Turmeric: a staple in your daily diet.
You can’t go far without hearing about new research on the benefits of turmeric. It’s no wonder that it’s incredibly popular, with the anti-inflammatory, digestive and vascular benefits it is attributed with (just to name a few). It’s a common ingredient in many dishes, providing an aromatic, bitter flavour. Both powdered turmeric and fresh root can be found easily and can be used almost interchangeably in recipes.
To gain therapeutic benefits of curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, you need to include A LOT in your day. We know it’s hard to have curry for breakfast, lunch and dinner so we decided to share some of our favourite ways to boost our daily intake of turmeric.
A few things before you get started:
- Turmeric is fat-soluble. For best absorption, it is best to eat it with other fats.
- Black pepper can also increase the bioavailability of turmeric, add it in wherever you can!
- If you’re new to eating turmeric, start slow. The flavour of turmeric can be very stimulating to some people’s digestion, especially if they have sensitive stomachs. Test the flavour as you go, to work out how much you personally like in each dish.
Now, let's begin!
1. Create your own savoury sprinkle - Ditch the salt shaker and make a turmeric sprinkle to add to any meal. Combine turmeric powder with garlic powder and paprika in a shaker for easy use. Another idea is turmeric, coriander and cumin (yum). You can add this to your potato mash, fresh corn, popcorn, salad, chicken – anything that takes your fancy! For sweeter dishes, turmeric with cinnamon, ginger powder and cardamom will add a chai-inspired flavour hit, YUM!
2. Refresh regular meals – like scrambled eggs and rice. Adding a teaspoon of turmeric powder to your morning eggs, soup at lunch or rice in the evening is a great way to rejuvenate your regular meals with ease.
3. Drink a Golden Smoothie - Who says turmeric is only for savoury meals? Making a smoothie in the morning with a pinch of fresh turmeric root (grated), yoghurt, banana and cinnamon still provides that base you need to absorb turmeric and its constituents.
4. DIY Salad Dressing - Make your salad dressing purchase become redundant by combining:
- 1 tsp of turmeric powder or grated root
- 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar
- Juice of half a lemon
- Pinch of sea salt
- Pinch of black pepper
- 1/3 cup of olive oil
5. Spice your Stir-Fry - Garlic and onion may be your go to for your stir-fried veggies, so why not throw in some extra turmeric! You can use the grated root or turmeric powder.
6. Make it into a naughty snack! - A delicious and easy snack is some DIY chocolate, which you can make by simply combining some melted coconut oil, cacao powder, nut butter and a hint of honey for flavour, and placing in the freezer to set. You can combine turmeric in the mix or sprinkle it on top for a golden embellish!
7. Indulge in Golden Garlic marinade - This goes perfectly with chicken, but could be used on any meat and is made entirely from common household ingredients.
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbs honey
- 1 tbs oyster sauce or soy sauce
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- Pinch of cayenne pepper or smoked paprika
- Pinch of black pepper
- Pinch of salt
8. Use Turmeric for its colour! - Literally eat the rainbow using nature’s food dyes. Using a small amount of turmeric powder creates a bright yellow colour. You can also try matcha powder for calming green, a fiery pink comes from beetroot and blueberries produce a soothing purple.
9. Drink in the Turmeric goodness - Drinking an Anti-Inflammatory Golden Milk is a handy, delicious way to boost your turmeric intake. Naturopath’s tip - My after dinner snack is often a hot mug of Golden Milk with cacao and a hint of honey – a gold-standard Hot Chocolate!
10. Be a sneaky baker - A creative way to use turmeric in your snacks is by adding it to your baking delights! We’ve got a recipe to get you started.
Chai Banana Turmeric Muffins Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour of your choice (wholegrain and almond meal are our favourite)
- ½ cup oats, plus extra for sprinkling
- ½ cup chopped nuts (we prefer cashews)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon each cinnamon, turmeric, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves
- A pinch of salt
- 3 mashed ripe bananas
- ½ cup milk of choice
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil or butter
- 2 eggs
Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls. Slowly mix wet ingredients into dry, and pour into lined muffin tins. Sprinkle with oats. Bake at 180 degrees for approximately 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
