Quick Meal Ideas

Protein smoothie: 1 scoop of protein powder, 2 kiwis, ½-1 cup of blueberries and raspberries, handful spinach, 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk, 1 tbsp almond/any nut butter or ½ avocado (Add different fruits, veg like beetroot, nut butters, seeds, and experiment with 1 tsp turmeric).

Protein punch overnight oats: find an old jam jar and fill with cup of gluten free oats (Nairn), add mixed berries, 1 tbsp of protein powder, 1tbsp chia seeds, soak in almond or hemp seed milk. In the morning add 2tbsp of milled mixed seeds (pumpkin & flax for follicular phase of menstruation cycle day 1-13 and sesame and sunflower for the luteal phase day 14-30 support hormone balance), and 1tbsp cacao nibs for added antioxidants, and source fibre and healthy fats.

Chia seed pudding: 3 tbsp of chia seeds, 1 cup of almond or hemp seed milk, 1 tbsp organic plain yoghurt, squeeze of lemon juice. Soak overnight so chia seeds solidify and absorb the liquid. Add a handful of mixed berries or chopped pear/apple.

Avocado on toast with peppered chilli flakes on seeded sourdough with sliced cherry tomatoes.

Roasted sweet potato with 3 tbsp of hummus and a rainbow salad including radishes, peppers, roasted squash, red onion, raw carrot and 2 handfuls of steamed vegetables.

Fillet of salmon, (swap in any fish) baked in the oven with fresh grated ginger (I thumb), 1 tsp tamari and 1 tsp organic maple syrup and grounded black pepper or fresh turmeric and roasted garlic. Bake for 15mins at 170 degrees C. Serve with roasted vegetables, drizzled with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper, ½ avocado and steamed asparagus. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.

Fresh mackerel fillet or sliced tempeh/tofu into a wide frying pan, add a load of frozen vegetables and a splash of water - cover, do something else for 10 min. Turn it over once, mash it a bit if you like, add a bit of tabasco, or soy sauce (etc) to flavour. No peeling/chopping/waste to get rid of. Eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Veggie/rice mix: chop up courgette, onion, carrots, mushroom and sauté in a basil and tomato sauce, add a packet of wild brown rice, heat through. Add garlic and a drizzle of olive oil at the end of cooking. Eat with a simple side salad of greens and chopped salad onions.

Omelette, whisk up 3 eggs seasoned, add chopped spinach, onion, mushroom, red orange, yellow peppers, add to a heated pre-oiled pan.

Stuffed peppers, add pre-cooked rice or quinoa/couscous/buckwheat and chopped greens as well as avocado. Add garlic, herbs and seasoning to taste. Bake for 10 minutes or cooked through.

Eggs: 2 poached eggs, ½ avocado on gluten free bread or 2 scrambled eggs with roasted tomatoes and mushrooms with crumbled feta cheese.

Baked sweet potato, oven cook the sweet potato with sautéed veg and pesto sauce with crushed cashew or walnuts.

Veg bake tray with root vegetables like cherry tomatoes, parsnips, carrots, sliced sweet potatoes, thinly sliced courgette, peppers, onions, with a veggie stock paste drizzle on over like an oil to coat the veggies and give taste whilst cooking.

Quinoa cooked with vegetable stock, with left over baked sweet potato, cubed, garlic, red pepper chopped, grated carrots, cubed courgette, Season and serve with fresh lemon/lime squeezed.

Where possible eat fresh, unprocessed & organic foods in season.

Avoid: sugary foods, caffeine, alcohol, fizzy drinks, ‘white carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice) white potatoes unless baked or cooled.

Tips for increasing fibre to 30g a day: 1 cup of pulses = 20g fibre, 1 avocado = 7g fibre, 2 tbsp chia seeds = 10g fibre, 2 tbsp grounded flax seeds = 4g of fibre, 1 cup of green veggies = 3-5g fibre. (5 handfuls of veggies would = daily fibre intake). Fibre is key to a healthy functioning gut and as we know all is connected so a healthy gut will help maintain a healthy brain and heart.

Tips for increasing protein (0.75g of protein per kg of bodyweight approx. 45g protein per day for women): Almond 30g = 6.4g protein, pumpkin seeds 25g = 7.5g protein, Tofu 100g = 14.3g protein, Tempeh 67g = 14.3g protein, chicken breast = 24g protein, Salmon fillet = 24g protein, 2 large eggs = 15g protein, Haloumi 30g = 7g protein. Protein is an essential building block in the body and plays a key role in the maintenance and repair of every cell.

Batch Cooking: In a large pot make your stew, casserole, soup, bean burgers, lentil surprise and then freeze in portion sizes. The Batch Lady is a great source of inspiration and advice.

Other Recipe Books to Give you Inspiration

The Quick Roasting Tin, by Jay Rayner, cook one dish in one tin

One Pot Meals by Clara de Vries, ideas for cooking for one

Any of Jenny Tschiesche’s recipe books for quick and easy lunchtime food, Instant pot recipes useful for batch cooking.