Eating right is difficult, and it can be particularly difficult for those who stay up late with work, studying, or late night hobbies. Often because of convenience shift workers, late night studiers, and hobbyists opt for quick fixes with fast food, which can lead to health issues and weight gain. Here are some tips to all you night owls out there to eat right!

  1. Meal plan, and cook large portions to be eaten later: It can save you lots of time and energy. Slow cook a chili or soup, stash portioned-sized containers in the freezer, and take them out the night before you plan on eating them.
  2. Eat your biggest meal before your day begins: This will prevent you from snacking excessively or wanting to buy more fast food when your breakfast food is digested.
  3. Pack lots of healthy snacks for work: Yogurt, vegetables, fruit, granola bars are great little snacks when you’re feeling a bit hungry, and can be eating with a fair amount of discreetness when you’re on the go. Snacking throughout the day is great for maintaining optimal blood sugar levels and can help curb your appetite for dinners.

 Quinoa Chilli

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 pound extra lean ground beef
  • 1 TBS olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
  • 1 TBS chili powder
  • 1 TBS ground cumin
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cans black beans, rinsed, and drained
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 zucchini, chopped (optional)
  • 1 tsp dried oregano leaves
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • Dash salt and pepper
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions 

  • Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and the water has been absorbed, about 15-20 minutes.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in ground beef. Cook and stir until the beef is crumbly,  evenly browned, and no longer pink. Drain and discard any excess grease; set beef aside.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, garlic, and jalapeno pepper; cook and stir until the onion has soften and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with chili powder and cumin; cook 1 minute more to release the flavor of the spices. Stir in the tomatoes, black beans, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, zucchini, oregano, and parsley.
  • Season with salt and black pepper. Simmer until bell peppers are tender, about 20 minutes
  • Once red and green pepper are tender, stir in the quinoa, beef, and corn kernels. Return to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes to reheat. Stir in the cilantro to serve.

Nutritional Value

Calories/Serving:  412 Total Fat: 11.5g Total Carbs: 52.8g Dietary Fibre: 14.8g Protein: 27.5g

Vegetarian Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 leek, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
  • ½ head broccoli, cut into florets
  • 3 red potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 carton low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 TBS nutritional yeast
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Dash salt and pepper
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • 1 can fat0free evaporated milk
  • 3 TBS whole wheat flour
  • 1 TBS curry powder

Directions

  • Heat olive oil in a stockpot over medium-low heat; cook and stir onion, leek, and garlic until fragrant, 3-5 minutes. Add cauliflower, broccoli, and potatoes to onion mixture; cook and stir until potatoes are lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
  • Increase heat to medium-high; stir broth and enough water to cover vegetable into mixture. Stir curry powder, turmeric, bay leaf, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper into broth-vegetable mixture. Loosely cover pot with a lid and bring soup to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are softened, 20 to 25 minutes.
  • Whisk milk and flour together in a bowl until smooth and thickened; stir into soup along with nutritional yeast until soup is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove soup from heat and allow to slightly cool and thicken.

Nutritional Information

Calories/serving: 74 Total fat: 0.7g Total Carbs: 13.5g Dietary Fibre: 2.5g Protein: 4.6g