Plant based food plan can be so satiating, rich in flavour and low in calories. I loathe calorie counting as it so often sets up an unhealthy relationship with food. However, we also know that eating a diet rich in nutrients and keeping within a reasonable weight range promotes longevity so its important to strike a balance.

An autumnal plant-based lunch in which warm salad meets spiced Indian curry.

Autumn is a great time to add some more plant-based recipes to your usual light lunch options before the indulgences of the festive period begin. This is a recipe from our 5:2 well-being evening at Marram trading last night. Coming in at around 250 calories per serving, this dish works well as part of an Intermittent Fasting Plan or purely to boost your nutrients with tasty, simple eating.

I know its autumn but I’m just not quite ready for warming soups and pumpkins. Maybe this is a vague attempt at clinging onto the summer; then so be it.

This salad brings into play the orange hues of the season but adds an exotic twist with its tropical main contender – the Papaya. This fruit has many health properties. Renowned as a digestive aid so fabulous for those needing an anti-oxidant fruit boost without all the acidity of common fruits such as apples and oranges.

Papayas contain an enzyme called papain that aids digestion; so much so in fact, historically it has been used as a meat tenderizer and perhaps still is. Papaya is also high in fibre and water content, both of which help to prevent constipation and promote regularity and a healthy digestive tract.

馴�͜G"Uw

It is not true that picky eating is always indicative of a mental health issue but it is important to try to nip pickiness in the bud early on as selective eating deprives a child of the building blocks of good physical and mental health. A child is more likely to experience calm and rationale feelings if their diet provides suitable amounts of complex carbohydrates, essential fats, amino acids, vitamins and minerals and water

This traditional and colourful Spanish take on the French ratatouille dish uses delicious seasonal ingredients which can be easily sourced. It’s also a plant-based low-calorie dish which fits well into a weight loss programme. Counting calories is a habit I tend to avoid as food is about pleasure, taste and enjoyment … not Maths! However, this autumn I’m working with clients to get into the habit of producing high nutrition meals yet low in calories. This recipe is part of my 5:2 weight loss/healthy eating programme. Once you’ve got the hang of eating in a low-calorie style there is no need to calculate.

This recipe uses "beni-imo" – the wonderful sweet potato. I once read in my bible (The Okinawa Way) that the sweet potato is so well respected as part of this healthy culture that a common greeting in which we, in the UK, may offer ‘How are you today’ in Okinawa you may hear

‘Nmu kamatooin’ which translates as ‘Have you had your Imo today’?

A delicious sweet dessert or nibble for any age group! But this is an especially great recipe for getting children involved in both cooking and also for creating their own lunchbox items. This could be a gluten free dessert if the flour is substituted. Also low in sugar with the replacement of half the sugar with ground almonds.

I love days when I’m prepping for a foodie workshop. Decided to create something with a summery vibe, an original taste with a super zingy feel – I’m focussing on ‘turmeric’ …..

This incredibly light and summery salad is full of flavour and incredibly satisfying due to the broad bean content which offers a decent amount of protein to keep us fuller for longer. The creamy yogurt dressing, with its zesty bite,  works well to meld these fresh garden textures together.

Two recipes from last night’s creative Superfoods Well-being Workshop in West Sussex. Over-night oats supreme and Goji Berry jam.

Gorgeous food can be so easy on the pocket and thrown together for home eating or to take to work. We’d pay more for a take out coffee and twice this for a decent ready-made sandwich and certainly would be missing out on the anti-ageing properties!

I love a good shot of coffee. But just one, as I’m too aware of what’s going on behind the scenes. Caffeine’s effects on the ‘happy hormone’ dopamine is what concerns me – well, concerns me on the one hand – but also drives me towards that morning shot. Yes, caffeine is addictive. This substance is able to increase dopamine levels using the same mechanism as heroin and cocaine; by slowing down the reabsorption of dopamine thereby leaving more plentiful amounts in the brain. The effect, clearly, is much weaker than that of heroin (or Trainspotting would have been a PG, shot in Starbucks and a whole lot tamer).

Two fabulous superfood recipes ...

For centuries naturopaths have used evaluation tools such as assessing nails, hair and the tongue. These I utilise within the clinic. We also discuss reoccurring facial spots and blemishes and may use Ph strips to test alkalinity. However, I do like to get some data too. Testing with blood, saliva, urine or the stool can really push forward with alleviating symptoms and reaching those health goals.

This is a perfect recipe to hand over to the kids when they come in from school. Kids love a bit of space and freedom when they get in from a long day of rules and restrained behaviour.

Very little supervision is required depending of course on the age of the kids. With my two 11 year old assistant chefs I could just pass them the recipe and the rest was an excited hour of peeling, slicing, mixing and important delegation. There is plenty of room for creativity and hands on scrunching so just step back and allow the process to unfold. Of course, they will be involved in the cleaning up process too!

Daily energy metabolism can be considered as having three elements: basal metabolic rate, diet-induced thermogenesis and the energy cost of physical activity.

If we are looking to increase energy use in order to feel more satiated by foods or to shed a little excess weight then we need to consider rebalancing energy in and energy out. Alongside eating lower density foods and ramping up the physical activity we can look at which food increase thermogenesis – the converting of calories into heat.

One of my favourite contenders is the wonderfully sleek and visually pleasing chili pepper. Researchers have found that it is capsaicin, the active chemical in chili peppers, that can induce thermogenesis, and increase feeling of satiety thereby reducing hunger.

It’s quick and easy to tell kids we are proud of them. But they also need to be proud of themselves.

I asked, “What makes you proud”? “I make me proud she said”.

We can’t always say the right thing as parents but what we can do is listen with empathy and praise with enthusiasm. It’s tough, sometimes, growing up. Kids have so many doubts and worries about themselves and their surroundings. So what can we do?

Fig and Walnut Flapjacks with an Orange Zing

This is a family favourite and wonderful for days spent cooking with the kids. So important to invest time in encouraging kids to cook, to blend and to play with flavours in order to keep them interested in food and comfortable in the kitchen.

Parents often ask me for ideas on what to put in lunch boxes – this works well for kids and adults alike. To be eaten in moderation of course.