Health Hack Plan: Week 2

You should be feeling more energetic and less stressed already.

Written by spunout

Factsheet

Fact checked by experts and reviewed by young people.

Have you tried our ideas for Week 1? Well done. Keep the momentum going with our hacks for Week 2. Hopefully you’ll be finding that you feel a bit better in yourself. You’ll probably still be craving sugar and processed foods, but you’re on the road now.

Food

Here are some meal ideas for week 2 of your health hack:

Breakfast

Looking for something different in the mornings?

Berry omelette

A bit like the savoury option here, but with fruit! Beat a big egg (or 2 small ones) with milk and cinnamon. Heat oil in a pan and pour in the egg mixture, make sure to evenly cover the base and cook for a few mins until set. If you want you can add some cheese to the omelette, then add the berries and roll it up.

Cottage cheese and frui

Many people enjoy this combo,but you can swap the cheese for creme fresh or low fat yogurt if you aren’t into cottage cheese.

Vegan blueberry pancakes

You’ll need some flaxseed, coconut oil, soya/almond milk, courtesy of Jamie Oliver for these pancakes.

Lunch

Here are some healthy lunch ideas for week 2:

Chicken caprese salad

Lean chicken with added mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and pesto, mix and boom. It makes for a good filler-upper salad or you can stick it in a sandwich.

Avocado salad sandwich

Combine ingredients of a (sliced) ripe (soft to squeeze) avocado with lettuce, tomato, cucumber in wholemeal bread for a super healthy sandwich. Dress it with some mustard, relish or chutney for variety.

Pumpkin soup

With a drop of olive oil in a large pan, gently cook some finely chopped onion for 5 mins, add the chopped (and peeled/deseeded) pumpkin, then add some vegetable stock, bring to the boil. Add some milk and allow to simmer for around 30 mins, mix it well for a smooth texture.

Dinner

Try out something different for your main meals this week

Chilli con carne

Fry some mince in a dry pan for 20-25 minutes over a low heat. Add some chopped onion and garlic to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in some flour for 1-2 mins, add some beef stock and tomato sauce and bring to the boil. Throw in some kidney/baked beans, chickpeas or celery to the mince and simmer for 20 mins. Here’s a good recipe from RTE’s website.

Veggie burgers

Heat some vegetable oil, add some onion and fry until soft, you can add some veggies of your own choice like mushrooms, carrot and garlic and fry for 5 minutes. Have some cooked mashed potatoes at the ready to mix in with the veg and coat with breadcrumbs. Grill for 2 minutes on each side for a nice golden colour.

Quick bake tuna

Mix some tuna pieces with onion, parsley sauce, Worchester sauce and pour into a casserole dish. Add a layer of breadcrumbs, followed by a layer of sauce and repeat until all your ingredients are used up. Layer some final breadcrumbs on top and bake in a pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes.

Snacks

Feeling peckish?

Hummus

This is a nice dip to try with carrot or celery sticks or even some wholegrain crackers can be delish.You can make your own too.

Popcorn

Swap the salted or buttered stuff for some plain homemade popcorn for a good munch.

Dried fruit

A handful of foods like dried mango, cranberries or raisins are an easy option for a tasty but healthy snack.

Exercise

It can be hard to get up and running with exercise sometimes. So getting yourself up for it is key. So pick something to give a go. We have a handy playlist here that will get you going too!

Running

Atarting to run can be daunting if you’re a newbie but it’s all about easing yourself into it.

Something like couck to 5k might be helpful to start you off.

Aerobics

This type of exercising is great as it’s usually to some awesome tunes. Try a local class or check out a tutorial online.

Here’s some great tips on running motivation from Runner’s World.

Motivation

Here are some ways to keep yourself going:

Reward yourself

After all the changes you’ve worked on over the past week, remember to treat yourself to something nice – maybe a trip to the cinema or new workout gear. Having something to look forward to will help you stay motivated.

Let people know about your plan

That’s right, tell your family/friends/social media what you’re up to! Making a commitment to people who are likely to ask you for updates on your progress means you will more than likely be more motivated to keep at it.