With the growing food culture of today’s world, it makes it almost impossible not to be tempted by the amazing food creations available to us.

While I may be a competitive athlete, that doesn’t mean these temptations simply disappear for me either. I have also become good at learning how to treat myself with tasty foods, without impeding my competition, physique, or my health goals.

As an athlete, it is important to fuel my body with foods that I know are going to help me progress towards my goals, so it is comforting to know that I can eat just about anything I want, by following the nutrition approach of flexible dieting.

I’m still human, and I recognise the importance of being able to retain my social life. It is very important for me to still be able to enjoy a glass of wine, a late night coffee, or even a small dessert here and there as it gives me a sense of balance and normalcy and allows me to be consistent with my overall diet. I believe feeling like I can be a part of the wider community gives me the feeling of belonging, and this is just as important to my overall health as are the food choices I make on my physical health.

Unfortunately, many people end up caught in a diet cycle that involves eating in an unsustainable manner because they believe that it is the only way that they can reach their goals. They cut out sweets, grains, fats, carbs, and whatever other nutrients that latest fad diet says is bad for them. So they invariably lose weight, only to regain it all, if not more! The missing link for most people is finding a style of dieting that is sustainable to them and that they can incorporate into their lifestyle. This means including all the foods you love, in moderation.

I wanted to develop a recipe book that was able give back some of the small joys and happiness food often brings us. I also wanted to provide recipes for foods that everyone can enjoy and are easy to prepare. All the recipes included in my book are my own recipes and are macro-friendly. So what does macro mean? I have taken many of our old recipe favourites, and modified them in a way to make them lower in calorie. I do this by manipulating the ingredients in some way to reduce the carbs and fat or increase its protein content. AT University, I loved food science, in fact food product and development were two of my favourite units and this certainly explains my passion and love for cooking and recipe modification.

I can't wait for you to dive in and start enjoying these recipes!

Sections Included

• Breakfast - Page 5 (7 recipes + 3 toast toppers)

• Simple Hot Lunches - Page 19 (10 recipes)

• Smoothies - Page 14 (8 recipes)

• Snacks - Page 30 (5 recipes)

• Dinner - Page 36 (9 recipes)

• Naughty But Nice Treats - Page 46 (8 recipes)

Every recipe includes:

• Recipe name & picture

• Ingredients list

• Key indicators

• Steps

• Nutrition information