One belief is fundamental to our thinking at Positive Science People: you are what you eat. It is literally true, in a physical way, and unpins a philosophy of thinking carefully about what you consume. Undoubtedly the best way to control what you eat is to cook it yourself, from natural ingredients. Manufactured, packaged food often uses ingredients harmful to our health, like sugar, industrial oils and empty carbs. Takeaway and restaurant food is great, but you have little idea what has been used to make it.
To help you feel inspired to pick up a sharp knife and a trusty pan, we have shared five fabulous healthy recipes, from five of our favourite healthy food writers. You can learn a new dish to cook and new foodie to follow, in one go.
1. Vegetable Frittata – Maya Krampf
Breakfast is a time when unhealthy options abound. I’m looking at you, sugary cereals, pastries, muesli bars and yoghurts. For a nutritional start and sustained energy, protein-rich dishes with bonus veggies are a far better choice. This delicious vegetable frittata ticks both boxes and can be flexed to the ingredients you have in the fridge. Maya Krampf is the author of the Wholesome Yum website, a rich source of hundreds of healthy recipes which all use 10 simple ingredients or less.
https://www.wholesomeyum.com/easy-keto-vegetable-frittata-recipe
2. Salmon Traybake – Dr Megan Rossi
At lunchtime we follow a similar approach to breakfast: a healthy hit of protein and more yummy veggies (too many is not nearly enough). This one tray salmon bake is an easy-to-make, omega-3 rich recipe that we eat a variation of weekly. Many recipes are linked to fad diets, with little evidence they do you any good. This is definitely not the case with Dr Megan Rossi’s dishes and she has a PhD in gut health – a topic very close to our heart – to prove it.
https://www.theguthealthdoctor.com/recipes/wild-alaska-salmon-traybake-why-omega-3-is-so-key/
3. Chickpea Coconut Stew – Melissa Hemsley
One for our vegan readers, but a great dish for everyone, this nourishing and warming stew provides a valuable break from meat. Suitable for lunch or dinner, it features some of the anti-inflammatory ingredients we use a lot: ginger, garlic and turmeric. Melissa Hemsley started as an international chef to music and movie stars (including Take That!) and we love her approach to cooking, with its big focus on nourishing, seasonal produce and multiple veggies in each dish.
https://melissahemsley.com/cheering-chickpea-coconut-stew/
4. Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps – Julie Andrews
We love the idea of swapping out heavy carbs for veggies. This recipe uses whole lettuce leaves instead of a starchy wrap, so it’s a big tick from us. Even better, it’s crammed full of healthy ingredients and provides lean protein in the form of chicken breast (you could also use tofu). Julie Andrews (not that one) is a Registered Dietitian from the USA, who goes by the name The Healthy Epicurean. You will have to translate a few ingredients (we think a cos or iceberg lettuce could replace a Boston variety), but it’s worth the effort for the new ideas she brings.
https://thehealthyepicurean.com/cashew-chicken-lettuce-wraps/
5. Cinnamon Pear Crumble – Rob Grant
Okay, slightly cheating now - I’ve included myself! But don’t forget we have a recipe section on our website, with several healthy dishes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack-time. Every recipe is tested by us, and we eat them regularly. One that always pleases visitors is our lightly spicy, nutty crumble. The recipe uses pears, but apples, rhubarb or stone fruits would work just as well. It is 100% indulgent but comes with a definite nod to healthiness, by reducing the sugar and carbs, and adding healthy ingredients, like walnuts and cinnamon.
https://positivesciencepeople.uk/pages/cinnamon-pear-crumble
