Untangling the latest evidence and scientific understanding of how food impacts us and why is no mean feat. I have been researching gut and overall health for many years, and have landed on some key guiding principles that have helped me – and I hope will help you – to eat smarter. The recipes below will make following these rules even easier.
1. Eat 30 Plants a Week
Diversity of plant species in our diet is more crucial for gut health than the specific type of diet we follow (vegan, pescatarian, carnivore, etc.). Consuming a variety of about 30 different plant species each week emerges as a key strategy for nurturing a healthy gut microbiome and, by extension, overall wellbeing.
2. Eat the Rainbow: The Spectrum of Health
The adage ‘Eat the Rainbow’ encapsulates a fundamental principle of nutrition that emphasises the importance of consuming a wide range of colourful fruits and vegetables. This spectrum of foods is not only visually appealing but also packed with a rich variety of tastes and nutrients essential for maintaining good gut health as well as good health overall.
3 Pivot Your Protein: Sustainability and Legumes
Traditionally, when people think of protein, they think of meat and animal products. There’s a lot of talk about complete proteins and having ‘all’ of the amino acids in animal-based foods, yet it’s also a fact that all plants (yes, all) contain all 20 amino acids. The only difference is in the relative balance of the amino acids. For that reason, people who eat a diet plentiful in a variety of plant-based foods – as ZOE and I advocate – get all of the amino acids and proteins they need. And they live longer and healthier lives than those who eat more animal-based foods to get their protein.
4. Try time-restricted eating: give your gut a break
Time-restricted eating (TRE), has grabbed our attention for its potential health benefits, particularly for the gut microbiome. TRE is a dietary approach that involves eating all of our food for the day within roughly the same time frame during daylight hours and fasting for the remaining hours, typically overnight. I often suggest a fasting period of 12–14 hours as the ‘sweet spot’ for improved metabolism and healthy weight maintenance.
5. Incorporate fermented foods
The health benefits of fermented foods are rooted in their contribution to supporting gut microbiome health and diversity. Fermented foods like yoghurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut and kimchi are teeming with beneficial bacteria that add goodness to the existing bacteria in your gut when you eat them regularly.
6. Think quality, not calories
Ultra-processed foods, or UPFs, have become a staple of modern consumption, but at what cost? These foods are not processed in the way that things like cheese or tinned tomatoes are; they are fundamentally altered from their original state, engineered to appeal to our taste buds with unnaturally high levels of fat, sugar and salt, and stripped of essential nutrients. Research has now clearly shown that UPFs make us feel hungrier, lead us to eat faster, overeat throughout the day and are associated with an increased risk of disease, mental illness and earlier death.
THE RECIPES:
Aubergine parmigiana
Preparation time: 15 minutes Cook time: 1 hour
Contains: 7 plantsIngredients (Serves 4 with leftovers)
3 aubergines, sliced lengthways into 1cm-thick slices
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 red chilli, thinly sliced
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 x 400g tin black or green lentils, drained
30g basil, leaves torn, plus a few to garnish
125g ball of mozzarella, torn
20g finely grated
Parmesan cheese
Salt and black pepper
Top-ups
Kimchi
Extra basil
Swaps
Black-eyed beans for lentils
Vegan cheese alternativeMethod
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas 6. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment and lay out the aubergines in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil all over. Bake for 25 minutes until golden and soft.
2. Meanwhile, place a frying pan over a medium heat and sauté the onion in the remaining oil for 3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for 1 minute more. Pour in the tomatoes and lentils, then half-fill the tomato tin with water and add this to the pan too. Simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Add the basil and cook for 5 minutes more, then season with salt and pepper.
3. Spoon a third of the ragu mixture into the base of a 20–23cm square ovenproof dish (or similar) and top with a layer of aubergine. Repeat this twice more, then finish with the mozzarella and Parmesan.
4. Bake for 30 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown. Serve with some steamed greens.
Roasted squash and toasted grains
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Ingredients (Serves 4)
1 large squash, deseeded, skin on, and cut into 2.5cm-thick slices
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
250g pre-cooked mixed grains
1 x 400g tin cannellini beans and their liquid
2 tbsp tahini
Juice of 1 lemon
20g parsley, finely chopped
50g green olives, finely chopped
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Salt and black pepper
Top-ups
Chopped red chilli
Sauerkraut
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/375°F/gas 5 and line a large baking tray with baking parchment.
2. Place the squash and garlic cloves on the lined tray, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season well. Roast for 35 minutes.
3. Take the tray out of the oven and remove and set aside the garlic cloves. Scatter the pre-cooked grains over the squash and return to the oven for 10–15 minutes until the grains are crispy and the squash is soft.
4. Squeeze the cooked garlic from its skin into a high-powered blender with the beans and their liquid, the tahini and lemon juice. Season and blitz until completely smooth.
5. Mix the parsley, olives, apple cider vinegar and remaining olive oil in a bowl and season. To serve, spread the blitzed cannellini beans onto a large serving dish, top with the squash and grains and scatter over the parsley and olive relish.
Chocolate Olive Oil Mousse
Ingredients (Serves 4)
100g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 tsp maple syrup
1–2 pinches of salt
140ml aquafaba (liquid from a tin of chickpeas at room temperature)
70g hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
150g cherries (fresh or frozen), stoned
Top-up
Crème fraîche
Chopped hazelnuts
Method
1. Place a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and slowly melt the chocolate (make sure the bowl does not touch the water). When ready, remove from the heat and add the olive oil, maple syrup and a pinch of salt. Mix to combine.
2. Put the aquafaba in the clean, grease-free bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk for about 5 minutes, or until it forms stiff peaks.
3. Stir a spoon of the aquafaba into the chocolate mixture and then add the chocolate mixture to the whisked aquafaba. Use a metal spoon to gently fold the mixture together – don’t beat it or you will lose the airy texture.
4. Spoon into four small glasses and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Top with cherries, an extra drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
Recipes extracted from Food for Life by Tim Spector (Jonathan Cape, £30)
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