Eibhilin Crossan is an intuitive artist living in Longford with her husband and son and whose work is inspired by nature.
Where do you shop?
Lidl, Supervalu and local food suppliers for meat and fish
Can you list the contents of your weekly shop?
Broccoli
Lettuce
Peppers
Carrots
Kale
Mushrooms
Tomatoes
Courgette
Avocado
Bananas
Berries
Apples
Grapes
Steak mince
Turkey
Chicken slices,
Salmon
Prawns
Scallops
Hake
Tinned corn
Tinned tuna
Tinned salmon
Natural Yogurt
Greek Yogurt
Honey
Porridge
Cheese
Eggs
Seeds
Red Wine
Describe your typical breakfast?
Fresh coffee, porridge and buttered toast with banana.
Describe your typical lunch
A salad of chicken or turkey, with avocado or egg, peppers, corn, apple or grapes, mixed seeds and mayonnaise.
Typical dinner
Grilled salmon or hake with salad, broccoli, and stirfried veg in teriyaki sauce.
Snacks
Grapes, apples, Go Ahead bars, Greek yogurt with berries, bread with peanut butter.
Is there anything you won’t eat?
Raw onions, raw garlic, chillies, coriander, spicy food.
What would you cook to impress someone?
I don’t cook. That’s what husbands are for! My husband is a great cook!
What is your guilty food pleasure?
Chips, chocolate and Diet Coke.
What is your ultimate comfort food?
Homemade apple pie and cream.
What is your favourite takeaway?
Indian – Chicken Pasanda, Saag Aloo, and Peshwari Naan bread.
Have you tried any diet fads in the past six months?
No.
What would your Last Supper?
Fresh seabass, scallops and prawns fried in butter with mashed potato and a bottle of Rioja followed by chocolate cake.
Rosanna’s Verdict:
While Eibhilin picks up her fresh produce, eggs and other essentials in the supermarket, she’s conscious of looking to more independent and local food suppliers for her weekly meat and fish shop. It’s fantastic to support local business and often the produce can be fresher and of a higher quality, with plenty of information available on its provenance.
Her shopping list contains lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, plus sources of lean complete protein, including egg, turkey and chicken. It’s really good to see her place an emphasis on breakfast foods including porridge, seeds and Greek yoghurt, as it can be tempting to skip the first meal of the day when you lead a busy, demanding lifestyle. However, I think most of us are now familiar with the message that breakfast is an important meal to set aside time for and research suggests that it can even help to maintain a healthy and normal weight. By breaking the overnight fast, you can boost your metabolism, give your body the nutrients it needs for normal functioning and prevent cravings for high-energy foods arising later in the day.
Eibhilin’s breakfast of choice includes a bowl of porridge, which can be made even more nourishing by adding a couple of tablespoons of chia seeds or milled flaxseed and a handful of berries. Together, they add essential omega-3 fats, vitamin C and antioxidants to the bowl, all of which are important for healthy skin and normal immune function.
She also opts for a piece of toast with banana for breakfast. While this is a great energy-boosting component to her meal, choosing wholemeal or seeded bread would increase the levels of fibre. Substituting a natural almond butter would boost the levels of protein and vitamin E, necessary for supporting soft and smooth skin.
As coffee is a diuretic, I would advise Eibhilin to ensure she drinks plenty of water to compensate for any fluids lost through enjoying her morning cup.
For lunch, Eibhilin usually enjoys a well-balanced and filling salad consisting of lean protein, plenty of fresh, colourful vegetables and healthy fat sources such as avocado and seeds. A salad like this is a brilliant lunchtime option as it’s quick to throw together and should help to keep her feeling full for hours as it’s rich in protein and fibre, both of which are important for helping to create satiety and balance blood sugar levels.
Eibhilin’s evening meal is another meal based on protein and vegetables, so it’s brilliant to see that she really makes the effort to reach her recommended daily intake of at least five servings a day. Teriyaki sauce is traditionally made with refined sugar, so I would suggest that she considers using just soy sauce or tamari with a little honey or maple syrup if she really misses the sweetness. Refined sugar can affect your waistline, mood, energy levels and overall health, so I believe it’s best avoided whenever possible and that means reading food and drink labels carefully.
Eibhilin’s snacks tend to be mostly fresh fruit and low-fat snack bars, although it’s a good idea again to read the ingredients list on diet bars as sometimes they can also be surprisingly high in added sugar or syrups. Fat adds flavour, so when it’s taken out it needs to be replaced somehow.
Overall, Eibhilin’s diet shows a good awareness of eating balanced meals and plenty of whole, fresh foods. She enjoys the occasional treat like many of us, but in general her diet contains the nutrients she needs to stay healthy and energised. Well done Eibhilin.