Nutritionist Danijela Armitage wants to help Kiwis fall in love with making their own food.
She specialises in designing simple, delicious and nutritious recipes “to tempt you into the kitchen”.
She also cares about affordability, sustainability, environmental impact, and using accessible ingredients that you can get with ease from the supermarket.
Known for running her business Nourish & Tempt, she has just launched her first e-book titled Plan, Prep, Eat, which is aimed to help those with a desire to eat healthier and be more organised in the kitchen. It boasts 50 pages of advice on preparing and planning as well as some drool-worthy recipes.
“It brings together tips and tricks to reignite how you might meal plan or prep”.
This e-book is also helpful if you want to keep your weekly grocery bill lower. Planning and preparing can save you time and money, and also helps cut down on you reaching for takeaways.
Armitage says conversations with clients regularly inspire her creation of relatable recipes, which she has been doing for a decade. The 31-year-old Aucklander first started sharing recipes and nutrition advice while studying nutrition at Massey University.
“It was an easy decision to study nutrition. I’ve always been drawn to food. I’ve always enjoyed food – from cooking to eating!”
Her first idea she shared was a chunky green soup that was so thick “you could tip the bowl upside down. Fortunately things have progressed,” she laughs. She went on to get a bachelor of science degree and a diploma in gastronomy, nutrition and food trends (from Le Cordon Bleu in London).
4 Tips for Saving Money with Food
- Plan: Planning what you want to eat for the week helps you to stay on budget. This helps you to go to the supermarket with a plan and stops you from shopping “haphazardly”.
- Buy Budget Branded Staples: These are often the same as the luxury labelled products.
- Buy Seasonal Produce. This is when it is in abundance and often less expensive.
- Use Frozen and Canned Produce: This has a great shelf life.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Overnight Oats
Makes 3 jars
Are you a Peanut Butter and jelly lover? This tasty breakfast is inspired by the classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You need just seven ingredients. A serving provides protein and fibre, “and it is very quick to batch-prepare for your busy mornings”.
Ingredients
2 ¼ cup strawberries, fresh or frozen
1 ½ cup rolled oats
1 cup plant or dairy milk
1 cup unsweetened plain yoghurt
3 Tbsp smooth peanut butter
3 tsp pure maple syrup
A pinch of salt
Method
Add 1 ½ cups of strawberries to a microwavable-safe bowl. Heat twice in 30 seconds bursts (or slightly longer if using frozen strawberries). Mix in between.
Mash the strawberries into a puree.
Divide all ingredients across three containers or jars, equating to ⅓ cup rolled oats, ⅓ cup milk, ⅓ cup plain yoghurt, 1 Tbsp smooth peanut butter, 1 tsp sweetener and a third of the strawberry puree per serve. Mix together.
Add the remaining strawberries over the top as a garnish.
Cover each with a lid and leave overnight in the fridge. When ready to eat, loosen with a dash of milk.
Vegetable Stick Snack Jars with Hummus
Makes 4 serves
These tasty jars are a great healthy snack to take on the go, and are pre-portioned for your convenience. Make sure the glass jar has a wide enough rim for you to get your fingers comfortably in.
Ingredients
1 400g can of chickpeas
¼ cup lemon juice
1 ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ tbsp hulled tahini
2 carrots
4 ribs of celery
Salt, to taste
Method
Tip chickpeas into a sieve and rinse under running water until the water runs clear.
Add chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini and olive oil to a food processor. Blend until smooth. Add a good pinch of salt, blitz again and taste test. Add more salt if needed. Divide the hummus between four small glass jars.
Peel carrots. Then slice carrots and celery into sticks. Divide the sticks between the jars, submerging the sticks into the hummus.
Screw on the lid. Store in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Muesli, Yoghurt and Chia Jam Pots
Makes 3 jars
“A yummy balanced breakfast idea”. Keep your muesli separate in its jar, away from the yoghurt, until it’s time to eat – this will stop it from going soggy.
Ingredients
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
4 tbsp water
2 tbsp sweetener (e.g. maple syrup or honey)
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 ½ – 2 cups plain Greek yoghurt
1 cup low-sugar oat muesli
Method
Put raspberries, sweetener and water into a small saucepan. Stir over a low heat until the mixture starts bubbling gently.
Take off the heat and gently mash with a potato masher or fork.
Add the chia seeds and stir well. Set aside for the jam to ‘set’. These chia seeds will swell up and form a thick mixture.
Once the chia jam has cooled, divide the mixture between three jars. Divide and spoon over the yoghurt – opt for 1⁄2 – 3⁄4 cup per serve. Divide the muesli into three separate small containers.
Store the chia jam mixture in the fridge until ready to eat. Add the muesli to the yoghurt jar immediately before serving to enjoy
Chickpea, Orzo and Feta Salad Jars
Makes 3 serves
These salad jars make a light, fresh and healthy lunch that is great for taking on the go. Prep three at a time, and take directly from the fridge for an easy, speedy meal. You’ll need tall glass jars for this recipe – 700ml in capacity is ideal.
Ingredients
Dressing
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
½ tsp dijon mustard
¼ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp salt, or more to taste
Pepper, to taste
Salad
1 400 g can of chickpeas, drained
⅓ heaped cup dried orzo pasta
12 cherry tomatoes
1 capsicum, diced into chunks
1 small cucumber, diced into chunks
75g cow’s-milk feta cheese
18 olives
1 ½ cups leafy greens e.g. baby spinach or rocket
4 sun-dried tomatoes
Method
Heat a pot of water to boil on the stove. Add orzo pasta and boil for ten minutes. Drain in a sieve. Leave to cool to room temperature.
Whisk together salad dressing ingredients. Add a little over 2 Tbsp dressing between 3 glass jars.
Layer with olives and thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes. Add chickpeas, followed by the cooled orzo. Crumble the feta cheese over the top. Add the cucumber, tomatoes and capsicum. Top with the leafy greens.
Screw on the lid and store in the fridge for 3-4 days. When ready to eat, add to a bowl with grinds of salt and pepper. Mix well.
Lemony Apricot and Coconut Bliss Balls
Makes 14-16 balls
These date-free bliss balls make a lovely mid-morning, afternoon or dessert treat. They are easy to make, require just seven ingredients and are great for taking on the go.
Ingredients
1 cup dried apricots
1 cup cashew nuts
1 cup shredded coconut
1 pinch of salt
1 ½ tbsp honey
1 ½ tsp lemon zest
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp water
To garnish, extra shredded coconut (optional)
Method
Put apricots, coconut, cashews and salt into a food processor. Blitz until fine.
Add honey, lemon zest and vanilla extract. Blitz for a few seconds. Add water and blitz for a few seconds. The mixture should be tacky and hold together when squeezed.
Roll tablespoons into balls. To garnish, run each ball in shredded coconut.
For more recipes ideas, or information on the Plan, Prep, Eat e-book, head to www.nourishandtempt.com.
All Food Photography by Samantha Donaldson
