Foods for thought

Courtesy: Rashi Chowdhary

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Pawan Singh / The National

The Dubai-based nutrition and inch-loss expert Rashi Chowdhary on the five ingredients that are always in her kitchen.

Eggs: eat the yolk

Two whole eggs – scrambled, boiled or fried. They taste great and give me enough protein to last a couple of hours. They’re a great quick-fix, any-hour snack. I love the yolks not just because of the taste, but also because they are loaded with omega 3, and vitamins A, D, E and K, while the whites are completely devoid of any of these nutrients. Also, the yolks have half the total protein found in the entire egg. Eat the yolk – cholesterol in its pure form is great for you.

Almond butter: a pre-workout snack

Paleo almond butter from The Protein Bake Shop has just two ingredients in it – almonds and coconut oil. A packaged product has to have simple, real and minimal ingredients for it to be healthy.

I use almond butter in smoothies, throw it over frozen bananas or just dig into the jar

for a quick pre-workout meal.

Avocado: make a rich chocolate mousse

The health benefits of the monounsaturated fats in avocado are numerous and its texture allows me to use avocado in so many different ways. If I’m in the mood for something savoury I will turn it into a dip or guacamole. If I’m in a rush, I’ll throw it into a smoothie. And if I’m craving something sweet, I’ll use it to make a rich chocolate mousse with chopped dates, raw cacao and some crunchy walnuts.

Sweet potato: The perfect breakfast

I am in love with sweet-potato fries and can’t get enough of them. This is by far one of the best sources of carbohydrates you’ll have. It’s loaded with fibre and keeps you feeling fuller for longer without raising your blood sugar levels through the roof. Try having a sweet-potato salad with some turkey bacon strips – it’s the perfect breakfast.

Coconut oil: beyond amazing

I’ve been using coconut oil for three years – everything in my house is cooked in virgin coconut oil. The benefits for your cholesterol levels, skin, hair, metabolism and hormones is beyond amazing. If there’s one healthy change you want to make in your cooking habits, let it be this. Say goodbye to processed, highly refined, stripped-of-all-nutrients vegetable oils and replace them with coconut oil.

Rashi Chowdhary is a nutrition and inch-losss expert based in Dubai.