June's Feel Good Food Challenge

I'm so pleased to launch the first ever Feel Good Food challenge this month. I've started this recipe challenge in order to create a place for great recipes that are good for us in terms of their nutrition content and health benefits, but not at the expense of taste. They are going to be recipes for the foodies out there that can't face the thought of strict diets, or calorie counting, but want to make sure that the food they are eating has the best possible benefits to their health. In short, foodies like me!

The premise for this challenge comes from a project I have been working on with a great friend of mine who runs a successful dance and fitness company, and who has been giving me amazing hints and tips on eating healthy, as it is glaringly obvious that I am not wired up to spend my spare time in a gym. You can read all about what she does here.

Every month, there will be a theme set, which will revolve around a key ingredient that has a particularly high nutritious content or health benefit. What you chose to do with that ingredient then is wide open, we are looking for as varied and wonderful recipe ideas as possible, all that I ask is that where possible you choose wholegrain carbs (flour/rice/pasta etc) and avoid foods that are high in saturated fats. I'm not looking for calorie controlled recipes, just delicious and nutritious food.

This month, the key ingredient is...

BLUEBERRIES

Blueberries are one of the original members of the Superfoods group, and their credentials stack up to prove why they have earned this status. Packed with antioxidants (which slow down the oxidants that age your cells) and phytoflavinoids (compounds that protect our bodies from stress), they also contain high levels of potassium and vitamin C. Some of the many health benefits associated with Blueberries are a reduced risk of heart diseases and cancers, and they are also reported to be anti-inflammatory, so can prevent chronic diseases. When selecting blueberries, the darker they are in colour, the more antioxidants they contain. 

Harvesting of blueberries takes place May through to August in the US, and June to August in the UK, so these healthy little super-berries should be coming into season this month and be readily available in the supermarkets. 

So... the rules...

• Recipes should be submitted by midnight on the 28th. 
• You can enter as many recipes into the challenge as you like, the more the merrier. Existing posts are welcome, as long as they contain the chosen ingredient and have been updated to include a link back to this challenge.
• Recipes can be your own or someone else's, but if you do use an existing recipe please credit the source.
• Posts must contain the Feel Good Food logo above, be tagged with Feel Good Food, and contain a link back to this site. 
• Once your post is live, you can add the URL to the linky tool at the bottom of the page. Alternatively, email me a copy of the URL link to kickatthepantrydoor@gmail.com so that I know it is there, and I can include it in the round up at the end of the month. 
• If you are on Twitter, tweet me the link at @ThePantryDoor1, using the hashtag #FeelGoodFood and I will retweet as well.