Kyra van den Bosch Nutrition

17/05/2022

Easy breakfast veggie frittatas for a staff appreciation breakfast. Quick and easy, packed with protein (eggs, cheese) and vegetables (spinach, tomato, peppers, onions and grated potato).

27/02/2022

Prayers for Ukraine and all its citizens.

12/02/2022

It’s been a long week in isolation…but at least I’ve had time to catch up on some books I’ve been wanting to read. I would recommend them all!

Have you watched the new series The Lost Kitchen, about the self trained chef Erin French and her amazing restaurant in Freedom, Maine? An inspiring story and beautiful business run by a team of women focused on sourcing seasonal local ingredients and cooking with love, sustainability and intention. You can’t make a booking at her restaurant but must instead send in a postcard which will then be read and chosen out of thousands that arrive in the post office of her tiny, rural town, population 791. Her cookbook shares many of her beautiful recipes.

Root to Stem is an inspiring little book by medical herbalist Alex Laird. I was fortunate to have her as a lecturer when I was studying in London. The book is packed full of great tips on foraging and using seasonal wild ingredients to support health and wellness.

With a soon to be teenage daughter in the house and with so many friends with daughters who suffer from hormonal imbalances, Fix Your Period is a great resource. Written as a lay person’s guide to hormones, how a menstrual cycle works and how to address common symptoms (PMS, bloating, cramping, acne) through diet and lifestyle, this is a great resource for all women and is very informative.

Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety is a great primer on the link between gut and mental health and how simple changes in our nutritional status can impact brain function and mental health. It also comes with a handy six week plan and some delicious recipes.

I’ll be posting some of the highlights of what I’ve learned and some delicious recipes on the grid soon.

Have a happy weekend!

18/11/2020

A little midweek comfort food inspiration. Pulled pork with homemade coleslaw on a brioche bun. Served on its own or with some baked or green beans for a real Southern US meal.

Are you finding yourself stuck in a rut with weeknight meals? Online shopping is hugely convenient but it can also mean many of us buy the same food on repeat. Why not open a cookbook or walk to your local grocery to get some inspiration.

This pulled pork is incredibly easy to make. A little rub, some cider, barbecue sauce and about 5 hours in the oven. The coleslaw is simply cabbage, red onion and carrots with a dressing made with mayonnaise, white white vinegar, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

The kids loved this as much as we did. Let me know if you’d like the pulled pork recipe.

Have a great day!

11/11/2020

Family favourite fish cakes 🐟

Oily fish is on the menu twice a week in our house. It’s typically salmon as the kids are not fans of sardines, anchovies or mackerel. These fish cakes are relatively quick to make and are a real crowd pleaser. Full of beneficial omega-3 fats which are great for brain and cellular health and inflammation.

500g salmon (ideally wild)
1/2 red pepper, diced finely
1/2 yellow pepper, diced finely
4 spring onions, diced finely
Handful of fresh chopped herbs (mint, dill, basil, coriander)
1 egg
1/2 cup mayonnaise or Greek yoghurt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1-2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
Freshly ground pepper

Bake the salmon in the oven at 170 deg c until just cooked (10-15 mins). Don’t worry if it’s still a bit pink and glossy. Remove from the oven. While the salmon is baking prepare your veggies, herbs and the wet ingredients. Mix together and then add the salmon in flakes once room temperature. Add 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs. Mix and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Form patties to your desired size and then lightly dust with some more breadcrumbs. Set aside and continue until you have used up all the mixture. In a large frying pan add some light olive or avocado oil to just cover the bottom. Heat on medium heat and then lightly fry the fish cakes, turning to the other side when golden brown. Serve immediately or make ahead of time and reheat in the oven. These are also delicious room temperature and can be frozen as well. We usually serve these with a salad, some mango and avocado salsa and spicy mayo.

These have become a weekly staple in our house and then head into the lunch box the following day.

Have a great Wednesday!

10/11/2020

Silver linings to lockdown. This weekend we had the rare treat of a family brunch. No football training or matches means more family time and a chance to slow down and reconnect. As a mum to three busy and active kids that’s always welcome. We ate pancakes (with a nod to 🇺🇸), laughed and relished the time together.

What are your lockdown silver linings?

06/11/2020

It’s been a hectic and stressful week. And I know I’m not alone in that. A new nationwide lockdown in the U.K, still uncertain US election outcomes, a sick child and busy work week. But today it’s Friday and I’m taking a deep breath. Taking some time out for myself to do the things I enjoy and which give me balance and perspective. A long walk this morning with a friend and our dogs and a morning of baking and having some quiet time. I’ve also begun to do some gratitude journaling to remind myself of how fortunate I am and to focus on the bigger picture in life. How has your week been?

These Morning Glory muffins put me in a good mood. Not only are they packed full of veggies, fruit, nuts and seeds but they are also delicious. To top it off they remind me of my university days in the U.S. where I first tried them.

Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried coconut (shredded)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup milled flax seed*
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups grated carrots
1 cup grated apple with peel (1-2)
1/3 cup puréed pumpkin or sweet potato
1/3 cup light olive oil
1/3 cup orange juice (fresh)
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

In two separate bowls mix together wet and dry ingredients then combine and mix until you have a well distributed batter. Fill 12-15 muffin liners (to the top) with the batter. Bake in a preheated oven. Five minutes at 220 deg F and then 15 minutes at 170 deg F. Test before removing - an inserted skewer should come out clean. Allow to cool. Delicious on their own or (of course) with butter, nut butter, cream cheese etc.

Wishing you a wonderful, relaxing and stress free weekend.

03/10/2020

For those of you who don't know me, I'd love to introduce myself.

I am a qualified Nutritional Therapist, having graduated with a Distinction from The Institute for Optimum Nutrition in London, after a 3-year course of study. I also have a Bachelor's degree in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (Princeton) and an MBA (Harvard). Prior to my nutrition studies I worked as a management consultant and investment banker for 11 years in New York, Australia and London.

As a nutritional therapist I use a functional medicine approach with my clients, working to identify and address underlying imbalances to get to the root cause of symptoms. I give practical, bespoke solutions that are achievable and sustainable depending on individual circumstances and needs. This is done without judgement and by involving clients in their health optimisation plans.

I aim to educate, inspire and empower my clients to adopt a balanced approach towards eating that is based on choosing foods that are varied, nutrient-dense and tasty. I work with clients with a range of health concerns and goals and am especially passionate about women’s health, adolescent nutrition and pre diabetes. I can also work with you if you don’t have any specific health concerns but just want to optimise your approach to healthy eating and wellness.

Please visit my website (www.kvdbnutrition.com) to learn more or get in touch with me if you think that I can help you. I offer free 15 minute discovery calls. I am based in London but available for online consultations globally.

Photo credit:

Nutritional Support to Positively Impact Your Life.

10/03/2020

Some of my clients often ask how to increase their diversity of vegetable intake. It’s so easy to get stuck in a rut. I tend to have lots of leftovers in the fridge and grilled or fresh veg that I’ve batch prepared and stored in glass jars. It makes lunch or dinner time prep super easy.

Here’s a delicious kale salad I threw together yesterday for lunch. It took all of 5 minutes to make, ticked off about 8 different vegetables and tastes delicious.

Here’s what I included:
*Organic curly kale, chopped finely and massaged with oil and vinegar to soften (I find this step really makes a difference!)
*Roasted sweet potato
*Grilled portobello mushrooms
*Roasted tomatoes
*Red onion
*Green olives
*Cooked quinoa
*Goats cheese
*Avocado
*Mixed seeds (flax, pumpkin, sunflower)
*Dresses with cold pressed olive oil and apple cider vinegar

The combinations are endless, any extras keep well in the fridge and it’s coed full of phytonutrients, fibre, healthy fats and protein.

What are your go to quick lunches?

🍍🍉🍑🍊🍈

10/03/2020

Are you getting enough vitamin D? Important for bone building and bone strength, teeth and muscle health, vitamin D helps regulate the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in the body.

Vitamin D also helps modulate the immune system response with deficiencies associated with increased risk of autoimmunity and susceptibility to infections. It may also be helpful in protecting against some types of cancers, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.

Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include muscle weakness, pain, fatigue and depression. Severe deficiency causes rickets in children, leading to poor growth patterns, muscle weakness, bone pain and joint deformaties. In adults severe deficiency may result in osteomalicia (softening of the bones).

Vitamin D can be obtained in a number of ways. The easiest, if it is sunny, is to expose unprotected skin to the sun about 20 minutes per day, 3-5 days per week. The optimal time is between 10am-3pm when the sun’s rays are most powerful. However in many countries north of the Equator there is usually not enough sunlight in the late fall, winter and early spring months. Because of this, vitamin D must be obtained from food or supplements. Food sources include egg yolks, fortified foods (cereals, milks), oily fish (salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines), liver and red meat.

Fair-skinned and younger individuals convert sunshine into vitamin D more efficiently than those with darker-skin or those who are older (50+). It may be difficult for vegans to get enough vitamin D from their diets alone as animal derived foods have more bioactive forms of vitamin D (D3). Vitamin D levels may also be lowered by certain medications including laxatives, steroids, cholesterol lowering drugs and weight loss drugs. The best way to find out if you are deficient is to have your vitamin D levels tested.

In the UK, children 5+ and adults are recommended to supplement 10 micrograms/day from October through March at a minimum. Higher levels are not recommended unless you have been tested and are being advised by a doctor or nutritional professional.