. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread out evenly.

5. Place in the oven and roast for 15 – 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.

6. To serve, spoon the gnocchi and vegetable mixture into individual bowls and garnish with the grated cheese.

7. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

8. Recipe tip: This makes a super leftover lunch.