Everyday Super Food by Jamie Oliver

Jamie’s Everyday Super Food makes eating well exciting, delicious, easy and fun.

Yes yes yes! My biggest food inspiration and personal hero, Jamie Oliver, has released a new book and as always, it is exactly what I was looking for: Everyday Super Food! His philosophy behind his new book fits mine exactly: try to find a balance in your food. You may have noticed I have been selecting quite a lot of healthy food books the past few months, like My New Roots by Sarah Britton and OATrageous Oatmeals by Kathy Hester, both brilliant books that already taught me a lot. Jamie’s new book is a very welcome new addition to my book shelve, along with books from other experts like Sarah Britton and Deliciously Ella. Mixing and matching and learning as much as I can in the process, that’s what it’s all about! Apart from his new book, he’ll also launch 2 brand new Channel 4 series, both focussing on healthy eating.

“In a powerful, one-off documentary Jamie’s Sugar Rush, he will be investigating the huge contribution sugar is making to rising global health problems. Jamie will be travelling the world, visiting countries such as Mexico, to investigate how everyone from young children to parents are being affected by advertising for sugary products, how many ‘healthy’ foods are actually sugar-laden and can be damaging to our health, as well as meeting people suffering the devastating effects of Type 2 diabetes, brought on partly by excess sugar in their diets. Jamie will be asking challenging questions about the urgent action needed to address this global issue.
Meanwhile in Jamie’s Super Food, a six-part series, Jamie will be also be on the road, this time travelling to some of the healthiest places on the planet to uncover the secrets of just why these areas have the most centenarians in the world. He’ll then bring all that knowledge back to the UK, providing us with easy, exciting, delicious recipes that we can cook up at home, every day.” – Channel 4

Book description
‘Packed with vitamins, bursting with flavour: irresistible new recipes from Jamie Oliver’ – Sunday Times
No matter how busy you are, you’ll find that healthy eating the Jamie way is both straightforward and achievable, making it super easy to choose exactly the kind of meals that suit you.
The book is divided into breakfasts (up to 400 calories), lunches (up to 600 calories) and dinners (up to 600 calories), and every tasty meal is nutritionally balanced so that any combination over the day will bring you in under your recommended daily allowance of calories (2000 women/2,500 men), allowing you to enjoy snacks and drinks on the side.

You can eat Smoothie Pancakes with Berries, Banana, Yoghurt and Nuts for breakfast, Tasty Fish Tacos with Game-Changing Kiwi, Lime and Chilli Salsa for lunch and Griddled Steak and Peppers with Herby-Jewelled Tabbouleh Rice for dinner, and still be healthy! Whether you dip in and out of it, eat from the book Monday to Friday or use it faithfully every day for a month, it’s totally up to you.
In Everyday Super Food, Jamie’s done all the hard work for you – all you need to do is choose a delicious recipe, cook it up and, most importantly, enjoy it. Every meal in this book is a good choice and will bring you a step closer to a healthier, happier you.

You can buy this book on Amazon UK, Amazon US or Amazon DE

Happiness pasta, Sweet tomato, aubergine & ricotta

Notes from the author, Jamie Oliver
One of the most useful things you can remember is that you don’t have to be spot-on every day – just try to get your balance right across the week. Mix up your choices within the chapters to ensure you’re having a varied diet and a wide range of nutrients, and you’ll be getting everything you need. As a general guide for main meals, if you eat meat and fish you’re looking at at least two portions of fish a week, one of which should be oily (such as salmon, trout or mackerel), then splitting the rest of the week’s main meals between brilliant meat-free plant-based meals, some poultry and a little red meat. An all-vegetarian diet can be perfectly healthy too.

What is the balanced plate?
Bear with me on this one – it’s going to get a little technical – but it’s important to register the facts up front about how to approach putting a meal together. Just look at the table below and you’ll get the gist – it’s easy really.

How does that work in Everyday Super Food?
Working closely with my lovely nutrition team and following UK guidelines, I’ve structured all the recipes in the new book in a really clear and easy-to-follow way:

• All the breakfast recipes are less than 400 calories per portion and contain less than 4g of saturated fat and less than 1.5g of salt
• All the lunches and dinners are less than 600 calories per portion and contain less than 6g of saturated fat and less than 1.5g of salt – so all of these recipes are interchangeable

I’ve also included snacks of up to 100 calories, giving you the freedom to enjoy a few tasty energy-boosting snacks a day, with some calories left for drinks.

What does that mean in real life?
In general, the average woman needs about 2,000 calories a day, while the average man can have about 2,500. I’m sure you’re aware that these figures are just a guide, and what we eat always needs to be considered in relation to factors like age, build, lifestyle and activity levels. The good news is that all food and drinks can be eaten and drunk in moderation as part of a healthy, balanced diet, so we don’t have to completely give up anything that we really enjoy, unless we’re advised to do so by a doctor or dietitian.
My grandad’s philosophy on life was simple – everything in moderation and a little bit of what you like, and that still stands very true today. Even nutritionists eat cake!

Brilliant beautiful breakfast
Here’s one super-easy thing that I want you to take from this book: eat breakfast! Simple as that. This mighty meal is often overlooked, but it’s so important in setting you up for the day. Not only will it fill you up and help prevent you snacking on foods high in fat/sugar, it can kick you off with a boost of micronutrients, such as iron, fibre, the B vitamins and vitamin D. It’s been shown that when you miss breakfast you’re unlikely to make up on those missed nutrients throughout the rest of the day, so get into good habits and build it into your daily routine from the outset.

Celebrating H2O
Drinking water is absolutely essential. Although it’s not – for obvious reasons – part of the balanced plate, it is totally integral to a balanced diet. It keeps us hydrated and alert and keeps our bodies functioning properly. Often when we think we’re hungry we’re actually dehydrated, so drinking plenty of water can also help prevent us over-eating! Like anything, our requirements vary depending on factors such as age, gender, build, lifestyle and activity levels, as well as things like humidity and the temperature around us. As a general rule, women should aim for at least 1.6 litres per day, while men need at least 2 litres. Embrace it, celebrate it, and enjoy humble H2O every day.
You can buy this book on Amazon UK, Amazon US or Amazon DE

Griddled steak & peppers herby jewelled tabouleh rice