Sara Dunstan BHSc, Clinical Nutritionist

22/06/2018

Looking for ways to naturally boost your child’s immune system as we enter the cold winter months? Read my latest blog for 5 simple tips.

19/05/2018

Such a pleasure to work with The Healthy Lunchbox Co. - a wonderful North Brisbane business that makes all-organic, nutritious and super delicious lunchboxes for little ones. Check them out if you’re in need of this kind of delivery service (home, daycare or schools). Thanks to Melanie Morris for this amazing opportunity 😃

10/11/2017

Remember to include plenty of greens in your diet to support liver detoxification, boost your mood, optimise energy levels and boost immune function. Add good quality Australian extra virgin olive oil to ramp up the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, plus the fat will aid absorption of important fat-soluble vitamins. Then supercharge your greens by adding garlic, lemon, pumpkin or sesame seeds and leafy herbs such as coriander or basil 🌿 .
📷: Pinterest

10/11/2017

Homemade muesli slice 😋

Rich in protein, resistant starch, antioxidants, healthy fats & minerals - this slice is delicious, filling & a superior alternative to supermarket options that are usually high in sugar and nutrient poor.
Here's how to make them -

▪️1 cup rolled oats
▪️1/2 cup chia seeds
▪️1/4 cup raw cacao powder
▪️1/4 cup nut butter of your choice
▪️1/2 cup green banana flour/brown rice flour ▪️1/2 cup shredded coconut
▪️1/2 cup pumpkin & sunflower seeds
▪️1/2 cup sulphur-free dried apricots, chopped
▪️1/4 cup maple or rice malt syrup
▪️1/4 cup coconut or macadamia oil
▪️1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Combine ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into a tray lined with baking paper. Using a spoon, push the mixture down & flatten, forming a slice about 2cm thick. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool and serve. Yum!

10/11/2017

Quinoa with roasted vegetables, bone broth, seaweed and seeds 🌿👍🏻

So delicious and super nutritious😋

Roast sweet potato, pumpkin & carrot in the oven. Steam broccoli, cauliflower & peas on the stove. Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas. Cook rinsed red quinoa according to packet instructions. When everything is done toss together in a large bowl. Add - torn seaweed sheets, 2 tsp bone broth concentrate (I used ), pumpkin and sunflower seeds, 1 tbsp nutritional yeast, a handful of parsley, cracked pepper to taste and a drizzle of olive oil. You're done!

This one ticks all the right nutritional boxes and really does taste so fantastic. Give it a try!

09/11/2017

Roasted beetroot & parsnip dip 😋

▪️1-2 large beets, peeled & diced
▪️1 large parsnip, peeled & diced
▪️ 2 tbsp unhulled tahini ( is my pick)
▪️ 1-2 garlic cloves
▪️ 1 tsp organic tumeric powder
▪️ 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
▪️ 1 lemon, juiced
▪️ 1 tbsp organic coconut oil
▪️ Handful of parsley
▪️ Salt and pepper to taste

- preheat oven to 180 degrees - add chopped beetroot & parsnip to a roasting tray & cover with coconut oil. Roast for 20mins or until cooked through.

- add all ingredients except parsley to a food processor and blend until desired consistency. For a smoother texture, add more coconut oil.

- place in a serving bowl, sprinkle parsley on top and serve with crunchy vegetable chips, roasted vegetable sticks, seeded crackers or toasted buckwheat flatbreads
📷: honest to goodness

22/10/2017

Rolling bliss balls on a Sunday afternoon. Who doesn't love these?
The combinations are endless, but here's one of my favourites:

▪️ 1 cup ground seeds - pumpkin & sunflower
▪️ 1 tbsp chia seeds
▪️ 1 tbsp ground flaxseeds
▪️ 1/4 cup goji berries
▪️ 1/4 cup raw cacao powder (or more if you prefer a stronger flavour)
▪️ 1 cup shredded coconut
▪️ 1 tsp cinnamon
▪️ 1/4 cup rice malt syrup
▪️ 1 cup organic extra virgin coconut oil
▪️ 1 tsp organic vanilla paste

Blitz together in a food processor or manually combine all ingredients in a bowl - leaving aside about 1/2 cup of coconut for rolling. Using wet hands, form the balls and then roll into the shredded coconut. Place in the fridge for at least 20 minutes to set. 👌🏻

✔️antioxidants
✔️omega 3
✔️essential vitamins & minerals
✔️fibre

22/10/2017

Yet another large microbiota study has identified a strong link between a healthy gut and healthy aging. How can we go about achieving this?
Ensuring you consume plenty of plant-based foods and other prebiotics which includes inulin, resistant starch, GOS (legumes), fermented foods, green tea and purple foods like berries, purple carrots, black beans and red rice. Oh - and try to stay away from antibiotics and drugs.

12 Oct 2017 --- A potential strong link between healthy aging and a healthy gut has been shown by one of the largest microbiota studies conducted in humans. The China-Canada Institute researchers studied the gut bacteria in a cohort of more than 1,000 Chinese people in a variety of age ranges from 3...

17/10/2017

Sure, you have to die of something, but you may not have to die so soon - and you could be healthier, wealthier and happier in the meantime.

14/10/2017

Breakfast with my babes this morning 👩‍👧‍👦☀️🌻 Three spoons, a spot on the grass outside and we all dig in and chat about what we can taste, like and dislike.
Talking to your children about food, shopping for it, making meals & sharing them together as a family is so important for establishing a lifelong healthy relationship with food and their bodies. Getting them engaged from an early age makes it so much easier to develop a broad palate and a love of good, wholesome, nourishing food.
So many children don't know where our food comes from and cannot name basic vegetables and fruits, let alone understand how it fuels our bodies and helps them to function. Teaching them about why nourishing food is important encourages them to make better choices because they naturally want to feel good and have energy to play.

What did we eat? This is oats, quinoa flakes & chia seeds soaked in Coconut milk with a pinch of cinnamon. Banana, blueberries & nectarines are on top 👌🏻

13/10/2017

I love this quote - it resonates with me for so many reasons, but mostly because it represents what I do & talk about so passionately everyday. The foods we choose over days, weeks, months and years has the power to shape our entire health and wellbeing both immediately and well into our future. It has the power to turn our genes on and off, determines our likelihood for either optimal health or disease & even influences the health of our unborn children. How can we not take our food choices seriously? Our bodies are precious and incredible, they work so hard to keep us well and happy, and we need to return that favour. Sure, I'm all for treating ourselves with the not-so-healthy choices every now and then, I'm also not a fan of restriction or punishing diets that just create negative relationships with food and our bodies. For me, it's all about conscientious eating, having awareness about our choices, enjoying a wide variety of foods and understanding your own body and it's needs. Nourish yourself always and you will reap the rewards. Your health is everything - it's worth investing in it 🍃🥑🍎🥝🍆🍒🍌 .

12/10/2017

The world will have more obese children and adolescents than underweight by 2022, according to a new study by Imperial College London and WHO. The number of obese children and adolescents (aged 5 to 19 years) worldwide has risen tenfold in the past four decades, according to a new study led by Imper...