Leah Itsines - Good Food Made Simple: Healthy recipes to eat well and feel incredible

BUCKLE IN FOR SOME SERIOUSLY DELICIOUS, NUTRITIOUS AND INCREDIBLY SATISFYING FOOD THAT IS HEALTHY BUT DOESNT COMPROMISE ON TASTE - EVER!

Leah Itsines comes from a big Greek family where food is always at the forefront of every gathering. But its no secret she also lives and breathes healthy eating and a lifestyle that supports wellbeing. How do you combine a love of food with a healthy lifestyle? You make Good Food Made Simple.

If you dont feel confident in the kitchen, or youve had a bad relationship with food, this is the book to ease you back to balanced and realistic eating that is satisfying and fun.

Begin with meal prep hacks and money-saving tips to get organised, learn how to make some mean marinades that will make life simply delicious, then move through over 100 killer recipes from The Lighter Side, Quick & Delicious to Itsines Family Favourites and - for something a bit special - The Entertainer.

Good Food Made Simple is your gateway to getting comfortable in the kitchen, being kind to your body and having some fun. Food wasnt meant to be hard.

LEAH ITSINES is the creative cook and co-founder of BARE Guides whose popularity has exploded since she founded BAREs community groups four years ago.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Thank you for picking up this book I truly appreciate the support and I am eternally grateful that youre allowing me to share with you my love and passion for food. Buckle in for some seriously delicious, nutritious and incredibly satisfying food thats healthy but doesnt compromise on taste ever!

I come from a really big Greek family where food was always at the forefront of our gatherings. It was all about whose yiayia (grandmother) was bringing the pita and whose papou (grandfather) was on the barbecue. There was inevitably a ridiculous number of cousins, which meant the volume of our parties was quite loud, to say the least. And I wouldnt have had it any other way because this taught me the meaning of food that food is a celebration, a gift that we are given every day, and to make the most of it. I also learned how good food can taste when its made from the most basic of ingredients (my yiayia grew most of her ingredients shes a wizard, I swear).

My aim in this book, and in my career, is to make food easy and to help people look at food in a positive way. If you dont feel confident in the kitchen because you havent had much practice, or you fear food due to a bad relationship with it, I desperately want to change those views and help you push forward.

The biggest trend Ive noticed in the online world is that people are becoming more aware of their health. While theres more noise than ever about whats best for your health, people are finally catching on that an understanding of nutrition basics is all you need not only to survive, but to seriously thrive.

Ill first take you through some basic nutritional fundamentals that I believe are a really great start to making healthy changes in your life, then introduce you to some cooking basics and where to start. Ill give you my tips for making the most of your freezer and show you how meal prepping can make life easier. Then were onto the pantry and Ill quickly drop past and organise it for you just kidding, but I will tell you how to do it so youre not overbuying or shoving things into places where youll never find them! After were done there, its onto the incredible recipes Ive developed to get you into the kitchen and seriously loving it.

Theres something special about being in peoples homes, bringing families together with something they can hold, get dirty or pass on. So please, keep this book in your kitchen, get it dirty and use it in your everyday cooking. Im ready to get cooking are you?

Lets do this!

Leah xx

Food fundamentals

Its probably no surprise that I love healthy eating its everything I live and breathe! However, I didnt always make the healthiest of choices. When I was in high school, I went from eating a healthy Mediterranean diet of home-cooked meals to something a lot less nutritious takeaway meals, alcohol, and so on. I became unwell and knew I needed to make a change, and I started by changing my eating habits. I came up with my own list of fundamentals about food and nutrition, which really helped me, and I still swear by it to this day. If youre new to healthy eating, its important to know that a healthy change is never linear youll have ups and downs because change is hard. But using my food fundamentals, you can do it and your body will love you for it.

1. BALANCE

Balance is key. One thing I want you to grasp is that balance is the key to healthy change. If you cant see yourself sticking to something for the rest of your life, or it makes you miserable or doesnt suit you and your lifestyle, ask yourself, Is it worth it? If its not and you dont like it, then its not for you. This is how I feel about hardcore dieting and being strict with food. Coming from a big Greek family, I love food, so I much prefer a balanced outlook that suits my lifestyle. When it comes to nutrition, its important to listen to your body, especially around cravings and what your body is wanting. Enjoying every meal and eating to fuel yourself is what life should be all about. Your relationship with food will get better the more you listen to your body, its needs and your hunger cues, and actually replenish it with what youre craving. Balance is my key ingredient to success when looking to make a healthy change.

2. BE REALISTIC

Being realistic goes hand in hand with balance. Creating a realistic lifestyle and relationship with food is important for your long-term success be realistic when youre making changes. If youve never meal prepped (see ) before, it would be a big leap to attempt to prepare a weeks worth of meals in 2 hours on a Sunday. Not only is this unrealistic, but it can be quite overwhelming. A more realistic approach would be to spend time on a Saturday creating a meal plan and shopping list for the week ahead, buying those ingredients and then preparing one or two ingredients on the Sunday. You could start by making a couple of snacks for the week, gradually working your way up to meal prepping more and more meals every week. Its important to ask, Am I feeling comfortable with this? Can I keep this up? and then build or reduce your load from there.

3. VARIETY

Variety is everything. Its important to include a variety of different proteins, carbohydrates and fats in your meals to keep your food exciting. Typically I eat a bunch of different meats, seafoods, vegetables, pastas, grains, salads and fruits thats what truly allows me to have a balanced diet. Every time Im developing a recipe or coming up with meals for my family, I ask myself, What else can I add to this? This is what really helps keep my meals exciting no two meals are ever the same and Im always enjoying a range of foods each day. (Granted, my additions are typically olives or artichokes, but thats beside the point!) Choosing a variety of ingredients also means youre adding different macro and micro nutrients into your body, which provides different key nutrients, and it will mean you never get bored with your food. Hot tip from me: make your food more exciting. Food should never be boring or bland!