This week, I asked the gorgeous and glam Suzanne Jackson, top blogger and founder of SoSueMe.ie, what she likes to eat each day and indulge in after a night out….
Where do you shop for food?
SuperValu and Dunnes.
Can you list the contents of your fridge on an average day?
Coleslaw, chicken, ham, peppers, scallion, rocket, mozzarella, vine tomatoes, milk / water (bottled), yogurts, cheese, butter and eggs.
Describe your daily diet under these headings…
Typical breakfast? A cup of tea and a bowl of porridge, always! To sweeten the tea and the porridge I add some coconut palm sugar. I like to top my porridge with chia seeds and also a delicious porridge/yoghurt nut topping mix I get from Kerrigan Meats. I really feel like I’m starting off the day with a good healthy breakfast.
Typical lunch? A chicken or salad wrap with a side salad … but this is followed by a packet of crisps and a bottle of flavoured water!
Typical dinner? We eat out most nights, but lately I have been opting for steamed seabass and veg. I’m also loving prawns lately. I love a Prawn Pil Pil to start. I rarely eat desert though as I’m always too full.
Typical daily snacks? Crisps, a bag of Propercorn popcorn (so yum!), a biscuit and a cup of tea.
Is there anything you won’t eat?
I recently gave up red meat. I stick to chicken and fish instead.
What would you cook to impress someone?
I can’t cook in general but I have learned how to cook a great Thai green curry. I also love chicken and cashew.
Guilty food pleasure?
Tea and cookies – love that combo!
Food hangover cure?
Has to be Dominos Pizza (sometimes even twice a weekend!).
Takeaway order?
Either Dominos Pizza or chipper chips.
Rosanna’s Verdict:
Suzanne keeps a good range of healthy whole foods in her fridge, and most are ideal for making an easy lunch at home. A huge part of healthy living is keeping your fridge and kitchen cupboards well stocked with snacks and components for simple meals. I always recommend keeping plenty of foods like nuts and seeds, nut butters, oat crackers, hummus and smoothie ingredients such as frozen spinach and berries, in your kitchen so that there are always healthy options when you’re hungry.
It’s brilliant to see that Suzanne always makes time for breakfast, and she chooses a really nutritious combination of oats and seeds. We have all been told over and over that breakfast is an important meal because it helps to kickstart your metabolism after the long overnight fast. Research also suggests that eating breakfast helps you to maintain your weight more easily, as it helps to keep blood sugar levels stable and prevents the urge to snack on sugary or fatty foods later in the day. The coconut sugar that she chooses is definitely a better option than regular refined sugar, as it doesn’t raise blood sugar levels as sharply as normal sugar, and it contains some essential minerals too.
For lunch, Suzanne opts for a healthy wrap and salad. I often find that people don’t eat enough leafy green vegetables each day, so it’s brilliant to see that Suzanne includes salad with her meals. Another favourite way to each more greens is to add a couple of handfuls of baby spinach to smoothies, and a green smoothie sweetened with some berries or pineapple makes an energising snack, especially before a workout.
While I think it’s important to have treats every so often, Suzanne might want to opt for unsalted nuts or kale crisps instead of her normal packet of crisps to help lower her salt intake.
Suzanne’s evening meals contain plenty of lean protein and vegetables, and it’s best that she skips dessert as she eats out so regularly. As she doesn’t eat red meat, fish and seafood tend to be her choice of protein, but eggs, tofu, beans and legumes are also good options for anyone else avoiding red or processed meats.
Snacks include popcorn, crisps and biscuits with tea. To lower her intake of refined sugar, Suzanne could opt for oatcakes, apple or banana with some nut butter and cinnamon for a balanced snack higher in protein and fibre. Cinnamon is also known as a useful spice for helping to reduce sugar cravings.
While Suzanne enjoys her treats and weekend pizza, her diet overall is well balanced with plenty of fibre, lean protein, complex carbs and healthy fat. Making a few simple snack swaps would boost her nutrient intake even further.