Ten Healthy Snack FoodsAs well as three well balanced meals a day, Unislim encourage you to eat two healthy snacks per day to stave off hunger and keep blood sugars level – as well as our moods! If you’re not a ‘snacker’, you may think that’s a good thing, but not necessarily as many of us overeat, or eat the wrong foods by actually leaving it too long in between our meals. Then we feel overwhelmingly tired and hungry, causing us to reach for the wrong types of foods lurking in our food cupboards before dinner is on the table. The key is to get snacking folks – just choose the right ones! Here's ten healthy snacking ideas you'll…

Portion Distortion How often have you been tempted by those massive ‘buckets’ of warm, salty popcorn wafting right in front of your nose at the cinema queue? Or how about those extra large fizzy drinks that are big enough to satisfy the thirst of three or four large men? Seriously, have you noticed lately how large servings are becoming, especially of common snack foods? In reality, the ‘mega-sized’ chocolate bars are big enough to feed two or three people. And, take the humble bag of crisps. The ‘standard’ sized bags that we were used to now actually look comically miniature compared to the huge bags on offer (supposedly ‘share bags’ but, let’s face it, who’s really sharing?).

Click HERE for some fabulous recipes from our new Slimming and Filling cookbook which featured in the Belfast Telegraph. The recipes in our new Slimming and Filling cookbook will help you enjoy a new healthy lifestyle and make your slimming journey with Unislim more flavoursome and delicious! To purchase your copy of our Slimming and Filling cookbook clickHERE.

Vegetables from the cruciferous family, such as broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts are packed with nutrients and health-boosting compounds, so we should aim to eat them every single day. Here are some quick and creative ways to add cruciferous vegetables to your diet. Dress up dinner Wrap fish filets in spinach, Savoy or green cabbage leaves and pan-cook with low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth flavoured with fresh ginger, grated lemon rind and some chopped coriander. Parmesan-cauliflower bites Toss cauliflower florets with a little olive oil and crushed garlic. Sprinkle on a spoonful of grated Parmesan, and bake until tender and nicely browned. Best Brussels sprouts Steam until just tender, then sauté with a little olive oil and some finely chopped onion and garlic.…

Unislim Zero Unit Vegetable Soup 4 – 6 servings 500g chopped vegetables (any vegetables from the Zero Unit vegetable list) 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock 1 bay leaf Crushed clove of garlic (optional) 1 tsp curry or chilli powder (optional) Place all the ingredients into a large saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Allow to cool. Liquidise and reheat before serving. This soup tastes better when made a day in advance of eating. To change the flavour, add a tin of tomatoes or alternate a dominant vegetable for a different taste. Unislim Zero Unit Butternut Squash Soup 6-8 servings 1 whole butternut squash, peeled & deseeded 2 onions 2 carrots 2 sticks celery 2 cloves garlic…

There’s good evidence that over the past 20 years, restaurant portions have “super-sized,” and our waistlines have grown along with them. We’ve become accustomed to eating larger servings to the detriment of our health. Here are eight simple ways to help reduce your portion sizes. 1. Wait 10-15 minutes Your stomach needs about that long to signal to the brain that it’s full, so wait before helping yourself to more mashed potatoes or lasagne. If you’re still truly hungry, have a second helping of vegetables or salad. 2. Abandon the “clean plate” club Most of us eat everything we’re served, no matter how big the portion. A better strategy is to eat until you are comfortably full, then stop.You can…

From olive oil to sesame, walnut and truffle oils – there’s so much choice it can be hard to know which oil to buy, never mind how to use it.Here’s our guide to finding the best oils for you. Groundnut (peanut) oil Health benefits: Contains high levels of plant sterols, which research shows can lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and therefore may help to reduce the risk of heart disease. Flavour: Very subtle but nutty How to use: This oil has a high burn point so is good for stir-fries and other frying Olive oil Health benefits: Olive oil contains heart-healthy monounsaturated fats which can help to lower levels of LDL cholesterol. Flavour: Olive oil varies in flavour, depending on…

1. Eating breakfast prevents the mid-morning munchies. If you don’t have time before you go to work, eat breakfast at your desk. 2. Mini-packs of breakfast cereal make excellent dry snacks. Each pack has about 150 calories (1½ Units). Compare labels and choose those that are lower in sugar and higher in fibre, as these are low GI. 3. If you love fry-ups, swap fried bread (1½ Units) for 1 slice of wholegrain toast (½ Unit), a sausage (1½ Units) for grilled tomatoes (0 Units), bacon (1 Unit) for grilled mushrooms (0 Units) and a fried egg (2 Units) for a poached egg (1½ Units). That’s swapping 6 Units for only 2 Units! 4. Opt for slimline bacon buttties by making them with…

Comfort – A condition or feeling of pleasurable ease, well-being, and contentment. Food – A substance you consume to produce energy, stimulate growth, and provide nourishment. Put these two words together and people dream of chocolate brownies, turn to mashed potato for pick-me-ups and fall prey to many other kinds of eating rituals. This is the power comfort foods hold. Unfortunately, it seems that most comfort foods console us with extra fat, calories, units and other ingredients that lack great nutritional value. But not all comfort foods are made this way. Here are 7 Comfort Foods that are actually good for you. Check them out! Yogurt (with fruit) The frozen variety tastes pretty similar to its ice cream counterpart, only…

Many people perceive healthy eating as being expensive, and therefore use cost as an excuse to eat junk.  If this sounds familiar, you can kiss that excuse goodbye! With a little organisation and creativity, you can have the proverbial “champagne lifestyle on a soda water budget”. To start, here’s a quick review of basic tips of healthy eating:Limit your intake of junk food and alcohol Drink lots of water (at least 8 glasses (200 ml each) a day) Limit salty and sugary foods Avoid eating many foods that are high in saturated fats Eat a wide variety of foodsNext, set aside regular blocks of time for planning meals, making your grocery list, and shopping - tasks that are most often…