Planning a daily menu isn't difficult as long as each meal and snack has some protein, fibre, a little bit of healthy fat and some complex carbohydrates. Here is one example of how to prepare a healthy menu for a whole day that includes three meals and three snacks.

 

Below you will find a sample menu. It is important to remember we are all different with different body types, different goals & different daily needs (by which I mean those who are more active will need more than those with a sedentary lifestyle

 

Sample Menu:

 

1.    Eating breakfast will help you refuel after a long night's sleep and start your day with more energy. Choose some protein and fibre for your breakfast and it's a good time to eat some fresh fruit:

• One serving of oatmeal

• A small handful of strawberries

• A tablespoon or two chopped nuts

• A glass of orange juice
   

      A mid-morning snack is totally optional. If you ate a larger breakfast you may not feel hungry until lunchtime. However, if you're feeling a bit hungry and lunch is still two or three hours away, a light mid-morning snack will tide you over without adding a lot of calories:

• One serving of plain yogurt mixed with a small handful of blueberries and a little honey

• Water or skimmed milk or if you really must then diet soda.

 

      Lunch is often something you eat at work or school, so here is an idea for a portable lunch you can pack and take with you:   

• A sandwich made with two slices of 100% whole grain bread, two or three ounces of lean turkey breast, a little mayonnaise or mustard, sliced tomato and lettuce or preferred salad

• A small handful to a handful of raw baby carrots

• One bottle of water

Or if you eat at a restaurant:
 

• Order a vegetable salad with the dressing served on the side

• cup of soup

 

      A mid-afternoon snack is also optional. Keep it low in calories and eat just enough to keep you from feeling too hungry - dinner is just a couple of hours away.

• One apple and 12 walnuts & a glass of skimmed milk
   

      Dinner is a time when it's easy to over-eat, especially if you haven't eaten much during the day, so watch your portion sizes. Mentally divide your plate either as shown on page 3 or if you’re unable to remember that then into four quarters. One quarter is for your meat or protein source, one quarter is for a starch and the last two quarters are for green and colourful vegetables and/or a green salad:
 

• One serving of baked or roasted chicken breast

• One small baked potato with salsa or low-fat sour cream

• Large portion of steamed asparagus
   

One small 100% whole-grain roll

• Small glass of wine (optional)
   

      A light complex carbohydrate-rich evening snack may help you sleep, but avoid heavy, greasy foods or foods high in refined sugars.

• Six whole grain crackers

• Two ounces sliced cheese

• Piece of fresh fruit
   

Other tasty main courses for those wanting something a little more:
 

Chicken & Leek Crumble 
1 tbsp olive oil
250g leeks, sliced
300g cooked leftover chicken, diced
400g can mushroom soup
160g plain flour
80g sunflower spread (you can use butter if you prefer)

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the leeks. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until they are just beginning to soften. Add the chicken and soup and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile sift the flour into a mixing bowl and season. Rub in the spread with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Spoon the chicken mixture into an ovenproof dish and sprinkle the crumble mixture on top. Bake for 30 minutes until the crumble topping is golden.

Serves 4 people, Preparation time of 20 mins, Cooking time 45 mins

491 Calories, 4g Sugar, 25.6g Fat (of which 5.1g Saturate), 1.2g Salt
 

or even healthier & still tasty:
 

Turkey Stir Fry 
350g turkey thigh meat
1 tbsp sunflower oil
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp low salt soy sauce
1 tbsp vinegar
½ 425g can pineapple chunks in juice
1 tbsp cornflour
350g pack vegetable stir fry (or make your own)
150g mushrooms (quartered)

Method

Cut the turkey into thin strips and mix in a non-metallic bowl with the oil, ketchup, soy sauce and vinegar.

Add half the juice from the can of pineapple chunks to the turkey mixture and mix the rest with the cornflour to form a thin paste.
 

Heat a wok or large pan and add the turkey strips, reserving the marinade. Stir fry over a high heat for 5 minutes then add the mushrooms, pineapple chunks and stir fry veg.

Cook for a further 2-3 minutes then add the reserved marinade and the cornflour mixture. Fry until the turkey is cooked through and no pink meat remains and the sauce has thickened a little.
 

Serves 4 people, Preparation time of 15 mins, Cooking time 10 mins
 

248 Calories, 10.7g Fat (1g Saturate), 1g Salt
 

Other ideas:

Tasty, nutritious simple sandwich 
Wholegrain bread, butter thinly spread on one slice, filled with whole nut peanut butter & sliced banana, tasty & nutritious!
 

Szechuan Chicken stir fry 
Diced, sliced or chicken leftovers, medium egg noodles (or Thin pasta filled (like ravioli) with Prosciutto Crudo & Cheese), mixed bell peppers, carrot, mushrooms, Szechuan sauce (comes in packet or jar), tasty, nutritious, low in calories & very cheap to make! (can also be made with turkey).
 

Chicken Soup 
Chicken breast or left overs (can also be made with turkey), diced carrot, leek, celery, potato added to 2.5ltrs of water with chicken oxo cubes to flavour. High in protein, very low in carbs & fat. Each large serving only contains just under 200 calories.
 

8 big servings:
2.5lts water
6 Carrots
2 Leek
2 Celery
1 big Onion
4 normal or 2 large’ish potatoes
Chicken stock or oxo cubes
700-800G chicken (or Turkey) breast (skinless)

add ingredients to boiling water & simmer for 30-40 mins
 

Breakfast
Porridge Oats with a little maple syrup & mixed chopped nuts or berries. A great way to get set up for the day.

Or

Strawberries, blackberries & pineapple covered with 1/2 pot of Oinken fat free strawberry yoghurt.

Cold Lunch Box 
Szechuan (or plain) chicken with mixed peppers, walnuts, jumbo raisins, jumbo sultanas, pineapple & brown rice

Tips: 

Drink water or non-fat milk instead of fizzy drinks. 
 
Choose 100% whole-grain breads and cereals. At least half of your servings of breads and cereals should be whole grain.

Avoid highly processed lunch meats and sausages, which are high in saturated fat and calories.

Cut back on fatty red meats. Choose more fish and seafood or vegetarian protein sources like dry beans and soy.

Increase your intake of brightly coloured and dark green vegetables. Serve fresh fruits and berries for desert.
 

For those pushing their bodies:

Body builders are notorious for taking good ideas to extremes, and removing fruit from your diet in order to reduce sugar is a classic example of that. Fruit does contain sugar, but it also contains many other beneficial nutrients.

Removing fruit from your diet may create deficits in some nutrients and cause more problems than it solves. It's best to eat a variety of fruits because each one has a unique nutritional profile.

Pineapple itself is an excellent fruit selection for body builders. It's easy to digest contains fiber and has a high water content. More important, pineapple is low in carbohydrates and calories one cup, either fresh or canned in water, provides about 80 calories and only 20 grams of carbohydrates making it an excellent food to satisfy carbohydrate cravings on a low-carb diet.
 

Pineapple is rich in bromelain, a group of enzymes notable for their digestive and anti-inflammatory properties. Bromelain has become popular in sports medicine because it helps prevent swelling in inflamed joints and promotes healing and pain reduction in sore muscles, both of which are beneficial for bodybuilders.

Bodybuilders consume more protein than the average person, and bromelain also helps aid digestion and, ultimately, the delivery of protein to growing muscles.

Pineapple is a great source of potassium. One serving of fresh pineapple has almost 100% of the daily recommended dose.

Canned pineapple and juices contain more than 200%. Potassium is hailed as one of our most valuable electrolytes, and optimal levels are critical for athletic performance, muscle contraction and peak energy.
 

Heavy-duty exercisers are especially prone to potassium deficiency, so it is important for bodybuilders to pay attention to intense feelings of fatigue, which can be a sign of low potassium levels. Use of diuretics can also lead to potassium depletion.

Severe potassium deficiency can put a strain on the heart, something bodybuilders should avoid at all costs.
 

Adding potassium to your diet by eating pineapple should result in improved energy and endurance at the gym. One serving of pineapple also provides roughly five percent of the recommended daily dosage of magnesium, another key mineral.

Magnesium is an important adjunct to potassium; they aid each other in being mutually absorbed into the bloodstream. Magnesium also helps prevent muscle weakness and twitching.

People who are deficient in magnesium may have poor digestion (the extreme case is irritable bowel syndrome) or a rapid heartbeat - either of which will keep you from training at your peak. Pineapple is also a source of manganese. According to The USP Guide to Vitamins and Minerals, published by the U.S. Pharmacopeia, "Manganese helps your body metabolize fat, carbohydrates and proteins. It does so as part of several enzymes."
 

The mineral also plays a role in healing joints and bones, and in keeping the immune system functioning properly. Our bodies need very little manganese, but the trace levels found in pineapple can be helpful in getting the recommended daily dose of two to five milligrams, Fruit provides bulk and fibre, so it is a better alternative than juice - juice is highly caloric, with most of the calories coming from sugar.

As with all foods, variety is best. Make sure you include a wide array of fruits and vegetables in your meal plans.
 

Healthy Diet Foods List

One of the biggest problems people seem to have about being on a weight loss diet is the selection of foods they are going to be allowed to eat. Not to mention, the selection of foods they are no longer going to be allowed to eat. With certain unbalanced diets (for example, low carb) this may be true. With a balanced weight loss diet, it is false.
 

The big fear some people have is that they would get tired and/or bored of eating the same healthy diet foods over and over again, believing the list of suitable foods is somewhat restrictive. This is far from the case.

I have separated the foods into 3 categories: (you will see some foods fall into more than one category so allow for this when considering meals)
- good sources of protein
- good sources of carbs
- good sources of fat
 

Please note these are not in order of which gives the greatest amounts per 100g within their respective category but are merely alphabeticalised.
 

Keep in mind though, the true #1 key to any weight loss diet is total calories consumed. Weight loss happens when you are in a calorie deficit, meaning you are taking in fewer calories than your maintenance level and are therefore burning more calories than you consume. (But be careful not to consume too few as this can have a detrimental effect)
 

So, while the foods on this list would all make great additions to your diet (for both weight loss and all around health), you need to make sure you stay within your calorie range. Also try to stay close to the guidelines regarding how much protein, carbs and fat your diet should consist of. (see percentages further down)
 

With all of that being said, here's a list of acceptable and healthy diet foods: 

Good Sources of Protein

Almonds

Black beans

Cashews

Chicken (without skin)

Clams

Cottage cheese (low fat/non fat)

Crab

Egg whites

Eggs

Flounder

Garbanzo beans (aka chick peas)

Hazelnuts

Kidney beans

Lean cuts of beef

Lean cuts of lamb

Lean cuts of pork

Lean cuts of veal

Lentils

Lima beans

Lobster

Milk (semi or skimmed)

Miso

Natural peanut butter

Navy beans

Peanuts

Pecans

Pinto beans

Pistachio nuts

Protein drinks can be used to top up if needed but choose good quality ones

Pumpkin seeds

Salmon

Sardines

Scallops

Shrimp

Snapper

Soybeans

Sunflower seeds

Swordfish

Tofu

Trout

Tuna fish

Turkey (without skin)
Yogurt (low fat/non fat)
 

Good Sources Of Carbs
 

100% whole wheat bagels

100% whole wheat bread

100% whole wheat pita bread

Black beans

Bran cereals

Brown Rice

Buckwheat

Bulgur

Garbanzo beans (aka chick peas)

Kidney beans

Lentils

Lima Beans

Navy beans

Oatmeal

Pinto beans

Sweet potatoes

Whole wheat/whole grain pasta

Yams
 

(Fruits And Vegetables)

Apple

Asparagus

Avocado

Banana

Broccoli

Brussels sprouts

Cabbage

Cantaloupe

Grapes

Lettuce

Oranges

Peaches

Pears

Pineapple

Plum

Romaine lettuce

Spinach
Strawberries
 

Good Sources Of Fat

Almonds

Anchovies

Cashews

Fish oil supplements

Flax seed oil

Flax seeds

Halibut

Herring

Mackerel

Natural peanut butter

Olive oil (extra-virgin)

Peanuts

Pumpkin seeds

Salmon

Sardines

Scallops

Sunflower seeds
Walnuts

 

This list should give you a pretty good idea of the many different healthy foods you can choose from when creating your weight loss diet or just any healthy diet in general. As I mentioned before, make sure you still end up consuming the right total number of calories you figured out you should eat each day. Also try to balance those calories out between foods containing protein, carbs, and fat
 

Percentages of fat/carbs/protein in a meal

 

This will depend on what exactly you are trying to achieve but below are rough percentages for the average person.

 

• Fat: 20 - 35% of total calories

• Protein: 10– 35%

• Carbohydrates: 45 –65%

 

Recipes (more on the prices page)

 

Jerk Chicken with Rice and Peas

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the jerk chicken

4 chicken breasts, skin-on, flattened out 

For the sauce

4 spring onions 
A small bunch fresh thyme 
3 fresh bay leaves 
1/4 of a teaspoon of ground cloves 
A good grating of fresh nutmeg 
1/4 of a teaspoon of ground allspice 
3 tablespoons of rum 
3 tablespoons of cider vinegar 
1 tablespoon of runny honey 
1 Scotch bonnet chilli 
4 cloves garlic

For the rice and peas

2 spring onions, trimmed and sliced 
1 garlic clove, crushed 
2 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked 
400g can kidney beans, drained and rinsed 
400g long grain brown rice 
½ a 400ml tin of reduced fat coconut milk 
Fresh coriander, chopped, to serve 

For the mango salsa 
1 ripe mango, peeled and diced 
A handful of cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped 
½ a small red onion, peeled and very finely chopped 
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 
A small bunch of coriander, leaves picked 
1 lime 
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
 

Method

Preheat the oven to 220C. Chop up the spring onions a bit and put them in a food processor with all the other sauce ingredients. Pour your whizzed jerk sauce into a bowl then add the chicken and leave to marinate for half an hour.

Meanwhile get the rice and peas going. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and fry the spring onion, garlic and thyme for a couple of minutes. Add the rice, stir well and the coconut milk and a tin full of water and bring to the boil. Add the kidney beans and simmer, and cover, for about 20 minutes until the rice is cooked. Season with the salt and freshly ground black pepper, stir in the chopped coriander.
 

Now back to the chicken. Heat a griddle pan, or a normal pan if you haven’t got a griddle, and get it roasting hot then griddle the chicken for 5 or 6 minutes without touching it so it chars, turn over and give it another 5 or 6 minutes, then pop into the oven for a couple of minutes to cook through.
 

Now make your salsa, put all the ingredients apart from the lime on a big board and chop together, squeeze over the juice of the lime and season well.
 

Serve the jerk chicken on a pile of rice topped with your mango salsa.

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Homemade Bean Burgers

Makes 4 burgers

Prep time: 40 mins

Cook time: 25 minutes
 

Ingredients

1 red onion, peeled and chopped 
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped 
Olive oil 
A teaspoon of ground cumin 
A teaspoon of smoked paprika 
1 sweet potato, peeled 
1 medium potato, peeled 
1 tin of chickpeas 
1 tin of kidney beans 
The zest of 1 lemon 
A small bunch of coriander, leaves picked and chopped 
1 small courgette, grated 
1 egg yolk 
A small handful of breadcrumbs 
Salt and pepper
 

To serve:

Tomato chutney 
4 lettuce leaves 
4 slices of tomato 
4 wholemeal buns, toasted
 

Method

Heat a non stick pan, add a glug of olive oil, fry off the onion and garlic until soft and sweet, add the spices and fry for another minute. Then set aside.
 

Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add the sweet and normal potatoes and a pinch of salt, cook for 10-12 minutes until soft then mash with a little olive oil.
 

Put the mash and the onion mix in a bowl and add all the other ingredients, season well with salt and pepper then cool in the fridge.
 

Remove form the fridge and shape into 4 burgers, place on a baking tray and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Drizzle the burgers with a little olive oil then bake in the oven for 25 minutes until golden brown.

Serve in toasted buns with lettuce, tomato and a good heaped spoonful of the chutney.

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Super Quick Pitta Pizzas

Makes 4 pizzas

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes
 

Ingredients

1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced thickly 
1 yellow pepper, deseeded and sliced thickly 
1 red onion, peeled and cut into wedges 
A tablespoon of olive oil 
A few sprigs of fresh thyme 
A good handful of cherry tomatoes, halved 
½ a 400g tin of chickpeas, drained 
4 round seeded pitta breads 
200g of passata 
100g of good sharp cheddar cheese 
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
 

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4.

Put the peppers and onions on a baking tray with the cherry tomatoes and roast for 20-25 minutes until they are beginning to brown. Meanwhile drain your chickpeas and put them to one side.
 

When your veg is ready, place the 4 pitta breads on a baking tray, top with the passata and then a good spoonful of the vegetables and a quarter of the chickpeas. Scatter over the cheese and place in the hot oven for 10 minutes until bubbling and golden brown. Serve piping hot with a crisp green salad.
 

For more recipes featuring peppers, visit the 4Food site

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Low GI Spaghetti Bolognese

This recipe is ideal for those trying to avoid high GI foods which release sugar into the blood stream too quickly.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 1hour 15 minutes
 

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive or rapeseed oil 
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped 
2 garlic cloves, crushed 
1 red pepper, deseeded and diced 
1 small courgette, diced 
6 button mushrooms, roughly chopped 
300g minced lean beef 
1 × 400g tin chopped tomatoes 
2 tablespoons tomato purée 
1 teaspoon chilli powder or flakes 
150ml low sodium beef or vegetable stock 
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 
1 × 300g tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed 
1 × 400g tin lentils, drained and rinsed 
20g bunch basil, leaves picked and roughly torn 
Wholegrain spaghetti
 

Method

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or casserole dish then add the onions and cook over a medium to low heat, covered, for 8 to 10 minutes or until soft and sweet.
 

Add the garlic to the pan and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chopped red pepper, courgette and mushrooms and turn the heat up a little, cook for 5 minutes until the veg has softened.
 

Add the beef mince to the pan, crumbling it up with your hands, fry over a high heat for 5 minutes until the meat is browned, add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, chilli and stock, season well with salt and pepper and bring to a gentle simmer and simmer with a lid on but ajar for 45 minutes until the sauce has reduced to a thick silky consistency.
 

Add the kidney beans and lentils to the pan and simmer for a further 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the basil leaves. Serve with wholegrain spaghetti and a good grating of parmesan.
 

For more low GI recipes featuring beans, visit the 4Food site

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Spinach Salad with Sumac, Tomatoes and Feta

The cherry tomatoes used in this salad are high in vitamin C and the spinach contains antioxidants. Antioxidants are substances that counteract the damage done by free radicals which attack cells in the body and include vitamin C and E and beta-carotene.

Serves 2

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes
 

Ingredients

For the salad

200g cherry tomatoes, on the vine 
A small bunch of fresh thyme 
1 small clove garlic, crushed 
1 teaspoon olive oil 
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 
2 wholegrain pitta breads 
Olive oil spray 
1 teaspoon sumac 
200g baby leaf spinach 
60g feta, crumbled 
1 avocado, peeled and sliced 
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds, toasted 
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds, toasted

For the dressing

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
Juice of 1 lemon 
Juice of 1 orange 
1 tablespoon sumac
 

Method

Preheat your oven to 150°C/130°C fan/gas 2.

Put the tomatoes, thyme sprigs, crushed garlic and olive oil, onto a baking tray, season and toss together. Place in the oven for 25 minutes or until the skins are slightly burnished and they are staring to wrinkle.
 

Cut the pittas into wedges and place on a second tray sprayed with oil. Liberally spray the pittas with olive oil and sprinkle them with some salt and the sumac.
 

Remove the tomatoes from the oven and put to one side to cool. Turn the oven up to 180°C and cook the pittas for 10 minutes or until golden and toasted. Remove from the oven and break into bite sized pieces.
 

Pull the tomatoes off the vine and put in a big serving bowl, add the pittas and all the other ingredients. Make the dressing by whisking together the oil, citrus juices and sumac and season to taste with salt and pepper. Dress the salad, tossing to coat and serve immediately

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PMS Smoothie

Smoothies are so versatile, you can make them to anyone’s tastes, pretty much any non-citrus fruit will work well here and you can use cow’s milk or calcium enriched soy here. Try adding a handful of oats or nuts to your smoothie for added protein and a more substantial breakfast or pick me up. In the summer add a couple of blocks of ice for a super refreshing smoothie, freezing your fruit will have the same effect.

Makes 2 smoothies
 

Ingredients

300ml of milk (semi skimmed cow’s or calcium enriched soya) 
½ a banana 
150g or a small handful of strawberries 
150g or a small handful of blueberries 
2 tablespoons of oats 
A pinch of cinnamon 

Optional: a squeeze of honey

Optional: a few cubes of ice
 

Method

Put all your ingredients in a stand up blender and whizz until smooth. Loosen with a little more milk if you like your smoothie thinner. Pour into 2 tall glasses, best drunk immediately

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Quickest Mint and Courgette Pasta

This is a no cook pasta sauce, perfect for a super quick dinner or lunch. This dish is all about the balance of acidity from the lemon, sweet sharpness from the Parmesan, depth from the oil and good seasoning to bring it all together, so taste and adjust until it tastes amazing. Don’t use the pre-grated parmesan for this – buy a block and grate it yourself.

Serves 4

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes
 

Ingredients

500g of wholemeal penne pasta 
3 medium courgettes 
2 good handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese 
1 lemon 
A handful of mint, leaves picked and roughly chopped 
A handful of basil, leaves picked and roughly chopped 
Extra virgin olive oil 
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
 

Method

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the pasta and cook according to packet instructions and cook until al dente.
 

Meanwhile grate the courgettes into a large bowl, and the Parmesan, the juice of ½ the lemon and the herbs and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper.
 

Once the pasta is cooked drain it and reserve a little of the cooking water in a cup. Add the steaming hot pasta to the bowl and toss together well, if you think it looks too dry add a little of the cooking water and stir in. Taste and add a little more seasoning and lemon if needed. Eat immediately

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Pan Fried Sea Bass with Salsa Verde

Serves 2
 

Ingredients

A small bunch of mint, leaves picked 
A small bunch of parsley, leaves picked 
A small bunch of basil, leaves picked 
A few sprigs of oregano, leaves picked 
A few baby gherkins or cornichons 
A tablespoon of capers 
2 x anchovy fillets 
A teaspoon of Dijon mustard 
The juice of 1 lemon 
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil 
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 
Olive oil spray 
2 × 200g fillets of sea bass, pin-boned
 

Method

First make your salsa verde. Get a big board and a chef’s knife and carefully chop all the herbs together until they are nice and fine. Roughly chop the cornichons, capers and anchovies too then run the knife through the whole lot.

Put the mixture into a bowl with the mustard, lemon juice, olive oil and some salt and pepper. Mix well and taste to check the balance, if needed add more seasoning or lemon. Put to one side.
 

Heat a large frying pan and spray with a little olive oil spray. Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper and once the pan is nice and hot place it skin side down in the pan, turn the heat down to medium and fry the fish for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until cooked through.
 

Serve the fish straight away with a good spoonful of salsa verde with some steamed spinach and broccoli.

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Chicken, Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato Panini

This is a quick snack and a real crowd pleaser, homemade pesto will taste best but if you are in a hurry a shop brought version will do nicely.

Serves 2

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes
 

Ingredients

1 chicken breast 
A 150g ball of reduced fat mozzarella 
2 handfuls of spinach 
A few sundried tomatoes 
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 
2 wholemeal seeded Panini rolls 
2 tablespoons of fresh pesto
 

Method

Heat a griddle pan until very hot, season your chicken breast with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little oil.

Griddle the chicken breasts for 5-6 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Put to one side to cool then slice up.
 

leave the griddle pan on.
 

Toast your Panini on the inside then take off the heat, spread the inside with pesto on both sides. Take the bottom bit of each Panini and break over the mozzarella, then lay the chicken on top then the sun dried toms and spinach, put the tops on and squeeze together then put the Panini back on the hot grill and place a pan on top to press down.

Toast for a couple of minutes on each side. Cut in half and then slice in 2 and eat immediately

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Hearty Pasta Soup

Serves 4

Prep 5 mins

Cook 25 mins

Low-fat

High in fibre, 3 of 5-a-day. Freeze before adding pasta
 

Method

1.       Heat oil in a pan. Fry the carrots and onion for 5 mins until starting to soften. Add the stock and tomatoes, then simmer for 10 mins. Add the peas and beans with 5 mins to go.

 

2.       Once veg is tender, stir in the pasta. Return to the boil and simmer for 2 mins until the pasta is just cooked. Stir in the basil, if using. Season, then serve in bowls topped with a sprinkling of Parmesan and slices of garlic bread.

 

 

Make it a bake

Ricotta & basil bake: Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/ gas 6. Tip the pasta into a baking dish, season the tomatoes, stir in the basil, then spoon on top. In a bowl, combine the peas and beans, 250g tub ricotta and a handful grated Parmesan. Dot the mix over the pasta, scatter with more Parmesan, then bake for 20-25 mins until golden.

No basil - pesto will do
 

Can't get hold of fresh basil? If you've got a tub of pesto in the fridge, stir a spoonful into the soup just before you serve it.
 

Per serving

286 kcalories, protein 11g, carbohydrate 44g, fat 9 g, saturated fat 3g, fibre 6g, sugar 11g, salt 0.88 g

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Spicy pasta soup

Serves 4

Prep 10 mins

Cook 35 mins

Vegetarian
 

Method

1.       Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan. Add the onion and chilli, then cook for 10 mins until softened. Stir in the tomatoes, breaking up with a spoon as you go, then pour in the stock. Cover, bring to the boil, remove the lid, then simmer for 5 mins.

2.       Add the spaghetti, then simmer for 6-8 mins until it is just cooked. Stir in the olives, capers and basil or pesto, then serve drizzled with olive oil.

Antipasto tarts
 

Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Divide a 375g pack ready-rolled puff pastry into 8 rectangles. Transfer to a baking sheet, then score a 1cm border around the edges. Brush edges with a little beaten egg, then bake for 15 mins until risen and golden.

Gently squash the risen centres. Spread with 3 tbsp fresh pesto, then top with 200g mixed antipasto (such as red peppers and artichokes; we used Sacla). Scatter on basil and rocket leaves, then serve.
 

PER SERVING (WITHOUT TARTS)

218 kcalories, protein 7g, carbohydrate 29g, fat 9 g, saturated fat 1g, fibre 5g, sugar 10g, salt 1,2 g

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Speedy tuna pasta salad

Serves 4

Prep 5 mins

No cook

Counts as 1 of 5-a-day
 

Method

1.       Microwave the cooked penne according to pack instructions. Tip into a bowl. Mix through the remaining ingredients (the warm pasta will really soak up the flavours). If using chilled leftover pasta, simply mix everything together - it will still taste great. Can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.
 

Per serving

238 kcalories, protein 19g, carbohydrate 31g, fat 5 g, saturated fat 1g, fibre 5g, sugar 3g, salt 0.96 g

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Vitality veggie pasta

Serves 4

Ready in 20-25 mins

Vegetarian, Super healthy
 

Method

1.       Pour boiling water into a large saucepan, bring to the boil, then cook the pasta according to pack instructions. When the pasta has 5 mins left to cook, tip in the squash and cook with the pasta for the remaining time.
 

2.       While the pasta is cooking, heat half the oil in a large frying pan. Sizzle the pine nuts in the oil until they start to colour, stir in the garlic and cook for a moment just to soften. Add remaining oil, turn up the heat, add the mushroom and cook for 2-3 mins until they start to soften. Turn the heat to maximum, add spinach to the pan and cook for 1-2 mins until completely wilted.
 

3.       Drain the pasta and squash, then mix in with the vegetables until everything's nicely combined. Bring the pan to the table and let everyone help themselves. You could also pass round grated parmesan and chilli flakes if people want it.
 

Using long pasta, adding bacon or tomatoes

This works just as well with other long pasta. Make it more meaty - fry some chopped bacon before adding the pine nuts to the pan. Not keen on mushrooms? You can replace them with a handful of halved cherry tomatoes.
 

Per serving

377 kcalories, protein 13g, carbohydrate 62g, fat 10 g, saturated fat 1g, fibre 7g, salt 0.27 g

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Bacon & mushroom pasta

Serves 4

Prep 5 mins

Cook 20 mins

Ready in 25 minutes
 

Method

1.       Cook the pasta in boiling water in a large non-stick saucepan according to pack instructions. Meanwhile, slice the mushrooms and snip the bacon into bite-size pieces with scissors or a sharp knife.

2.       Reserve a few drops of the cooking water in a cup or bowl, then drain the pasta and set aside. Fry the bacon and mushrooms in the same pan until golden, about 5 mins. Keep the heat high so the mushrooms fry in the bacon fat, rather than sweat.

3.       Tip the pasta and reserved water back into the pan and stir over the heat for 1 min. Take the pan off the heat, spoon in the pesto and crème fraîche and most of the basil and stir to combine. Sprinkle with the remaining basil to serve.
 

MAKE IT DIFFERENT

Swap the basil pesto for red or sun-dried tomato pesto.

MAKE IT DAIRY-FREE

Omit the crème fraîche, replacing it with a few more spoonfuls of pesto instead.

567 kcalories, protein 23g, carbohydrate 78g, fat 20 g, saturated fat 9g, fibre 4g, salt 1,41 g

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For those who like a little bit of spice, its worth remembering that studies have shown than spice can speed up your metabolism & as such your fat burn rate. this doesn’t mean hit the curries! but a healthy meal with spice in it such as the jerk chicken one above can help.
 

The Glycaemic Index

 

The Glycaemic Index (Gi) is simply a ranking of foods based on the speed at which they raise blood glucose levels. Each food is given a number:

• Foods that break down quickly are given high values - they raise blood glucose quickly, and are said to have a high glycaemic index

• Foods that break down slowly are given low values - they raise blood glucose more slowly, and have a low glycaemic index

The main thing to remember is that a low Gi food is digested slowly and causes a slow and steady rise (and fall) in blood glucose. Slower digestion helps to make you feel full for longer and delay hunger pangs.