What to Eat for Optimal Health

Breakfast

Always eat breakfast! Even if you don’t feel hungry, you have effectively fasted for up to 12 hours overnight, and you need to restock your immediate energy supply.

Below are some ideal choices for parents and kids:-

• A bowl of porridge made with water or semi-skimmed milk with chopped apple or blueberries and a drizzle of honey.
• A bowl of high fibre cereal (go for natural cereals and muesli, rather than those with added sugar and salt) with semi-skimmed milk/soya/rice milk.
• Toasted rye/sunflower/wheat-free bread with butter (better for you than hydrogenated fats)/humous/cottage cheese/no added sugar jam.
• 2 boiled/scrambled eggs with toast (as above).
• Poached egg, grilled rasher of bacon, grilled tomato and mushrooms
• 2 pieces of fresh fruit with low-fat yogurt and a handful of nuts or seeds.

And to Drink…

• If you don’t already own one, buy yourself a blender to whisk up energy-packed smoothies. It really is so simple. Always buy plenty of fresh fruit and choose a wide variety. Then just wash and chop up what you fancy, blend and that’s it! You are less likely to be throwing out rotten fruit if you use it up this way.
• Use mango, apple, carrot, berries, pineapples, papayas, bananas, kiwis, oranges, grapes, apricots, peaches and add a little natural yogurt or soya/rice milk. If you are feeling really adventurous you could try adding fresh ginger, spinach leaves, celery, beetroot or advocado, and throw in some seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, flax or hemp) for a vitamin and mineral-packed drink.
• For adults, the best detox combinations are: apple, carrot, ginger, beetroot and celery, avocado and basil leaves.
• The best energy combinations are: carrots, celery, orange, avocado and beetroot, or banana, mango, berries, pineapple, kiwis, apricots, and papayas.
• Freshly squeezed fruit juice is also excellent. However, avoid orange, grapefruit and pineapple – they are highly acidic.
• Cranberry juice
• Mineral water
• Dandelion or nettle tea is excellent for detoxing (for parents only, not kids!)
• Camomile or Peppermint is very soothing on the stomach and good for digestion (children can drink these if they are lukewarm, not HOT!)
• Fruit teas
• Naturally decaffeinated tea or coffee (not for children)

Mid-morning Snack

You need something with a low GI (ie a slow-release of energy). Parents, don’t go for muffins or croissants with your usual coffee. Instead, choose a herb tea or water/milk for kids, with something like the choice below (just one from the list, not all!):-

• A slice of rye bread with humous
• A piece of fruit
• A handful of unsalted almonds/cashews/brazil nuts (Nuts are fine for children – provided there isn’t a nut allergy and they are old enough to eat them without risk of choking.)
• A low-fat yogurt
• A low-sugar cereal bar (the more natural, the better)

Lunch

Lunch should be simple and nutritious. The choices below are all healthy:-

• Sushi. This is a superb choice, packed full of essential vitamins and minerals. Children love making home-made vegetable sushi – use brown rice.
• Chicken or tuna salad. Adults, be very careful with dressings though. Caesar salads are higher in calories that a McDonalds cheeseburger!
• Soup (ideally chunky vegetable or bean) with wholegrain bread.
• Humous with lots of colourful, raw vegetables and wholegrain bread.
• Stir-fry prawns/chicken with vegetables.

Mid-Afternoon Snack

This should be similar to the mid-morning snack. Remember it is just a snack!

• Apple and Satsuma
• Handful of unsalted nuts
• Glass of fresh orange juice
• 2-3 oatcakes with humous

Dinner

This is often the one meal of the day where adults really let go and end up overeating. For parents, if you are out to dinner, try to avoid the bread with the meal or if you cannot resist, try to not to have a starter or have very little potato, pasta or rice with your main meal. You simply don’t need all that carbohydrate (unless you’re training for a marathon!). Instead, order steamed vegetables and salad to fill-up on instead.

Below are some ideal choices:-

• Grilled tuna or chicken with roasted peppers, courgettes, aubergines, onions and lots of green vegetables such as spinach, asparagus or green beans. (Okay, the kids may not go for all that roasted veg but they might eat green beans and broccoli or go for raw veg instead.) Use a marinade such as lime, coriander and olive oil for the tuna, and teriyaki or honey, soy sauce and ginger for the chicken.
• Roast a chicken with plenty of olive oil, lemons, tarragon and a little sea salt and pepper. This is fabulous and if you serve with a large salad full of leaves, tomatoes, beetroots, radish, celery, peppers, cucumber and avocado, you certainly won’t be feeling hungry afterwards!
• Grilled tiger prawns with spaghetti and sundried tomatoes. If you add some toasted pinenuts, black olives, fresh coriander (and red chilli, for adults only), this is a truly delicious and nutritious meal. Go easy of the quantity of spaghetti as this is quite a rich and oily dish so you won’t need so much.
• Avocado, mozzarella and tomato salad with basil leaves and olive oil. Simple and delicious.
• For red meat, buy a really good quality piece of steak (preferably organic) and shallow-fry this. Kids will eat good quality sausages, venison burgers and organic lamb chops. Serve again with a large mixed salad or plenty of steamed mixed vegetables.

Dessert

For adults with a sweet tooth, go for sorbets, or light fruit-based puddings. Alternatively, skip the pudding and have a herb tea and a square or two of really good dark chocolate. For children, fruit compote with yogurt or a small portion of good quality ice-cream or a homemade brownie always goes down well.

Before Bed

2 or 3 oatcakes with a milky drink helps sustain little ones (and you!) through the night.

In Summary

Food is our energy. It is something to be enjoyed and celebrated. The diversity of foods available to us now is amazing so we really owe it to ourselves to care about what we put in our mouths! Put good food in and you will feel the benefits. You don’t have to be a saint! But, if you want to feel full of life and have a healthy family, take a look at what you eat and drink and make the right choice.