Healthy skin demands healthy eating. But everywhere you go, it’s all broccoli and avocados and kale and salmon! How to make these items palatable? What kind of recipes work well for the skin? If these questions have been troubling you lately then you’ve found the right place. At Savarnas Beauty Spa, we love curating answers to your curious skincare questions, and here is another one — 5 amazing recipes for healthy skin.
To make it easy, we have ensured 1 recipe per meal so that your day is sorted!
Breakfast
1. Berry-Nut Smoothie
They tell you to eat your berries and nuts for supple and healthy skin. But how many berries can you munch to fill your belly? So here’s how to start your day — with a berry-nut smoothie.
Ingredients:
- Blueberries (high on antioxidants)
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Milk of your choice (prefer non-dairy)
- Vanilla
- Powdered almonds (high in Vitamin E), walnuts (high on magnesium, good for blood flow to the skin) and oats for the base
- Honey
Process:
- Add the berries and powdered nuts to a blender
- Add a splash of cold milk
- Throw in some ice cubes
- Drop some vanilla essence and honey to taste
- Blend-blend-blend
- And your yummy breakfast smoothie for amazing skin is ready!
Lunch
2. Leafy-Crunchy Salad
For lunch, go for a healthy salad that is high on greens, seeds and some protein, all of which are good for the skin. Green leafy veggies are high in Vitamin K and antioxidants, while seeds like sunflower help smoothen and brighten your skin. Protein helps build collagen in the skin, thus keeping it supple and elastic for longer.
Ingredients:
- Choice of Greens (Kale, Spinach, Rocket)
- Avocado slices
- Quinoa
- Grilled or roasted chicken shreds
- Sunflower seeds
- Goat cheese
Dressing (Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette):
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1-2 small garlic cloves
- Sea salt to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Process:
- Wash and assemble the ingredients in a bowl
- Whisk the dressing
- Pour over the assembled bowl
- Toss and serve!
Snack
3. Green Chickpea Burger
Make a burger that is vegan, as well as healthy for your skin! The green here is zucchini, which is amazing to keep your skin hydrated and bright. Chickpeas are rich in magnesium, known to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. While other additions like tomato slices and onions help keep the skin protected, soothe sunburns and promote a healthy glow.
Ingredients:
- Chickpeas
- Zucchini
- Rolled oats
- Onion powder
- Minced garlic
- Ground cumin
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- Tahini
- Onion rings
- Tomato slices
Process:
- Boil the chickpeas and cool them
- Shred the zucchini and remove excess water
- In a food processor, assemble the chickpeas, zucchini, spices to taste, salt and tahini
- Pulse them until a coarse mixture is formed
- Remove and mould into patties
- Coat them in rolled oats and shallow fry on a pan until crisp golden-brown
- Assemble the burger bread, spread some tahini (optional), lay down the onion and tomato slices, cheese (optional) and your chickpea-zucchini patty
- Cover with the remaining bun
- Garnish with zucchini ribbons and dig in!
Dinner
4. Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup
To keep your dinner light and healthy for the skin, try this yummy soup! The tomato is rich in lycopene, which is an important antioxidant. It also protects the skin from sun damage and promotes the skin’s natural glow. Red bell peppers are a rich source of Vitamin C and help slow down signs of ageing.
Ingredients:
- Red Bell peppers
- Tomatoes
- Salt & pepper
- Garlic
- Basil
- Coconut milk (optional)
Process:
- Roast the de-seeded bell peppers on an open flame
- Cool, peel the charred skin, and roughly chop them up
- Blanch the tomatoes
- Cool and roughly chop them too
- Add both to a blender and churn until a smooth paste is formed
- Heat some oil in a pan, sauté garlic and roughly-chopped basil
- Pour the soup and add salt-pepper to taste
- Let it simmer until thick and creamy
- Add coconut milk if needed (gives a nice Thai flavour)
- Serve hot with bread sticks or dinner rolls
Dessert
5. Dark Chocolate-Pomegranate Barks
How can we go without indulging that sweet tooth? After all, a complete and balanced meal is what will keep you and your skin happy. And dark chocolate is a certified persona-grata for the skin. It is very rich in antioxidants and is recommended to keep the skin looking younger. Pomegranate is also high in essential nutrients, known to work on pigmentation and sunspots.
Ingredients:
- 75% Dark chocolate
- Pomegranate seeds
Process:
- Slice open a pomegranate and remove the seeds
- Roughly chop the dark chocolate, add it to a bowl and pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds
- Remove and stir until it forms a smooth, melted consistency
- By this time it is also slightly cooler
- Add pomegranate seeds and fold well
- Lay the mixture on a plastic or silicone sheet
- Cool it in the refrigerator until solid
- Remove and break roughly into pieces (resembling barks)
- Pop it in your mouth and let your heart and skin rejoice!
Get going right now and thank us later! Good food is going to equal good skin, but here we have ensured that some really, really skin-good foods are added to the mix.
