Sometimes all I want for breakfast is buttered toast, but that doesn’t always cut it.

When my workout intensity or volume is high, I know that getting plenty of protein is important, especially after a big workout. I always aim to get in at least 25-30g of protein post-workout, but the more, the better.

I often eat a bagel for breakfast because a couple years ago, when I was competing in obstacle course races and working with a sports nutritionist, she was always promoting bagels as breakfast and snack options. That’s because bagels are high in carbs and higher in protein than most other carb options. Most people are unaware that there’s in the region of nine to 12g of protein in a standard bagel.

Then I saw these high-protein bagels in my local store, which pack in 21g of protein in 300 calories.

I added bacon and cheese, and the result is my new breakfast staple. It’s packed with 38 grams of protein, has plenty of flavor, and is easy to prepare ahead of time or as needed. If you’re someone who often has to eat breakfast on-the-go, this is a great option.

I love this sandwich prepared with Canadian bacon and provolone cheese but it can be adapted to your own taste preferences. Just keep in mind that changing the type of meat and cheese will change the macros a bit. I have also made this breakfast sandwich using part-skim mozzarella, turkey bacon, turkey sausage, ham, and using all egg whites rather than a whole egg plus an egg white. These combinations keep the macros similar to the recipe below.

High-protein bagel sandwich recipe

Ingredients

• 1 toasted high-protein bagel
• 3 slices Canadian bacon
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 1 slice low-fat provolone or mozzarella cheese
• 1 wedge Laughing Cow cheese
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Beat 1 egg plus one egg white in small bowl, and season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a frying pan on medium heat and spray with cooking spray.
3. Add the egg mixture to the frying pan as you would a pancake.
4. Add Canadian bacon slices to the side of the frying pan to warm while the egg cooks.
5. Toast the bagel and spread with a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese.
6. Top the bagel with the fully cooked egg, warmed Canadian bacon and cheese slice.

To prep ahead of time, do not preheat the meat or toast the bagel. Cook the egg then leave to cool. Add the egg, cheese, meat, and Laughing Cow cheese spread to the cold bagel, wrap in parchment paper, and place in the fridge for up to four days. When you’re ready to eat the sandwich, microwave in the paper for 60 seconds, check to see if it is heated through, heat for an additional 30 seconds if needed.

During the warmer months, I crave fresh and fruity drinks, but I don’t really love the calories and sugar that come along with them. Thankfully, last summer I was introduced to a great alternative. I stopped at a local soda shop and tried what they called a protein refresher. It was delicious, but also expensive. I knew I had to recreate it at home and I’m so glad I did.

The shop had listed clear protein as the main ingredient, so I did some research and found Clean Simple Eats Clear Protein on Amazon, which is 90 calories and 20g of protein per serving. I ordered the blue Bahama flavor. It seemed the closest to what I ordered at the soda shop and the idea of the blue raspberry coconut combo had me reminiscing about the snow cone shacks of my childhood.

I was skeptical of the clear protein powder at first, worried that the drink would be chalky or have a weird taste. I ended up being seriously impressed. In a blind taste test, I’d never be able to tell I was drinking something with a protein supplement in it.

While my recipe below uses it in a tropical mocktail, it would also be delicious added into a milkshake, vanilla yogurt, and maybe even Jell-O.

This tropical protein mocktail I made is about 165 calories, has 20g of protein, and about 8g of fat. You can easily swap the coconut milk out with your preferred milk, but the coconut milk is what truly brings it together and makes it feel decadent.

Clear Protein Tropical Mocktail recipe

Ingredients

• 1 scoop Clean Simple Eats Blue Bahama clear protein powder
• 8oz water
• 3tbsp coconut milk (or milk of choice)
• 1 scoop of ice
• 1 lime wedge

Method

1. Mix 1 scoop of the clear protein powder into 8 ounces of cold water. Use a shaker or frother to mix until fully incorporated. Let this sit for 30-60 seconds.
2. Add a large scoop of ice.
3. Top with at least 3 tablespoons of cold creamy coconut milk and a squeeze of fresh lime juice, stir, and enjoy.

Despite all the benefits for our health, fiber is one of the most overlooked nutrients, with many of us falling short of the recommended 30g per day.

“Fiber supports digestion, helps stabilize blood sugar levels and plays a key role in appetite regulation helping you feel fuller for longer,” nutritionist Emma Bardwell tells Fit&Well, “yet most of us only eat around 16-18g per day.”

It’s no surprise that trends like fiber-maxxing have started doing the rounds on TikTok, with experts calling for us to up our intake.

“A big part of the issue is that modern diets tend to rely heavily on convenience foods which are often low in fiber,” Bardwell explains. “There’s also been a strong focus on protein in recent years, which is important, but it’s sometimes come at the expense of fiber-rich foods.”

Knowledge around sources of fiber is part of the problem too. “Many people immediately think of salad when they think of fiber, but it’s also found in hitters such as chia seeds, raspberries, ground flaxseeds, avocados, peas, dates, passion fruit, pears, kiwis, almonds, oats, beans and lentils to name just a few,” Bardwell says.

One of the easiest ways to increase your intake is with a high-fiber breakfast—and thanks to Bardwell’s new porridge recipe you can get over half your daily target in one meal.

Bardwell, author of The Fibre Effect, is on a mission to close the fiber gap with recipes that support gut health and leave you feeling fuller for longer.

“This breakfast does a lot of things at once, without feeling complicated. It combines protein, fiber and plant diversity in one meal, which is a great way to start the day.”

It’s packed with around 27g protein and 15g fiber.

“The fiber here is doing double-duty. Soluble fiber helps slow digestion, support steadier blood sugar and feed beneficial gut microbes, while insoluble fiber adds bulk and supports regularity. That means you stay fuller for longer and your gut microbes have a feast.”

Here’s how to make Bardwell’s high-fiber, high-protein recipe.

Toasted Rye Porridge with Blackberry Chia Jam Recipe

Ingredients

• 30g rye flakes
• 200ml milk
• 1tsp cinnamon
• ¼tsp nutmeg
• 1 heaped tbsp ground flax
• 125g Greek yoghurt
• 1tbsp blackberry chia jam (taken from Emma Bardwell’s book The Fibre Effect)
• 1tbsp almond butter or other nut butter
• 1tsp maple syrup

Method

1. Simmer the rye flakes, spices and milk for 10-15 mins until cooked through.
2. Remove from heat, stir in the flax.
3. Tip into a bowl and stir through yoghurt, nut butter and chia jam.
4. Drizzle over the maple syrup and enjoy.

I’ve tried plenty of recipes from social media, so I know they can be a bit hit and miss. The dense bean salad, however, is a winner every time—it’s easy to make, nutritious and is a great dish to meal prep.

It’s been so popular that its creator, Violet Witchel, also known as Dense Bean Salad Girl, is set to release her first cookbook with Harper Collins in 2027. Ahead of the launch, Witchel shared the recipe for the sundried tomato dense bean salad with Fit&Well.

“This is my most popular dense bean salad, and for good reason,” says Witchel. “It’s mild but still really flavorful and bright, with tons of crunchy texture that makes it satisfying to eat. It’s also naturally high in fiber and plant-based protein from the beans, which helps support digestion and keeps you full longer.”

The recipe is a great make-ahead meal. “The beans soak up the dressing as it sits,” says Witchel, “so the flavor gets even better throughout the week. Since there are no leafy greens, it holds its texture really well and doesn’t get soggy. Using a sharp knife when prepping helps keep the vegetables from getting mushy.

“It keeps in the fridge for four to five days. I also recommend storing it in airtight containers, ideally portioned out, to keep it as fresh as possible.

“I love these deli containers: they’re reusable and you can put them in the dishwasher, but if you break one or your kid takes them to school in their lunchbox and they mysteriously never come home, it’s no big deal because they’re like 20 cents each.”

Sundried Tomato Dense Bean Salad Recipe

Makes 6-8 16oz servings

Ingredients

For the salad

• 1 shallot
• 1 bunch parsley
• 1 orange bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 16oz cherry tomatoes
• 4 leaves of basil
• 6oz pepperoni
• ½lb smoked chipotle chicken
• ½ cup of drained sundried tomatoes
• ½ cup of drained artichoke hearts
• 1 can white beans
• 1 can chickpeas
• 1 16oz container of mini mozzarella balls in water (drained)

For the dressing

• 2tbsp sundried tomato oil
• ¼ cup garlic olive oil
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 1tbsp Italian seasoning blend
• Big pinch of sea salt
• 1tsp Dijon mustard
• Juice of 1 lemon

Method

1. Finely mince the shallot. Core and dice the bell peppers. Mince the parsley and basil. Slice the tomatoes in half.
2. Roughly chop the pepperoni and chicken.
3. Drain the sundried tomato oil off the sundried tomatoes and set it aside. You want to save two tablespoons of oil to add to the dressing.
4. Roughly chop the drained tomatoes and artichoke hearts.
5. Rinse and drain the beans and mozzarella balls.
6. Add the shallots, bell peppers, parsley, basil, cherry tomatoes, pepperoni, chicken, beans and mozzarella to a big bowl.
7. In a small separate container, mix together the sundried tomato oil, olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, sea salt and mustard. I love to use a milk frother to mix the dressing and make it super creamy and smooth.
8. Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and toss till everything is evenly coated in the dressing.

To serve: “I love to eat this salad in a warmed-up wrap,” says Witchel.

When I first started running, I would often skip a post-workout snack.

Sometimes, it was because I was in a rush, but mostly, it was because I thought eating straight after a workout would ruin all my hard work.

Now, I know how wrong I was. However, it seems I’m not the only one who has felt this way.

“Many beginners under-eat after workouts because they’re worried about ‘undoing’ their effort,” explains Cara Shaw, a women's health nutritional therapist.

“In reality, under-fuelling can increase cravings later in the day, disrupt hormones (especially in women), and slow recovery.”

What I quickly learned is that after exercise, refueling is essential. “It’s not about protein shakes and perfection,” explains Shaw. “It’s about supporting your body so you feel energised rather than exhausted."

There are four main reasons why refuelling post-workout is important, according to Shaw:

1. Replenishing carbohydrates to restore energy.
2. Providing protein to support muscle repair.
3. Rehydrating, especially if you’ve been sweating.
4. Stabilising blood sugar to support your nervous system and to avoid any crashes.

“If you've done moderate-to-intense exercise, particularly strength training, cardio classes or anything longer than 45 minutes, you will likely have used up some glycogen, created small amounts of muscle breakdown and activated your nervous system,” Shaw explains.

Needing all the inspiration I can get, I asked Shaw for her favorite post-workout snack.

“My Greek yoghurt recovery Bowl is always my go-to,” she tells Fit&Well. “This bowl gives me around 15–20g of protein, plus fibre, healthy fats and carbohydrates.

“It’s a balanced snack—and the key is to think about nourishment, not restriction.”

Cara Shaw’s Greek Yoghurt Recovery Bowl Recipe

Ingredients

• ¾-1 cup Greek yoghurt
• A handful of berries
• 1tbsp chia seeds or flaxseed
• 1tsp maple syrup
• 1tsp nut butter
• Optional: sprinkle of cinnamon or cacao

Method

• Mix the ingredients in a bowl.

While refueling is important, Shaw stresses that recovery starts before you even begin to train.

“Going into a workout under-fueled can spike stress hormones and leave you feeling shaky, ravenous or drained later—especially if you train first thing in the morning on an empty stomach or just coffee,” she says.

“A banana with nut butter, yoghurt with berries, or a slice of toast can make a huge difference to energy and performance,” she says.

Lately, I’ve been experimenting with making more balanced versions of some of my favorite comfort foods and enchiladas were top of my list. I love the warmth and subtle spice of a good chicken enchilada, but that much melted cheese doesn’t exactly align with my health and fitness goals. That’s why I came up with this still very creamy, but higher-protein, lower-carb version.

The key to this recipe is using Greek yogurt and cottage cheese to add richness and protein rather than fat. By combining shredded chicken with your favorite enchilada sauce, a few spices, the yogurt, and cottage cheese you get a filling that’s packed full of flavor. I ate this meal for lunch and dinner a couple days in a row and didn’t grow tired of it.

I also love how easy this one-pan recipe is to pull together. It uses simple ingredients and is quick to make with no chopping. It’s easy to reheat and taste even better the next day.

I nearly always have cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, shredded mozzarella and chicken on hand, which makes these an easy repeat dinner. I used carb balance tortillas but you can use whatever tortillas will help you achieve the macro content that best suits your lifestyle.

High-protein chicken enchilada recipe

This recipe makes four large enchiladas. I used the recipe creator feature in the MyFitnessPal app and found that a single enchilada contains nearly 35g of protein, under 9g of fat and carbs, and is only about 265 calories. That much protein content helps keep you full, meaning you’re less likely to sneak back to the fridge an hour later for something else to eat.

You could also add pinto or black beans, bell peppers, onions, or additional spices to make these your own.

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked shredded chicken
• ¼ cup Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup cottage cheese, blended smooth
• 10oz enchilada sauce, divided
• ¼tsp cumin
• ¼tsp garlic powder
• ¼tsp chili powder
• 4 Mission Foods carb balance tortillas
• ¾ cup part-skim mozzarella shredded cheese

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. In a bowl, mix the shredded chicken, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, cumin, garlic powder, chili powder and ¼ cup of enchilada sauce until well combined.
3. Lightly coat the bottom of the dish with enchilada sauce and coat each tortilla with the sauce from the bottom of the dish before filling and rolling.
4. Divide the filling evenly between the tortillas, roll tightly and place seam-side down in a small baking dish.
5. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly golden.
7. Let cool slightly before serving.

Overnight oats is a perennial favorite for people who meal prep, but it never gets old. There are so many ways to change up the macros and flavors, which is why it’s so enduringly popular.

I recently bought some cute jars on Amazon and knew that I had to put them to use immediately. Overnight oats seemed like the perfect way so I created this new twist on overnight oats with a few extra ingredients that helped to pack in more protein and more flavor.

I love that these high-protein blackberry overnight oats are easy to prepare, stay fresh in the fridge for a few days, and can easily be eaten as an on-the-go breakfast or as a snack.

I’ve made these both with and without protein powder, and they’re delicious either way. I personally like adding the protein powder because it seems to keep me full longer.

Recently, I have started using Purist Grass-Fed Whey Protein Powder and I really like both the taste, texture, and flavor of it. The vanilla was perfect for this overnight oat recipe, but I think using the chocolate and swapping the blackberries with strawberries would also be delicious.

I’ve also recently started using Hunnee honey to sweeten my overnight oats and tea, and love that you can add some additional flavor and electrolytes by making this simple swap. I used the golden boost packet when making these oats which is well suited to breakfast because it has a bit of caffeine added.

This recipe makes one serving, which contains about 300 calories, with 27g of protein, less than 5g of fat, and around 33g of carbs based on calculations from the recipe creator feature in the MyFitnessPal app.

I like a thicker, more decadent jar of overnight oats, but you can easily increase the amount of milk or yogurt if you prefer a thinner texture. The sweetness can also be easily altered depending on what protein powder you use and how much honey or maple syrup you add.

You can also use frozen or dried fruit if you don’t have a fresh fruit option on hand. Whole nuts, seeds and nut butters are also great additions, but will make a big impact on the macronutrient content so just be aware of that.

Blackberry Protein Overnight Oats Recipe

Ingredients

• ¼ cup rolled oats
• ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
• ½ cup Fairlife fat free milk
• ½ scoop protein powder
• ¼ cup fresh blackberries
• 2tsp honey
• 2tsp chia seeds
• Pinch of salt

Method

1. In a bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk the Fairlife milk and protein powder together until completely smooth.
2. Add the protein milk into a medium-sized container or jar.
3. Add ¼ cup rolled oats and ¼ cup Greek yogurt to the container.
4. Stir in the chia seeds, honey, and salt.
5. Stir well (I personally like to give it a good shake too), let sit for 5–10 minutes, then stir again to prevent clumping.
6. Gently add in the blackberries or other toppings of choice to the top.
7. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
8. In the morning, stir and add a splash of milk if needed before serving.
9. Serve cold straight from the jar, or top with extra berries, yogurt, or a sprinkle of cinnamon if you want to dress it up a bit.

The old adage of fail to prepare and prepare to fail applies to a lot of things, but none more so than healthy eating. When the fridge and cupboards are bare, I’m always tempted to eat whatever is quickest and easiest, which is rarely a healthy choice.

Unless, that is, you’re a fan of batch cooking and have a few meals squirreled away in the freezer, for just such an occasion.

Certified trainer and women’s health coach Kate Rowe-Ham is an advocate for batch cooking, because she says it helps to avoid overeating and giving into cravings.

“I don’t always get time to do it, but recently, for example, I made a big chicken casserole with eight fillets, and that’d last for lunch for a few days and a few freezer meals for later in the week.”

Her veggie lentil bolognese recipe, below, which serves four people, is one of Rowe-Ham’s favorite meals to batch cook, especially because it’s so family-friendly. “It’s a great one to feed the kids because you can blend it and they don’t know they’re eating vegetables.”

The recipe has gut and heart-healthy lentils (contributing to the 10g of fiber in a portion), the carrots and tomatoes are anti-inflammatory and the celery can help with digestion, says Rowe-Ham.

The recipe comes from Rowe-Ham’s new book The Longevity Solution (out Feb. 12, Yellow Kite) which features healthy recipes and meal plan ideas, as well as advice on exercise and how to live longer.

Lentil bolognese recipe

Ingredients

• 1tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 carrots, grated
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 1tbsp tomato purée
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 150g dried red lentils
• 500ml vegetable stock
• Dried thyme and oregano, to taste

Method

1. Add a splash of olive oil into a frying pan and sauté the onion, garlic, carrot and celery until soft.
2. Stir in the tomato purée, tomatoes, lentils, stock and dried herbs.
3. Simmer for 25-30 minutes until the lentils are tender. Serve with wholewheat spaghetti or courgetti.

I tend to make pretty healthy meals and I’m happy to cook from scratch most of the time. However, I generally find myself reaching for sugary, highly processed foods when I snack.

Store-bought healthy, tasty snacks are few and far between, so I often found myself reaching for chocolate or chips, which didn’t really have any nutritional value. This would leave me feeling sluggish and low on energy.

That was until I started making homemade energy balls. Around six months ago, I was trying to use up a glut of nut butters and seeds that had amassed in my pantry and I came up with a recipe that is not only delicious, but full of fiber and protein.

They’re sweet, chocolatey and super filling with lots of nutritional value. In fact, one ball contains around 117 calories with 2g of fiber. Plus, they keep me full for hours.

They also take less than 20 minutes to make. I almost always have these energy balls in my fridge now, making a batch of about 15 once a fortnight.

How to make peanut-butter chocolate energy balls

Ingredients

• 1 cup dates
• 2tbsp chia seeds
• 3tbsp peanut butter
• 1 cup oats
• 70g dark chocolate

Method

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and mix until it forms a sticky texture that is wet enough to roll into balls. Add more peanut butter and/or dates if it’s too dry.
2. Divide the mixture and roll into small balls.
3. Put them on a plate and leave in the fridge for at least an hour.
4. Melt the chocolate and then dip the balls in the chocolate until they're fully coated.
5. Place the chocolate-covered balls on a plate with baking paper and put them back into the fridge.

As an optional, extra-protein boost, roll the balls in nuts before the chocolate dries. I like to roll mine in hazelnuts.

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As soon as the weather cools down, I find myself reaching for ingredients like apples and cranberries anytime I’m baking or mixing up a breakfast recipe. I love the tart pop of cranberries paired with the sweet, crisp bite of apples.

This time of year, I tend to bring the pancake mix and oatmeal out more frequently. So naturally, when I was brainstorming a cozy high-protein breakfast idea, these flavors came together in the most delicious, well-balanced pancakes that will keep you both full and satisfied.

I love that this recipe uses things that you likely already have on hand during the colder months and honestly, it couldn’t be easier to make. Add all ingredients to your blender, give it a quick whirl, pour into a warm pan, and in just a matter of minutes, you’ve got a breakfast that tastes like a treat and fuels your day.

These pancakes are soft, lightly sweet, and bursting with flavor. They feel comforting, but not heavy like many baked goods and breakfasts that are typical of this time of year.

The 22g of protein in each serving comes primarily from the cottage cheese and eggs, and the oats round things out by adding wholegrains that digest slowly and give you longer-lasting energy.

If you want even more protein, perhaps you’ve set yourself the target of eating 30g of protein at breakfast, you can blend in half a scoop of vanilla protein powder (I use Dymatize ISO100 hydrolyzed whey isolate), or top your pancakes with nut butter or Greek yogurt.

I love spooning vanilla yogurt over the warm pancakes and adding crushed pistachios for a little texture. It tastes like something you’d get at a cozy café but with far superior macros.

Apple cranberry cottage cheese pancake recipe

This recipe makes two servings and each serving is about 345 calories, has nearly 23g of protein, and just 8g of fat. I used the recipe creator option in the MyFitnessPal app to calculate the nutritional value of this recipe.

You could also add nuts to these pancakes or easily swap out the cranberries with another dried fruit.

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats
• ½ cup cottage cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 1tbsp maple syrup
• ½tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• ½tsp baking powder
• ¼ cup finely diced apple
• 2tbsp dried cranberries
• Butter or oil for the pan

Method

1. Add the oats, cottage cheese, eggs, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt and baking powder to a blender.
2. Blend until smooth and thick (the batter may be slightly runny).
3. Fold in the diced apple and dried cranberries (or sprinkle on top once poured into the pan).
4. Heat a lightly greased nonstick skillet over a medium-low heat.
5. Pour your batter into the pan to your desired size (I personally like one that fills my plate),
6. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, flipping once the edges look dry and bubbles form.
7. Serve warm on their own or add yogurt, maple syrup, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

When the holiday season rolls around, so do thoughts of the tasty treats that come with the season. I love baking and gingerbread is one of my absolute favorite holiday cookies. It’s not a good idea to eat gingerbread cookies for breakfast day after day, so I came up with a delicious, high-protein, baked oatmeal option to satisfy my gingerbread cookie cravings.

I love this recipe because you simply mix everything into a single bowl, dump it into a pan, bake and serve. One pan gives you a pre-prepared breakfast for nearly a week. It keeps well in the fridge for about five days and can be eaten either cold or reheated. If you do choose to reheat it, consider adding a splash of milk so it doesn’t dry out.

The nearly 20g of protein packed comes from vanilla protein powder (I use Dymatize ISO100 hydrolyzed whey isolate) combined with a high-protein milk like Fairlife or Darigold Fit. It’s not quite 30g of protein for breakfast—a popular nutritional target—but if you want to add even more protein, you can eat it like I do, served warm and topped with vanilla yogurt.

This breakfast is great for eating before or after a workout, thanks to the balance of carbs, fat and protein.

Gingerbread baked oatmeal recipe

This recipe makes six servings. Each serving is about 300 calories, has about 20g of protein, and around 10g of fat (including the almond butter swirl). I calculated the nutritional value of this recipe by entering all ingredients and creating a recipe in the MyFitnessPal app.

Nuts or dried fruits can also be added to the batter before baking or added on top when serving.

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
• 1tsp baking powder
• ½tsp ground ginger
• 1½tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼tsp ground cloves
• Pinch of salt
• 2 cups protein milk
• 1 egg
• 2tbsp molasses
• 2tbsp maple syrup
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 2tbsp almond (slightly melted for swirl)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Whisk together the milk, egg, vanilla, molasses and maple syrup.
3. Add oats, spices and protein powder.
4. Mix until well combined.
5. Pour into the baking dish.
6. Top with melted almond butter and use a butter knife to swirl it around
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until set and golden on top.
8. Let cool for 10-15 mins, add toppings if desired, and enjoy.

Dealing with the physical and mental changes of menopause can feel like an uphill battle, but small wins can make all the difference. I’ve found that eating well has helped me manage some of my perimenopausal symptoms, and I always feel better when I have time to cook from scratch.

I spoke to menopause nutritionist Karen Newby, author of The Natural Menopause Method Cookbook, to see what she recommends for women in this transitional period.

“Often my advice is actually to eat more—especially at breakfast and lunch. This helps to fuel our brain and body when we need the energy—in the daytime—not at the end of the day when it’s more likely to be laid down as fat.

“So many of us don’t eat breakfast, which can mean that we are hanging off our hormones or caffeine all morning—this is when irritability can get worse!

“More protein-rich foods with every meal and snack are also important, as is fiber. Something like 90% of us don’t get enough.”

In her new book, The Natural Menopause Method, Newby has created recipes that she says can help ease some of the most common issues her clients are dealing with.

“The eight symptoms I have created recipes for are aches and pains, brain fog, exhaustion, hot flushes, irritability, overwhelm/anxiety, sleep deprivation and menopausal weight gain,” says Newby.

Scroll down to try three of Newby’s recipes, as well as hear the top four food types she says every midlife woman should be eating more of.

Beef pho recipe

“This is a dish designed for our joints due to the collagenous broth and the analgesics (natural painkiller properties) from the aromatics (cloves, fennel and star anise),” says Newby. “The broth also contains the amino acid glycine, which is important for cartilage, ligaments and tendons.”

Prep time: 15min Cook time: 40min

Ingredients

• 4 star anise
• ¼tsp whole cloves
• 1½tsp coriander seeds
• ¼tsp black peppercorns
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 banana shallot, halved lengthways
• 35g (1¼oz) peeled fresh ginger, 25g (1oz) sliced lengthways and the remainder finely grated
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly crushed with the flat side of a knife
• 2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
• ½ fennel bulb, roughly chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1.5 litres (2¾ pints) home-made or good-quality shop-bought beef (or chicken) broth/stock, hot
• 2tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
• 3tbsp tamari
• 90ml (3floz) lime juice, approximately 3-4 limes
• 400-500g (14oz-1lb 2oz) beef steak (rump or fillet), cut into ½cm (¼in)-thick slices
• 400g (14oz) dried rice noodles
• 1tbsp olive oil
• 1 lime, quartered into wedges, to serve
• Hoisin or chilli sauce or sriracha

Garnishes (any or all of the following)

• 50g (1¾oz) beansprouts
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• 15g (½oz) fresh Thai (or regular basil leaves)
• 10g mint leaves

Method

1. Add the spices, shallot and sliced ginger to a large saucepan and dry-fry over a medium heat for two minutes, until lightly toasted and smelling fragrant.
2. Add the garlic, celery, fennel and carrot and continue to dry-fry for another two to three minutes.
3. Add the hot broth/stock and bring to a gentle simmer.
4. Add the fish sauce and 2 tablespoons of the tamari, cover and cook slowly for about 40 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, mix the remaining tablespoon of tamari with 2 tablespoons of the lime juice and the grated ginger. Pour this over the beef slices in a dish, stir to coat, then set aside to marinate until needed.
6. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions and then cool under cold running water to stop them from cooking further or sticking. Divide between four bowls.
7. Add the olive oil to a frying pan and, once hot, add the marinated steak slices. Fry over a medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, turning so that both sides are seared.
8. Place the steak slices on top of the noodles, to rest and wait for the broth to finish cooking.
9. Just before serving, add the remaining lime juice to the broth and then, pouring through a sieve (to catch the aromatics), ladle it into the bowls.
10. Serve with whatever garnishes you like, along with a wedge of lime and some hoisin or chilli sauce or sriracha to dip the beef into.

My verdict: This dish has a fair few ingredients so while it’s a modified version of a traditional pho—you only cook the broth for 40 minutes instead of hours—it may feel a little complicated for amateur cooks. I couldn’t find banana shallots in my local grocery store so I substituted with half a white onion. I like my pho a little spicy so I added some dried chilli flakes to the broth as well as some fresh mint at the end and a generous squeeze of sriracha sauce to give it a real kick.

Thai coconut chicken soup recipe

“Low in carbohydrates and high in protein to support a drip-feed of energy to minimize snacking, this delicious, healthy soup can be eaten on its own or with the addition of courgetti (strips of zucchini) or some cooked prawns,” says Newby. “The chicken is also a great source of B vitamins for energy, and coconut milk provides caprylic acid, known for its anti-microbial effect in the gut.”

Serves: 4 Prep time: 15min Cook time: 40min

Ingredients

• 1½tbsp coconut oil
• 25g (1oz) peeled fresh ginger, cut lengthways into ½cm (¼in)-thick slices
• 2 lemon grass stalks, lightly bruised and cut into 5cm (2in)-long pieces
• 10 makrut lime leaves, rolled up and thinly sliced
• 20g (¾oz) fresh coriander, stems chopped into 2cm (¾in) pieces, leaves roughly chopped
• 2 banana shallots, roughly chopped
• 800ml (28fl oz) chicken stock
• 400ml (14fl oz) can coconut milk
• 400g (14oz) skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2-3cm (¾-1¼in) pieces
• 100g (3½oz) white button mushrooms, sliced ½cm (¼in) thick (or halved)
• 100g (3½oz) beansprouts, French beans cut into thirds or mangetout (depending on the season)
• 2tbsp lime juice
• 2tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
• 1 red chilli, thinly sliced (optional)
• 1 lime, quartered into wedges, to serve

Method

1. Add the coconut oil to a large saucepan and place over a medium heat.
2. Once melted, add the ginger, lemongrass, lime leaves, coriander stems and shallots and cook for about three minutes, stirring from time to time.
3. Pour over the stock, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Next, strain the stock through a colander into a heatproof bowl (do not throw away the liquid!), pressing the aromatics to extract as much flavour as possible.
5. Return the liquid to the saucepan (the aromatics can now be discarded) and add the coconut milk, chicken pieces and mushrooms.
6. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
7. Add the beansprouts, French beans or mangetout, cook for a final 3-4 minutes and then stir through the lime juice and fish sauce.
8. Serve as is, or on top of cooked noodles, courgetti (strips of zucchini) or rice, with the red chilli (if using) and coriander leaves sprinkled on top, plus a wedge of lime alongside for everyone to squeeze over their own bowl.

My verdict: This is a fairly easy recipe to make and it tastes really good, too. I like to brown the meat a bit for extra flavour rather than poach it, so I fried the chicken thighs at the same time as the ginger. If you don’t like meat on the bone you could substitute the thighs for chicken breast. As with the pho, I used white onion in place of banana shallots.

Iron lady smoothie recipe

“Kale, beetroot, parsley and spinach are some of the best sources of iron and are also high in vitamin C to help its absorption,” says Newby. “They are also great sources of magnesium. Beetroot contains nitrates, which convert to nitric acid in the body, and this helps with circulation.”

Serves: 2 Prep time: 10min

Ingredients

• 2 raw beets, washed, trimmed and roughly chopped
• 6 carrots, roughly chopped
• 3 kale leaves
• 20g/¾oz fresh ginger (no need to peel)
• 25g/1oz fresh parsley
• 80g/3oz baby (or regular) spinach
• 140g/5oz cucumber, roughly chopped

Method

1. Put all the ingredients into your juicer or blender and juice.
2. Pour into two glasses and serve.

My verdict: This is a really fresh and hearty smoothie that feels as healthy as it tastes. Beware—the beets can stain so be careful when pouring it out into a glass, and try your best not to spill any on yourself or it will look like a massacre! I liked how easy it was to make, and it was still good with regular instead of baby spinach, and I couldn’t find parsley in the supermarket so I omitted that, too.

These recipes are taken from The Natural Menopause Method Cookbook by Karen Newby (Pavilion Books), out now.

The four food types midlife women should eat more of

Newby says if midlife women do nothing else, they should prioritize these four food types to help ease menopause symptoms.

1. “Make friends with tofu for the phytoestrogens, which have a mild estrogen-like effect on the body (the hormone that fluctuates during menopause),” says Newby. “And if you don’t like tofu, then try tempeh, miso, edamame beans, organic soya yogurt or ground flaxseed and pulses like chickpeas, peppers and cruciferous vegetables including broccoli, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower. Phytoestrogens can really help with hot flushes which occur far less in North Asian countries like Japan and China who eat a lot of soy and other plant sources of phytoestrogens.
2. “Eating more salmon is a great source of protein and for B6 to support progesterone synthesis and for omega 3 for its anti-inflammatory properties. Other omega 3 sources include sardines, mackerel, herring and vegan sources like linseed oil. Omega 3 can really help with morning stiffness as well as low mood.
3. “Nuts, especially walnuts for minerals, omega 3 fats and antioxidants like flavonoids to help with brain fog and cognitive health.
4. “Green leafy vegetables are good for iron, magnesium, vitamin C and calcium. And they are also a great source of fiber, which supports a healthy gut. Green leafy vegetables provide minerals to help us feel less exhausted.”

My favorite protein-rich breakfast consists of eggs, stir-fried tofu and mushrooms in a wrap with whatever spicy sauce I can drizzle over it. I often don’t even have time to sit down to eat in the morning while trying to get my young daughters ready for school, so anything I can do one-handed or on-the-go is a bonus!

That’s why these high-protein, high-fiber breakfast biscuits by Carine Claudepierre from The Conscious Plant Kitchen appeal. I decided to try them out to see if they were tasty and filling enough to replace my usual speedy breakfast.

I’m not vegan, so instead of dairy-free yogurt I used Greek, and swapped the nutritional yeast for cheddar cheese. The recipe is quick to make, because apart from cooking the lentils and chopping the vegetables you just mix it all together. Here’s what I discovered after making them.

They are a tasty and nutritious start to the day

I don’t have a sweet tooth so I need a savory start to the day that is as fast as it is easy. These breakfast biscuits are delicious and taste good hot or cold. Once you’ve made your batch you can freeze them too so you have a stash ready for those extra busy mornings.

They are so filling I didn’t need my mid-morning snack

When it gets to around 11am I’m usually hunting in the fridge for something to satisfy my rumbling tummy. With 15g of protein and 11g of fiber, these filling breakfast biscuits pack a nutritious punch with a healthy mix of lentils, yogurt, seeds, cheese and veggies. I had two for breakfast and found that I was so full I didn’t bother with my mid-morning snack.

They go great with soup

It’s soup season in my house now the weather is getting colder, and these biscuits make a more nutritious alternative to my usual side dish of a bread roll and butter.

If you are looking for a filling addition to your lunch, or a snack, they work really well.

I love a convenient weeknight meal, but have you ever eaten the same thing day after day and found yourself questioning if you could do better?

I reached this point last week, while mindlessly pouring a stir-through sauce over cooked pasta. It’s easy and it tastes fine—it’s just not exciting. I have to pour half a cup of Parmesan cheese over it to enjoy it.

So, I started experimenting. I know what makes a good bolognese sauce, and how to make a tasty ragu, so what if I used some of the basic elements of those to try and emulate my go-to shop-bought tomato and basil sauce.

The sauce is thick, tangy and garlicky. The plum tomatoes give it depth of flavor and the basil adds an aromatic dimension that I just love.

Here’s what I did. Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe yourself and if you would make any changes.

Tomato and basil sauce recipe

Ingredients

• 1tbsp olive oil
• 2tsp dried basil
• 1tsp dried oregano
• Four cloves of garlic, chopped
• One small red onion or two shallots, diced
• 2 cans of peeled plum tomatoes
• A handful of fresh basil leaves
• Salt and pepper to taste

Optional: To add an extra dimension to the flavor, deglaze your pan with a splash of red wine or a dash of balsamic vinegar before adding your tomatoes.

Method

1. Pour the olive oil into a wide sauté pan and place on a medium-high heat until it shimmers.
2. Add the chopped garlic and onion, and cook until they start to brown.
3. Add the dried basil and oregano and cook for a minute.
4. Add the tomatoes and mix. They are likely to spit when they hit the oil, so you might want to hold a dinner plate behind the cans as you pour to minimise mess.
5. Add the fresh basil leaves and season to taste, then turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. If I have a spare Parmesan rind hanging around my fridge, I like to add it at this point to add flavor, then fish it out before serving.
7. While the sauce is simmering, cook your pasta according to the packet instructions.
8. Once the sauce is cooked (the onions and tomatoes should be soft), remove from the heat and let cool.
9. Transfer into a blender, or use an immersion blender, and blitz until smooth. This step isn’t entirely necessary, but if you have someone in your family who doesn’t like texture in pasta sauces, it can make all the difference for them.
10. Serve with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese or jar it up and store it in the fridge for later.

Shop blenders

If your kitchen needs a food blender, consider one of these models recommended by our colleagues at Tom’s Guide.

Few things annoy me more than a dry burger patty, and turkey burgers are terrible for it. I used to make plain turkey patties with no seasoning (I hear you gasping—I’m sorry) to top salads and they were drier than a sandpit.

One day, I decided that enough was enough and had a look in my fridge to see if I could improve matters.

I love koftas, but I won’t claim that this is what we’re making today. The spice palate is inspired by koftas, with paprika, mint, cumin, garlic and cayenne, but I went rogue with the ingredients I had access to, so they aren’t faithful to a traditional kofta recipe.

The main thing that makes these lovely and moist is the addition of grated cucumber.

I made them once with just the onion, and they were nice enough fresh, but got dry in the fridge, so they didn’t pass the meal prep test.

The moisture from the cucumbers means that they stay moist in the fridge and don’t get dry even when you reheat them (you can also eat them cold if you prefer).

High-protein turkey burger recipe

Ingredients

• 1lb turkey mince
• 1 egg
• ½ cucumber, grated
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs (ready-made panko breadcrumbs or put croutons in a blender)
• ½ onion, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1tsp mint
• 1tsp paprika
• 1tsp cayenne pepper
• 1tsp cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste

Optional, to serve:

• Greek yogurt
• 1 pita pocket, toasted
• Handful of arugula

Method

1. Preheat your grill to medium, or your oven to 400℉ if you don’t have a grill.
2. Add all ingredients in a large bowl and, with clean hands (or wearing disposable food-grade plastic gloves), knead together using your hands.
3. When the ingredients are fully combined, the mixture should be easy to form into a ball. If they are too wet, add more breadcrumbs. If too dry, add some more grated cucumber.
4. Roll your mixture into eight balls and place them on a baking tray. Press down on the balls so they become round patties.
5. Put your patties under the grill for 10-15 minutes (or until cooked through), flipping halfway through. If you are using an oven rather than a grill, place them on the middle shelf for 15 minutes and don’t worry about flipping.
6. I serve these with arugula, a toasted pita pocket and some Greek yogurt, but they also go nicely with hummus, avocado or even a light drizzle of honey.

At Fit&Well, we love recipes that use slow cookers.

It’s a fantastic piece of kitchen equipment that can save you money on your energy bill, tending to be cheaper to run than heating an entire oven or running a burner on the stove for several hours. It also allows you to prep a meal in the morning, then forget about it until dinner time, when you have a hot meal ready to serve.

So when I came across this budget slow cooker recipe that packs in almost 30g of protein per serving I thought it would be perfect for Fit&Well readers.

The recipe is by Lori Fish Bard, a licensed clinical nutritionist for Sarana Health, who agreed to let us reproduce it.

“These sloppy Joes are delicious and provide a serious punch of protein and flavor,” says Fish Bard, who loves using legumes, and lentils in particular, as an inexpensive way to add plant protein to your meals. She’s not the only one—our recent coverage of a dietitian’s budget-friendly high-protein swaps featured lentils too.

This recipe contains a cup of lentils per serving, as well as other vegetables containing protein, such as mushrooms.

Give the recipe a try and let us know what you think in the comments.

Lentil sloppy Joes recipe

Ingredients

• 4 cups lentils, cooked, drained and rinsed
• ½ sweet onion, finely diced
• 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup matchstick carrots
• 1tsp garlic powder
• 3tbsp yellow mustard
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 2 cups crushed tomatoes
• 1tsp sea salt
• ½tsp black pepper

All of the vegetables can be found precut in the frozen section of the grocery store or canned, if you don’t have the time or energy to chop them yourself. You can also find precooked lentils in tins or pouches, ready to add to the slow cooker with no prep beyond measuring.

Method

1. Combine the lentils, onion, green pepper, mushrooms, carrots, garlic powder, yellow mustard, maple syrup, crushed tomatoes, sea salt and black pepper in the slow cooker.
2. Use a spatula to mix well.
3. Cover and cook on high for six hours. If you start with canned or precooked lentils, you can reduce the cooking time to four hours.
4. Serve in a bun, topped with Greek yogurt and sliced onions for some extra protein and fiber.

I used to follow the low-FODMAP diet in an attempt to curb my IBS symptoms, but since I began working from home all the time, they’ve mostly resolved themselves. This has led to my rediscovery of the two kings of the kitchen (which are certainly not low-FODMAP)—onions and garlic.

My roast onion sauce has become a constant in my house, and I’ve started experimenting with more high-FODMAP foods.

This week, I tackled another recipe that I’ve been fiddling with for many years—vegetarian carbonara.

I’ve tried swapping the cured pork for sundried tomatoes, onions and sietan bacon, and while some of my attempts were close, none of them were as good as the traditional recipe.

But one ingredient changed all that.

I was missing the smokiness, which usually comes from the pork. After investing in a whole rope of smoked garlic, inspiration struck and I added three cloves to the base of caramelized onions I often use when I want to go meat-free.

Now, when I have a mouthful of this carbonara, I’m thinking “yum” instead of “huh, it would be better with pork.”

Carbonara is often a controversial recipe (pancetta or guanciale? Cream or no cream?), and I make mine as I was taught by an Italian friend (who would probably be horrified to hear I prefer tagliatelle to spaghetti). The only change I’ve made to the traditional method I was shown is the meat swap.

Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe, how you would improve it, or if you have any other cooking tips you’d like to share.

Vegetarian carbonara recipe

Ingredients

• 1tbsp olive oil
• 1 large red onion, diced
• 2 shallots, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 cloves smoked garlic, finely chopped
• 3 large eggs (or 4 small eggs)
• 2 cups grated vegetarian Parmesan or Grana Padano cheese (check the ingredients to ensure it does not contain animal rennet)
• 8oz spaghetti (or tagliatelle)
• Pepper to taste

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a broad-based pan on a medium heat until the oil is shimmering.
2. Add the chopped onion and garlic, and spread evenly, stirring regularly until browned. They will take between 30 minutes to an hour to properly caramelize. After 20 minutes, you might need to add a dash more oil to prevent burning.
3. Crack three room-temperature eggs into a jug or bowl and beat until smooth.
4. Add pepper to taste and the grated cheese, and mix with a fork to combine.
5. When the onions are close to fully cooked, heat a deep saucepan of water on a high heat until it is at a constant rolling boil.
6. Add a pinch of salt and then add the pasta, carefully folding long noodles into the pan once the bottoms have softened enough to do so (this is why I prefer tagliatelle, because it comes in nests).
7. Stir regularly to stop the pasta sticking and cook according to the packet instructions.
8. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the pasta water.
9. Take the onions off the heat and use a ladle full of the cooked pasta water to deglaze the pan. Add your pasta, stir, then start gradually adding the egg sauce, mixing thoroughly between additions. It should combine with the pasta water to create a thick emulsion. If your pan is too hot or you add the sauce too fast, the eggs will curdle, so be sure to take your time and mix each ladle in fully before adding the next.

Necessity is often a catalyst for creativity, and one evening, while contemplating a glut of onions I had grown and had no idea what to do with, inspiration struck me.

Now, I have the opposite problem: I’ve run out of onions.

I make this sauce once a week and keep it in a bowl in the refrigerator to use as needed. It goes into everything I cook: it makes a great pasta sauce and is a delicious dip for your tortilla chips.

Onions and garlic are also gut health superfoods (at least for those who don’t follow a low-FODMAP diet): high in prebiotic fiber (the food for your gut microbiome) and rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

It’s easy to customize too, so if you want to make a spicy version or throw in a Cajun or Mexican spice mix, go right ahead—the result is always tasty.

It doesn’t matter if you chop like a toddler, either. It’s all going into a blender in the end and while you want uniform-ish pieces for even cooking, they don’t need to be pretty.

Roast onion sauce recipe

Ingredients

• 1 white onion
• 1 red onion
• 2 large or 4 small shallots
• 6 sundried tomatoes in olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic (smoked if you can get it)
• 1tbsp tomato paste
• 1tbsp garlic puree
• 250g passata
• Seasoning (I use oregano, basil, salt and pepper but you can try it with smoked paprika or chilli for a spicy kick)

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 300℉/150℃.
2. Roughly chop your onions and shallots, and peel the garlic.
3. Place in an ovenproof dish with the sundried tomatoes and drizzle some of the olive oil from the jar over the top.
4. Add the tomato paste and garlic puree and mix thoroughly until everything is well coated. Season well and place in the oven.
5. Cook for 30 minutes at 300℉, then shake the tray and flip over anything that is beginning to catch. A few blackened bits won’t ruin the flavor, but the aim is to achieve a rich, dark brown color to the onions.
6. Reduce the temperature to 200℉ and put the tray back in the oven for 30-45 minutes until the onions are fully caramelized. Give them a shake every 10 minutes to make sure they cook evenly.
7. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
8. Once cool, place your cooked ingredients in a blender or food processor with the passata and blitz until smooth.

How to use it

My favorite ways to use this sauce include:

1. As a pasta sauce

It should have a similar texture to pesto and can be used in much the same way. It also tastes great cold, and I like to add it to my chicken pasta salad with arugula, grated cheese, chicken breast and peas for a make-ahead lunch.

2. As a dip

It really is that good. I spread it on crackers and dip chips into it, but be warned: it will make your fridge smell oniony.

3. With grilled cheese

I love a grilled cheese, and if you smear a layer of sauce on your bread before you add the cheese, you’ll have taken it to another level—like an oniony Welsh rarebit.

4. In curry

If you want to add some extra oniony kick, add a spoonful of the sauce after toasting your spices and before your liquid ingredients. It’s a lovely accompaniment to beef in particular.

5. On barbecue chicken

I’ve swapped out the barbecue sauce for this onion sauce and it works well: just coat your drumsticks, thighs and wings in a thin layer and throw them on the barbecue.

One-pot meals can be a godsend when you’ve had a long day and don’t feel like doing stacks of dishes after dinner. Plus cooking everything together blends the flavors and reduces the amount of nutrient loss through methods like boiling and then straining the water.

Pasta is great for one-pot meals, because it releases starches into the liquid, thickening it and bringing the sauce together. Just make sure you add enough liquid at the start!

“This one-pot pasta is an easy way to meet your protein goals without breaking the bank,” says dietitian Mackenzie Burgess. “This recipe swaps traditional pasta for chickpea pasta, doubling the protein and adding more fiber too. It’s simmered in bone broth instead of water—so there’s no draining needed!—which adds extra flavor and packs in more protein and collagen.”

Give this recipe a try for a hearty, low-calorie meal, packed with nutritious vegetables.

One Pot Tomato Basil Pasta

Ingredients

• 1tbsp olive oil
• ½ large onion or 1 small onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 8oz Banza chickpea pasta
• 15oz can diced tomatoes
• 12oz jar roasted red peppers, roughly chopped (with jar liquid)
• 2 cups Butcher’s bone broth (flavor of choice)
• 1tsp dried oregano
• 3 cups spinach
• ½ cup basil, sliced
• ½ cup Parmesan, shredded

Method

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for two minutes.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked through and the amount of liquid has significantly reduced. Be sure to stir every so often to avoid burning on the bottom.
3. Top with fresh basil and Parmesan.

Recipe courtesy of Mackenzie Burgess, reproduced with permission.

I’m always on the lookout for healthy snacks to give me energy before a workout, and I have been known to grab an overpriced cereal bar when I’m out, but they always taste so synthetic and sugary to me.

I’d much rather make my own at home, but of course that depends on whether I’ve got the time or the inclination.

That’s why I’m glad I’ve come across this easy pistachio and puffed rice cereal bar recipe on the RWL health and fitness app. Not only is it really tasty, it involves minimal cooking (you just need to melt chocolate) and takes less than five minutes to make!

It’s an ideal pre-workout snack because it’s relatively low in calories, with plenty of carbohydrates along with smaller amounts of protein and fat to regulate the digestion of the carbs.

As a bonus, the pumpkin seeds are bursting with micronutrients, including vitamin E, magnesium and zinc.

Ingredients

• 25g puffed rice cereal
• 12 large medjool dates, pitted
• 80g peanut butter (or other nut butter of your choice)
• 70g pistachios, chopped
• 60g pumpkin seeds
• ½tsp sea salt (optional)
• 150g dark chocolate, chunks or broken into small pieces
• Handful of pistachios and pumpkin seeds

Method

1. Add the dates and peanut butter to a food processor and blend until smooth. Add two tablespoons of water if needed.
2. Add this mixture to a bowl with the seeds, nuts and puffed cereal and mix well.
3. Place in a lined loaf tin, press down firmly and leave in the fridge while you melt the chocolate.
4. Melt the chocolate and drizzle on top of the bars then sprinkle over the handful of pistachios and pumpkin seeds.
5. Place back in the fridge to set for 1-2 hours.
6. Slice into 10 individual portions and store in the fridge.

Recipe reproduced with permission.

I’m the get-up-and-go type and if you’re anything like me you’ll know how easy it is not to leave yourself enough time for breakfast. Whether you’re heading out for a workout, just finishing one, or need something quick for your family, this handy pancake in a bowl recipe is a lifesaver.

I used to travel a lot to compete in athletic events, and while I knew my performance would be affected if I didn’t fuel with a balance of carbs, fats, and protein on race morning, that was tricky to achieve when I stayed in a hotel or didn’t have time to go grocery shopping.

So I started packing protein pancake mix (such as from Kodiak or Trader Joe’s) in a zip lock bag, along with untapped maple gels (which doubled as running fuel) and individual packs of almond butter.

I also discovered that you don’t even need a bowl if you find yourself in a pinch (although I now travel with a collapsible camping bowl and it works great for this recipe).

I’ve used coffee mugs, food storage containers and to-go coffee cups. Using a disposable serving vessel is great because you truly can eat it on the go—in a car or even while you walk to your destination.

Microwave protein pancake recipe

This recipe makes a single serving. When made with water, and excluding the optional mix-ins and toppings, it’s about 220 calories and has about 15g of protein and less than 3g of fat. That comfortably clears the bar for being high in protein, although it’s still a long way off these breakfasts with 30g of protein.

If you swap the water with milk you can add additional protein. I’ve discovered you don’t have to carefully measure the ingredients either. I just slowly add and mix the liquid until I get the desired consistency.

The topping and mix-in options are never-ending. I like to top it with almond butter and real maple syrup, but you could also try whipped cream and berries for something light and fresh, or peanut butter and chocolate chips for more of a dessert feel.

You can also mix frozen berries, PBfit, or chocolate chips directly into the batter prior to cooking.

Ingredients

• ½ cup protein pancake mix
• 3oz (approximately ⅓ cup) of water, or milk of choice
• Optional toppings: Nut butter, maple syrup, honey, fresh berries, shredded coconut
• Optional mix-ins: Frozen berries, PBfit peanut butter powder, chocolate chips, cinnamon

Method

1. Add the dry pancake mix and your liquid of choice to a microwave-safe bowl or other suitable vessel.
2. Stir until the batter is smooth
3. Add mix-ins if desired.
4. Microwave for 1 minute initially, continue microwaving in 30-second increments until no more wet spots are visible.
5. Remove from the microwave and let cool for 1 minute.
6. Add desired toppings and enjoy!

Sometimes life deals you a truly awful ingredient and you have to get creative to make it palatable. This happened to me a few weeks ago when the frozen chicken strips I usually buy were out of stock and I had to order them from somewhere else.

You may be thinking “chicken is chicken,” but let me assure you this wasn’t the case.

The new product, while identical in every way to the one I was used to, contained tough, flavorless and lower-quality chicken.

Usually, I just season my chicken breast strips with salt and pepper and let the acidity of the salad dressing and peppery salad greens do the heavy lifting flavor-wise, but this wasn’t going to do the trick with these sad chicken strips.

Faced with the prospect of eating the three kilos I had bought, I had to come up with a solution.

In an attempt to get a satay-style flavor, I threw half a tablespoon of smooth peanut butter in with the meat before putting it in the oven.

It was surprisingly good. The salty, umami, mouth-coating qualities of the nut butter made up for the shortcomings of the chicken and my lunch was saved.

I still cook my chicken with peanut butter, even when getting the good quality stuff now, because it’s such a flavor booster. I’m never going back!

Here’s how to make my peanut butter chicken salad.

Peanut butter chicken salad recipe

Ingredients

• 1½ cups salad greens—I like arugula or watercress
• ¼ cup baby corn, sliced
• ¼ cup radishes, sliced
• 1½ cups frozen ready-cooked chicken breast strips
• ½ cup sugar snap peas or mange-tout
• ½tbsp smooth peanut butter

For the dressing

• 1tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1tsp olive oil
• ½tsp dijon mustard
• ½tbsp lemon juice
• A pinch of salt and pepper

I used Yazio to calculate the nutritional breakdown.

Method

1. Cook your frozen chicken in the oven according to the packet instructions, but before you place the chicken in the oven, spread the peanut butter on top.
2. While your chicken cooks, roughly chop the radishes, baby corn and sugar snap peas/mange-tout. Place these on a bed of greens in the bowl you intend to eat from.
3. To make the dressing, put all the ingredients in an empty jam jar and shake vigorously until combined. I like to drizzle this over the salad base before I add the chicken on top.
4. Once your peanut butter chicken is ready, add this on top of your salad and dig in.

Like this? Then try this doctor’s high-protein peanut-butter chicken recipe for an easy dinner.

Veggie burgers can be a little hit and miss, but one simple way to guarantee your patty is delicious every time is to make them from scratch.

This might sound like a lot of work, but it shouldn’t take long with the help of a food processor and this recipe from Roxana Ehsani, dietitian and GoVerden ambassador. It’s great for your gut health, too.

“It combines avocados, sweet potatoes, black beans and oats, all of which feed the good bacteria in your gut, help them thrive and support healthy digestion,” says Ehsani. “More fiber [in your diet] means a happier and healthier gut.

“Plus, these ingredients add vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that support overall health.

“Avocados add monounsaturated fats, which can help promote healthy digestion.”

Sweet potato and black bean veggie burger recipe

Ingredients

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, steamed
• 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup quick or rolled oats
• 1 jalapeño, minced and deseeded (optional)
• 1tsp ground cumin
• ¼tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ¼tsp salt
• 5 wholewheat buns, lightly toasted
• 8oz GoVerden mild guacamole

Method

1. Add the sweet potatoes, black beans, oats, jalapeño, cumin and black pepper to a food processor. Blitz until the mixture comes together (this usually takes about a minute).
2. Form into five patties with your hands. Approximately half a cup of the mixture should make one patty.
3. Heat a large skillet over a medium heat. Lightly coat the skillet with cooking spray and gently place the burgers on it. Cook for seven or eight minutes on one side, or until lightly toasted and browned.
4. Flip and cook for another three or four minutes on the other side.
5. To assemble the burgers, place each burger inside a bun and top with two or three tablespoons of guacamole, plus any additional toppings.

For busy professionals, a meal that can be made ahead of time and eaten on the go can be a lifesaver. For office lunches, in particular, the convenience of the gas station sandwich or hot dog stand outside can be tempting, and while there’s nothing wrong with those choices, you could be getting a lot more out of your lunches with a fiber-rich dish instead.

This recipe was developed for Fit&Well by Roxana Ehsani, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN and is great for your gut health, filling and super easy to pull together. It’s inspired by the dense bean salad recipes that started trending on TikTok six months ago, but has a couple tweaks to make it even better for gut health.

“The star of this recipe is sorghum, an ancient grain that deserves more attention, especially for its gut health benefits,” says Ehsani. “A ½ cup serving of sorghum grain packs 6.5 grams of fiber. Plus, it contains prebiotics and polyphenols, which research suggests can nourish beneficial gut bacteria and promote a balanced microbiome. Plus, sorghum maintains its textural integrity and the flavors intensify as it sits, making it taste even better on days two, three and four.”

The beans used in this salad are white beans, another powerhouse for fiber, which, alongside the fresh vegetables, fuels healthy digestion and feeds the gut microbiome.

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked sorghum grain
• 2 Persian cucumbers, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 large celery stalks, chopped
• 1 15oz can of white beans, rinsed and drained
• ½ cup fresh mozzarella pearls
• ¼ cup pesto sauce

Method

1. Add all ingredients to a large bowl.
2. Stir until well combined.
3. Divide between six containers for easy grab-and-go meals.

Did you know that you can make an easy change to your diet that can improve your gut health? You simply have to eat a wider variety of fruits and vegetables.

“Research suggests a diet rich in plants can support growth of healthy gut bacteria,” says dietitian Roxana Ehsani. “Fiber-rich foods help promote a healthy, balanced diverse gut microbiome, support regular bowel movements and can reduce bloating.”

Your gut microbiome is a collection of microorganisms that live in your digestive system and help with digestion and the release of nutrients from food.

A diverse gut microbiome also results in a stronger immune system, according to a 2023 study.

To help add some veg-forward meals to your repertoire, Ehsani developed this veggie-packed recipe for Fit&Well. She also represents 4th & Heart Ghee, which features as an ingredient.

“This dish is loaded with seven different veggies, providing a dose of vitamins, minerals and plenty of fiber,” says Ehsani. “It also includes brown rice in place of white for additional fiber and whole grains, and edamame for fiber and plant-based protein.”

Ehsani also swapped the usual oils used to make traditional fried rice, for ghee. “Ghee not only adds a rich, buttery flavor but also contributes beneficial fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, and is naturally lactose-free,” says Ehsani.

Aside from being fantastic for your gut health, this recipe is also a great way to use up leftover rice (just make to sure to follow the USDA’s food safety basics).

Day-old rice makes the best fried rice because it’s drier than fresh rice and better absorbs the flavors of other ingredients.

You can use frozen chopped vegetables to save time and garlic or ginger paste if you prefer. This is also a one-pan meal, so there’s less washing up!

Vegetable fried rice recipe

Ingredients

• 4tbsp 4th & Heart unsalted ghee
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1tbsp grated or finely minced fresh ginger
• 1 large carrot, finely chopped
• 1½ cups broccoli, finely chopped
• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• ¾ cup shelled fresh or frozen edamame
• 2½tbsp light soy sauce
• 1tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 eggs
• 2 green onions, sliced

Method

1. In a large skillet or wok, heat two tablespoons of ghee and sauté the onion over medium heat until softened, about five to seven minutes.
2. Stir in the garlic and ginger, and cook for one minute.
3. Add the carrots, broccoli and mushrooms, and sauté for five to seven minutes.
4. Add the remaining ghee, rice, edamame, soy sauce and oyster sauce. Cook on high for two minutes.
5. Make a well in the middle of the rice, crack the eggs and cook for one minute. Stir the eggs evenly into the rice mixture and cook on high for another three to four minutes.
6. Remove from heat and garnish with green onions.

Chugging a protein shake is convenient for getting some post-workout nutrients, but not everyone likes their taste.

So, I’ve been looking for quick and easy meals that can be assembled in 10 minutes or less after a gym session or made ahead and reheated.

This fiesta chicken recipe from Megan Miller, a registered dietitian for LifeMD, stood out to me because of the great blend of flavors and textures—the whopping 40g of protein didn’t hurt either.

It’s important to eat protein after a strength workout, but you also need to replenish your muscles’ glycogen stores by eating some carbohydrates, as we discovered last year from a sports dietitian.

While this meal has a high protein content, the rice and vegetables make it a great source of carbohydrates, too.

For this recipe, Miller recommends using frozen vegetables to cut down on chopping time.

“Frozen vegetables actually contain higher vitamin content than most fresh vegetables found in large grocery chains since they are flash-frozen soon after being picked, quickly locking in their nutrients,” says Miller.

“Keeping a mix of frozen vegetable options in your freezer is a great way to ensure you can get vegetables in every day.”

If you’re looking for a post-workout meal that will keep you going, try this recipe.

Fiesta chicken and rice recipe

Ingredients

• ½ cup cooked brown rice (Miller recommends using microwaveable steamed rice which cooks in 90 seconds)
• 1 cup frozen fajita blend vegetables
• 1 small chicken breast (3-4oz), cooked and chopped
• ½ cup reduced-fat Mexican-style cheese, shredded
• 2tbsp salsa/pico de gallo
• 1-2tbsp fat-free plain Greek yogurt
• Tajin Classico reduced sodium seasoning (optional)

Method

1. Microwave or sauté the frozen vegetables until heated through.
2. Heat the brown rice until heated through.
3. Top the rice with the vegetables, chicken and cheese and heat in the microwave (times may vary) or oven (350℉ degrees for five to sevent minutes) until the cheese is melted.
4. Top with the salsa, yogurt and Tajin seasoning, if using.

Breakfast is often a rushed affair, eaten on the go over a dashboard or desk, but if you're able to regularly make time for a morning meal that isn't high in sugar or sweeteners, or ultra-processed, you could make a noticeable difference to how you feel.

One option that should be on everyone's list of breakfast go-tos is oatmeal and this recipe from registered dietitian Emily Villaseca, founder of Pass the Chia, who coaches women to take control of their health through their diet, is a stand-out option.

“The oats, seeds and fruit in this recipe provide plenty of fiber to feed the healthy bacteria in the gut,” says Villaseca.

“A robust community of gut bacteria keeps the lining of your gastrointestinal tract strong, which in turn supports good digestion as well as immune and heart health.

“We know that nutrient-dense and high-fiber foods lead to a more diverse gut microbiome, which can positively impact nearly all areas of our health.

“We also know that diets high in sugar, artificial sugars, fats, red meats, and processed foods can negatively impact our gut health.”

The recipe is also high in protein and contains plenty of healthy fats, both of which will keep you feeling full and satisfied for longer.

This recipe can be made ahead of time and used as overnight oats which can be stored in the fridge (I do this and heat it in the morning, though it could be eaten cold) or mixed in the morning.

Oatmeal recipe

Ingredients

• ½ cup rolled oats
• 2tbsp chia seeds
• 2tbsp peanut butter
• 1/3 cup soy milk
• 1 scoop protein powder (28g, Be Well by Kelly)

Optional extras (not accounted for in nutritional information above)

• 1-2tbsp chocolate chips
• ½ cup berries or fruit
• 1tsp cinnamon

Method

1. Combine ingredients in a saucepan.
2. Leave to stand for 10-15 minutes for the oats and chia seeds to soak up some of the soy milk.
3. Heat gently, stirring occasionally until bubbling.

I enjoy cooking most of the time, but life gets busy and I don’t always have the time to whip up something that requires shopping for ingredients I don't have to hand and an hour of cooking time.

This protein turkey pasta with a twist has become my go-to weeknight meal when I'm in a hurry. It’s great for feeding a whole family, or meal prepping for the rest of the week.

This pasta dish has a great balance of healthy carbs, fats and protein. The ground turkey breast supplies the bulk of protein to the dish, but the protein noodles and cottage cheese takes the protein content to another level.

The addition of the cottage cheese may come off strange, but it gives the sauce a lasagne-esque vibe and adds creaminess without piling on the calories. It also adds a bit of calcium to the meal, making it even more nutritious.

I've listed all the veggies I like to include in the recipe below, but you can add or subtract to suit your tastes.

Protein Turkey Spaghetti Recipe

This recipe makes six good-sized servings. Each serving is about 445 calories and has nearly 43g of protein and under 5g of fat.

Ingredients

• 1lb ground turkey breast
• 24oz jar of low sugar pasta sauce
• 14.5 oz box of Barilla Protein+ pasta
• 24oz container of low-fat cottage cheese
• 8oz white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 6 cups spinach
• 2 cups broccoli, steamed and diced

Method

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, then add a pinch of salt.
2. While you wait for the water to poil, brown the ground turkey in a skillet.
3. When your water is boiling, carefully add the pasta and cook according to the instructions on the box.
4. Once the turkey is browned and your pasta is cooking, add any additional ingredients to the skillet and sauté on medium heat for 5-7 minutes.
5. Add the jar of sauce to the skillet and cook on low until the pasta has finished cooking.
6. Once the pasta is finished cooking, drain and return to the pot.
7. Add the meat sauce and cottage cheese to the pot with the pasta and stir until the cottage cheese begins to melt into the sauce.
8. Plate into six portions and enjoy hot, or store for up to four days in the fridge for an easy grab and reheat meal.

Breakfast is my least favorite meal. I often have no appetite in the morning and struggle to eat more than a few mouthfuls. My brain runs with a skeleton crew until I’ve had my coffee and even when I go to bed with the best intentions to eat a healthy breakfast, when the morning rolls around my bleary mind is barely able to wrap itself around the idea of making a slice of toast and jam, let alone actually making it.

I used to make myself a bowl of oatmeal packed with berries and seeds, eaten while going over my emails, but since getting a dog who demands to go out right away, my breakfasts have become more rushed and I've had to prioritize speed over nutrition.

It's meant I get a more pronounced energy crash around mid-morning and am hungrier for lunch earlier.

I needed a more nutritionally complete breakfast that worked with my faster pace of morning and didn’t require much brainpower to make. So, I decided to try making my oatmeal the night before and having it as overnight oats.

I entered all my ingredients into Yazio app to get a breakdown and the breakdown of my earlier breakfast.

Compared to two thick slices of white toast with butter and jam, the calorie count is roughly the same (379 calories for the toast) but the fat content is lower (19.1g) and the protein content has risen by more than half (5.2g).

Overnight oats recipe

Ingredients

• ½ cup oats
• 1tsp flaxseed
• 1tsp chia seeds
• ½ cup frozen blueberries
• 1tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1tsp Manuka honey

Method

1. Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
2. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to eat.

Why I like this recipe

It’s quick

Obviously, the solution to my problem needed to take seconds to prep.

I try to leave my kitchen ready for the next morning—coffee pot full and ready to go, counters clear, dishes done—so it makes sense that I was just reaching for a slice of bread to put in the toaster rather than trying to remember everything to put into my oatmeal.

The overnight oats require the same number of actions as making toast, even if I heat them up, which makes me far more likely to reach for them.

It’s got some protein

Chia and flaxseeds are powerhouses of protein with 17g and 18g of protein per 100g, respectively. Of course, they’re quite high in calories too (486 per 100g for the chia, 534 for the flax) so I didn’t want to put loads in my oats, but enough to boost the protein content to a respectable amount.

I tend to rely on meals later in the day to hit my protein goals, but any improvement on my previous breakfast of toast and jam was a win.

It’s high in fiber

No more mid-morning crash. Fiber is a great weight loss tool because it keeps you fuller for longer, according to a study in the Journal of Nutrition.

We’re supposed to eat 25-30g of fiber a day, so should be aiming for 5-10g per meal, with a little extra from snacks. My overnight oats have a tidy 6.1g of fiber per serving.

In contrast, the fiber content of my two slices of toast was a dismal 1.8g—no wonder I was getting hungry so quickly.

You can eat it hot or cold

In summer, hot breakfasts aren’t my idea of a good time, but they feel like the height of luxury in winter. It’s another reason why I had relied on toast.

It takes a couple of minutes longer, but you can dump out your overnight oats into a saucepan on a medium heat, stirring it regularly to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. When it starts gently bubbling, it’s ready.

It's got a better type of fat

Don’t get me wrong, I love butter, especially when it’s locally made, got big salt crystals in it and is of a color where it could be mistaken for cheese.

However, saturated fats aren’t great for our health, particularly when from animal sources, and eating too much can be a one-way ticket to heart disease, according to the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

Chia and flax seeds are pretty high in fat (31g and 42g per 100g, respectively) but these are mostly unsaturated fats, which are actually pretty good for us, helping our bodies absorb fat-soluble vitamins like D and K. This type of fat can also lead to positive outcomes for heart health according to a study in Nutrients journal.

It's Shrove Tuesday, which for us Brits means Pancake Day. IHOP celebrates its breakaway National Pancake Day on the same day (as opposed to the "event" in September) when it offers a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes when you dine in, but Pancake Day has never taken hold Stateside—it's hard to compete with Mardi Gras after all.

But I would hate to see you denied the pleasures of a thinner, savory pancake.

It took me many years of flipping before I realized basic pancakes contain no sugar and therefore work just as well as the base for a savory. The possibilities are endless. Below is my favorite foolproof pancake recipe, with a couple of tips and tricks to get your pancakes perfectly cooked (even the first one) and some ideas for healthy, satisfying toppings to try.

Basic pancake recipe

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1¼ cup milk
• ¾ cup plain flour
• 1tbsp butter

Method

1. Combine the eggs, milk and butter in a large jug and use an immersion blender until the batter is silky smooth and lump-free. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, sieve your flour into a mixing bowl, add beaten eggs and milk, and combine using a hand whisk or fork.
2. Place a skillet or stainless-steel frying pan on a medium heat and add the butter.
3. Once the butter is melted and bubbling slightly, pour this into the batter and mix well. There should be a thin layer of butter remaining in the pan to cook with. If the butter is spitting, the pan is too hot.
4. Pour approximately one-sixth or one-eighth of the batter into the pan (use a ladle if using a mixing bowl). Roll the pan so the mixture spreads evenly aver the base.
5. When the batter begins to solidify and the edges brown and curl up, run a fish slice or spatula under the pancake to ensure it isn’t sticking.
6. Flip the pancake once bubbles have appeared across the uncooked surface. You should have some nice browning on the cooked side, but if not, give that side a minute more at the end.
7. Leave in the pan until the other side is browned, remove from the pan, then make the next pancake.

Toppings

Now the fun starts. Here are some healthy topping ideas that I like to use on my pancakes to make them more of a meal and less of a dessert. Don’t get me wrong, I’m partial to a syrupy pancake too, but they can get a bit boring after the first one.

1. Fresh tomatoes, arugula and balsamic vinegar

Positively Mediterranean, this summer salad-inspired topping can be wrapped up inside the pancake like a tortilla. The acidity of the tomatoes and vinegar is tempered by the pancake, then the pepperiness of the arugula brings it all together.

2. Lemon juice, dill and tuna

If you must have lemon juice on your pancakes, try this high-protein option. Get some tinned tuna (preferably in spring water) and mix it up with chopped dill and lemon juice for a combination of bright flavors.

3. Smoked salmon, soft cheese and chives

Take this bagel-inspired topping to the next level by sprinkling some everything bagel seasoning on top or a crack of black pepper to add some texture.

Over winter, I trade my usual chicken and spinach salad for warming soups and stews to make sure I'm eating lots of protein and plenty of veggies, but now the days are getting lighter, my taste buds are starting to crave salad again.

So I wanted to share this light and bright recipe from registered dietitian Dawn Menning, the program director for digital health at the Nutu App and Willow Laboratories. Menning perfected this recipe over many years, assimilating several tuna salad recipes shared with her throughout her career and adding her unique twist with the zesty flavors of lemon and dill.

You may think of salads as just a pile of leaves and veggies, but they can be balanced meals, featuring protein, carbs and healthy fats, and packed full of flavor. Tuna in particular is a great source of lean protein and this recipe contains 36g per one-cup serving. “Low protein intake can result in brittle hair and nails, muscle weakness, stress fractures, weakened immune system, feeling weak or hungry, or trouble with concentration,” says Menning.

Lemon-Dill Tuna Salad

Ingredients

• 5oz can of no-salt-added white tuna, drained and flaked
• 2tbsp mayonnaise
• 2tbsp finely chopped celery
• 2tbsp finely chopped shallot
• 1tbsp finely chopped fresh dill (plus extra for garnish)
• 1tbsp whole-milk plain Greek yogurt
• 1tsp grated lemon zest
• 1tbsp lemon juice
• ½tsp Dijon mustard
• ¼tsp ground sumac
• ¼tsp sugar
• ⅛tsp ground pepper
• Pinch of salt

Optional additions: Wholewheat bread, celery sticks or Bibb lettuce to serve (not included in nutritional information).

Method

1. In a bowl, use a fork to mix together the tuna, mayonnaise, celery, shallot, dill, Greek yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, sumac, sugar, pepper and salt. Mash and stir until the mixture is fully combined and creamy.
2. Transfer the salad to a plate and, if you like, top with a little extra fresh dill for garnish.
3. Serve as desired: spread on whole-wheat bread, pair with celery sticks, or enjoy over a bed of Bibb lettuce.

There are few meals as simple or satisfying as baked fish with vegetables. This recipe combines Mediterranean vegetable flavors with white fish in a one-pot meal that serves four. If you're looking for a healthy weeknight dinner, it's a great option.

This recipe was developed by Roxana Ehsani, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN, registered dietitian nutritionist and sports dietitian, representing Del Monte Foods. “This recipe just requires you to turn on your oven and dump a bunch of ready-to-use ingredients in a pan,” says Ehsani. “It’s loaded with anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids thanks to wild Alaska sablefish (also sometimes called black cod), which if you haven’t tried, is rich, buttery and will melt right in your mouth.” The body uses omega-3s to reduce inflammation, and support brain, heart and immune function.

The dish is very low-calorie, making it diet-friendly, but if you want to beef it up a bit I recommend serving it with some crusty bread. If you can’t get hold of any wild Alaska sablefish, you can substitute salmon, pollock or haddock. It doesn’t need to be fresh fish either. “Frozen fish is just as nutritious as fresh, simply rinse it under cold running water, pat dry and add it to your pan,” says Ehsani.

Baked Mediterranean Wild Alaska Sablefish Recipe

Ingredients

• 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large sweet onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, sliced
• 4.5oz can no-salt-added diced Contadina tomatoes
• ½ cup Del Monte quarters marinated artichoke hearts
• ½ cup Del Monte fresh-cut sliced mushrooms
• ⅓ cup Del Monte Greek Kalamata pitted olives
• 1tsp dried Italian seasoning
• 1lb frozen wild Alaska sablefish (black cod)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400℉ and lightly spray a pan with cooking oil.
2. Place sablefish skin side down in the pan and top the fish with the remaining ingredients.
3. Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes until fish reaches an internal temperature of 145℉.

I've always taken a relaxed attitude towards food. I’m lucky in that I enjoy cooking for myself and have the means to do it regularly, which makes it easier to follow a good diet.

But the more I exercise, the more determined I am to make sure I’m getting the basics right. Are there healthy servings of protein, carbs, fats and veg on the plate? Am I eating in line with the activity I'm doing?

With that last part, I often have to rely on guesswork, which is where a calorie-counting app like YAZIO comes in useful. Paired with calorie burn information from my fitness tracker, I can make sure what I'm eating roughly tallies with what I'm doing.

The other thing I like about calorie-counting apps is the recipes, and a YAZIO recipe video for a chicken burrito recently caught my eye on Instagram.

I made it one evening after completing a dumbbell arms workout at home, while I waited for my wife to return from an interval session at a running track. I loved how easy it was to make—I was even able to fine-tune some data on my fitness tracker while waiting for the chicken to fry.

I finished in under 20 minutes but next time I plan to prep the burritos ahead, saving the final step for after my workout. That way, I can enjoy them just after I’m done—really helpful when I'm trying to fit exercise into a lunch break.

Here's how to make it.

Chicken burrito recipe

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 14.1oz boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1tbsp olive oil
• 1tsp chili flakes
• 1tsp ground cumin
• 1tsp dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4tbsp crème fraîche
• 2tsp Sriracha sauce
• 2 flour tortillas
• 0.7oz Romaine lettuce
• 2.1oz shredded mozzarella cheese

Method

1. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
2. Heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the chicken over medium heat for approximately 8 minutes.
3. Season with crushed red pepper, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper.
4. Combine the crème fraîche and Sriracha.
5. Place the chicken, sauce, lettuce, and mozzarella in the center of the tortilla.
6. Fold two opposite sides of the tortilla over the filling and roll the burrito up from the bottom.
7. Toast the burrito in a pan for 1 minute on each side.

I like hot lunches as much as the next person, but sometimes I just don't have the time or energy. That's why I was delighted to receive this straightforward recipe from dietitian Michael Hershey.

There’s little to no chopping and no cooking, but you still end up with a balanced meal in under five minutes. As someone who tracks their macros, I was also pleased with the amount of protein the meal contains—40g is a good chunk of the recommended daily intake for the average person (US guidelines say adults should aim to consume 0.8g of dietary protein per kg of body weight.)

“Protein is important for the structure of organs and tissues in the body, muscle building (hypertrophy), immune function, enzyme functions, cell repair and replication and so much more,” says Hershey. “When protein intake is inadequate, the body will resort to breaking down structural protein in muscles and in more extreme cases, organs. Other outcomes could include brittle hair and nails, getting sick more frequently, muscle weakness and loss, or unintended weight loss.”

I also like that you can customize it to your heart's content. You can follow the same basic structure, but change the fillings each day as you work through a pack of tortillas or pitas, ensuring you'll consume a wider variety of vitamins and minerals.

Of course, the nutritional value will change with different ingredients, but if you follow the formula of 4oz lean protein in a single tortilla or pita, it won’t stray too far from the numbers above.

Easy high-protein lunch recipe

Ingredients

• 1 whole wheat tortilla or pita
• 4oz lean protein, cooked—chicken breast, turkey, ham, lean beef, tuna, etc.
• ⅛ cup shredded mozzarella
• ½ cup non-starchy vegetable—lettuce, tomato, onion, peppers, spinach, etc.
• 1tbsp condiment: light mayo, mustard, buffalo sauce, honey mustard, etc.

Method

1. Spread the condiment on the tortilla, or carefully slice open the pita and spread the condiment inside.
2. Add the other ingredients.
3. If using a tortilla, roll it up then enjoy.

Quick hot lunches are vital to get you through a day of working from home, but there are a few things you should consider for maximum satiety, brain fuel and, of course, enjoyment.

I spoke to a registered dietitian and the lead nutritionist for ButcherBox, Amy Shapiro, who advised that the first thing your lunch needs is protein. “Set up your plate for success with 4-5 oz of lean protein, plants and healthy fats,” she says. “This is a sure-fire way to optimize your energy and ensure your body is receiving the nutrients it needs.”

“Omitting protein from lunch often leads to lower satiety, which means you may get hungry sooner,” says Shapiro. Plus, without adequate protein at lunch, blood sugar may be more volatile, which can cause headaches, cravings, mood swings and fatigue.

I also like this recipe because it includes 4g of fiber and the salmon provides essential fatty acids such as omega 3.

Baked salmon over cauliflower rice

Ingredients

• 5oz salmon
• 2tsp olive oil
• ½ lemon
• 2 cups cauliflower rice (frozen)
• Salt and pepper
• Any additional seasonings (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400℉. Place the salmon on a prepared baking pan and drizzle with 1tsp olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and any additional seasonings.
2. Bake skin-side down for 8 minutes.
3. While the salmon cooks, place the frozen cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high for 3 minutes. Stir halfway through. You could alternatively, sautee in a pan with olive oil (this just means more dishes to clean).
4. Remove rice from the microwave and drizzle with the remaining olive oil, salt, and pepper.
5. Remove the salmon from the oven, let it rest for 2 minutes and then serve on top of the cauliflower rice.
6. Squeeze lemon as desired and dig in.

I'm always looking for comforting midweek meals that are tasty, low-calorie and—most importantly—easy to make. This veggie risotto ticks all those boxes, with the roasted butternut squash adding robust flavors, a mere 330 calories, and a simplified method.

However, if you have more time you can follow a more traditional method of making risotto and add more depth of flavor and creaminess.

Rather than simmering your risotto rice and onions in the stock, soften your onions in a hot frying pan first. Add the risotto to the pan to toast before adding a little stock to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom of the pan to release the flavorful bits of cooked food that's stuck to the bottom of the pan. Then add a ladle of stock, stirring until the stock is absorbed, before adding another ladle. It's time-consuming, but stirring more frequently will release the starches from the rice for an even creamier sauce.

I also think leeks go beautifully with squash and sage, so I recommend adding this to the onion along with a lot of garlic. A whole leek will add about 50 calories and a clove of garlic adds about 4 calories, with a little oil to fry the onion in you're still under 400 calories.

Low-calorie risotto recipe

Ingredients

• 12.3oz (350g) diced butternut squash
• Spray oil
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 4.4oz (125g) risotto rice
• 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
• 2tbsp chopped fresh sage

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200℃).
2. Spread your diced squash out on a baking sheet and spray lightly with oil (1-2 sprays should be sufficient). Shake to coat with oil then roast for 20-30 minutes, shaking occasionally.
3. Pour 2½ cups (600ml) water into a sauté pan, crumble your stock cube into it and bring the mixture to a boil. Add your risotto rice and onion and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the stock is absorbed and the rice is just tender. Add more water if necessary.
4. Just before serving, add the fresh sage and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve and scatter your roasted butternut squash over the top.

Scientists all over the globe agree that eating a wide range of plants each week can lead to a healthier gut, and a healthy gut is now thought to be linked to health and happiness in all areas of life.

"Nurturing our gut microbiome makes us more likely to sleep better, move more, benefit from improved mood and energy levels, and generally enjoy life more," writes professor Tim Spector in the introduction to Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s latest recipe book, How To Eat 30 Plants A Week.

The book is filled with advice and recipes that will help you achieve this aim. One of the recipes that caught my eye is this exuberantly colorful and flavor-packed purple shakshuka, and this one dish will help you smash your 30-plants-a-week target, because it contains at least 12 different plant types.

Hailing from North Africa and the Middle East, shakshuka usually consists of eggs baked or poached in a tomato-based sauce with onions and peppers.

I love a bit of shakshuka for brunch or lunch, or frankly for any meal of the day, scooping up the richly-spiced sauce with bread. It feels decadent but is actually pretty healthy, and this version adds more ingredients for more benefits.

Eating the rainbow is a great dietary rule of thumb because you'll consume more phytonutrients, but when did you last eat something purple? You’ll need to go off the beaten track to find naturally purple food, and many of us skip it altogether. Certain types of beetroot have the purple end of the color spectrum covered, and with its beautiful hue and sweet, earthy flavor, it is a fantastic addition to shakshuka. The eggs and kidney beans also mean this recipe is high in protein.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s purple shakshuka recipe

Extracted from How to Eat 30 Plants a Week by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (Bloomsbury, $32 hardback)

Ingredients

• Oil or fat for cooking
• 1 large or 2 medium-small red or brown onions, finely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated or chopped
• 1 small red chili, or a good pinch of dried chili flakes (optional)
• ½tsp cumin seeds
• ½tsp smoked paprika, plus an extra pinch
• 1 medium beetroot, scrubbed and coarsely grated (about 150g)
• 1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and sliced (optional)
• 400g tin peeled plum tomatoes
• 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 400g tin kidney beans
• 1 small radicchio, roughly shredded
• 4 eggs
• Sea salt and black pepper

To serve

• 50g herb leaves, such as parsley, chives, coriander, chervil or lovage, roughly chopped
• Finely grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
• 1-2tsp extra virgin olive oil
• Dukka seed and spice mix

Method

1. Heat a little oil or fat in a medium frying pan, or a shallow, wide, flameproof casserole over a medium heat. Add the onion(s) and fry for 6-8 minutes until soft but not colored, then add the garlic, chili, cumin seeds and smoked paprika. Cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
2. Add the beetroot, red pepper if using, and the tinned tomatoes, crushing them with your hands as they go in (and picking out any stalky ends or bits of skin). Cook for 8-10 minutes until the tomatoes start to break down, helping them to do so with the back of the spoon. Stir in the extra virgin olive oil, and a splash of water if the mixture looks at all dry.
3. Drain the beans, keeping a little of the liquid, then add them to the pan with the saved liquid. Stir in the radicchio and simmer gently for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is tender, well combined and saucy.
4. Using the back of a tablespoon, make 4 hollows in the mixture. Crack an egg into each hollow and season with salt, pepper and a pinch of smoked paprika. Turn the heat to low, put the lid on the pan and cook for 4–6 minutes until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny.
5. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, dress the herbs with the lemon zest and juice, a pinch of salt, and the extra virgin olive oil.
6. Serve the shakshuka as soon as it is ready, with the dressed herbs, and dukka to sprinkle over.

If, like me, you have a vague idea that you should—and would like to—be eating more plants but you're not quite sure how, then recipes like this green eggs with halloumi and herbs one are very useful.

It comes from British celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's latest recipe book, How to Eat 30 Plants a Week. Professor Tim Spector (author of much research on the topic) provides the introduction to the book and explains why it's a good idea to eat 30 different plants a week, and the book is packed with delicious recipes that will help you hit that target without it feeling like hard work.

The current Dietary Guidelines for Americans specify that we should be eating two and a half cups of vegetables and two cups of fruit per day, and most of us fall well short of that target. But it’s not just the amount that’s important, it’s also the variety that’s the key to a healthy diet. Research like this study has shown that aiming to consume 30 different types of plants per week is optimum, giving your gut bacteria a diverse range of dietary fiber to feast on. And don't worry if you think 30 is unachievable—it's easier than it sounds.

In this recipe, the "green" eggs are scrambled eggs with a helping of green veg and some tasty halloumi. The egg base makes this a high-protein dish and although it contains at least five types of plants (more if you sprinkle dukka or mixed seeds on top, and include more than one herb) it doesn’t feel like a vehicle for veg but an enjoyable dish in its own right.

I tried making this as a weekend lunch and it was delicious, adding some more plants to my weekly total without tasting too virtuous. I used cavolo nero as the greens, sprinkling oregano and mint and some mixed seeds on top, and the combination of rich eggs, salty halloumi and green veg was a delight.

Green eggs with halloumi and herbs

"Forget green eggs and ham (at least until you get to the swaps below!) and enjoy your eggs with halloumi and herbs instead. This is a brilliant all-day meal—equally good for brunch, lunch or supper," writes Fearnley-Whittingstall in the book. "You can easily scale the quantities down for one, or double them to serve four and cook in two batches. It ticks the boxes for lots of lovely greens, made irresistible with creamy scrambled eggs."

Ingredients

• Oil or fat for cooking
• 100g halloumi, cut into small cubes
• A bunch of spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
• 100g kale or spinach, coarse stalks removed, roughly shredded
• A handful of frozen peas
• 4 eggs
• A knob of butter (optional)
• Sea salt and black pepper
• A handful of herbs, such as chives, parsley or coriander, finely chopped
• Dukka seed and spice mix (optional)

Swaps

In place of the kale or spinach, use another leafy green, such as cavolo nero, spring greens or chard, or broccoli florets, roughly chopped.

You can also revive the green eggs and ham concept by sizzling some bacon in place of the halloumi.

Method

1. Heat a little oil or fat in a medium non-stick frying pan over a fairly high heat. Add the halloumi and sizzle until starting to brown on the underside. Turn and cook until golden on the other side.
2. Add the spring onions and the shredded kale or spinach to the pan and sweat, stirring occasionally, until wilted. Stir in the frozen peas and cook with the greens, tossing or stirring occasionally, for 3–4 minutes until the veg are tender. Tip the veg and halloumi out onto a plate and set aside. Lower the heat under the pan.
3. Beat the eggs together lightly in a bowl, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add a little extra oil or knob of butter to the pan and once it is melted and foaming, pour in the beaten egg.
4. As it starts to set at the edges, use a spatula or wooden spoon to stir the set egg back into the wet egg. Keep stirring now and then until the eggs are scrambled as soft or firm as you like.
5. Add the veg and halloumi back to the pan to warm through then divide between warmed plates. Sprinkle over the chopped herbs, then the dukka if using. Finish with a grinding of black pepper.

Extract taken from How to Eat 30 Plants a Week by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (Bloomsbury, $32 Hardback)

More quick ways to veg-up your eggs

The classics of the eggs-on-toast genre can be almost instantly vegged up with the addition of some gorgeous green pesto, or a nice spicy kraut or kimchi. Just spread the pesto, or pile the kraut/kimchi, generously on wholemeal toast, and top it with 2 eggs, poached, fried or scrambled to your liking.

If you're heading to the gym and lifting weights, you'll know that it's meant to be hard (if it's not hard, you're probably not building any muscle), but refueling afterward doesn't have to be. And thank goodness because many of us exercise during our lunch breaks and have neither the time nor the facilities to prepare and eat an entire post-workout meal like this high-protein sweet potato chili recipe.

That's why my eyes lit up when I saw this high-protein snack recipe from Fay dietitian Shannon Cook. It has everything I want in a post-workout snack.

First, it has 45g of carbs, the macronutrient everyone should prioritize after a workout according to a sports dietitian.

There's also a sizeable serving of protein, more than the sports dietitian says is necessary (they advised a 3:1 carb-to-protein ratio), but a chunky serving of protein like this will keep you feeling full until your next meal.

But it's the addition of fruit and veg—with the vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber you get from them—that, in my opinion, makes this snack superior to a protein bar or shake.

And then there's the convenience factor. There are only five ingredients and once you've measured the quantities, they can be popped into containers and slung in a bag. You just need to assemble the turkey, cheese and pretzels into Lunchable-like bites and dip into the other ingredients as the mood takes you.

Bear in mind that at 453 calories, this snack is an ideal way to help your body recover after an intense workout, but it's probably not necessary if you've completed a less demanding workout.

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup roasted edamame
• 11 pretzel chips
• 1 full-fat cheese stick
• ½ cup blueberries
• 3oz low-sodium turkey deli meat

Method

1. Assemble the ingredients into mini open sandwiches, using the pretzels as bread.

If you spend as much as I do scrolling through TikTok, you’ve almost certainly come across the dense bean salad (or DBS).

The viral recipe, first created by Violet Witchel, packs in lots of protein and fiber, and the vinegar-based dressing develops more flavor as the week goes on.

I chose to follow the Mediterranean-inspired sun-dried tomato recipe, which Whitchel demonstrates making in this TikTok.

What I liked about this dense bean salad recipe

I love that this type of salad is easily customizable. I swapped the chicken and pepperoni for soy alternatives to make it vegetarian, and omitted the shallot and artichoke hearts out of personal preference.

What caught me by surprise was just how easy the salad was to make. It took me about 10 minutes, and would have taken less time if I was a more adept vegetable chopper. I really liked not needing to use a stove, oven or air fryer either.

As someone who can be sensitive to textures, I was worried about how enjoyable it would be to eat, but my fears were quickly dispelled and I ate about half the salad while prepping it. It balances the freshness from the cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, and herbs, with heartiness from the sun-dried tomatoes, pepperoni, and chicken. The beans also do a great job of absorbing the flavor of the dressing.

The DBS continued to marinate in the dressing as the week went on, with the vinegar helping to break down the tomatoes and bell pepper, creating an even more flavorful meal.

The one thing the salad notably lacked was carbs, so I decided to pile it onto some cream crackers. That said, the flavors would really lend themselves nicely to being eaten with pasta, and some of Witchel’s Asian or Mexican-inspired salads could work well with rice or tortillas.

Health benefits of the dense bean salad

To learn more about the nutritional benefits, I spoke to Dr Caitlin Hall, chief dietitian at Myota Health.

"Plant-based protein sources, such as chickpeas and lentils, are fantastic as they offer dual benefits: not only are they rich in protein, but they also provide prebiotic fiber like galactooligosaccharides (GOS), which feed our beneficial gut bacteria."

"This, in turn, supports the production of anti-inflammatory compounds, called butyrate, in the body. Butyrate helps support the gut lining, reduces inflammation in the body, and contributes to better metabolic, immune, and even mental health."

Hall also told me about the benefits of having multiple sources of plants within the salad. "The American Gut Project found that consuming 30 different plants weekly optimizes the richness and diversity of beneficial gut bacteria."

However, Hall warns against diving straight into the DBS trend if you're not already eating a plant-rich diet. "It's essential to increase fiber intake gradually over a few weeks to allow your gut bacteria time to adjust, avoiding potential digestive discomfort like bloating and wind," says Hall.

"I recommend starting small, such as adding one new plant-based food to your shopping list each week, gradually building up to a more varied, plant-rich diet. This approach supports both gut health and sustainable, lasting habits."

As a busy professional, I want to eat something that's quick and easy to make after a long day at my desk. It's always frustrating when a recipe claims to be quick or easy and then asks you to chop vegetables or begin caramelizing something. For me, that sort of cooking is reserved for the weekend, and on a weeknight, the most I want to be doing is opening a tin of beans or emptying a bag of frozen pre-chopped veg into a pan.

Thankfully, this recipe, which was developed for Fit&Well by dietitian Roxana Ehsani (MS, RD, CSSD, LDN), requires no chopping and no caramelizing. The only caveat is that you will need a slow cooker (like a Crock-Pot) or a pressure cooker, (like an Instant Pot), but if you have one of these in your kitchen arsenal, then you're ready to go.

The beans in this recipe offer a great plant-based source of iron, with 9mg per serving, and a healthy dose of fiber—important for digestive health—at 29g per serving. It also includes 163mg of calcium per serving. With no meat, you can make this for your vegetarian friends—just make sure you check the ingredients lists on your cans before serving to anyone who follows a vegan diet.

Slow cooker vegetarian chili recipe

Ingredients

• 1tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups fresh or frozen pre-chopped mirepoix (onion, carrots, celery)
• 2 cans (14.5oz) chopped tomatoes (Ehsani suggests Contadina fire-roasted diced tomatoes with garlic)
• 1 can (15.5oz) no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15.5oz) no-salt-added great northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15.5oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 32oz Kitchen Basics unsalted vegetable stock
• 2tbsp chili powder
• 2tsp ground cumin
• ¼tsp kosher salt
• 1 avocado, for garnish (optional)

Method

1. Place all ingredients, except for the avocado, in a slow cooker or pressure cooker.
2. If using a slow cooker, place on high and cook for four to five hours. If using a pressure cooker, place on high and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Remove from the cooker and serve garnished with avocado, if desired.

Most of us know we should be eating more fish, with a vague idea that it’s good for our health, but it can be hard to find the inspiration to cook fish when life is busy. These oven-baked honey and soy-marinated salmon fillets are delicious, easy to make and super healthy. As well as being a good source of protein, salmon is high in omega-3, an essential fatty acid that supports brain and eye health.

This recipe comes from Dr Aileen Alexander, women’s health and weight loss expert, TEDx speaker and medical doctor. She is also the founder of Nourish Academy, which helps women on the path to a healthier lifestyle, helping them to reclaim their self-confidence and lose weight sustainably without banning foods or restricting the things they enjoy.

"Fish is one of the best things that you can eat, especially oily fish," says Alexander. "Salmon is an oily fish packed with omega 3 fatty acids, an essential component of our diet."

Alexander recommends this recipe to her clients and also uses it at home. "It's great because the kids like it, and it's super easy to make," says Alexander. It's also perfect for batch cooking ahead of time. "You can cook it and maybe have it in a couple of days' time for dinner," says Alexander. "Not everybody has time to make stuff fresh. Ideally, you'll want to marinade the salmon for an hour for the best flavor, but I regularly cook a version of this and it works just fine if you only have a few minutes to let the fish sit in the marinade."

"The salmon is high in protein and you can put whatever with it," says Alexander, who suggests a variety of colorful veggies to go with the salmon, and a carbohydrate if you like. "Try and get as many different colors on your plate as you can," says Alexander. "I always encourage people to have carbs for lunch and dinner—carbs are really important as part of our diet. So ideally, a whole grain source of complex carbs, like brown rice or quinoa."

Ingredients

• 4 salmon fillets approx. 125g each
• 2tbsp honey (or agave nectar)
• 100ml soy sauce
• ½tsp garlic puree
• Fresh coriander (to serve)

Method

1. Mix together the honey, soy and garlic in a bowl and add the salmon, allowing the salmon to marinate for about one hour. Preheat the oven to 350℉/180℃.
2. Lay the salmon fillets on a baking tray and spoon over the remaining sauce.
3. Cover the salmon loosely with foil and bake in the oven for 12 minutes, or until the salmon is cooked through.
4. Top with coriander (optional) and serve with a mix of vegetables, and some rice or potatoes.

If you're looking for an easy meal to make in a hurry that packs in a range of health-boosting veg, these mini pizzas from registered dietitian Laura Buxenbaum fit the bill perfectly.

Mini naan breads are used as a pizza base and all the ingredients can be bought either in a jar already chopped or take seconds to prep. It's not quite a no-chop recipe because you will need to halve the cherry tomatoes, but it's close. The base stays nice and doughy, making naan mini pizzas superior to its cousin, the pita pizza.

I also like this recipe because it doesn't use the same toppings on each mini pizza, adding more variety to your diet. It's also a very kid-friendly recipe because you can easily adjust the toppings on each mini naan to suit different tastebuds.

Mini pizza recipe

Ingredients

• 8 mini naan flatbreads
• 1 cup marinara sauce
• ½ cup pesto
• 1 cup mixed cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ cup quartered artichoke heart, drained
• ½ cup pancetta
• ½ cup roasted bell peppers, drained
• ¼ cup Kalamata olives, chopped
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• ⅛ oz fresh mozzarella pearls
• 1 cup arugula
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350℉/170℃
2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and place the naan flatbreads on it at even intervals.
3. Spread marinara sauce on four naans and pesto sauce on the remaining naans.
4. Top two of the marina sauce naans with artichoke hearts, pancetta and shredded mozzarella.
5. Top the final two naans with marina sauce with Kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes and mozzarella pearls.
6. Top two of the pesto naans with cherry tomatoes topped with mozzarella pearls.
7. Top the final two pesto naans with bell peppers and shredded mozzarella.
8. Bake the pizzas for 10-12 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted.
9. Remove from the oven. Add arugula to the pesto, bell pepper and shredded mozzarella naans, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Nutritional information

Here's the nutritional information for two mini pizzas of each topping combination. Two mini pizzas equals one serving.

Pesto with cherry tomatoes topped with mozzarella pearls

• Calories: 260
• Protein: 5g
• Carbs: 14g
• Fat: 20g

Pesto with bell peppers and shredded mozzarella, topped with arugula after baking

• Calories: 340
• Protein:13g
• Carbs: 16g
• Fat: 25g

Marinara with artichoke hearts, pancetta and shredded mozzarella

• Calories: 280
• Protein: 15g
• Carbs: 22g
• Fat: 14g

Marinara with Kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes and mozzarella pearls

• Calories: 150
• Protein: 4g
• Carbs: 22g
• Fat: 5g

Short on time and ideas for dinner? This tasty peanut butter chicken recipe is an easy win. It’s healthy—with lots of colorful vegetables—high in protein, and best of all it takes minutes to throw together.

Dr Aileen Alexander is a women’s health and weight loss expert, TEDx speaker, medical doctor and former GP. She is also the founder of Nourish Academy, which helps women achieve a healthier lifestyle, reclaim their self-confidence and lose weight sustainably without rules or restriction. She shared this peanut butter chicken recipe and explained why she recommends it.

"I love this recipe because the kids will eat it—it’s a real family favorite," says Alexander. "It's super easy to make, and you can cook it and then have it in a couple of days' time for dinner—not everybody has time to make stuff fresh."

It's also a great choice if you’re looking to eat healthily, and if you're looking for high-protein meals that will help you build muscle, since both the chicken breast and peanut butter are high in protein.

"I also love it for the diversity of the different veggies," says Alexander. "People ask me which vitamins they need to have and I just keep it simple and tell them to try and get as many different colors on their plate as they can. Because different colors represent different vitamins and minerals, and this peanut butter chicken has got heaps of different colors."

There's no carbohydrate listed in this recipe, but that doesn't mean you shouldn’t include some in your meal. "I would always encourage people to have carbs for lunch and dinner. So ideally, a wholegrain source of complex carbs, like brown rice, for example, or sweet potatoes, or just whatever people fancy. When I support people nutritionally, I try to give them as much autonomy as possible. I just give them loads of examples of different carbs such as quinoa, couscous, rice or potatoes and let them choose."

High-protein peanut butter chicken recipe

Ingredients

• 500g chicken breast
• 10g coconut oil
• 1 red pepper
• 150g baby corn
• 150g sugar snap peas
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 40g smooth peanut butter
• 15ml soy sauce
• 200ml water

Method

1. Slice the chicken and peppers into thin strips. Coat the chicken with freshly ground black pepper.
2. Heat the pan, add the coconut oil and stir fry the chicken.
3. While the chicken is cooking, dissolve the stock cube in 200ml boiling water, add the soy sauce and peanut butter and mix thoroughly.
4. Just before the chicken is fully cooked, add the peppers, sugar snap peas and baby corn and stir-fry for five minutes.
5. Add the peanut butter mixture to the pan and bring to the boil for five minutes to thicken. Should the sauce thicken too much, simply add a little boiling water.

I completely missed the crispy feta fried eggs hype train (it was a TikTok trend a while ago) but I'm all caught up now and boy am I glad to be. I was sent this recipe by the nutrition coaching platform Working Against Gravity and seeing that it would only take 10 minutes to make, I decided to give it a try.

Usually, when working from home, I rely heavily on grilled cheese sandwiches or other similarly low-effort meals to get me through the day. While there's nothing wrong with that, it tends to be a bit lacking nutritionally, with no vegetables and little protein.

This recipe contains avocado, which is rich in healthy fats and fiber and is, let's face it, delicious, and you could very easily pile on more veg with some chopped tomatoes and spinach too if you wanted to make it even more nutritionally dense. The eggs are also packed full of protein and high-quality fats, and the feta gives the dish a salty, tangy flavor that complements the eggs perfectly.

How to make crispy feta fried eggs

Ingredients

• 1 tortilla
• ½ avocado
• ⅛ cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 extra large egg (or 2 small to medium)
• 3 bacon medallions (smoked or unsmoked)
• Seasonings of your choice

Instead of olive oil, as the original recipe uses, I dry-fried some bacon medallions in my pan first and then used the fat released from the bacon to crisp up my feta.

Method

1. In a small nonstick pan over medium heat, dry fry your bacon medallions until cooked and move to one side.
2. Crumble the feta cheese over the bottom of the pan and let it cook for three minutes.
3. Crack your eggs over the top of the feta and cover the pan to steam the whites while keeping the yolk runny. Let it cook for three more minutes.
4. Heat your tortilla in the microwave or on a skillet and spread the avocado on top. Use a fork to mash it into a paste if preferred.
5. Layer the bacon medallions on top of the avocado.
6. Once the eggs have cooked, remove them from the pan. They should be stuck to a crispy disk of melted feta cheese that comes away from the pan easily.
7. Place your crispy feta eggs on top of the bacon.
8. Add whatever seasoning you desire—oregano pairs well with feta, or add chili for a spicy kick.
9. Break the yolk so it becomes the sauce, fold and eat!

Why I recommend crispy feta fried eggs

I was full for ages

Despite this being a relatively small meal, I stayed full until dinner time, with no sweet cravings or desire to snack once I hit the 3pm slump. This is due, in part, to the 38g of protein that the dish holds (calculated with my Samsung Health app). Protein is great for satiety—that feeling of fullness you get after eating—according to a review in the British Journal of Nutrition.

It was quick to make

It didn’t take any longer to make than it would usually take me to make my grilled cheese. When working from home, it can be difficult to remember to stop, put your laptop down and take the time to cook yourself a meal, especially if you’re in the middle of a task and your stomach starts to grumble. This is how I ended up relying on tuna melts and grilled cheese sandwiches—they took minutes to assemble and cook and I could eat them at my desk.

This dish, however, took a similar amount of time to prep and cook, but was more filling and satisfying. A big win for flavor in my book.

There wasn’t much washing up

The single non–stick pan I used and the fish slice needed to assemble the meal were no hassle to clean up, which is ideal for a WFH lunch—there are few things worse than finishing your working day and having to do a stack of dishes.

It was tasty

The combination of the rich flavors of the avocado and eggs and the salty, tangy tastes from the bacon and feta was lovely and really hit the spot. I think adding arugula would work well, adding a peppery element, or even a layer of chutney under the avocado to insert some sweetness and balance the salty feta.

Overnight oats are popular because as well as being delicious, they are convenient and easy to prep ahead of time. You can make a big batch at the beginning of the week and, because they last up to five days, not worry about what you’re going to have for breakfast until the weekend.

If you portion them out into jars or other containers you can put in your bag on the way to work or the gym and have them on-the-go.

This overnight oats recipe from registered dietitian Lauren Twigge packs in 40g of high-quality protein and features a delightful date caramel sauce (you will need to make this yourself, but it only needs three ingredients and you can make it in bulk). Here's how to make it.

Ingredients

• ½ cup date caramel sauce
• 2tbsp chia seeds
• 1½ cups dairy milk
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 scoops vanilla protein powder

Twigge uses Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey, French vanilla creme flavor. It's a great choice which features on our tried-and-tested selection of the best protein powders for weight loss.

If you want to keep the recipe high in protein but don't want to use protein powder, you can alter the ingredients as follows.

• ½ cup rolled oats
• 5.3oz vanilla Greek yogurt
• ½ cup water
• 1tbsp chia seeds

Method

1. Get two small containers of equal size for your overnight oats. Evenly distribute the date caramel sauce at the bottom of each container.
2. In a medium bowl mix together the oats, milk, chia seeds and vanilla protein powder until well combined. Evenly distribute the oat mixture on top of the date caramel base between the two containers.
3. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least four hours. Enjoy cold or warm in the morning!

Healthy recipes have a reputation for being bland, but this prawn and cannellini bean dish delivers plenty of flavor and some impressive health benefits too, despite taking just 15 minutes to make.

"The combination of both prawns and beans provides a high protein meal, and the vegetables give a healthy dose of fiber to help feed your gut bacteria," says creator and sports nutritionist Reema Pillai.

Pop it in airtight containers and you can keep it in the fridge for three days too, Pillai adds, making it a great option for meal prepping. And the plus points don’t end there.

"Prawns provide a fantastic source of B vitamins, including B6 and B12, crucial for energy production. They also provide vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant," says Pillai.

"The cannellini beans are a source of potassium, copper and even iron—with the lemon juice helping to enhance the iron absorption."

Nutritional information per serving

• Calories: 430
• Protein: 40g
• Carbohydrates: 50g
• Fat: 4g
• Fiber: 12g

Ingredients for four servings

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
• 2 medium white onion, diced 
• 2 medium pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 tins (21oz) of chopped tomatoes
• 1 tin (15.5oz) cannellini beans
• 4 level tbsp harissa paste
• 4 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1lb raw prawns, peeled and deveined 
• 1 lemon, juice and zest
• 4 slices of sourdough bread (one per person)

How to make it

1. Warm the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for four to five minutes until soft.
2. Add the chopped pepper, tinned tomatoes and harissa paste. Mix well and simmer for five minutes.
3. Add the beans to the pan, mix and simmer for two to three minutes. 
4. Add the prawns, season with salt and pepper, and add in the lemon juice and zest. Mix well and simmer on medium heat until prawns are cooked.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped parsley. 
6. Serve in a bowl with a slice of toasted sourdough bread.

This high-protein breakfast from registered dietitian Jamie Nadeau (the Balanced Nutritionist on Instagram) is full of colorful vegetables and good fats to set you up for the day. 

It takes about 20 minutes to prep and cooks in 35-40 minutes, so your piping hot crustless quiche should be ready in about an hour. One quiche provides four servings, each of which packs in 24g of protein.

The recipe uses egg whites, which are much lower in calories than egg yolks. If you're not concerned with calorie counting, you can use whole eggs instead, which have a higher protein content (useful if you're trying to support muscle growth).

See recipe and instructions in Nadeau's post

Nutrient breakdown

This recipe makes four servings—the full recipe on the Balanced Nutritionist website gives this nutrient breakdown per serving: 

Calories: 210kcal 

Carbohydrates: 6g 

Protein: 24g

Fat: 10g

How to use your leftover yolks

• Try making homemade aioli or mayonnaise. These will store in the fridge for approximately two weeks, giving you plenty of time to use them up.
• Make yourself some duchess potatoes. These whipped mash delights make great sliders, sides or canapes.
• Just use the whole egg. You won’t need as many eggs if you’re including the yolk. It will increase the fat and calorie content of the dish, but egg yolks are full of important fat-soluble vitamins and Omega-3 too.

Pancake day is upon us, and here at Fit&Well we'll be celebrating in earnest. 

But this year I'm trading in my traditional recipe for a two-ingredient alternative from dietitian, nutritionist and Dietitian Fit founder Karine Patel. 

"This recipe contains a portion of your five-a-day and it's simple and quick to make as there's no measuring necessary," says Patel.

"It provides a source of protein from the eggs, and you can serve them with a few spoons of Greek yoghurt for a further protein boost. There are no added sugars here either—the natural sugar from banana is used to sweeten the pancakes."

Having taken the recipe for a test drive yesterday, I also found the resulting pancakes were lighter, tastier and less messy to make than the usual flour-based alternative. Give it a go for yourself to see if you agree. 

Ingredients

• One banana (ripe) 
• Two eggs 
• Five millilitres of extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

• Mash the banana in a bowl until smooth. 
• Add two eggs and beat gently with a fork for about 30 seconds. 
• Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. 
• Add 1/4 cup of the batter at a time to form pancakes, cooking for one to two minutes per side. 
• Serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon or your choice of topping. If you have a sweet tooth, you can add blueberries into the batter, or other chopped fruit.

The results

I'm no chef. Far from it. I once set fire to a microwave while making a baked potato. So I was pleased at how straightforward this recipe was; it required mashing, mixing, and frying, which even I could manage. 

I found that the pancakes were a little more fragile than normal when being cooked, so they required extra care when flipping. Mine weren't particularly pretty when I'd finished, but I think that's a fault of the chef rather than the recipe.

They still tasted delicious, despite appearances. I don't have a particularly sweet tooth, but I found that these pancakes weren't cloying or overwhelming unlike chocolate chip varieties.

They were light and fluffy, and I felt less heavy than I would normally after eating my fill of standard pancakes.

A nutritious post-workout meal is the perfect way to kickstart your recovery, but often the last thing you want to do after a tiring training session is spend a long time cooking. 

We asked Centr trainer Ingrid Clay for her go-to lazy meal, and she came up with the goods: a veggie baked sweet potato chili that takes minutes to prepare and delivers all the nutrients you need.

“My post-workout meal always includes protein, but also carbs,” she tells Fit&Well.

“I think people forget that, after a workout, you do need to refuel the body, just like you need to fuel the body before your workout. 

“This meal is so easy and it has everything I need. It has the carbs, it has the veggies, which are always important, and it has the protein too.”

Take a look at the Centr recipe below, which takes just 10 minutes to throw together and a further 45 minutes of baking time to finish. 

Sweet potato chili recipe

Ingredients

• Three medium-sized sweet potatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tin of black beans
• 1 tin of lentils
• 1⁄2 a cup of frozen peas or sweetcorn
• 1 tin of diced tomatoes
• 1⁄2 red onion chopped
• 1 capsicum, preferably green
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 tsp Mexican spice mix (a mix of ground cumin, paprika & chili)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 5oz Greek yogurt (or dairy-free alternative)

Instructions 

1. Preheat an oven to 400°f and line a baking tray with baking paper 
2. Peel and cube the sweet potatoes, then toss them in olive oil, add to the baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes 
3. Put the baked sweet potato cubes in a large bowl and add all of the remaining ingredients except the yogurt 
4. Place the resulting mixture in a baking tray, cover with foil and bake for a further 20-25 minutes
5. Remove from the oven and serve with the Greek yogurt

You can choose to stick to this recipe, or go off-piste like Clay, who likes to mix things up with her own plant-based touches and flourishes.

For example, sometimes she’ll bake the sweet potatoes before hollowing out the skins and using the fluffy center to make a mixture with tofu and veggies. She then spoons this back into the skins, creating “a little boat to carry it all”, then bakes it again to finish.

“I’ll hollow it out, put all the goodies in there, put the tofu in there, put the veggies in there, and it’s just perfect. Sometimes if I don’t do tofu I’ll do legumes, and I add beans a lot as well.” 

Clay's approach to mindful eating

NASM-certified personal trainer Clay is now the HIIT/HIRT expert for Chris Hemsworth’s fitness app Centr. She is also a former bodybuilder, and has previously kept closer tabs on her diet.

However, she says she now takes a more intuitive, mindful approach to eating.

“I tell people, ‘I eat when I’m hungry’,” she says. “I think sometimes we eat a lot out of boredom or for the sake of eating, so I eat when I’m hungry and I stop eating when I’m no longer hungry, not when I’m full.

“I think that’s a big difference too. Mindfulness comes into play there. Stopping eating when you’re not hungry is different to stopping eating when you’re full.”

She also recommends taking some time and focusing on your food, rather than eating meals in front of a screen or while you’re distracted.

“Eating while you watch TV is probably one of the most mindless forms of eating, because you’re not really focused on what you’re eating and how it tastes,” Clay explains. “You’re missing the cues that’ll tell you that ‘hey, I’m full’.”

If you’re looking for more healthy recipe inspiration, why not try these two quick breakfast ideas which you can prepare the night before? Or, if it’s something sweet to eat on the go you’re after, take a look at these eight-ingredient protein bites.