5 Healthy and Nutrition-packed Vegetarian Breakfast Dishes

To raise a toast to a healthy and nutritious lifestyle, we thought of compiling a list of some of the easiest dishes that you could make for breakfast. Not only are they tasty but super healthy too. The best part about most of these dishes is that they can be made with the simplest of ingredients, readily available in any vegetarian kitchen.

1. Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie: Blend together frozen bananas, a generous dollop of peanut butter, skimmed milk, honey and some ice cubes to create one of the most delicious and healthy morning shakes. Relish this chilled wholesome smoothie with some oatmeal cookies and loads of love!

2. Tofu Sandwich: An extremely tasty and healthy delicacy that not only allures children but elders as well. Apply some green chutney (made by blending together coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chillies, garlic, onions, ginger, salt and a dash of lemon) on a slice of whole wheat bread. Place a slice of fresh tofu, rings of onion and bell pepper on this slice. Sprinkle some crushed black pepper on this and place a plain slice of bread on top of this. Toast this on the grill/tawa for a few minutes and there you go! This high-on-protein snack is ideal for breakfast with some orange juice.

3. Quinoa Fruit Salad: Glamourize the plain quinoa with some fresh fruits, honey, lime and fresh herbs to enjoy a really healthy and delicious breakfast dish.

4. Kaandha Poha (Flattened Rice Flakes Upma): This Maharashtrian delicacy takes just a few minutes to prepare and is packed with taste and nutrients. Cook soaked poha, onions, green chillies, cumin seeds in some oil. Garnish with roasted peanuts, coriander leaves and a good squeeze of lemon juice. You have a hot and happening dish ready to eat!

5. Banana on Toast: You absolutely need no skill and time to prepare this super nutritious snack. The name is self-explanatory when I say banana on toast - literally place slices of a banana on toasted wheat bread with peanut butter spread on it and drizzle some honey on top. You just made yourself an amazing dish for breakfast!

Treat your taste-buds to some nutrient-packed recipes and celebrate a healthy lifestyle in the most apt manner. Share some of your ideas to living a healthier life through food and beyond!

Guilt-free tips for a healthy and fit vacation!

It's holiday season and we all have our dates marked in the calendar for that annual vacation. Unfortunately, with memories we also pile on a lot of calories while traveling. We work so hard throughout the year for that perfect and fit body just to lose it all in one single trip. That sounds too harsh. Doesn't it. Well, you could take things under your control with a few of my traveling tips for that health-freak in you.

1. Have healthy items on the complimentary breakfast menu:

In case you are staying at a hotel that offers complimentary breakfast (which most hotels do these days) then opt for healthy dishes like cereal, fruit bowl, boiled eggs with salt and pepper, salads without mayonnaise, toasted wheat bread with peanut butter, baked beans or oats. Have healthy fruit juices instead of milkshakes. Don't even think about touching the french toast, maple syrup, muffins, puddings, hash browns and other fried items.

2. Have a hearty meal once a day:

Assuming that you have had the complimentary breakfast in healthy style, you are permitted to have a nice sumptuous lunch at a fancy restaurant. It would be ideal for you to stay moderate instead of going overboard with everything. For your daily dinners, pack some masala oats packets that only require the addition of a hot glass of water, or buy some wheat bread and ketchup/diet spread from the nearest 7/11 store and enjoy the meal in your room watching some good shows on TV.

3. Walk or cycle while exploring the new place:

Always prefer to walk or rent a bicycle to explore the new vacation spot. It gives you a good opportunity to burn all those extra calories that you collected the previous day. Additionally, it is an inexpensive and interesting way to discover stories of the destination that you have selected.

4. Have desserts, but share:

We all know that sharing is caring. In this context, you are caring for yourself. I know it's a crime to go all the way to Paris and not have the raspberry crepes there, or return from Switzerland without having that large slice of Black Forest Cake! So go ahead and have a bite of each of the desserts you feel like having, but do not binge on them.

5. Lose the key to your hotel room's mini-bar:

Your room's mini-bar usually will have the tastiest yet unhealthiest goodies stored in it. Do yourself a favor and never think about touching any item in it even once. 

6. Drink warm water always:

Prefer to ask for warm drinking water, whenever and wherever possible. Warm water helps in digestion of food and keeps your metabolism rate intact instead of making it haywire. 

7. Watch your poison:

You definitely have to booze while you are on a vacation. But ensure that you don't stuff yourself with too much alcohol. Its the most calorie-rich item that you need to keep a watch on. 

Have an amazing and healthy vacation with these interesting and fit tips for you to not cheat on your diet. In case you need assistance to book tickets for your travel, you could look-up here.

Tips to shed weight without shedding money!

Weight loss has become such a common thing nowadays that everyone uses it as a conversation starter with strangers. It has grown to become more popular than gossip or news. So while everyone out there is discussing about going to the gymnasium or switching to organic diet or even enrolling for Zumba classes, I have some really easy and effective tips that you could do use in your lifestyle without altering it much. Trust me, this definitely works.

1. Walk whenever possible

If you've to go to a store nearby, don't take your car or bike, just walk on your feet or cycle your way through. This gives you an opportunity to flex your muscles and stay fit while also giving you some time to talk to your close ones. 

2. Take the stairs

Never opt for escalators, travelators or elevators if and when possible. Another quick tip that most of you may not be aware of is that you should climb stairs on your toes and not the whole foot. This is a secret that not many know.

3. Drink hot/warm water always

Completely stop drinking cold water. Start having warm water always. This improves your metabolism thereby helping your food get digested better and faster. It also enhances blood flow throughout your body keeping you active for a longer time!

4. Say no to junk food

Exterminate french fries, burgers, onion rings, frito lays, cookies and other unhealthy eatables from your life. This step itself is enough to cut those extra calories and keep your weight under control.

5. Eat less but more often

Reduce the time between your meals. You must have something healthy to eat every 2 hours, but in lesser quantities. Earlier, if you used to have 5 slices of bread at once, make that 3 and after 2 hours have another 2. This way, you give time for your system to digest the initial 3 slices completely before you have the other 2. 

6. Exercise at home

You must do simple exercises at home like stretching, squats, cycling in air while lying on your back, twisting your body with your feet firm on the ground. You need not dedicate an hour for this. Just try doing sets of 10 each whenever you can, throughout the day!

These tips seem too good to be true. But believe me, they do work. Try it yourself to know it.