All week long we’ve been hearing about the government’s plans to tackle obesity in Ireland.
The “healthy weight for Ireland” policy seeks a targeted reduction in the excess weight of adults and children by promoting healthy eating, exercise and working with the food industry to produce healthier products.
The action plan includes a proposal for a tax on sugar-sweetened drinks and also suggests that children should be taught about healthy eating in school.
Minister for Health Simon Harris said obesity is a ticking time bomb which has already to some extent exploded as 60% of adults and 1-in-4 children in Ireland are either overweight or obese.
He said the action plan which includes a national physical activity plan and proposals for healthy lifestyles in schools is needed to prevent Ireland becoming the fattest country in Europe.
At Slimming World we welcome this move but we feel that the government also needs to acknowledge that most of the changes need to come from within the home, so educating parents is also paramount.
Part of the problem is that many people think that healthy eating means you have to live on tofu and mung beans, which is absolutely fine if you love tofu and mung beans! Another misconception is that eating healthily costs more, it doesn’t!
Every week right across our groups we hear our members talking about how they are able to enjoy all their family favourites while still following our Food Optimising plan and how the whole family is tucking into the same delicious, healthy meals, sometimes without even realising it! We love the stories of how other family members are losing weight and getting more active without even coming to our groups!
We are totally committed to helping our members not just to lose weight but to also have the happy, healthy life that they so want, the life that they deserve! And if you do have a young person at home, aged 11 to 15 years who is struggling with their weight you can bring them along to group with you, absolutely free of charge.
We’ll help introduce them to a new exciting way of eating and keeping active which will hopefully mean they’ll never need our help later in life.
Still not convinced that we’re not going to force feed you tofu and mung beans?
Just check out our recipe for a Titanic Tower Burger with chips, with a few easy and healthy swaps it’s easy to create a Happy Meal…
Titanic tower burger recipe
Ingredients
> 230g lean beef mince (5% fat or less)
> 1 garlic clove, crushed
> ½ onion, grated
> 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
> 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
> Salt and freshly ground black pepper
> Low calorie cooking spray
For the filling:
> 30g Cheddar cheese
> Iceberg lettuce, shredded
> 1 tomato, sliced
> Red onion, sliced into rings
> 1 x 60g wholemeal roll
Method:
1. Mix all the burger ingredients (except the low calorie cooking spray) together and shape into 2 round patties. Add a little beaten egg to bind if the mixture is not firm.
2. Spray the burgers on both sides with low calorie cooking spray and cook under a hot grill until cooked right through – approximately 5-6 minutes each side.
3. Assemble the burger by layering the cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and 2 burgers inside the wholemeal roll. Add gherkins if you fancy it, or enjoy with a splodge of tomato ketchup!
Syn free chips
Ingredients
> 900g medium sized potatoes
> Low calorie cooking spray
> Crushed sea salt and malt vinegar
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 240°C/220°C Fan/Gas 9. Peel the potatoes using a potato peeler and remove any blemishes or ‘eyes’. Slice lengthwise into approx 1cm thick rectangular chips.
2. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the chips and cook for 4 minutes. Drain and leave aside for 10 minutes to dry.
3. Return the chips to the dry saucepan, cover with a lid and shake to ””rough up”” the edges of the chips – this roughness is important to the texture of the chips.
4. Spray a metal baking tray with low calorie cooking spray. Transfer the chips to the tray, spray lightly with low calorie cooking spray and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown on all sides. Drain them on absorbent kitchen paper and serve with salt and vinegar.
Tip: For extra flavour sprinkle your chips with garlic salt, herbs and spices
Check out our Facebook page for even more ideas!
Donna x
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