INTRODUCTION
BREAKFAST
Almonds
Yoghurt
Eggs
Raspberries
Apples
Oats
Tomatoes
THE MUNCHIES
Bananas
Celery
Red grapes
Cashew nuts
Pumpkin seeds
Oatcakes
LUNCH ON THE GO
Watercress
Coriander (Cilantro)
Quinoa
Peppers (Bell peppers)
Butter (Lima) beans
Butternut squash
Rye bread
STRAPPED FOR CASH
Leeks
Beans
Peas
Broad (Fava) beans
Anchovies
Red lentils
Prawns (Shrimp)
SUMMER LIVING
Basil
Rocket (Arugula)
Mackerel
Sardines
Steak
Halloumi
Parsley
Beetroot (Beet)
Olive oil
Rapeseed oil
Hemp seed oil
Lemon
Miso
Chives
Pine nuts
FRIENDS ROUND
Chicken
Venison
Lamb
Salmon
Cod
Duck
Turmeric
Garlic
Ginger
Chilli and cayenne pepper
Black pepper
Garam masala
Mozzarella
Walnuts
Chickpeas
Spelt
Broccoli
Carrots
Kale
Courgettes (Zucchini)
Puy lentils
Swiss chard
Onions
FAST FOOD
Mushrooms
Purple sprouting broccoli
Mussels
White fish
Asparagus
Avocado
Haricot (Navy) beans
Sesame seeds
LAZY SUNDAYS
Beef
Red cabbage
Tomato purée (Tomato paste)
Chestnuts
Spinach
KIDS
Turkey
Sweet potato
Brown rice
Wholewheat
Buckwheat
Mango
Blueberries
DESSERTS
Peaches
Strawberries
Dark (Semisweet) chocolate
Prunes
Pineapple
Pecan nuts
DRINKS
Watermelon
Pomegranate juice
Mint
Coffee
Black tea
Green tea
White tea
Rooibos (Red bush) tea
Red wine
INDEX
Like many a good idea, the idea behind this book is a simple one. I want you to think differently about the food you put on your plate. That’s it. See, I said it was simple. But before you flip the page and rock on with the recipes, here’s the lowdown on what this book’s all about.
When it comes to the food we eat, I can sum it up in four words: we’ve lost the plot. I can’t imagine there ever being a time when our diets have been the focus of so many TV shows, magazines or news headlines. In fact you can pick up just about any glossy magazine and read about the latest Hollywood diet craze or what your fave celeb is (or more likely isn’t) eating. Yet despite all this (so-called) advice we’re fatter and less healthy than previous generations. I mean, what’s all that about?
We’ve forgotten about what’s important. Food. The real thing. The stuff nature intended us to eat. The trouble is, we’re lost in a world of convenience junk food on the one hand and shiny vitamin pills and heavily branded ‘superfoods’ (a bonkers idea if ever there was one) on the other. It’s a classic case of not being able to see the wood for the trees. Even if the will is there and you want to make healthy choices, how do you go about making sense of all the marketing gobbledygook and half-truths? And what I really want to know, more than anything else, is how did something that should be so simple get so complicated?
So it’s time to get a few basic things straight. After all, if it’s good health you’re after, the scientific evidence is pretty clear – eating a healthy diet, including many of the foods featured in this book, is probably one of the best health insurance policies you’re likely to take out. And it doesn’t involve gorging on the latest superfood or swallowing a handful of vitamin pills, either. It’s much easier and tastier than that. You just need to give some thought to what you’re putting on your plate. And if you can do that, the benefits are yours for the taking. In fact, the only thing holding you back is whether you’re adventurous enough to jump off the treadmill of convenience food, and, armed with your knife and fork and the information in this book, eat your way to better health. I’m definitely up for that and I hope you are, too.
Okay, so here’s the drill – this book delivers pretty much what it says on the tin. You’ve got my take on the 100 foods you should be eating. Not to mention the best way to buy, prepare and cook them. Sounds easy, and by and large it is. These are foods you should be eating because they promote high-level health and because they taste good (you can relax – red wine, tea, coffee, chocolate and curry take pride of place here). Some of them you may already be an aficionado with in the kitchen. As for the flipside, there’ll almost certainly be a whole lot you’ll have breezed past in the supermarket without so much as a sideways glance. Everyday stuff that you might come across in the grocery section, amongst the herbs and spices, at the fish counter or, dare I say it, amidst the confectionary or even down the booze aisle. And if you don’t know what hidden gems are there, you’ll be missing out on some top nosh.
To make life easier, I’ve structured the chapters to make the foods and recipes fit in with people’s busy lives – not the other way around. And if your life is anything like mine and you’ve got to juggle a busy job, family life and still want a bit of time to hang out with your mates, this book is written for you. Happy days for anyone who lives in the real world, not the make-believe world of diet books. But above all, I’ve made it simple. Simple enough that anyone can benefit from the information in this book. Which means there’s really only one thing left to say: Let’s get started!
Glen Matten
There are quite a few of us who know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and feast on porridge, muesli, eggs or some other equally wholesome fare, but there are just as many people who scoff at a healthy start or skip breakfast altogether.
Like it or not, breakfast is an important meal to get right and a chance to load-up on the right fuel to see you through the morning ahead. But a big problem is that most of us just don’t have time for breakfast anymore, and if your home is anything like mine in the morning, it’s full-on chaos!
Lack of time to prepare decent food is a biggie for lots of people, so I’ve included breakfasts for weekdays, which can be rustled up in no time or pre-prepared the night before, and weekend breakfasts for when you can take a more leisurely pace in the kitchen. But, and this is a big but, even with the quickest of these breakfasts, some of which probably take less than 5 minutes to throw together, you’ve still got to make a bit of time to eat it.
That said, once you’ve tasted some of these, you’ll think it’s well worth setting the alarm clock 15 minutes earlier...
Nuts. All that fat. All those calories. Best avoided, right? Wrong – that way of thinking is actually a bit nuts.
Why you should be eating it
Okay, so they are calorific. And full of fat. But it’s nearly all good fats. Yes, you heard right. GOOD FATS. And with almonds we’re talking mostly monounsaturated fats, along with some polyunsaturated fats for good measure.
Packing all that fat you might think they’d clog your arteries quicker than you could open a packet of pralines, but check this out. The evidence actually suggests that consumption of almonds is likely to decrease the risk of heart disease, not increase it. Not only do they appear to help lower cholesterol levels, but they also contain an array of antioxidant compounds that help prevent ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol from becoming oxidized, making it less likely to start clogging up the inside of artery walls.
Packing their fair share of vitamins, such as vitamin E, and minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, the almond has got itself some pretty tasty credentials, shaping up as more heart-friend than heart-foe.
How to buy it
Almonds are best in their natural state and not coated in a load of sugar or salt.
How to cook it
Almonds are great for snacking, but you can use them to make fresh almond milk (which works wonders in smoothies, for making porridge, and even in place of coconut milk in curries). You can also buy a mean nut butter made from almonds, which makes a nice change from peanut butter.
Taking no more than a few minutes to make, this smoothie is good to go!
Serves 2
75 g (2½ oz) blanched almonds, soaked overnight
300 ml (10½ fl oz) fresh apple juice
1 tbsp ground linseeds
1 ripe mango or 2 ripe bananas
300 g (10½ oz) berries (choose any combination of blueberries, raspberries, strawberries or blackberries – if you can’t get hold of fresh ones then frozen ones are more than fine, but defrost them first)
Drain and rinse the almonds. Put them into a blender and add a little apple juice. Blend to make a smooth paste ▪ Add the remaining apple juice bit by bit and blend until you have a rich almond milk. (The key is to get rid of all the bits so it’s really creamy and smooth. Aim for something with the consistency of its dairy counterpart) ▪ Add the linseeds, the mango or bananas and berries and blend until smooth ▪ Serve immediately.
Yoghurt has long been the preserve of the health conscious, but is it all it’s cracked up to be? Time to lift the lid and see.
Why you should be eating it
Yoghurt packs loads of calcium, which is vital for bone health. But perhaps less well-known is the accumulating, albeit rather controversial, evidence that a calcium-rich diet, especially from dairy products, may have a role to play in reducing body weight and body fat. In short, a sort of anti-obesity effect, although until more research is done, it’s far from a done deal.
Yoghurt also provides useful amounts of protein, which tends to be more easily digested than the protein in milk due to the fact that the bacteria used to make yoghurt do their bit by pre-digesting it. And a similar principle applies to lactose – the type of sugar found in milk – which means that individuals with an intolerance to lactose often have fewer problems tolerating yoghurt.
Then there’s the matter of the ‘friendly’ bacteria that populate ‘live’ yoghurt. There’s a whole bunch of interesting research on the potential role of specific strains of ‘friendly’ bacteria (or probiotics) in helping to maintain a healthy digestive system, as well as exerting a positive effect on the functioning of the immune system. But the extent to which we can expect to get these benefits from simply eating standard live yoghurt is debatable.
How to buy it
With most people following a typical Western diet already consuming too much saturated fat, low-fat yoghurt is the obvious choice. That said, my taste buds rebel against anything too low-fat...
Go for plain natural yoghurt and give the added sugars or artificial sweeteners often found in flavoured yoghurts a wide berth. Organic is also a good option.
How to cook it
Whilst you can happily use yoghurt in cooking, it’s great just as it is, whether on its own, with fruit, on muesli or in smoothies.
By providing a decent bit of calcium and protein from the yoghurt and ‘good’ fats and antioxidants from the nuts, this smoothie has much more going for it than a run-of-the-mill shop-bought job.
Serves 2
4 ripe bananas
50 g (1½ oz) pecans (35 g/1 oz roughly chopped, 15 g/½ oz very finely chopped)
8 ice cubes
6 tbsp natural yoghurt
2 tbsp maple syrup
Pinch of cinnamon
Place the bananas, the roughly chopped pecan nuts, ice cubes, yoghurt and maple syrup into a blender. Blend until you get a nice, smooth consistency ▪ Serve immediately in tall glasses, finishing it off by sprinkling on the remaining finely chopped pecans and a dash of cinnamon to taste.
Eggs have had a lot of bad publicity in recent years. What with salmonella scares and all that artery choking cholesterol, their reputation has taken a right hammering. Time to set the record straight.
Why you should be eating it
Let’s start by cracking the cholesterol myth. Eggs contain lots of it, but the idea that the cholesterol we eat has a massive impact on our blood cholesterol levels is outdated. For most healthy folk, dietary cholesterol generally has a minimal effect on blood cholesterol levels. Rather it’s the saturated fat in the food we eat (which eggs are relatively low in) that has a bigger impact.
All this cholesterol-phobia means we often miss out on hearing all the good stuff about eggs. Like the fact that they provide excellent quality protein. Or that those sunny yellow yolks contain the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin that appear to offer protection against the development of eye problems, such as age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. Or that they’re one of our few dietary sources of vitamin D.
How to buy it
When it comes to intensive factory farming of hens we all know the score, so it’s free-range or organic for me every time. That’s got to be worth a few pence more.
How to cook it
Poached, boiled or scrambled are the healthiest. Happy days for those of us who like dipping toast ‘soldiers’ into soft boiled eggs.
I’m not going to pretend this is really healthy, but eating nothing but ultra healthy food would make life pretty dull. And as full cooked breakfasts go, this definitely notches up a few brownie points along the way.
Serves 2
4 good-quality butchers’ sausages
A little groundnut oil
2 open capped mushrooms
A little unsalted butter
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
2 free range eggs
4 rashers lean bacon
2 tomatoes
Black pepper
40 mins before serving
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas mark 6.
30 mins to go
Place sausages in a lightly oiled baking tray (oiled using the groundnut oil) and put in the oven.
15 mins to go
Spread the mushrooms with a little butter and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Place on the baking tray alongside the sausages, giving the sausages a turn while you’re there ▪ Now for the poached eggs. Place a frying pan over a gentle heat and fill with boiling water to 2.5 cm (1 in) in depth. Heat until you see a few small bubbles appearing at the bottom of the pan, then carefully break the eggs into the water, one at a time, and leave for 1 minute ▪ Turn off the heat and leave the eggs to sit for 10 minutes.
10 mins to go
Heat the grill to a medium heat and start grilling the bacon.
5 mins to go
Cut each tomato in half, season with black pepper and place under the grill with the bacon. Turn the bacon over ▪ When the tomatoes and bacon are done, remove the eggs from the frying pan and serve it all up on warmed plates.
Whilst berries get a lot of health plaudits, it’s blueberries that steal the limelight. The likes of raspberries miss the party in true Cinderella style. Let’s change all of that. Raspberries, you shall go to the ball!
Why you should be eating it
Quite the vitamin C show-off, raspberries are brimming with this important antioxidant vitamin. And like many a fruit and veg, raspberries also provide generous amounts of fibre.
But to fully appreciate the health benefits of the raspberry, look beyond these conventional nutrients and take a peek at the brave new world of phytochemicals. I’m talking here about the impressive array of naturally occurring compounds that are produced by plants and found in abundance in berry fruits.
These include anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants responsible for the distinctive colour of berry fruits. Whilst we only absorb small amounts of them, anthocyanins are attracting the attention of researchers interested in their potential health benefits for the ageing brain, cardiovascular health and even cancer prevention.
And it doesn’t end there. Berries boast numerous other phenolic compounds including proanthocyanidins, flavonols and ellagitannins, plus a whole lot more. That said, loads more research still needs to be done to better understand the role of these plant compounds in the health of us humans. In the meantime, eating a wide and diverse range of fruit and veggies is the smart bet.
How to buy it
Keep your eyes peeled for fully ripe, plump, brightly coloured fruits. Generally the darker the berry the higher the levels of beneficial plant compounds are likely to be.
Rather than relying on expensive and often disappointing imports, make hay while the sun shines and take advantage of the raspberry season when its gets into full swing.
How to cook it
Raspberries are great just as they are – in fruit salads, served with yoghurt, added to muesli, mixed into a smoothie, or made into lovely home-made jam.
This simple smoothie not only tastes the business, but looks the business. First impressions and all that...
Serves 1 (makes 300 ml/½ pint)
100 g (4 oz) fresh or defrosted raspberries
150 g (5 oz) strawberries
4 tbsp natural yoghurt
1 tbsp honey
Blend all the ingredients together in a blender, pour into tall glasses and serve.
Wise old sayings often have more than a sniff of truth about them, and we’ve all heard the one about an apple a day keeping the doctor away. Well there’s now a decent bit of scientific evidence to support the idea that eating apples may help keep you from the doctor’s door.
Why you should be eating it
Although the data is a bit sketchy and inconsistent, apple consumption has been associated with a degree of protection against developing chronic health problems such as heart disease, some forms of cancer and asthma.
They’re jam-packed with nutritional goodies such as fibre and vitamin C, but it’s also likely to be the unique combination of apple phytochemicals (that’s posh talk for beneficial plant compounds) that account for their health benefits.
Chief amongst these are the flavonoids, which are also found in other fruits and vegetables as well as in tea, red wine and cocoa. And whilst researchers are still trying to better understand these clever compounds, it’s likely that they proffer some handy benefits, notably for cardiovascular health.
Remember that many of these health-promoting compounds are found within the apple’s skin, so don’t be too hasty in throwing away the peel.
How to buy it
Whilst we have a consistent year-round supply in the supermarkets, by late summer or early autumn I’m on a mission to make the most of the locally grown, seasonal apples that abound. Bring on the knobbly bits and blemishes!
How to cook it
There are loads of imaginative recipes using apples, but mostly the fruits are good just as they come for snacking on, or chopped into fruit salads or muesli. And a baked apple in winter, stuffed full of dried fruits, nuts, honey and spices, is the business.
This makes for a great alternative to sugar-laden breakfast cereals or those that are indistinguishable from cardboard.
Serves 2
4 tbsp jumbo oats
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
8 prunes, roughly chopped
½ glass apple juice
1 tbsp walnuts, roughly chopped
1 tbsp pecan nuts, roughly chopped
1 tbsp hazelnuts, roughly chopped
2 medium apples
1 tsp lemon juice
8 heaped tbsp natural yoghurt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
A little maple syrup (optional)
Mix the oats, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and prunes together in a bowl. Add the apple juice. Cover and refrigerate overnight (by morning the mixture should have soaked up most of the apple juice) ▪ Add the nuts and combine well ▪ Grate the apples and sprinkle with lemon juice to stop them going brown. Add to the oat mixture and combine well ▪ Spoon into individual bowls. Top with the natural yoghurt, a sprinkling of cinnamon and, if you need a hit of sweetness, a drizzle of maple syrup.
When it comes to oats, you might already know your pinheads from your oatmeal. But what about your lignans from your beta-glucans?
Why you should be eating it
It’s the soluble fibre that goes by the name of beta-glucans that has sparked interest in the health benefits of oats. It soaks up cholesterol a bit like a sponge, aiding its removal from the body, accounting for the cholesterol-lowering and cardio-protective credentials of oats.
Oats are a perfect example of a wholegrain cereal, and the evidence suggests that the consumption of cereals in their unadulterated wholegrain form may promote health in numerous ways, including a reduced risk of heart disease, some cancers, diabetes and obesity.
Whilst these benefits are partly due to their fibre content, wholegrain cereals also contain a good stash of goodies such as antioxidants, phenolic compounds, plant stanols and sterols, and lignans, not to mention the plain old vitamins and minerals.
Oats are also held in high esteem for their low glycemic index. This means they release their energy nice and slowly into the bloodstream, helping to keep energy levels stable and leaving you feeling fuller for longer.
How to buy it
Whilst oats can come in different guises, rolled oats – the stuff of muesli and porridge fame – are widely available and cheap as chips.
How to cook it
Oats are an archetypal breakfast cereal, never more at home than in porridge, muesli or granola. And not forgetting an indispensable ingredient in cookies, flapjacks and crumbles.
A regional delicacy from the traditional pottery area of England, these little beauties are referred to as the Potteries’ chapattis and were served from the windows of front room kitchens to ravenous workers who needed something filling, cheap and quick to eat. Sounds a bit like my house in the morning...
Makes 4 large or 8 small oatcakes
150 ml (½ pt) milk
Scant ½ tsp dried yeast
1 tsp sugar
100 g (4 oz) medium oatmeal
½ tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
Extra virgin olive oil, for frying
Warm the milk gently in a small pan until lukewarm. Pour half the warmed milk into a jug and add the yeast and sugar. Whisk and leave in a warm place until frothy ▪ Meanwhile mix the oatmeal and salt together in a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the beaten egg. Gradually work the oatmeal into the egg, bringing it in from the sides. Stir in the milk and yeast mixture and the reserved warm milk gradually to create a smooth batter. Leave in a warm place for 30 minutes then whisk once more ▪ Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Drop in a teaspoon of olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. When it’s smoking hot, you’re ready to roll. For a large oatcake, drop in a ladle of batter so that it covers the base of the pan, or for a small one, drop in a tablespoon of batter and gently spread it out with the back of a spoon to make a pancake about 10 cm (4 in) in diameter. Wait until bubbles cover the surface of the oatcake and then turn over with a fish slice for another 30 seconds or so ▪ Serve with a topping, sweet or savoury, rolled up or left flat.
Fillings
▪ Scrambled eggs and smoked salmon.
▪ Grated cheese and grilled sliced mushrooms, grilled to melt the cheese.
▪ Grated dark chocolate and orange zest (rolled up and lightly grilled to melt the chocolate).
Take a peek at the Mediterranean diet to see that tomatoes are a staple in one of the healthiest diets on the planet.
Why you should be eating it
Tomatoes undoubtedly provide nutritious fare, packed full of vitamins, minerals and fibre, but none of those are the big reason for the avid attention they receive. That’s all down to their lycopene content – the carotenoid responsible for a tomato’s vibrant red colour. The lion’s share of interest has focused on the potentially protective effect of this plant compound against prostate cancer.
But tomatoes aren’t just man food. The evidence suggests they may also help to reduce the risk of other common cancers and cardiovascular disease, too. And just in case you were thinking of rushing out to buy lycopene in the form of a pill, eating the real thing is a much better bet. That way you’ll get the whole range of nutrients and beneficial phytochemicals in the mix, such as vitamins C and E, folate, other carotenoids and polyphenols, and that’s just for starters.
If you want to maximize the amount of lycopene you get from your tomatoes, know that our bodies absorb loads more from cooked and processed tomatoes than from raw ones. And consuming a little bit of oil or fat at the same time also helps.
How to buy it
Look out for tomatoes that are a bright, deep red colour. That way you’ll be bagging those with a higher lycopene content.
How to cook it
Tomatoes make for an indispensable salad ingredient, and when it comes to cooking, there’s not much you can’t do with tomatoes, be it fresh or tinned. Think soups, stews and pasta sauces. And remember that olive oil, herbs, onions and garlic make for great companions.
The key to making this look as striking as possible is to cook and serve the cherry tomatoes on the vine.
Per person
8–10 cherry tomatoes on the vine
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
2 thick slices wholemeal (whole-wheat) or granary bread
2 tbsp fresh pesto (see page 71)
Evenly coat the tomatoes with the olive oil and a little sea salt and black pepper ▪ Roast on a baking tray for 10 minutes at 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6 until the skins begin to shrivel ▪ Meanwhile, toast the bread on both sides and spread one side with the pesto ▪ Carefully place half of the tomatoes on to each slice of toast and season with lots of black pepper.
I do my best to eat three decent meals a day and I usually manage it. But most of my days don’t run like clockwork and the same is true for most people. That’s why I really like the idea of grazing. Regular pit-stops to top-up on nutritious fare is a whole lot better for us than skipping meals and following erratic eating patterns. Don’t get me wrong, if you’ve got time to prepare and eat three square meals a day, good for you. Make the most of it. But if I’ve got a hectic day ahead of me and still want to make it to footie with my mates after work, then grazing is what I do.
Having said that, as with many a great principle, things can go decidedly pear-shaped in practice. And that’s because proper, healthy snacks for grazing aren’t particularly easy to come by when you’re out and about doing your thing. ‘Snack food’ is pretty much synonymous with high sugar (think confectionary) or high salt (think crisps). And that completely defeats the object.
This leaves one option and that’s to DIY your snacks. At its simplest, this might mean slinging a couple of pieces of fruit and a bag of nuts into your bag on your way out the door (and just about everyone can manage that). But if you’re up for a bit more of a culinary adventure, you could face the day packing some of the tasty morsels I’ve lined up for you in this chapter.
What more can I say. Happy grazing!
There are no great shakes when it comes to bananas. Just a good solid all-rounder. And that’s what I like about them.
Why you should be eating it
Bananas offer up some useful nutrients, notably vitamins C and B6, and the bit of general knowledge trivia that just about everyone knows – potassium.
There aren’t many folk out there who aren’t aware that too much sodium (salt) can cause problems with high blood pressure, a big risk for stroke. But probably less well known is that potassium has the opposite effect and can actually help lower pressure. And eating fruit regularly, including bananas, is one of the best ways to bump up potassium intake.