All Things Foraging with Nourished in Nature Ireland

All Things Foraging

This week, we’re joined by founder of Nourished in Nature Ireland, Lucianne Hare, to talk all things foraging! Lucianne founded ‘Nourished in Nature Ireland’ during the first lockdown. She specialises in tailor made trips and activities for all the family such as hiking, foraging, wild swimming and sheepdog shows. “Our main aim is enable families, children and young  adults to have fun out in nature whilst in a safe environment.” says Lucianne, “We facilitate day tours & activities to week long retreats”.  Here, Lucianne covers the basic of foraging but checkout the Nourished in Nature Ireland website or follow their Instagram for even more foraging fun!

What is foraging?

Foraging is the rewarding act of going out into nature and identifying different plants which are edible to humans. It’s something that we’ve have done since the start of our existence and throughout our ‘hunter-gatherer’ days. The wholesome act of foraging directly connects us with the wilderness, it gets our bodies moving, our minds active and replenishes us with all the vitamins and nutrients that our bodies need.

In today’s society foraging is something that most of us feel disconnected from due to large scale farming and agriculture which make them an easier and more reliant food source. However in more recent years knowledge and awareness has grown regarding the negative impacts that these kinds of farming can have on the environment and therefore foraging and sustainable food sources are getting much more popular. People now want to become more self-sufficient and have a better understanding of where their food comes from and what better way to do this than through foraging for your own food. Foraging is one of the most holistic practises you can choose to do and it allows you to feel at one with nature. No matter where you live there are some foraging options on your doorstep!

Foraging through history:

Through times of war and famine when farming supplies were low and food imports were not available we naturally returned to our foraging instincts as a matter of survival. Plants such as Dandelion (roots) were used as a substitute for coffee and Rosehips were used in place of oranges as a great source of vitamin C. During these hard times we also re-learnt how to use different plants to heal our bodies through their unique medicinal benefits for illnesses such as nausea, high blood pressure, anxiety, respiratory issues, skin irritations and many more.

When to forage:

Nature provides us with nutritious foods all year round so that we will never go hungry. That being said, there are seasons that are better than others for providing a good amount of variation.

Personally favorite time of the year to take people out foraging is in the Spring. Springtime is when nature is bursting with new life and lots of edible plants are fresh and at their tastiest. During springtime the forest floors are flourishing with delicious edibles because the tree canopy is still bare enough to let lots of sunlight shine through.

Who can forage:

Foraging is human nature which means that absolutely any one, of any age, background, or ability can forage. Whether you live in the city or in the countryside there are foraging options available to you. Edible plants are found along hedges, parks, roads, gardens, forests, fields and coastlines. 

That being said, before you start foraging please note that there are some very important safety rules to be aware of. When you are out foraging remember to be mindful and respect the environment, only take what you need and never pull anything up by the root. Treating plants with care and patience ensures that they can regrow and supply us year after year. Always try to adopt a ‘leave no trace’ policy. Remember to take your time when foraging and only eat something if you are 100% sure you have identified it correctly and you know that it is edible and how to cook it if required. If you don’t feel comfortable doing this on your own then join in on a foraging workshop led by an experienced forager who can teach you all that you need to know. There are a large number of edible and inedible plants found throughout the UK and Ireland so it’s best to start with the easiest and most common ones to identify.

Remember – if in doubt, throw it out!

Seasonal Foraging Favourites:

  • Spring Surprise: Wild Garlic, Three-cornered Leek, Dandelion, Nettles, Primrose, Garlic Mustard, Ribwort Plantain, Curly Dock, Hawthorn, Wood sorrel
  • Summer Berries: Wild strawberry, raspberry, bilberry,
  • Autumn Sweetness: Rosehips, Elderberries, Hawthorn berries, Hazelnuts
  • Winter Wonders: Wintercress, Crow garlic, Wood sorrel
  • Edible Seaweeds: Sea spaghetti, Dulse, Sea lettuce, Serrated wrack and Velvet horn

A foraging blog by Lucianne Hare from Nourished in Nature Ireland.

If you would like to book a foraging tour then please get in touch!

Nourished in Nature Ireland

Sligo, Ireland

(+353) 083 354 3900

NOURISHEDINNATUREIRELAND@GMAIL.COM

www.nourishedinnatureireland.com

Wild Garlic Pesto 2 Ways

Wild Garlic Pesto

This week, Good4U’s Michelle went on a foraging adventure with Lucianne from Nourished in Nature Ireland, where they picked some beautiful wild garlic. These simple and nutritious pesto recipes are fresh and flavourful, and can be applied to so many dishes and snacks! Just blitz and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days. 

Lemon Basil Wild Garlic Pesto

  • One bunch Wild Garlic – approx 6 stems with leaves & flowers
  • 2 handfuls fresh basil
  • 1 packet Good4U Salad Topper Super Seeds
  • 1/2 packet Good4U Super Sprouts
  • Grated Lemon Zest from 1 Lemon
  • Sprinkle Sea Salt
  • Olive oil approx 50ml – add more for desired texture
  • Blend

 

Chilli, Coriander & Lime Wild Garlic Pesto

  • One bunch Wild Garlic – approx 6 stems with leaves & flowers
  • 3 handfuls fresh coriander
  • 1 packet Good4U Salad Topper Garlic & Chilli
  • Grated Lemon Zest from 1 Lime
  • 1 small fresh red chilli
  • Sprinkle Sea Salt
  • Olive oil approx 50ml – add more for desired texture
  • Blend and top with diced chilli

Easter Activities for Kids

Even though children today can readily communicate with others using cell phones and computers, they may feel more lonely and isolated than they did 20 years ago. Growing up today is a lot different than it was when most of us were kids.

Today, technology helps many children keep in touch with family and friends, but the constant ability for kids to communicate with others via text and on social media comes with some risks. Of course we need to move with the times but there needs to be come balance.

Thankfully, the weather is picking up, and an easing of restrictions is on the horizon so this gives us more scope to get out and about.We are getting all nostalgic here at Good4U and want you to join in on the fun. Who needs a screen when you have these games to play.

Top of the list has to be Hide and Seek! Everyone has played this one. Best played with three people or more. Smaller kids love this… Although the really small ones might not get the concept and hide right in front of you which is super cute, especially when they block their eyes and think you cannot see them.


Next up is Tip the Can which is a variation of Hide & Seek, probably more suited to the older child. It’s a game of speed, cunning, and some poor player stuck being ‘it’. Tip the can has been played far and wide for many years. The ‘can’ (or a plant pot, or gate pillar or whatever) is out in the open. Whoever is ‘it’ stands at the can, counting to 20, while the rest of the Olympians run off to hide.

When the counting is finished, ‘it’ goes on the hunt. Every person that is caught gets sent to ‘jail’, but if someone manages to ‘tip the can’ before being caught, they can free one of their comrades.


Good old Hopscoth, every household today appears to chalk lying around, probably down to the multiple trips to the Euro stores during the pandemic in desperate search for arts and crafty things to keep everyone sane over the past year. Use some sidewalk chalk and make a hopscotch grid. Number the squares from one to nine. Pick a rock that is good for tossing. Small ones can bounce too much, and larger ones are hard to throw.

Start by tossing the rock onto Square
1. Hop over the rock and hop with a single foot or both feet (to follow the hopscotch pattern) all the way to the end. Turn around and come back, stopping on Square
2. Balancing on one foot, pick up the rock in Square 1 and hop over Square 1 to the start. Continue this pattern with Square 2. And so on.
If you toss your rock and miss the correct square, your turn is over. This game can be played with any number of people, but only one person can go at a time. If it’s raining or dark or too cold, you can get indoor hopscotch mats or foam pieces, or just find a pattern on the floor to follow, perhaps using a beanbag instead of a rock.


Elastics – Among the simplest of disciplines, elastics requires a good eye and a nimble jump. It was everywhere to be seen in playgrounds in the eighties and nineties. sell them.


Blind Man’s Bluff – hard beat on a rainy day. The person who is “it” wears a blindfold and tries to tag the other players. Just make sure to clear away any hazards… A big open room is best…


Red Rover – The best game ever… This Olympic sport is a test of strength, balance and brute force, but I don’t think this one was allowed before the pandemic due to health & safety, so definitely not allowed now. There was always some big tank of a fella who would take out the entire line while breaking the seal. So we will park that one but such craic…  Red Rover, Red Rover, we call x over!!


Kerbs – “Kerbs” was the bread and butter of street games. It was the first game you played while you waited for the rest of your mates to turn up for a Red Rover/Tip the Can bonanza. It was also the final game you played with your siblings as the sun set and you tried to squeeze out the last of the long summer’s evening before your mother called you in for dinner. All you need is two people, two adjacent kerbs, and a ball, preferably a plastic one.

Rules of the game:

  • Score 100 points to win. 
  • Take turns throwing ball across to opposite kerb.
  • Score 10 points by hitting the opposite kerb on its angle so the ball ricochets back towards you. 
  • If successful continue with bonus throws from the middle of the street until you miss. Five points scored for each successful bonus throw.

 

These were the basic rules, though of course the scoring and the tenets of the game varied from town to town and estate to estate with each place adding something different to it.


Keepy-uppies – the pinnacle of footballing skill. The gold will go to the athlete with the most impressive techniques and longevity.


Simon Says – This game can be played anywhere, even in a car or other small space. One person is Simon and starts by saying, “Simon says, ‘[insert action here]’. ” Everyone must then do the action. However, if Simon makes an action request without saying, “Simon says” to begin the request, anyone who does that action is out. The last person still playing in the end will be Simon for the next round. Good when all other options run out, some kids love it but might lose them early enough.

How to Build a Nutritious Lunch Box

It’s Back to School time for many of our kids in what has been a long, unpredictable and difficult year. As great as it is to see them get back to normality, this new lift on restrictions comes with its own concerns, especially when it comes to our kid’s health and immunity. Not only that, but with remote work and school, we’ve been able to operate on a less regimented schedule and whip up nutritious meals from our kitchens with relative ease. Now we need to re-introduce ourselves to meal prep, lunchbox guidelines and portions that will be enough to sustain our little ones throughout the day.

Don’t fret though- our dietician Michelle has created a guide to help you build a tasty, super-nutritious lunch box that’s easy, versatile and complies with most school lunchbox guidelines!

  1. Step One – WHOLEGRAINS
    (Wholegrain bread, Porridge scones, wholemeal pittas, Brown Rice, Buckwheat, Millet, Quinoa)

    Children should be eating between 15-20g fibre a day. Unfortunately, most kids today fall short of this. Fibre not only helps to ease constipation but also helps to keep children fuller for longer. It’s very handy to pack the little ones off with a sambo but make sure to choose the high fibre breads. Or even mix it up with a little quinoa or rice bowl with added veggies


  2. Step Two – PROTEIN
    (Animal or plant based – chicken, tuna, salmon, cheese, eggs, seeds, beans, chickpeas, lentils, tofu)

    Protein is essential for growing bodies. Kids tend to like snacking on cheese and meats so can be included separately. Egg muffins are a great way of ticking all boxes – mixing eggs, veggies and meat. Kids love them as they can eat them on the go. Or even include a little pot of hummus. Or you can make egg fried rice using brown rice and add some peas and sweetcorn.


  3. Step Three – VEGGIES
    (pepper sticks, cucumber, mangetout, carrots, sugar snap peas, sweetcorn)

    Make sure to add a splash of colour. Kids rarely have veggies for brekkie here, and if they are not consuming them for lunch it is unlikely they are going to meet their 5 a day in their evening meal alone. A large proportion of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants should come from veggies. Disrupt the traditional lunch of a measly ham sambo and encourage your child to eat an array of finger foods – veggie crudites, porridge scones, hummus pots, cheese singles.


  4. Step Four – FRUIT

    This is an easy one – most kids love fruit!


  5. Step Five – HEALTHY TREAT

    If you want to give your child a little healthy treat you could make homemade banana bread with added milled seed, granola bars, energy balls, mixed dried fruit, raisins packs or our very own Nutri Balls (these are allergen free, sugar free so meet all school food healthy guidelines)


  6. Step Six – HYDRATION

    Make sure your child has their own water bottle that they can refill throughout the day. Not only will this help with concentration but can also prevent constipation.

Chocolate Avocado Truffles Recipe

With Valentine’s Day around the corner and restaurants closed, why not try your hand in the kitchen and impress your Valentine whipping up these super-simple Chocolate Truffles….with Avocado! That’s right, these treats may taste decadent but we’ve packed it full of nutrients too, including one serving of our Protein Breakfast Boost for an added 12g of protein, so you can enjoy them guilt-free. This simple recipe is very versatile so feel free to tweak the fillings and toppings to whatever you prefer or what you have in the cupboard. Whether it’s Valentine’s, Galentine’s or just a bit of a treat for yourself, we know you’ll simply love this recipe.

 

Ingredients  (Approx. 14 Truffles)

  • 1 ripe Avocado
  • 100g of 70% Dark Chocolate
  • 2 tbsp of Good4U Protein Breakfast Boost
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 3 tsp Honey
  • 2 tsp Cacao Powder 
  • Desiccated Coconut (optional)
  • Freeze Dried Fruit Powder (optional) 

 

Method

  1. Take one peeled, ripe avocado and mash with a fork or blitz in a food processor until smooth.
  2. Add your honey, vanilla extract and cocoa powder to the avocado.
  3. Melt 100g of of dark chocolate and fold into the avocado mixture.
  4. Once combined, chill your mixture in the fridge for at least 2 hours before rolling.
  5. Roll into balls and coat in milled seed, cacao powder, desiccated coconut, freeze dried fruit powders.
  6. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Chickpea & Spinach Curry Recipe

In honour of World Pulses Day, we’ve created this nutritious, warming Chickpea Curry Recipe- perfect for a meat-free winter’s evening. This recipe serves 4 and as always, feel free to adjust the seasoning’s to your individual tastes!

Ingredients

  • 1 x onion
  • Fresh or dried chilli
  • 9 cloves garlic
  • 1 tbsp garam masala
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • 2 tbsp ground cumin
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 pkt Good4U Garlic & Chilli Salad Topper
  • 2 tins chickpeas
  • 1 pkt fresh or frozen spinach
  • 1 tin tomatoes
  • 100g coconut milk

    Instructions
  • 1) In a large oiled pan, sweat your chopped onion and chilli.
  • 2) To a blender, add 9 garlic cloves, fried onions, 2 Tbsp ground cumin, 1 Tbsp Garam Masala, 1 Tbsp ground coriander, 2 Tbsp of tomato paste and a splash of oil and blitz to make a paste.
  • 3) Fry your paste for 2 minutes.
  • 4) Add Good4U Garlic & Chilli Salad Topper to a blender and blitz into a powder.
  • 5) To your paste, add 2 cans of chickpeas, a tin of tomatoes and the blended Good4U Garlic & Chilli salad topper and simmer until cooked.
  • 6) Add coconut cream and spinach 
  • 7) Garnish, Serve with your choice of side & Enjoy!

Mindfulness with Aoife Deane

Aoife Deane is a Mind Coach, Hypnotherapist, Mindful eating Facilitator and CORU registered dietitian, based in Cork city. She specialises in helping people overcome binge eating and overeating. Aoife’s passion comes from her own previous struggles, binge eating and yo-yoing in a 3 stone range. She has 12 years’ experience helping patients in London, Cork and online. Aoife offers 1-1 coaching and is launching her “LOVE FOOD” online course this February. For more see. www.happyweight.ie

Non-Mindful

Mindful

“It’s Sunday afternoon, I’ve already overeaten soooo much this weekend. I might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb, keep eating & start being good again tomorrow”

Yesterday doesn’t matter, tomorrow doesn’t matter. My stomach is saying it’s nicely stuffed now🥰. If I keep eating, I’ll be uncomfortable 🥴 and there’s no need to do that to myself, because there’ll be more food later, tomorrow and forever! 🥳

Looking at other people’s figures & wishing you had them☹️ Hating & neglecting your own. Dreaming of a magic wand diet in the future that will fix it.

Appreciating & making the best of the body that you do have! Appreciating how great it is considering what you have put it through. Supporting it TODAY by listening to what makes it feel better 💪🏼 🥰 & what makes it feel worse🥵🥴, so that it can reach it’s potential 😎

“A walk might be nice, but I won’t bother because I’m starting that 7day fitness challenge tomorrow.”

Going for a little walk now is better for your body than a lifetime of thinking about something that starts tomorrow. Going for a walk doesn’t mean the start or the end of anything. Tomorrow your body might not want to walk at all or might want a massive walk. All you can ever know about is what your body wants now.

Eating chocolate & listening to your mind saying “😈Yayayayaya keep eating, finish the pack, then you can  be good again tomorrow”

As powerful as you are, you’re not going to close down Cadbury’s. So like it or not chocolate is going to be around you every.day.of.your.life no matter how many packs you finish. If your stomach is saying “I don’t feel so good after this much chocolate 🥴” be sound enough to listen. There will always be more later.

“I love bad foods and now I’ve started I’m not able to stop.”

There is no such thing as a “bad” food, every food has benefits.

Every food will taste & feel different, & can taste & feel different depending on when you eat it.

E.g I rate a Yorkie raison & biscuit is 10/10 taste & a jam doughnut is 5/10.

I love the feeling in my stomach after a lovely dinner and dessert, I’m don’t like the feeling in my stomach after I eat a whole bag of Doritos by myself.

  1. “It’s breakfast time, so I eat breakfast 😑. I usually eat more or less the same thing in the same amount. “

Sometimes I am hungry for breakfast. Sometimes my stomach is still busy (not hungry) with what I gave it yesterday, so I wait until it is done with that & hungry before I eat. Sometimes my taste buds & stomach feel nice after a sweet breakfast, sometimes they like savoury 🥰

The 4×4 Challenge

For each week of January, the Good4U team are challenging themselves and you to adopt one new simple, healthy habit designed to improve our overall wellbeing in mind, body and soul. The first challenge sounds simple but is often overlooked- hydration! We challenge you to drink at least two litres of water every day, plus we’ll look at how much water we actually need, how and why this can change from person to person and tips to help you with water consumption. 

Next, we invite you to take a deeper look at nutrition with the “30 Plant Challenge”, encouraging you to get 30 plants a week into your diet. This is great for micro-flora, mood, digestion, weight management and much more. If this sounds like a lot, don’t worry- we’ll be posting recipes, shopping lists, meal plans and advice to help you find your feet. 

For week 3 of the challenge, our hydrated and nourish bodies are going on the move! We challenge you to get 10,000 steps a day in if you can or 30 minutes of activity each day. Whether you enjoy walking and hiking, sea swim, home HIIT workouts, find something you enjoy doing. We’ll be looking at how movement affects the body, how to optimise your hydration and nutrition for increased movement as well and workouts you can do from home. 

Lastly, after our bodies feel great from our weeks of hydration, nutrition and movement, we’ll be looking into the mind, which is just as important to keep healthy for overall wellbeing. There are many simple, convenient exercises that can help our mental health, from breathing exercises, meditation techniques to positive affirmations and journaling to help organise our thoughts.

These four simple habits are simple to adopt and could greatly help your body, mind and soul. Let’s kick January off with great habits and start as we mean to go on for a happy, healthy and safe 2021. 

Follow us on social media and sign up to our newsletter for all the resources, recipes, videos and information you’ll need to do the 4×4 challenge, and don’t be a stranger, we want to hear your own tips, questions and advice to help spur others on too! 

Sign Up For the Good4U 4×4 Challenge

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Anthony Mullally

We spoke with Good4U Ambassador and plant based athlete, Anthony Mullally, to find out what he believes is important for his physical and mental heath.

Hydration

Q:How important is hydration to you as an athlete?
A:Hydration is key. It helps prevent soft tissues injuries and cramping. Making sure you’re getting the right electrolytes is also crucial.

Q:How much water do you drink daily?
A:3/4 litres dependent on the volume of training

Q:Does this increase on a training day?
A:Yes, it depends on the volume of training. I would like to drink around 1 litre of water the morning of a training day


Nutrition

Top 5 Favourite Sources of Protein

  • Black Beans
  • Hemp Seeds
  • Quinoa
  • Lentils
  • Soya Chunks

 

Plant Powered Day

Breakfast: Porridge oats with a scoop of protein, walnuts, peanut butter, cinnamon and banana 
Snack: Protein shake post weights with creatine in it.
Lunch: Buckwheat pasta with a peanut sauce with, carrots, broccoli, tofu, peppers
Snack: Hummus on sourdough 
Dinner: Stuffed peppers with, soy mince, lentils, black beans and spinach.

Q:Do you count calories?
A: I do yes. It’s important to do so and also to know how many calories you need to gain or lose weight. Tracking calories is the only way to do this.

Q: What does Christmas dinner look like?
A: Nut roast is my meat substitute, then just your normal veggies, just no butter in the mash potatoes and no pigs in blankets of course.


Mindfulness

Q: What does a typical day look like?
A: Get up for training around 6am, meditate for 30 minutes, go to training until around 2pm, get back home and go out for a walk in the countryside, read a book at some point, cook dinner then go to bed.

Q: How important is the mental side of competing?
A: The mental side of competition is half the battle. You can have everything and more physically but if you aren’t mentally resilient it’s going to be a tough road. Resilience comes from adversity and overcoming, the more we overcome the more mentally robust we become.

Q: Do you practice meditation or any mindfulness exercises?
A: Meditation is a crucial part of my daily routine, it helps me focus, get into a positive mind set and filter out thoughts that might not be serving me.