Eat for a longer healthspan

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 150 g kale or cavolo nero, stems stripped, chopped
• 1 × 400 g tin cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (about 240 g cooked)
• 8 large eggs
• 250 g cottage cheese
• 80 ml milk
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 40 g feta, crumbled
• Black pepper and a pinch of chilli flakes

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C. Oil a medium baking dish.
2. Warm the olive oil in a pan. Soften the garlic, then wilt the kale with a splash of water. Stir in the beans and tip the lot into the dish.
3. Blend or whisk the eggs, cottage cheese, milk, oregano, lemon zest, and pepper until mostly smooth. Pour over the greens.
4. Scatter the feta and chilli. Bake 28–32 minutes until just set in the centre.
5. Cool 10 minutes, then slice into six. Eat with extra greens or a piece of whole-grain toast if you want more fibre.

Swap. Use chopped spinach, and swap feta for a spoon of extra cottage cheese if you want less brine.

Ingredients

• 200 g rolled oats
• 600 g plain Greek yoghurt (about 5% fat, or strained yoghurt)
• 400 ml milk of choice, unsweetened
• 320 g strawberries, chopped (fresh or thawed frozen)
• 60 g walnuts, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Method

1. Stir oats, yoghurt, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla until the oats are coated.
2. Divide among four jars. Top each with strawberries. Lid and refrigerate overnight.
3. In the morning, stir and finish with the walnuts.

Swap. Blueberries or chopped orange work the same way. Use soy yoghurt and soy milk if you prefer a dairy-free jar; protein stays useful if the yoghurt is fortified or soy-based.

Ingredients

• 40 g chia seeds
• 300 ml unsweetened soy milk or dairy milk
• 200 g blueberries, plus extra to serve
• 200 g plain Greek yoghurt
• 20 g almonds, toasted and chopped
• ½ tsp cinnamon

Method

1. Blend half the blueberries with the milk until purple and smooth.
2. Stir in the chia and cinnamon. Rest 10 minutes, stir again so the seeds do not clump, then divide into two jars.
3. Refrigerate overnight. Next day, top with yoghurt, remaining blueberries, and almonds.

Swap. Raspberries if you want more tartness. A spoon of almond butter instead of chopped almonds is fine; keep it to about 15 g so the pot does not become a nut-butter dessert.

Ingredients

• 2 red or orange peppers, sliced
• 300 g cherry tomatoes
• 1 small red onion, wedged
• 80 g baby spinach
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 8–10 olives, halved
• 4 large eggs
• Whole-grain bread, to serve (optional)
• Lemon and black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C. Toss peppers, tomatoes, and onion with oil, oregano, and pepper on a tray. Roast 18 minutes until the edges catch.
2. Stir through the spinach and olives. Make four wells and crack in the eggs. Roast 7–9 minutes more, until the whites set.
3. Finish with lemon. Serve with a slice of whole-grain bread if you want the grain serving in the same plate.

Swap. Use leftover roasted vegetables. For a no-egg tray, add a drained tin of chickpeas for the last 10 minutes and finish with yoghurt.

Ingredients

• 2 slices dense rye or other whole-grain bread
• 80–100 g cooked salmon or smoked salmon
• 200 g cottage cheese or thick plain yoghurt
• ⅓ cucumber, thinly sliced
• A handful of watercress or spinach
• 1 tbsp chopped dill
• Lemon juice, black pepper, and a few capers

Method

1. Stir dill, lemon, and pepper through the cottage cheese.
2. Spread on the rye. Layer cucumber, greens, and salmon. Finish with capers.

Swap. Canned salmon or sardines count and are cheaper. If you avoid fish, use mashed white beans with olive oil and lemon on the same rye.

Ingredients

• 300 g cooked brown or Puy lentils (from about 120 g dry, or 1½ tins, rinsed)
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 200 g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 80 g spinach
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 2 soft-boiled eggs, or 150 g Greek yoghurt to split
• Lemon, parsley, and black pepper
• 20 g walnuts, chopped (optional)

Method

1. Warm the oil in a pan. Sizzle the tomatoes and cumin until they slump. Add lentils and a splash of water; heat through.
2. Fold in the spinach to wilt. Divide between bowls.
3. Top with a halved egg or a mound of yoghurt, lemon, parsley, and walnuts.

Swap. Chickpeas or leftover bean stew work the same way. Skip the egg and keep the yoghurt if you have already had eggs that day.

Ingredients

• 20 g walnuts (a small handful, about 7 halves)
• 1 medium orange

Method

1. Count or weigh the walnuts. Put the rest of the bag away.
2. Peel the orange and eat it with the nuts. Juice does not count.

Swap. A clementine or kiwi works the same way. Almonds or pistachios can replace walnuts; keep the serving at about 20 g.

Ingredients

• 1 medium apple, sliced, skin on
• 15 g smooth or crunchy almond butter (about 1 level tablespoon)
• A pinch of cinnamon (optional)

Method

1. Slice the apple. Spoon the almond butter onto the plate; do not eat from the jar.
2. Dip or spread. Finish with cinnamon if you want it.

Swap. Pear instead of apple. Peanut butter or tahini is fine; keep it to 15 g. Skip nut butter and use 15 g chopped almonds if that is what you have.

Ingredients

• 1 × 400 g tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained (about 240 g cooked)
• 1½ tbsp tahini
• 1½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to finish
• Juice of ½ lemon
• 1 small garlic clove
• 2 carrots, cut into sticks
• 1 red or orange pepper, cut into strips
• Black pepper and a pinch of cumin

Method

1. Blend the chickpeas, tahini, oil, lemon, garlic, cumin, and a splash of water until spoonable. Season with pepper.
2. Divide the hummus between two bowls. Finish with a few drops of oil. Eat with the carrot and pepper sticks.

Swap. Shop hummus is fine if the first ingredients are chickpeas, tahini, and oil. Cucumber or fennel instead of pepper. Use a drained tin of white beans for a milder dip.

Ingredients

• 300 g frozen edamame, in pods or shelled
• Zest and juice of ½ lemon
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• A small pinch of salt

Method

1. Boil or microwave the edamame until hot, about 4 minutes. Drain well.
2. Toss with oil, lemon zest and juice, chilli, and salt. Eat from the pods if you have them; the work is part of the portion control.

Swap. Shelled edamame if you are eating at a desk. A pinch of smoked paprika instead of chilli. Frozen peas with the same dressing are a milder stand-in, not the same protein.

Ingredients

• 150 g cottage cheese
• 100 g cherry tomatoes, halved
• ⅓ cucumber, sliced
• 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Black pepper, lemon, and a few torn basil leaves or dill

Method

1. Spoon the cottage cheese into a bowl.
2. Top with tomatoes and cucumber. Finish with oil, lemon, pepper, and herbs.

Swap. Thick plain yoghurt if you prefer it. A few olives instead of extra salt. Skip the oil if the rest of the day is already olive-oil heavy.

Ingredients

• 2 × 400 g tins chickpeas, rinsed, drained, and patted very dry
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• Black pepper and a small pinch of salt

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C. Toss the dry chickpeas with oil, cumin, paprika, and pepper on a tray.
2. Roast 30–35 minutes, shaking once, until they rattle and the edges catch.
3. Cool on the tray. A small handful is a serving, about a quarter of the tray.

Swap. Use leftover cooked chickpeas. A pinch of chilli instead of paprika. Skip added salt if you already eat a high-sodium diet.

Ingredients

• 1 small tin sardines in olive oil or spring water (about 80–90 g drained)
• 2 dense rye crisps or 1 slice dense rye bread
• A few cucumber slices
• Lemon juice, black pepper, and a few capers or dill

Method

1. Drain the sardines. If they are in oil, leave a little on the fish and skip extra oil.
2. Pile onto the rye with cucumber, lemon, pepper, and capers.

Swap. Canned salmon or mackerel count. If you avoid fish, use mashed white beans with lemon and olive oil on the same rye.

Ingredients

• 60 g popcorn kernels
• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Black pepper and a small pinch of salt
• Optional: ½ tsp smoked paprika or nutritional yeast

Method

1. Put 1 tsp of the oil and the kernels in a large pot with a lid. Heat over medium until the popping slows to 2 seconds between pops.
2. Tip into two bowls. Toss with the remaining oil, pepper, and salt. Stop at one bowl.

Swap. An air-popper, then the same teaspoon of oil after. Skip salt if the rest of the day is already salty. Do not use microwave bags with butter flavouring.

Ingredients

• 300 g plain Greek yoghurt (about 5% fat, or strained yoghurt)
• 120 g blueberries, fresh or frozen
• 10 g ground flaxseed (about 1 tablespoon, split)
• ½ tsp cinnamon (optional)

Method

1. Divide the yoghurt between two jars. Stir cinnamon through if you want it.
2. Top with blueberries. Add the flax when you eat.

Swap. Soy yoghurt if you avoid dairy; choose one with a useful protein figure on the label. Raspberries instead of blueberries. A few chopped walnuts instead of flax still counts as the nut serving; do not use both if you already had nuts today.

Ingredients

• 1 × 400 g tin cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (about 240 g cooked)
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Juice and zest of ½ lemon
• 1 small garlic clove, grated, or a pinch of garlic powder
• 6–8 celery sticks
• Black pepper and a pinch of chilli flakes

Method

1. Mash the beans with oil, lemon, and garlic until spreadable, not a puree. Season with pepper.
2. Fill the celery grooves. Finish with chilli. Half the smash is a serving.

Swap. Chickpeas instead of white beans. Cucumber boats or pepper strips if celery is not your texture. A spoon of tahini in the smash if you want it richer; skip extra oil that day.

Ingredients

• 300 g strawberries, hulled and dry
• 40 g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa or higher
• 15 g pistachios, finely chopped
• A pinch of flaky salt (optional)

Method

1. Line a plate with baking paper. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over barely simmering water, or in short microwave bursts, stirring until smooth.
2. Dip each strawberry halfway. Set on the paper and sprinkle with pistachios and salt while the chocolate is still wet.
3. Chill 15 minutes until the shell sets. Eat as the chocolate dessert, not as a garnish on ice cream.

Swap. Raspberries or orange segments work if strawberries are out of season. Skip the salt if you already eat a high-sodium diet.

Ingredients

• 400 g plain Greek yoghurt (about 5% fat, or strained yoghurt)
• 200 g mixed berries, fresh or thawed frozen
• 30 g walnuts, roughly chopped
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Method

1. Stir cinnamon and vanilla through the yoghurt.
2. Layer yoghurt and berries in two glasses. Finish with walnuts.

Swap. Soy yoghurt if you avoid dairy; choose one with a useful protein figure on the label. Pecans or almonds can replace walnuts.

Ingredients

• 4 eating apples, halved and cored
• 40 g walnuts, chopped
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Zest and juice of ½ lemon
• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Plain yoghurt, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Heat the oven to 190°C. Set the apple halves cut-side up in a small baking dish.
2. Toss walnuts with cinnamon, lemon zest, and oil. Pack into the hollows. Squeeze over the lemon juice and add a splash of water to the dish.
3. Bake 25–30 minutes until the apples slump and the nuts smell toasted. Serve warm, with yoghurt if you want more protein.

Swap. Pears bake the same way. A chopped date in the filling is enough sweetness if the apples are tart; skip syrup.

Ingredients

• 400 g frozen mixed berries (no need to thaw)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Zest of ½ lemon
• 80 g rolled oats
• 40 g almonds, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp orange juice or water
• Plain yoghurt, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Heat the oven to 190°C. Tip the berries into a small baking dish with cinnamon and lemon zest.
2. Rub the oats and almonds with the oil and juice until the flakes look damp, not greasy. Scatter over the fruit.
3. Bake 22–26 minutes until the berries bubble and the oats toast. Rest 5 minutes. Serve with yoghurt if you want protein on the same spoon.

Swap. Use chopped apple or pear under the same lid. Walnuts instead of almonds are fine.

Ingredients

• 40 g chia seeds
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 300 ml unsweetened soy milk or dairy milk
• 200 g plain Greek yoghurt
• 150 g raspberries
• ½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Method

1. Whisk cocoa into a little of the milk until smooth, then whisk in the rest with the vanilla.
2. Stir in the chia. Rest 10 minutes, stir again so the seeds do not clump, then divide into two jars.
3. Refrigerate overnight. Next day, top with yoghurt and raspberries.

Swap. Strawberries or blueberries if raspberries are expensive. A teaspoon of maple is optional; taste the cocoa pot first.

Ingredients

• 2 ripe but firm pears, halved and cored
• 300 ml strongly brewed black or green tea, cooled slightly
• Peel of ½ lemon, plus extra zest to finish
• 1 cinnamon stick, or ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 150 g ricotta or thick plain yoghurt
• 20 g pistachios, chopped

Method

1. Put the pears cut-side down in a small pan with the tea, lemon peel, and cinnamon. The liquid should come about halfway up the fruit; add a splash of water if needed.
2. Simmer gently 12–18 minutes, turning once, until a knife meets little resistance. Lift out and reduce the liquor a few minutes if you want a spoonable syrup.
3. Plate with ricotta, a spoon of the liquor, pistachios, and lemon zest.

Swap. Cottage cheese instead of ricotta. Skip pistachios and use walnuts if that is what you have.

Ingredients

• 8 soft pitted dates (about 80 g)
• 80 g almonds
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, plus extra to roll
• Zest of ½ orange
• A pinch of salt
• 1 tsp water, only if the mix will not clump

Method

1. Blitz almonds to a coarse meal. Add dates, cocoa, orange zest, and salt. Pulse until the mix holds when pinched, adding the water only if it stays dry.
2. Roll into 8 small bites. Dust with a little cocoa. Two bites is a serving.

Swap. Walnuts instead of almonds. If the dates are dry, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes and drain well.

Ingredients

• 400 g plain Greek yoghurt
• 1 large orange, or 2 clementines, peeled and sliced
• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 20 g pistachios, chopped
• Black pepper or orange zest

Method

1. Divide the yoghurt between two bowls. Top with citrus.
2. Finish with olive oil, pistachios, and zest or a grind of pepper.

Swap. Grapefruit if you like more bitterness. A few chopped walnuts instead of pistachios still counts as the nut serving.

Ingredients

• 3 ripe bananas, sliced and frozen solid
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1–2 tbsp milk of choice, only as needed to blend
• 20 g walnuts, chopped
• ½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Method

1. Blend the frozen banana with cocoa and vanilla, stopping to scrape the bowl. Add milk a teaspoon at a time only if the blades stall.
2. Serve at once, or freeze 20 minutes for a firmer scoop. Finish with walnuts.

Swap. A spoon of yoghurt in the blender raises protein and loosens the mix. Frozen mango can replace one banana.

Ingredients

• 4 ripe figs, quartered (or 2 pears, sliced, when figs are out of season)
• 30 g walnuts
• 20 g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa or higher, broken into shards
• 100 g ricotta or thick yoghurt (optional)

Method

1. Arrange figs, walnuts, and chocolate on two plates.
2. Add a spoon of ricotta if you want more protein. Eat the chocolate last so a little of it goes further.

Swap. Dried figs work in a pinch; use two, because they are denser. Fresh berries can stand in for figs.