At the weekend, life admin can often get in the way of family time – or at least it did. Compare the Market’s EnergyCheck – which automatically searches the market and lets you know when you can save – does all the legwork for you, freeing up precious time for you to spend with your loved ones.
As spring creeps ever more confidently into the year and the days grow longer, why not venture into the great outdoors to spend some quality time and energy with your family?
Being out and about en masse isn’t just good for family bonding, it also means tablets and consoles will be resting, and the heating and lights can be switched off – all potentially saving you some money. But day tripping with the family can be exhausting. Here, foodies and nutritional experts give us their best tips on how to fuel up for a fun day out. Ban hangry and be happy, whether you’re biking or hiking, or scooting around town, here’s how to fill your bellies, all the way up.
It all begins with breakfast
You wouldn’t go on a long drive without filling the tank first, and the same applies here.
“It’s important to start the day with a balanced meal, to provide slow-releasing energy throughout,” says nutritional therapist Esther Donoff. “The best way to avoid an energy slump halfway through the morning is to make sure there’s some protein in your breakfast. Scrambled eggs served on wholegrain toast with mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach provides a balanced meal. Kids may prefer a soft-boiled egg, so they can dip fingers of wholegrain toast in.”
Self-confessed toast addict and food writer Martha de Lacey agrees. “I am completely obsessed by toast; it’s why I taught myself to bake sourdough bread and why I now teach others, too. The best thing about toast – other than it being a delicious slice of crunchy, carby, energy-releasing goodness – is that everyone can have something different on theirs. I’d go for a couple of slices of seeded granary sourdough toast with butter, a fried egg, spinach and a sprinkling of chilli flakes. I also adore crunchy peanut butter with mashed banana, both of which are terrific for slow-release energy.”
For something a little different, food blogger Meliz Berg says: “I’m a firm advocate of the Mediterranean diet when it comes to a balanced breakfast. I always find that after a Turkish breakfast of boiled eggs, olives, toasted bread or flatbreads, tomatoes, cucumbers, grilled halloumi or feta, my family are definitely fuelled up for a busy day. This kind of breakfast covers so many food groups, and if you’re on the go, you can even pop everything into pittas and take it with you!”
Pack a lunch the family actually want to eat
There’s nothing worse than unpacking a lacklustre, sad lunch. Registered dietician and specialist in children’s nutrition Sarah Almond Bushell, advises: “For lunch you’ll need starchy carbohydrates, as carbs are the preferred fuel for exercising muscles. I’d recommend going for the white versions rather than wholegrain, because fibre can slow down the digestion of carbs in some instances, and your muscles need to be replenished straight away. For a quick and easy packed lunch, try a turkey salad sandwich on white bread, a banana, some raisins and a drink of milk.”
And if you haven’t had time to pack a lunch, you can always address your carbohydrate needs with pizza or pasta at Pizza Express or Prezzo, to set you up for the afternoon’s adventures.
Attack the snack
On an active day, when the kids inevitably ask for a snack, carbs are once again your friend. “You want easily digestible ‘fast carbohydrates’ so that the energy is available quickly,” says Almond Bushell. “Rice cakes or popcorn are highly digestible. A smoothie with fruit and yoghurt or even a homemade flapjack can provide a great energy boost. Don’t forget hydration too, water is the best drink to hydrate growing bodies.”
If you have a fancy for something sweet, de Lacey recommends banana bread. “It is terrific, providing a little bit of sweetness with so much less refined sugar than cake. If you bake one with raisins and nuts in, you’ll be raring to go.”
You’re exhausted. And now the family expect dinner too?
“When I know I’ve got a busy day, I always opt for a one-tray dish, that can be quickly prepared the night before, and just popped into the oven when you get home. I have loads of one-tray recipes, such as super-tasty chicken and potatoes. As you’ve already done the prep, it gives you time to rest, and just one tray to wash up afterwards,” says Berg.
But not everyone’s good at planning ahead. “People often think nutritious meals are time-consuming, but it doesn’t have to be that way. How about whacking some salmon fillets on an oven tray and serving with baked sweet potatoes and some steamed broccoli? It’s simple, but balanced and nutritious,” says Donoff.
If you haven’t been able to prepare ahead and really want to bond as a family, you could always end the day with a meal out together – there are some fantastic two-for-one offers to to keep things simple and affordable.
To spend more time having fun and less time searching for better energy deals, download the Meerkat app and set up EnergyCheck. Customers of Compare the Market who purchase a qualifying product can also use the app to get two-for-one at restaurants and cinemas for a whole year. T&Cs apply.
