Hopefully your year is off to a great start already, and many of us are manifesting a more positive year ahead and with that often comes some lifestyle changes.
In new research from The Laughing Cow, they found that Irish women intend to do exactly that and treat themselves a little more in 2022. Rather than being restrictive (only 6% plan on giving things up) an impressive 75% are planning to do more of the things that make them feel good.
Collectively, we’ve all had a difficult couple of years, which has meant that many Irish women are more determined than ever to live their best life in 2022, with 88% revealing that they feel they deserve a treat this year.
Many Irish women are vowing to take more time for themselves (56%) this year. With reading more books (48%), laughing more (47%), regular date nights (42%) and booking spa days with friends (41%), also emerging as the top ways they plan to take better care of themselves in 2022.
Some of the many pledges include decluttering wardrobes (39%), taking up a new hobby (30%), treating themselves to sexy new lingerie (15%), getting earlier nights (37%) as well as making smarter snacking choices (36%).
With the results showing how making positive food choices is high on the agenda, Jennie Dettmer, from The Laughing Cow comments; “After a tough year it’s important to spread some positivity. It’s great to see Irish women making positive resolutions that prioritise their wellbeing.”
“From 19 calories per delicious triangle for our Lightest range, The Laughing Cow can assist with portion control and help satisfy your snacking cravings so you can focus on doing more of the things that make you feel great.”
If eating healthier in 2022 is high on your list of priorities, then The Laughing Cow can help as there are countless ways to introduce it into your diet, through delicious pasta sauces, as a smarter snack throughout the day, or even on your toast in the mornings.
MAKEOVER: Pasta Carbonara
This Italian favourite combines pasta with pancetta, eggs and sometimes cream to give a dish that’s loaded with calories, saturated fat and salt – not great news for our waistlines or heart. Lorraine from @healthyfitbella_ has given this dish a low calorie makeover, using The Laughing Cow Lightest to create a delicious creamy yet lower-fat sauce, swaps pancetta for chicken, and boosts our 5-a-day with added veg.
Here’s one of our favourite recipes below for Creamy Pappardelle Pasta;
THE MAKEOVER: Creamy Pappardelle Pasta:
Ingredients: Serves 3
- 250g pappardelle pasta (or pasta of choice)
- 2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped, and 1 tbsp of the oil from the jar
- 1 shallot, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 150g baby spinach
- 200g frozen peas, defrosted
- 100g leftover roast chicken
- 6 The Laughing Cow Lightest Cheese Triangles
- 100ml semi-skimmed milk
- 25g Parmesan cheese, grated
- Chopped basil, to garnish
Method
- Bring a pan of salted water to boil, add the pasta and cook according to the pack instructions until al dente.
- In a large pan, add the oil, shallot and garlic, and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. Season well with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes until the spinach starts to wilt.
- Add the peas and chicken. Cook for 2-3 minutes to heat through.
- Add 2 ladlefuls of the pasta cooking water and The Laughing Cow Lightest Cheese Triangles to the chicken and veg. Allow the cheese to melt, then add the milk and heat for 1-2 minutes.
- Drain the pasta and add to the sauce together with most of the Parmesan cheese. Mix well and serve with the remaining Parmesan cheese, garnished with the basil.
How we made it healthier
- We replaced the pancetta for chicken to reduce the fat in the recipe and slash the salt.
- We created a lower-fat sauce using The Laughing Cow Light Lightest Triangles, which contain just 19kcal and 0.3g fat each. We mixed these with skimmed milk and some of the pasta cooking water to create a creamy sauce that still tastes delicious. In fact, our version contains just one third of the fat and just a quarter of the saturates of a more traditional carbonara.
- We added shallots, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and peas to add flavour and to boost our 5-a-day. It means our dish contains more fibre than normal, great news for helping to fill us up.
The Laughing Cow Light
- Light and delicious, tasty cheese triangles
- Source of calcium*
- 25 calories per triangle
- Great versatile snack for grazing between meals or healthy filling lunch
- No artificial flavours, colours or preservatives added
- Suitable for vegetarians
- Individual sealed portions for extra freshness
The Laughing Cow Lightest
- Lightest and deliciously tasty cheese spread
- Good source of calcium and source of protein*
- 19 Calories per triangle
- No artificial colours or preservatives
- Suitable for vegetarians
- Fridge Staple, individually sealed portions – stay fresher for longer
The Laughing Cow Light/Lightest ranges are available in all main retailers including Supervalu, Dunnes Stores, Tesco, Iceland, Londis and Spar.
*The Laughing Cow Cheese Spread lightest is rich in Calcium. Calcium, as part of a varied, balanced diet and healthy lifestyle, contributes to the normal energy-yielding metabolism.
*Research carried out 23rd – 28th December 2021 with a sample size of 1,000 Irish women.