How to break your bad iso food habits

As we emerge into the world again, it’s time to ditch the comfort food and get back into healthy eating. Check out our top tips for success.

We’ve been through the novelty phase, the resigned phase, the ennui phase and now, as lockdown restrictions begin to slowly ease, we’re entering into the light at the end of the tunnel phase.

As we emerge, blinking, into the world again, it’s probably a good time to take stock of our iso habits.

Amelia Phillips has been juggling working and schooling from home.

For while some have used this enforced time to ourselves to finally start training for that long-

promised half marathon, as many if not more have understandably hit the biscuits, banana bread and booze more than usual to deal with the stresses of these unprecedented times.

Host of the Healthy Her podcast, Amelia Phillips, says with four kids under seven her lockdown house has been hectic hive buzzing with activity, juggling, like families across the country, with working and schooling from home.

This chunky tomato soup recipe is packed full of goodness.

She says it’s understandable many people’s health goals have taken a back seat.

“What’s so fascinating about this whole period, some people have decided to become the fittest they’ve ever been, one cohort of people using this to their health advantage, and another cohort who have let themselves go,” she says.

“As an exercise scientist and nutritionist, the biggest excuse I’ve always heard is I don’t have time – don’t have time to exercise, or don’t have time to cook. That excuse is out the window at the moment, so guys, why isn’t everyone hitting their health goals at the moment? We do have time now, most of us.”

TAKING STOCK

But it’s never too late to make a change and Philips says we can still use this time to start to wind back those bad eating and exercising habits.

“Cooking from home at the moment is a great opportunity. Restaurants put so much salt sugar and fat in their food – those chefs, love ‘em to pieces, but they are heavy handed,” she says. “We’re always banging on (for people) to cook more from home.”

Ginger and coriander dumplings are tasty and easy to whip up.

FAB FAST

Phillips says one of the best ways to shift a few excess iso kilos is to adopt an intermittent fasting approach to eating and meal times.

“There’s lots of different ways you can do it, fast two days and eat normally the other five. My recommendation for us in iso, is fasting for 12-14 hours a day,” she says.

That means stopping eating by 8.30pm and then nil by mouth until at least 9am the next day.

“This helps to lower your blood sugar, and means you’re eating breakfast and dinner much closer together,” Phillips says.

She suggests having a generous brunch around 9.30am, having a mini meal such as a shake, soup or piece of fruit in the afternoon, and then a generously sized dinner early, around 5.30pm. A treat – say a piece of dark chocolate, or cheese and cracker at 8.30om – and then nothing else until morning.

“It’s a great blueprint to follow. You’re still having healthy big meals. We don’t need three square meals a day because of portion sizes today. It’s convenient as well.

VEG PLEDGE

Phillips reckons lockdown is the perfect opportunity to nail cooking vegetables at home, which can become an enduring health legacy for the family’s mealtimes.

“It’s all good and well to bake some banana bread, but we’ve all got to eat more fruit and veg. Get better at cooking veg – ottolengi, simple, such beautiful dishes, can practise veg.

Amelia Phillips says lockdown is the perfect opportunity to nail cooking vegetables at home.

SWAP THE SNACKS

The 3pm office munchies seem to hit earlier – and more often – during WFH, but Phillips says small changes can make the difference between a snack that packs on the weight and one that’s good for you.

Airpopped popcorn is a favourite for the whole family, “it’s a really good alternative for when you feel like that bag of chips” as are homemade veggie crisps that “literally take five minutes to make”.

Using a mandolin, slice vegetables such as carrots, zucchini, beetroot and sweet potato. Lay on baking paper, sprinkle with paprika and drizzle with olive oil and bake in the oven for six minutes.

Sprinkle with salt and serve.,

“You have a full bowl of veggie chips that are so crispy and yummy and much better for you than those you buy at the shop.”

CHANGE AGENT

Other healthy hacks Phillips likes to incorporate into her cooking include switching cream or sour cream for yoghurt – “instead of drizzling cream over pumpkin soup, a dollop of Greek yoghurt is fine” – and swapping mashed banana for sugar in baking.

“If it says 1 tsp of sugar, add 2 tsp mashed banana,” she suggests. Other baking swaps include using cocoa powder for chocolate and avocado for butter.

HEAR THIS: Healthy Her podcast available from podcastoneaustralia.com.au

CHUNKY ROAST TOMATO SOUP RECIPE

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

800g ripe tomatoes

1 clove garlic

4 tsp olive oil/spray

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1 handful coriander, stem & leaves chopped

500ml chicken stock

1 sml brown onion

1 carrot

2 slices of sourdough bread

1 tsp butter 

METHOD

Halve 650g of the tomatoes, place on a lined tray and drizzle with 2 tsp olive oil, balsamic vinegar,

sugar and season.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 200C.

In the meantime, finely cut up the carrot, onion & garlic and gently fry with the remaining 2 tsp of

oil.

Add the chicken stock to the pan and let simmer.

When the tomatoes are ready, add to the pot and give it a good mix to help break up the tomatoes.

(You can pick out the skins at this stage if you don’t like them but it’s fine to leave them in.)

Stir through the chopped coriander including stems for some crunch, top with the reserved diced

tomatoes and serve with a slice of lightly buttered sourdough toast.

GINGER AND CORIANDER DUMPLINGS

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 15 mins

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

1 tsp grated ginger

1 garlic clove, peeled

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp crushed peanuts

1 handful chopped coriander include some stem

1 egg

170 g chicken breast, minced

12 wonton wrappers

150g choy sum or bok choy or spinach

1 tbsp soy sauce to serve

METHOD

Using blender or stick blender, blitz ginger, garlic, fish sauce, sesame oil and coriander to

make a paste.

Mix paste with minced chicken breast and egg.

Divide between wonton wrappers, wet edges and seal up.

Steam for about 15 minutes.

Serve with soy sauce and boiled choy sum.

Originally published as How to break your bad iso food habits