OK, I know this week’s article is a little bit ‘off the wall’, but bear with me – there’s a serious point to it!
I had spent 2 hours on the computer this morning typing up a blog article on Pupil Lesson Records, when my computer suffered the infamous ‘blue screen of death’. I lost the lot. Gutted. Why do I never learn to select the ‘auto-save’ option in Microsoft Word?
ADIs Weight Struggles – Try Healthy ADI Meals – Easy Prep
Anyway, whilst reflecting on something an ADI said to me during a coaching session last week, something dawned on me. Many ADIs struggle with weight issues and having to eat food ‘on the go’. And after a long day out on the road, who really wants to spend another half hour in the kitchen preparing something nutritious for the evening meal? Let’s admit it, for some of us, it’s all too easy to come home and stick a ready meal in the microwave or even phone for a takeaway. Not good for the waistline!
ADI Meals – A Recipe and Healthy Eating Tips
And now autumn is here, many of us will be digging out our slow cookers from the back of the kitchen cupboard and looking for some inspiration for some healthy meals.
I love my slow cooker. In fact, I have two of them, and they’re frequently both going at the same time! Batch cooking means I can stock up the freezer with healthy meals, ready for after a long day out on road training. Cheap, nutritious, healthy, and best of all – hardly any washing up!
Many of you who are friends with me on Facebook know that I love slow cooking, and some have asked for recipes. So today, after my awful ‘blue screen of death’ episode, I figured I would offer something a little different this week on the blog.
So here it is – my favourite slow cooker meal: Slow Cooker Chicken Chilli. And it’s absolutely IDEAL for ADI’s because it’s super-quick and easy to make – simply whack it all in the slow cooker and when you come home 8 hours later, it’s done, perfect for ADI Meals and healthy eating.
The following ingredients are based on using a large 6.5 litre slow cooker, and it will be almost full (as in this photo). Make sure you adapt the ingredient volume to suit the size of your slow cooker.
I make 16 meals from the following, each is only 373 calories per meal! Some of you may prefer a larger portion – go for it! You will also need to factor in what you will serve the chili with – I love it served with Ainsley Harriott’s ‘Spice Sensation Cous Cous’. Also, you may like a grated cheese garnish, but I leave that off to save on calories!
Ingredients
- 3 lbs (1.3 kg) of chicken breast, diced
- 2 large onions
- 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
- 2 tins of kidney beans
- 2 tins of cannellini beans
- 2 tins of chicken broth (I like using ‘Baxters Heathy Chicken & Vegetable soup’)
- 1 large tin of sweetcorn (260g drained weight)
- 1 jar (190g / 6oz) of sundried tomato paste (I use the ‘Sacla’ brand)
- 70g of tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon of hot chili powder (more if you like it extra hot!)
- 4 teaspoons of garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (again, add more or less to taste)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Salt to taste (I usually add around half a teaspoon)
Preparation (5 mins)
- Dice the chicken breasts into 1-2cm cubes
- Dice the onions
- Drain the tins of beans and sweetcorn
- Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker and mix thoroughly
- Put the lid on the slow cooker
- Cook on LOW for 8 hours
After 8 hours, switch off the slow cooker, stir the chili well and divide into 16 equal portions (or less if you want larger meals). Cool thoroughly and then freeze.
That’s it. Easy peasy! At the end of a day out on road, take a portion out of the freezer and defrost thoroughly in the microwave. Once defrosted, turn the microwave onto full power and cook until piping hot. Serve with a jacket potato, rice, cous cous, nachos (or some chips!) – whatever takes your fancy.
Enjoy – ADI Meals that tastes GRRRRREAT!
ACTION STEP – Share your healthy eating secrets with us – what do you snack on during the day to keep you going? Being inactive for most of the day takes its toll on a lot of us (myself definitely included) – so how do you avoid piling on the pounds?
Finally, if you like this recipe for ADI Meals that is delicious and easy to prepare and know someone else that would like it too, please hit one of the social sharing buttons below!
