Our healthy 1-day menu plan is vibrant, colourful and favourful. Bursting with fruit and vegetables, as well as good sources of complex carbohydrates, lean proteins and essential fats, these quick and easy recipes will show you that eating the right food can easily become part of your daily routine.
Breakfast: Vanilla, Prune & Pecan Pot
It’s amazing how delicious a little amount of dried prunes can taste, especially when combined with vanilla. For a spicy alternative, soak the prunes overnight with a cinnamon stick and a couple of cloves. Yummy!
Serves 4
300 kCals per serving
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Wheat Free, Vegetarian
Ingredients
80g ready to eat dried prunes, pitted
6 tablespoons water
520ml natural yoghurt
¼ teaspoon vanilla paste
120g granola muesli, home-made
20g pecan nuts, roughly chopped
Preparation
- Place the prunes in the bowl of a food processor or blender with the water and blitz to a puree.
- In a large bowl, mix the yoghurt and vanilla paste together. Fold through the prune puree to create a marbled effect
To serve:
Pour the prune and vanilla yoghurt mix into serving bowls and sprinkle over the granola muesli and roughly chopped pecan nuts
Chefs tip
Skin, hair and nails will all benefit from the generous amounts of antioxidant beta carotene found in prunes. Regular intake of prunes has also been shown to reduce blood cholesterol.
Lunch: Wasabi Brown Rice & Soy Bean Salad
I am nothing if not over-excited about the virtues of the soy bean. It’s pure genius. Not only is it instantly convenient, but it’s also an incredible source of protein and has a lovely bite. This salad is packed with flavour and is really simple to make.
Serves 4
355 kCals per serving
Preheat oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas Mark 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Dairy Free, Wheat Free
Ingredients
½ small butternut squash, seeds scooped out
100g brown rice
1 bouquet garni
300g frozen soy beans, defrosted
1 bunch/packet asparagus tips, trimmed
2 handfuls rocket
4cm piece cucumber
4 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon wasabi paste
Small handful fresh coriander
½ bunch spring onions, finely chopped
Small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 pomegranate, kernels removed
100g rocket, washed (to serve)
Preparation
- Cut the squash into small bite size pieces (leave the skin on the squash). Tip into a non-stick roasting tray and roast in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
- Cook the rice in a pan of boiling water with the bouquet garni for 15 minutes until tender. Drain then tip into a large bowl. Discard the bouquet garni.
- Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, throw in the asparagus and cook for 1 minute, add the soy beans and cook for a further 1 minute. Drain, and then cool under cold water. Pat dry and add the soy beans and asparagus to the bowl with the rice
- Place the rocket, cucumber, rice vinegar, olive oil, wasabi paste and coriander into the bowl of a food processor or blender and blitz to a smooth green dressing. You may want to add some water to get it to the consistency you like your dressings.
- Finely chop the spring onions and parsley. Mix through the rice.
- Halve the pomegranate. Using a tablespoon, tap the skin of the pomegranate to release the kernels.
To serve
Arrange the rocket on four serving plates. Spoon over the rice, soy bean and asparagus mix and top with the roasted squash. Pour over the dressing, and garnish with pomegranate kernels.
Chefs tip
Wasabi, most commonly used as an accompaniment for sushi is a fiery horseradish so a little goes a long way. Don’t overdo it in this recipe or it will overpower the dressing.
Dinner: Spiced Roasted Cherry Tomato & Coconut Prawns
So simple & quick to make, the texture combination of wild rice, basmati rice, crunchy corn and the flavours in the sauce surprises the palate. Serve in big, pasta type bowls so all the saucy juice drips down into the rice. Delicious!
Serves 4
538 kCals per serving
Preheat oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas Mark 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Wheat Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free
Ingredients
120g brown basmati rice
60g wild rice (fast cook if possible)
2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped
360g cherry tomatoes
320g baby corn
1 tablespoon groundnut oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2.5cm piece root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ green chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
240ml coconut milk
360g tiger prawns, shelled and defrosted
600g broccoli, cut into small florets
Preparation
- Cook the basmati and wild rice in separate pans of boiling water according to packet instructions (approximately 15 minutes) until tender. Drain and allow to cool slightly before stirring through the coriander.
- While the rice is cooking, spread the cherry tomatoes and baby corn in a single layer in a nonstick ovenproof dish. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and bursting and the corn is brown but still crunchy. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Heat the groundnut oil in a medium pan or nonstick wok, over a moderate heat. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric and chilli and sauté for 1–2 minutes, without colouring.
- Add the coconut milk, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered for 7 minutes. Add the prawns, broccoli and roasted cherry tomatoes (reserving the roasted baby corn to serve) and simmer for 3-4 minutes until the prawns are just cooked and pink. The broccoli should still have bite!
Chefs tip
This is a dish that’s adaptable to whatever you have in your fridge. Chicken or tofu instead of prawns is an easy variation.
These recipes are from Jennifer’s book, The Diet for Food Lovers available on Amazon (The Orion Publishing Group).
Images: Jean Cazals Photography