Information, information everywhere BUT the most common question I get asked is “So what EXACTLY should I eat?”

Here are some basic points and recipes to get you started. The LCHF Food Pyramid can act as a guide to the proportions of each food that you should be aiming for. Remember that exact quantities and proportions will vary between individuals, but these guidelines will act as a great starting point if you’re looking to lose weight and improve your health.

Foods to Avoid

Grains – bread, pasta, refined grains, whole grains, muffins, cereals, baked goods, anything containing flour. Sugar – white/brown sugar, soft drinks, lollies, chocolates – the list is endless – start reading labels; start with the tomato sauce and marinades you have in your fridge! Vegetable/seed oils – corn oil, soybean oil, canola, grapeseed oil, margarine, sunflower and safflower oil Junk food, fast food, processed rubbish – stay away from it all. There is nothing good about anything from KFC, McDonalds or Hungry Jacks. This stuff does nothing for you except make you sick and fat. Similarly avoid biscuits, pre-packaged meals, chips/crisps, etc.

Foods to include if you want to thrive

Animal protein – meat including beef, lamb, chicken, pork – grass-fed and pasture-raised are your best bet if possible; fish – wild caught is preferable; eggs and dairy (if tolerated). Veggies – an assortment of colourful, seasonal veggies at most meals. Fruit – embrace the SLOW (Seasonal – Local – Organic – Wholefood) principle as much as possible. Although one of nature’s foods, don’t go crazy when it comes to consuming fruit. Healthy fats – butter (especially from grass-fed livestock), coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, macadamia oil, ghee, animal fats including tallow, duck fat and lard. Nuts and seeds – macadamias, almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, pepitas.

Putting it into practice

Here is an example of a typical day for me. My intake however can vary considerably depending on how hungry I am, which points to the importance of always listening to your body and responding to your hunger cues accordingly.

Breakfast Pumpkin and Cheese Frittata Muffins

So you don’t have time to cook eggs in the morning, right? Here’s your solution… a frittata can be cooked the night before. Heck why not make up a whole lot extra and have enough for the next few days. Frittata is equally delicious eaten cold, so it is as simple as ‘grab-and-go’!

Ingredients

• 1/2 pumpkin cut into small cubes
• 4-5 stalks of Sage, leaves picked
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 head garlic, broken into bits but not peeled
• 8 eggs
• 1/2 cup cream
• A handful of basil leaves
• Feta or brie cheese – a cube into each frittata
• Parmesan cheese – grated

Combine the pumpkin, sage, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper to taste and roast until soft and golden. Remove from the oven, pop the garlic out of its skin or remove the cloves completely.

Beat the eggs with the cream. Combine with the pumpkin mix.

Lightly grease a muffin tin with butter or olive oil. Pour the mixture into the muffin tin topped with a couple of basil leaves, a cube of feta/brie and a sprinkle of parmesan. Bake in a moderate oven until eggs are fully cooked through.

Eat immediately or store in the fridge in an air-tight container.

A good hearty breakfast with an adequate amount of quality fat will usually see me through until early to mid afternoon. ‘Lunch’ is typically more like a snack at around 3pm and if its not a salad it might be something like this scrumptious Cinnamon Granola.

Cinnamon Granola with Greek yoghurt and blueberries

Ingredients

I usually make a batch of this once a week and then have it on hand for when required. You can really add anything you like to this mixture in the nut/seed department, my favourite combination is as follows:

• Macadamia nuts
• Almonds
• Hazelnuts
• Sunflower seeds
• Pepitas
• Shredded coconut
• Coconut oil
• Cinnamon

Heat 3-4 tbsp coconut oil in a large fry pan. When hot add the nuts and seeds and toast until lightly browned. Add cinnamon to taste, about 2 teaspoons is my preferred quantity. Store in an airtight container.

To serve: Add a dollop of full-fat Greek yoghurt and sprinkle with a few blueberries (you could even use frozen blueberries or raspberries)

Now to dinner!

Dinner is usually cooked in bulk at our place allowing for leftovers that can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner the following day! Last night was a chicken dish and it went down a treat – I’m pretty certain you’ll enjoy this one so be sure to give it a go and let me know what you think.

Baked Chicken with mushrooms

Ingredients

• 8 chicken thighs – bone in and skin on – seasoned with salt and pepper
• 3 knobs of butter (I equate a knob to one tablespoon but since butter is solid and I don’t scoop it into a spoon to measure, I find a knob a better measurement)
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 250g button mushrooms, halved
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 cup double cream
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• 1 tbsp whole grain mustard

Preheat oven to 200C

Melt butter in an oven-proof frypan and heat. Add chicken and brown on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside. Add garlic and mushrooms to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Stir in stock and herbs and return the chicken to the pan. Place in the oven until completely cooked through, about 30 minutes. Set chicken aside and return the frypan to the stove top. Stir in cream, parmesan and mustard. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer until slightly reduced (5 minutes). Serve immediately.

Serving suggestions: We had our chicken on a bed of fresh rocket and cauliflower ‘rice’.

So there you have it! I’d love to hear you feedback on the recipes and let me know if you have any variations that you could suggest. One thing I’m sure we’ll agree on is that LCHF is certainly a scrumptious way to eat!