As more people are staying at home in light of the novel coronavirus it’s probably a good time to get your pantry in order. That doesn’t mean you have to go crazy and buy out the whole store or fight over toilet paper (we’ve all seen THAT video). Ok rolling on…

As a minimalist, neat freak 😉 the idea of stockpiling to me is a tough one, personally I try to live with just one of everything. However, I also think about the many people who can’t get out to the shops regularly, people who are not well and need certain ingredients and medications. The last thing we need is for the elderly or people in need to be out of supply of their everyday essentials because others are buying and hoarding unnecessary amounts.

I’ve had some requests from clients this week for a plan and shopping list, so I’d love to show you how to stockpile your pantry for a 14-day period in case you need to be at home due to quarantine reasons. I’ve based it upon feeding a family of four. Just halve the amount for couples or quarter for singles.

You don’t need to be a doomsday prepper to get into stockpiling, it’s really a case of being prepared and having things on hand when you need them, and by the way, I don’t just mean 12 cans of pre-made pasta sauce, 14 tins of spam and oodles of pasta shells.

I’d love to give you some ideas on healthy and affordable meals you can make at home too. I understand that budget is also a concern for some but if you buy the basics in bulk, you can have a healthy stockpile whether you’re a large family or a cash-strapped student.

Another way to think about the potential of being at home and getting your pantry sorted is the way that you look at food itself. When you think about food, look at it as investment in your life and family, with smart meal planning and budgeting, these acts can become a simple yet beautiful source of fulfillment in your life. Cooking is a wonderful activity to get the whole family involved in, and a nice return to a more grounded and simple way of life.

Food is part of our everyday lives so it’s important to make eating well as easy and enjoyable as possible during this time.  Whether you’re a meat-eater, flexitarian, keto enthusiast, paleo, vegetarian, vegan, gut lover or somewhere in between, don’t worry I’ve got you, I’ve created a shopping list that can work for everyone, it just takes a little bit of mixing and matching.

Traditionally in emergency situations, basic general needs come into play, but that doesn’t mean you need to live off bland and boring food. If you make a plan, you can enjoy a great variety of colourful foods that are high in nutrients and ones that will make you feel good AND look after your health.

So where to start? There’s nothing worse, and I mean nothing, than a chaotic spread of every ingredient lurking in the pantry. The very idea of it makes my skin crawl! That being said, first thing’s first, let’s get the hard thing out of the way.

I need you to go through every single item in your pantry and fridge and bin anything that’s past it’s use-by-date or likely to give you food poisoning! Then put things back in date order if you can with supplies you need to use first at the front and then staples and longer use items at the back. I personally love the idea of a ‘one ingredient pantry’, where everything is a single spice, herb, grain or other food item.

Next up it’s all about meal prep, meal prep, meal prep! Figure out your meal plans for the 14 days and plot in when you’ll be cooking and eating specific recipes. Take note of everything from breakfast to dinner, including any herbal teas or snacks you may like to have on hand. There are a bunch of easy recipes here on the blog from Shepherd’s Pie to Moussaka and Savoury Mince too. I’ve also got my Top Ten Sit Down Family Meals.

A little bit of prep now makes your whole day a lot easier later on; trust me! You can read more about meal prepping here. This way you’ll fill your kitchen with everything you need, without needing to worry about breaking your budget and wasting purchases. If you're on a budget it helps to do a quick price comparison and check the prices at your supermarket or local grocer and think about bulk options that are available in your area.

Once you’ve done this, you’ll need to make time for food preparation, just think of it as a fun activity and get the family involved. Do you need to make your own bone broths or buy them? Are there times you wont be able to cook dinner, requiring a batch-cooking session beforehand? Note all these subtleties, so your meal planning helps you rather than acts as a burden.

Think about where you do the majority of your food shopping. It may be the time to consider local producers, co-ops, buy in bulk stores and services that offer the best price and quality ingredients before you go out on your stockpiling spree.  Sometimes, online grocery shopping can be even cheaper than your usual store and as an added bonus; it's delivered straight to your door. How easy is that? Plus, online stores often have special offers so keep an eye out for them.

I’ve got the two-week shopping list ready for you below, so maybe print it off and check off the things already in your pantry, fridge and freezer. This will totally change the productivity of your household food gathering. It’ll ensure you’re fully prepped.

The best place to start when looking at the pantry is with your non-perishables and we’ll start with…

Grains, Seeds and Pasta

An absolute staple, grains, seeds and pasta are among the most affordable ingredients you can add to any meal. Using brown or basmati rice (healthier than white), quinoa and buckwheat (if you’re gluten free) and oats will enable you to create some hearty and nourishing dishes. Each one is versatile, budget-friendly and will last for months sealed in a jar in your pantry.

If you plan to reheat a dish that you’ve made the night before, add some brown rice or grains to bulk it up and allow it to serve the whole family – and at the same time it makes it even more affordable. Repurposing last night’s roast meat or vegetables into a fried rice is super-fast and makes for a tasty and convenient lunch the next day. Brown rice is full of fibre and a great way to satisfy your tummy.

Quinoa has become more popular over the last 
few years and it’s a more affordable and versatile ‘powerfood’ of today. The versatility of quinoa is good as it can transport you from breakfast to dinner.

Buckwheat has also become a go-to grain substitute in recent times, and is a scrumptious alternative to rice or can be made into porridge for a warming breakfasts, good for autumn in Australia.

Oat porridge is a perfect way to start a cooler autumn day. Tasty and tremendously satisfying, oats are high in fibre and a perfect way to ensure the family is satisfied. Or try this Quinoa Porridge with Cinnamon and Apple.

For a 14-day period for a family of four, buy the following, in bulk if possible:

• 1 x 5kg bag of rice
• 2 x 1 kg bag of quinoa
• 1 x 5kg bag of oats
• 1 x 1kg bag buckwheat
• 3 x bags pasta

Have Your Fingers on the Pulses

Pulses (or legumes) will play a key role in your supercharged stockpiling. Stocking chickpeas, cannellini beans, lentils, split peas and other pulses is a convenient and inexpensive way to jazz up the leftover vegetables from last night’s dinner. You’ll be able to create a lentil curry, a totally dahl-icious Supercharged Dahl or Chickpea Marrakesh Casserole, or make mouth-watering dips. Split peas are great to add to soups or casseroles and make dishes last longer.

Pulses provide protein, complex carbohydrates and several vitamins and minerals that give sustained energy throughout the day. They’re known to lower blood pressure and reduce LDL cholesterol levels, adding a supercharged kick to any meal.

Unopened raw pulses can last for years in the pantry, reducing the chance of waste, and are really simple to prepare. Once you’ve cooked up a batch of your favourite pulse, you can store any unused portion in the fridge for up to five days as a quick and easy addition to your remaining week’s meals.

Throw the following in your trolley:

• 1 x 5kg bag red or green lentils
• 1 x 2 kg bag of split peas
• 1 x 1 kg cannellini beans

Stock Up on Healthy Flavour Providers

Onions and garlic, both from the Allium genus of plants, are
 two of my favourite flavour accompaniments to use in cooking. They don’t just play an important culinary role; they also provide a plethora of health benefits.

Onions can stay fresh for well over a month in your pantry, and garlic can last for more than three months, so you’ll have your flavour friends right by your side for a good length of time.

Shine a light on these bulbs:

• 7 x garlic bulbs
• 8 x brown and red onions

Flavour Up with Dried Herbs and Spices

Herbs and spices are a dream come true in the kitchen; there’s hardly a dish that doesn’t benefit from including them. You can grown them or buy them fresh or dried. If you have fresh, to keep them longer, dry or dehydrate them yourself and store.

Some tasty herbs to use in your kitchen everyday and incorporate into your menu planning are ones such as mint, which can be used as a tea too or in salads, vegetables and lamb dishes.

Sage is good too. It’s a herb often used by herbalists as a remedy for respiratory infections. The oils and tannins in Sage have astringent, antiseptic and irritant properties, helping to loosen up congestion, treat coughs and soothe sore throats. You can flavour meats, roasts and vegetables with sage.  I love making crispy sage leaves you can find out how here.

Rosemary is an anti-inflammatory and restorative herb that has a soothing effect on the nerves. It’s lovely when paired with oven roasted vegetables and meat dishes.

Oregano is another good herb to stockpile. It’s known as a strong antiseptic as it’s high in Carvacrol, a type of phenol known for its potency and its perfect with fish and Italian dishes.

For some spice add some Cayenne pepper into the mix. It’s made from the dried pods of chilli peppers. It helps the body to create hydrochloric acid, which enhances digestion and assimilation of protein too. During the 14-day period, pop it in your stir-fries, curries, Asian inspired dishes and soups.

The next herb to put on the list is Basil, as it’s very high in antioxidants, especially when used in the form of an oil or extract. Incorporating Basil into your diet will assist in reducing occurrences of common colds and the flu. Basil also holds antibacterial properties and can be used to disinfect surfaces. Add to salads, pizza and pasta dishes.

Tick Turmeric off you’re stockpiling list, it can be used widely to flavor foods. I like to sprinkle it on oven-roasted cauliflower, and use in soups and curries. You might want to try this anti-inflammatory toddy recipe.

Grab some Ginger as it helps to stimulate the body’s circulation, providing relief for people with poor blood supply to the hands and feet. Ginger is beneficial if you’re experiencing a fever as it induces sweating, working to cool the body temperature. Try a cup of Ginger tea or use in Asian dishes, relishes, dips and soups.

It’s also great to include other flavor providers such as Cumin, Coriander, Curry powder and Chilli. You can read my tips on how to build a spice rack here if you’re keen to get one going.

So on your herbs and spices list if you don’t already have them, add the following:

• Mint
• Sage
• Rosemary
• Oregano
• Parsley
• Cayenne Pepper
• Basil
• Turmeric
• Ginger
• Cumin
• Coriander
• Curry powder
• Chilli

Spend some Dough on Flours and Baking Essentials

If you like to cook and enjoy baking there are a number of flours and ingredients that last the distance in your pantry. Flours such as gluten free flour, almond meal, rice flour, spelt flour or coconut flour can be used to create delicious bakes for the family. Golden flax meal (or grind up your own flaxseeds) is also a good one to have on hand to add to smoothies, porridge, yoghurts and desserts.

It’s handy to have some other baking items such as baking powder, bicarb of soda, desiccated coconut, rice paper wrappers, vanilla, cacao powder for healthy muffins too. If you don’t like baking or not keen to make your own bread, stock up on your favourite bread or wraps and place them in the freezer.

Add these to your pantry if you like baking

• 2 x 1 kg Almond Meal
• 1 packet Gluten Free flour
• 1 packet Rice Flour
• 1 packet Flaxseeds
• 1 x Baking Powder
• 1 x Bi Carb of Soda
• 1 packet Desiccated Coconut
• 1 packet Rice Paper Wrappers
• 1 x Vanilla Essence
• 1 x packet Cacao Powder
• Bread- 6 x loaves/wraps for freezing

Stack Up Tinned Fish and Eggs

Making your own quick and tasty meals is easy when you store tinned sardines, tuna and anchovies in your pantry. Bursting with anti-inflammatory properties, these little guys are budget- friendly and tremendously convenient to keep on hand if you prefer preparing fresh meals swiftly but don’t want to sacrifice flavour. Eggs are a great source of protein too and are fantastic when making frittatas with frozen veg, so stock up on those they come in very handy.

Reach for the following:

• 9 x tins Tuna
• 5 x tins Sardines
• 1 x jar Anchovies
• 3 x dozen Eggs

Think Tasty Tinned Tomatoes

From pasta sauces to vegetable bakes and soups to casseroles, there’s no limit to what trusty tinned tomatoes can do for your kitchen, especially if you don’t have fresh on hand. They add a richness of flavour to many a meal, and are a versatile product. When transforming a roast into a stew, or converting unused vegetables into pasta, tinned tomatoes are essential for simple but flavoursome cooking.

• 7 x tinned Tomatoes

Dress Up Your Dishes with Dressings, Oils and Vinegars

To add some instant flavour and bring your ingredients together, maintain stocks of a few basic dressings, oils and vinegars. Start with wheat-free tamari, apple cider vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Wheat-free tamari is a thicker, less salty, fermented soy sauce that can be used in Asian and non-Asian cooking to add a full, savoury umami flavour to your dishes.

Originally used as a food preservative, vinegar is a must-have condiment for flavour and acidic balance. Apple cider vinegar, is delicious as a marinade or salad dressing, and is known for its vast list of medicinal benefits, including supporting digestion and providing an energy boost.

Extra virgin olive oil is a necessity in a supercharged stockpile, and you may find yourself using it daily. The ‘extra virgin’ refers to the oil being of the highest quality, harvested when the fruit is at its peak and processed straight away. Extra virgin olive oil is completely natural, and it tastes so rich and charming its no wonder the Italians add it to everything!

• 1 x bottle apple cider vinegar or balsamic
• 1 jar real mayonnaise
• 1 x bottle good quality extra virgin olive Oil
• 1 x bottle flaxseed oil
• 1 x bottle wheat-free tamari
• 2 x cartons of stock (if not making your own)

Get Cracking on Seeds and Nuts and Cereals

These are some of the most adaptable ingredients, adding a crunchy texture and earthy flavour to your sweet or savoury dishes. They also taste great on their own as a nifty little nibble. Keep on hand almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, pecans, walnuts, pine nuts and pistachios.

If you haven’t experimented much with seeds, try chia and linseeds (flaxseeds). Sprinkle chia seeds over your breakfast or fruit salad for some added protein and fibre. You can eat flaxseeds whole – sprinkled over your breakfast or used in homemade muesli bars. Another way to use them is in breads and muffins, after grinding them to meal using a high-speed blender (or you can buy them ready-ground at the supermarket).

Nut and seed butters are a scrumptious and filling spread to stockpile, peanut is great and so is a nut mix. A favourite of mine
 is tahini, made from ground sesame seeds. It’s also handy for transforming dishes: added to casseroles, roasted vegetables or even smoothies, tahini lends a thick and creamy texture.

A few boxes of your favourite cereal will keep you going if you don’t feel like making your own granola but if you do I have a great Supercharged Granola recipe here or some Golden Gut Granola Clusters.

Choose these nuts and cereals:

• 1 x kg nuts of choice
• 1 x jar tahini
• 1 x packet chia seeds
• 1 x packet flaxseeds
• 3 x boxes of cereal

Milk and Udder Types (Dairy or Non-Dairy Milks)

Stock up the pantry with long-life milk, natural nut milk, oat milk, coconut milks, rice milk or seed milk (hemp!). These are all great options to add to your breakfast muesli or porridge. If you’re extra-handy in the kitchen, you can always make your own. When creating curries, soups, casseroles or stews, or even thickening up a sauce or gravy to pour over meat, coconut milk is a close friend. Purchase milks in the carton and store in your pantry until you’re ready to use. Once opened, the carton should be stored in the fridge and used within a few days.

• 10 litres x milk of choice
• 4 cans coconut milk

Sweeten Your Meals Naturally

Alternatives to refined sugar and artificial sweeteners include rice malt syrup, raw honey and fruits. They’re a good way to satisfy your sweet tooth while protecting your waistline, particularly if you aren’t getting much exercise or you’re not out and about.

• 1 x jar honey or rice malt syrup

Long Life Vegetables

These vegetables have a longer lifespan and will stay fresh in your pantry. Store them in a cool dry spot with your garlic and onions.

• 2 x Pumpkin
• 1 x Cabbage
• 1kg x Carrots
• 2 x Celery
• 2 bags x Potatoes
• 1 bag x Sweet Potatoes

FILLING THE FRIDGE

The fridge is also an important component of any supercharged kitchen. To add an extra hit of flavour and get really creative with your cooking, here are my favourite fridge-friendly foods.

Hey Pesto! Tomato Paste, Pesto and Olives


These ingredients are always in my fridge, and I use them 
on pizzas or pasta, or in dips or winter casseroles. Having them on hand ensures that when the time comes to transform meals, you’re all set to get crafty without any time wasting. They offer a very convenient opportunity to convert unused vegetables into spiralised pasta with a fresh pesto or marinara sauce in just minutes. I also find capers are a great addition to any savoury dish.

Place these items in your basket:

• 6 x tubs Tomato Paste
• 3 x Pestos
• 1 x jar Olives
• 1 x jar Capers

Fam Favourites, Cheeses and Yoghurts

Having cheese on hand allows you to jazz up vegetables, pizza or even on toast. Yoghurts can be used to craft a creamy yet light dressing for a salad or simply enjoy them with some berries and granola or seeds scattered on top.

• 2 x blocks Cheese of choice or one grated variety
• 2 x Goats Cheese or Soft Cheeses
• 2 large tubs plain Greek Yoghurt

A FUSS FREE FREEZER

Contrary to popular belief, 'fresh produce' doesn’t always necessarily mean it’s really fresh. The fresh fruits and vegetables you buy at your local supermarket may already be a week old by the time they’re put on display. If you don’t have access to fresh, it’s not a bad idea to opt for frozen. Frozen produce might sometimes be even healthier because they’re frozen immediately which locks in all the essential nutrients.

Depending on the size of your freezer, some of the essential freezer nitty-gritties to have on hand are homemade stock, and frozen veggies and fruits. Other odds and ends that can keep in your freezer are ginger, dough or batter, veggie burgers, edamame (soya bean pods), nuts, flaxseed meal, flours and muffin mixes.

Peas Please, Frozen Vegetables

Having some packets of snap-frozen vegetables in your freezer will get you through. They’ll come in handy when you need a quick satisfying bite. Then all you need do is open your pantry and add your choice of pulses and tinned tomatoes or a pre-made sauce, and voilà! You have everything you need to create a home-cooked meal.

• A mixture of frozen vegetables, peas, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower (rice) corn, spinach. (I also grow my own kale and rocket and freeze them for smoothies). See how much room you have in your freezer.

Icy Slicys, Frozen Fruits

A final must-have for your freezer is frozen fruits. I know their list of health benefits is as long as your arm, but they’re also delicious. Instead of wasting those sweet fruits, keeping frozen fruits on hand avoids waste. And they make a convenient solution for an uplifting smoothie or a refreshing breakfast, scattered over a granola or yoghurt. Try mixing frozen fruits into your next sweet dessert. Buy green bananas and let them ripen naturally, then when ready eat them and pop the rest in the freezer

• 1 x packet frozen Mango
• 2 x packets frozen Blueberries or Berries
• 14 x green Bananas, ripened, eaten then the remainder peeled and (frozen)

Don’t Be Paltry with Red Meat, Fish and Poultry

If you’re eating red meat, chicken or fish, these can be stored in the freezer depending on space.

Select beef, lamb, mince, chicken, and fish based on your family’s preferences and needs, and store them in the freezer. When dealing with fish, it's essential to adhere to the best practices for freezing fish to ensure both quality and safety.

For convenient and delicious homemade meals, stock up on tinned sardines, tuna, and anchovies in your pantry. If you're a fan of fresh fish, following the best practices for freezing fish will guarantee that you can savour high-quality seafood whenever you desire.

Once you start emptying the freezer you can then move perishables into the freezer and others from the pantry to the fridge so that you have a continual fresh supply. Look at it like a kitchen rotation. A fab way to rescue vegetables and fruit is by dehydrating them. Check out my guide to dehydrating here.

I hope this has given you a few ideas if you need to stockpile your kitchen. And a few last minute tips from me, have plenty of teas and coffee so you can enjoy your time at home, plus they fill you up between meals.

Try our Love Your Gut powder to keep your gut health and gut immune system strong, it also helps to keep you regular if you’re not doing your usual exercise routine. Use the time at home to start something new, perhaps try intermittent fasting twice a week or do an online yoga class or practice meditation! Please enjoy my free Guided Meditation for Anxiety and Stress.

And remember, stockpiling your pantry doesn’t mean that you can’t have flavour in your meals. Use this time to try out a few new recipes, no need to go stir crazy at home, just stir it up in the kitchen instead, and you never know, you might even find some enticing meals your whole family will enjoy and ones that will turn into family favourites.

The Supercharged Stockpiling Your Pantry 14-Day Shopping List

Download your FREE PDF here.

Are you feeling the resistance against starch? With the rise of the Ketogenic diet comes the decline of fibres essential for our digestive system. In France, I’m sure they’d call it: Le starch de résistance.

Sacré bleu!

If you’re cutting out carbohydrates to make way for fat loss, I urge you to reconsider. Carbohydrates, particularly fibre, resistant starches, and prebiotic rich foods are essential for optimising the health of our digestive system.

One of the best ways to support a thriving gut microbiome is to feed it.

Just like teeny weeny, microscopic babies with wide open mouths, your gut microbes await your feeding, and just like humans, they can be fed junk or they can be breast-fed with the foods that they were created to thrive on—prebiotics, the special carbohydrate molecules non-digestible by humans that survive our digestive tract and reach our colon intact before selectively feeding specific strains of bacteria.

There are three classifications of prebiotics:

Non-starch polysaccharides—such as inulin and fructooligosaccharide, soluble fibre – including psyllium and acacia fibres, and resistant starch.

Resistant starch is a type of starch that isn’t digested in the stomach or small intestine, but reaches the colon having “resisted” digestion. There are different four types of resistant starch:

• RS Type 1 found in grains seeds and legumes, where the fibre is bound up in the fibrous cell walls of the plants
• RS Type 2 which is starch with high amylose content. This is indigestible in its raw state; which includes potatoes, green bananas and plantains which when cooked the resistant starch is removed and it becomes digestible to us. This can also include plantain and green banana flour which is now more readily available in supermarkets.
• RS Type 3 which forms when type 1 or type 2 is cooked and then cooled below 54 degrees Celsius. Heating these foods back up to high temperatures will again convert the starch into the digestible form, where it will not last to feed the bacteria in the colon. Examples include cooked and cooled lentils, cooked and cooled potatoes or cooked and cooled rice.
• RS Type 4 is the synthetic form of RS which would include hi-maize resistant starch, which is not recommended. This is one particular ingredient that sends my gut into summersaulting spiral curls! Hi-maize resistant starch can be found in a growing group of commercial products, such as bread, pasta and snack bars.

The first three types of RS are your friends and consuming them will allow your good microbes to “feed” on RS and produce short chain fatty acids through fermentation.

The most significant of which are acetate, butyrate, and propionate. Butyrate is of special importance due to its beneficial effects on the colon and overall health- entering the bloodstream through the colon and having an anti-inflammatory effect on the body, as well as decreasing intestinal permeability and the effects of leaky gut.

Let’s chat fibre. While we all know we need fibre to help with trips to the bathroom, a lot of us aren’t consuming a sufficient amount. As a population, we require approximately 30g of fibre per day, which the majority of us aren’t receiving.

Dietary fibre consumption, as well as carbohydrates, can protect against non-communicable diseases and reduce weight gain. According to the World Health Organisation, non-communicable diseases, known as chronic diseases, can be categorised into four subtypes: “cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes”. The low content of fibre in the modern diet may be a contributing factor towards the development of these diet-related chronic conditions.

Research has been conducted about the health benefits of fibre for over a century. It’s been indicated that fibre-rich whole foods retain their structure once they’re transported in the gut, helping to increase satiety and help with weight control. Professor Jim Mann also explains that the “breakdown of fibre in the large bowel has additional benefits, including protection from colorectal cancer” (1).

A diet high in fibre can help reshape the microbiome, creating an abundance of microbial species that reduce blood sugar (2). This means that a high-fibre diet may be able to prevent and treat diabetes.

Foods rich in fibre include whole grains, vegetables, fruit and pulses.  Root vegetables are also just so easy to root for. Starchy root vegetables, like sweet potato, yams, jicama, yacon, turnips, parsnips and squash are easy-to-digest and cleansing for the body. They contain fibre and nutrients, meaning that they help keep you satiated.

Whilst these vegetables tend to be sweet in taste, they have a low level of natural sugar and a low glycemic index level. Foods with a low glycemic index are less likely to cause an increase in blood sugar levels. Root vegetables in general are also high in vitamins A and C so great boosters for the immune system. Learn more about how to kick start the immune system and get my Roasted Garlic Bisque recipe here.

Cleaning the gut is important too, so that you can have a healthy balance of good and bad bacteria.  My Love Your Gut powder gently cleans the gut (it's best to avoid harsh cleanses and detoxifiers) so you can gently benefit from a clean and toned gut.

Resistant starch is a type of fibre that makes its way through the stomach and small intestine undigested, eventually reaching the gut where it helps feed the friendly bacteria. This increases the production of short-chain fatty acids, lowering the pH of the bowel and making it harder for pathogens to live there. Studies indicate that resistant starch can benefit heart health and weight loss, improving blood sugar control, insulin sensitivity and digestion.

Foods high in resistant starch include oats, rice, whole grains, legumes and potatoes. Try my Oat Flour Waffles here. While cooking and heating foods can kill off resistant starch, you can reignite its life by consuming them after you’ve let them cool. To optimise their benefits, cook them and then enjoy them cooled.

Another fabulous source of resistant starch are green bananas, also found in banana flour. This resistant-starch rich food increases our friendly gut bacteria, reducing our inflammation and decreasing our ‘bad’ gut bacteria. It also acts as a brilliant flour replacement. If you’re looking for a scrumptious way to include more resistant starch in your life, I’ve got just the recipe for you.

These banana flour pancakes from my book Supercharge Your Gut are oh-so-hard to resist. Packed full of banana flour and other goodies, they’re just what the resistant-starch doctor ordered!

Banana flour pancakes

Serves 2

A great way to feed your microbes and encourage a healthy diversity of bacteria, these tasty banana flour pancakes also deliver a hit of resistant starch to increase the production of short-chain fatty acids, which lowers the pH of the bowel, making it harder for pathogens to live there — and all while you enjoy your pancakes! Super simple to make, these pancakes will be enjoyed by adults and kids alike.

Try topping with coconut yoghurt or whipped coconut cream, fresh or fermented fruits or berries.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin coconut oil, plus extra for greasing

PANCAKES

• 75 g (21/2 oz/1/2cup) green banana (plantain) flour
• 3 free-range eggs
• 11/2 teaspoons baking powder (gluten- and aluminium-free)
• 1 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla extract or vanilla powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons Love Your Gut powder
• 1 tablespoon raw honey or rice malt syrup, or 6 drops of liquid stevia (optional)
• 60 ml (2 fl oz/1/4 cup) non-dairy milk of your choice

Method:

Combine all the pancake ingredients in a large mixing bowl. The batter should be thick, but pourable; add extra milk if it’s too thick. Allow the batter to rest for a few minutes.

Melt the coconut oil in a frying pan over medium–high heat.

Add about 60 ml (2 fl oz/1/4 cup) of the batter to the pan. Cook on each side for about 2 minutes, or until browned. Transfer to a warm plate and keep warm while cooking the remaining batter.

Stack the pancakes high and serve warm, with your favourite toppings. You can also let them cool and have them for afternoon tea.

(1) https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)31809-9/fulltext

(2) https://www.the-scientist.com/the-nutshell/high-fiber-diet-shifts-gut-microbes-lowering-blood-sugar-in-diabetics-29977

Sundays and pancakes. 

Harry and Megan.

The Bachelor and conversations about the couple’s love journey. 

What do these things have in common?

Without one another, they’d be lost. 

And when it comes to gut health, the same goes for prebiotics and probiotics.

While probiotics receive a lot of media attention and have a greater awareness, prebiotics do a lot of the heavy lifting. If we didn’t have prebiotics, probiotics would have a poor chance of survival, as some of them depending upon the strain, only last hours in our digestive systems.  Prebiotics help promote the growth of good bacteria in the gut.

An easy way to think of prebiotics is that they are like a really good meal for probiotics, helping them to grow robust and strong. With the rise of diets such as the ketogenic diet, many people are bypassing their prebiotic rich foods, and their gut health is suffering. You can read my thoughts on Keto diets here.

The other improvements prebiotics are responsible for are metabolic health, and they can also help to alleviate digestive issues such as bloating and gas and boost the gut immune system to keep you protected from bugs.

If you’re keen to get ahead of the gut game, include these purposeful prebiotic-rich foods into your life. Also, if you're new to gut health, you might like to read Gut Health 101 for a gut overhaul.

The first up prebiotic rich food to be aware of is chicory root, and happily for us it's one of the best alternatives to coffee out there. Not only that, it also offers antioxidant compounds and beta-carotene, protecting the liver from oxidative damage.

Chicory root contains up to 47% of the prebiotic fibre known as inulin, helping to nourish our probiotics and improve the symptoms associated with digestive disorders, such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Irritable Bowel disease. As an added extra, chicory root also helps you to digest fat effectively. I love having chicory and dandelion root tea as an alternative to coffee in the morning. You can buy it is your local supermarket too. 

While the name suggests this vegetable hails from the Middle East, it's found and loved around the world. Packed with B-vitamins, Jerusalem artichokes are great for boosting energy and mood. They’re loaded with dietary fibre, helping to control cholesterol levels, boost the immune system, and balance blood glucose and blood pressure. They’re also high in thiamine and potassium, contributing to nervous system health and muscle function.

I love roasting artichokes in the oven, boiling them or stuffing them with my favourite proteins. Try this Tray Bake here, where you can also read about my personal debunking of popular diets. 

Artichokes provide a wonderful source of fibre, which can increase your friendly gut bacteria. Artichokes contain inulin, a type of fibre which act as a prebiotic. Artichoke extract may also relieve symptoms of indigestion, such as bloating, nausea and heartburn.

My third prebiotic rich gem is sweet sweet garlic, some love it, some hate it and others praise the ground it grows in. Personally, I love the taste, smell and feel of garlic. It acts as a prebiotic in the gut and can help prevent disease-promoting bacteria from spreading. It’s also rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre, including manganese, vitamin C, choline and magnesium, helping boost your immune system, improving the functioning of your nervous system and managing your cholesterol.

In a world full of garlic haters, why not stand out from the crowd? I love adding garlic to dressings, cooking it in a tray of roasted vegetables, or making it the star of the show in my Immune Boosting Roasted Garlic Bisque.

There's a beautiful Macadamia, Garlic and Parsnip soup below, which is the perfect way to get your dose of garlic goodness and gut-loving. It's a warming and nourishing soup filled with cooked vegetables to ease your digestion and keep you satisfied. 

Next up we have Leeks, a wonderful source of prebiotics with the fibre inulin, helping to promote healthy gut bacteria and break down fat. Leeks are also high in vitamin K and flavonoids, which are good for your blood, bones and heart health.

While they’re part of the same family as onions and garlic, they impart a sweet and subtle taste. Leeks frequent my roasted vegetable tray and I love them in this Roasted Vegetable Stock. 

Whole oats contain a beautiful prebiotic grain that contain large amounts of a fibre known as beta-glucan, as well as resistant starch. Studies show that the consumption of whole oats can help reduce total low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, (This is the one we want less of). They’re also effective in healing your gut bacteria, controlling blood sugar levels and maintaining energy levels. Just a spoonful of porridge a day can indeed improve gut health.

I love to start the day with my Gutmeal,  Golden Gut Granola Clusters or by using oat flour in baking such as these delicious Waffles.

And now, for the final event: root vegetables. Root vegetables are just so tasty; they make it so easy to root for them! Starchy root vegetables like sweet potato, yams, turnips, parsnips and squash are easy-to-digest and cleansing for the body. They contain nutrients and fibre to help keep us satisfied and our guts happy.

While they tend to be sweet in taste, root veggies have a low glycaemic index, meaning they don’t spike your blood sugar levels. They’re also high in vitamin A and C and so, are great boosters for our skin and immune system.

Why not try throwing all of these great vegetables together in a Prebiotic Tray Bake here. It’s pimped up with a tangy garlic tahini dressing and is sure to make your gut, taste buds and fridge sing with joy.

Macadamia, garlic and parsnip soup

Macadamia nuts make a brilliantly creamy dairy-free milk, adding a dreamy smoothness and mild flavour to bring this soup together. Many studies are showing that nuts are great for feeding the gut and increasing the growth of beneficial bacteria. When blended in soups, nuts can be easier on the gut.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• 3 large parsnips, peeled and cut into 2 cm (34 inch) rounds or dice
• 10 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 large brown onion, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus extra (optional) for drizzling
• 155 g (512 oz/1 cup) macadamia nuts, soaked in warm filtered water for 30 minutes, plus extra (optional), chopped, to serve
• 1 litre (35 fl oz/4 cups) vegetable stock or filtered water
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 tsp Love Your Gut powder
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• thyme sprigs, to serve

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).

Spread the parsnips, garlic and onion in a roasting tin, add the olive oil and toss to coat. Roast for 25–30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned.

While the vegetables are cooking, drain the soaked macadamias

Transfer the roasted vegetables to a large saucepan and add the macadamias, stock, apple cider vinegar, herbs, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then add Love Your Gut powder and purée in a food processor or blender until smooth and creamy.

Serve immediately, topped with extra chopped macadamias and a drizzle of extra olive oil, if using, black pepper and thyme sprigs.

 Supercharged tip:

You can make this soup extra delicious by topping with small parsnips sliced lengthways and roasted.

Now is the second best time to boost your immunity! The best time was yesterday, but I prefer not to live in the past, so lets get into it!

As with the whole body, the health of your immune system is heavily reliant upon the state of health of your digestive system.  Immune cells that are located within the gut’s immune system are allies for good gut flora and they both work together to keep you healthy and strong.

If you’re keen to stay on top of your immunity, there are some natural ways to bulletproof your immune system, which I’d love to share with you. Don’t worry about doing everything all at once, it takes time to boost your immunity, it’s not an overnight thing, but try these and let me know what you have tried and what works for you in the comments below.

If you’ve noticed more throats becoming scratchy or noses more sniffly and more and more jumbo boxes of tissues being used on your morning commute, now is a good time to look after yourself and boost up your natural defence system.

Rather than relying upon regular cold and flu medication, which can weaken your immune system’s ability to respond naturally to illness, finding natural ways to boost immunity and fight off colds, flu and bugs is a good long-term approach.

The first place to begin boosting your immunity is in your gut, where 70-80% of your immune tissue resides.  Because your gut is often the first entry point for pathogens, you’ll want to ensure that you have a good amount of good gut flora to prevent pathogens and infections from being absorbed through the gut lining.

Including foods that soothe and rebuild the gut lining such as gelatin, aloe vera and slippery elm can also assist in nutrient absorption, helping you to feel more energised.

The best way to ensure a robust immune system is to increase microbial diversity in the gut by eating a balanced diet filled with anti-inflammatory, fibre-rich, antioxidant rich, nutritious, prebiotic and probiotic rich foods.

Some of my favourite immune-boosting foods and ingredients in each of these specific areas include;

Anti-inflammatory

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for our body to avoid foggy brains, helping to produce energy and strengthen our immunity. Flaxseeds are full of Omega-3 fatty acids and high in fibre to promote regular bowel movements.

It’s no secret that oily fish like salmon, sardines and tuna are overflowing with omega-3 fatty acids but, our fishy friends can also raise dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain. Dopamine improves circulation and blood flow, to keep active and serotonin, our happy hormone is sure to put a smile on your dial!

Turmeric contains curcumin, a compound that increases the level of immunity-boosting proteins in our bodies. These proteins help fight bacteria and viruses when they try to attack. Turmeric is also a natural anti-inflammatory and painkiller.

Fibre Rich

Fibre is important for digestion and getting the right kind of fibre in your diet will give you the best chance of creating a healthy community of gut bacteria and smooth digestion.

Soluble fibre dissolves in water, and is slower to digest
 as it attracts water to form a gel. Types include oatmeal, psyllium husks, acacia fibres, berries, lentils (soaked for easier digestion), fruit and vegetables.

Insoluble fibre doesn’t dissolve in water. It passes through the digestive system relatively intact and speeds up the passage of food waste through your gut. Sources include grains, nuts, seeds, beans, fruit and vegetables.

While insoluble fibres are great for flushing out pollutants from the body, an excess of these fibres can be irritating. Too much roughage can also bind to minerals such as zinc, magnesium, calcium and iron, preventing their absorption. Soluble fibres, on the other hand, are the ones you can focus on for improved gut health.

When you eat the soluble fibres found in whole plant foods, your gut bacteria ferment them into short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate, propionate and acetate, which nourish your gut. This is wonderful for maintaining the integrity of your gut lining, improving digestion, increasing the absorption of minerals and assisting with immune system function.

Healthy sources of fibre include sweet potatoes, carrots and root vegetables, 
green leafy vegetables, berries, nuts and seeds, (I usually try and pre-soak them to make digestion easier).

Nutrient Rich

Vitamin C is a powerful flu-fighting antioxidant which can help to keep colds and flus at bay by enhancing your immune system functioning and increasing the production of necessary antibodies and white blood cells in your body, a key component to warding off infections. Some ingredients to include are mango, blueberries and citrus fruits. Other well-known sources of vitamin C are broccoli, parsley, cabbage, capsicum and dark leafy greens. My Immune Boosting Edible Smoothie below contains a mixture of wonderful Vitamin C rich sources and this is a super simple way to get a high-speed injection of C.

Zinc is an important mineral in the development and functioning of the body’s infection-fighting white blood cells. It’s vital to note that how well we absorb zinc depends heavily on the foods with which it’s consumed. The amount of protein in the diet is a factor contributing to the efficiency of zinc absorption as zinc binds to protein. Women, vegetarians and vegans can often be lacking in zinc, as it’s most commonly found and absorbed from animal products.   Zinc is predominantly found in lean red meat, chicken, eggs, seafood, especially oysters and shellfish and in smaller quantities in whole grains, nuts and seeds such as pumpkin seeds and fortified breakfast cereals.

Antioxidant Rich

In season fresh fruit and vegetables, are sources of prebiotic fibre and a number of powerful antioxidants to help protect the body's cells against damage and infection. Flavonoids, the natural pigments that give plants their colour, have antioxidant, or cell-protecting, properties.

Beetroot, broccoli, sweet potato, oranges, red capsicum, and pumpkin are high in antioxidants to help immunity.

Prebiotic Rich Foods

Our friendly bugs need to be fed to maintain the survival and proliferation of their colony. This is where prebiotics come in — and in simple terms, they act as a food for our good bacteria, as they’re high in special types of fibre. It’s prebiotics that do all the behind-the-scenes work in our tummies. Without them, probiotic bugs have a poor chance of surviving.

While probiotics are live organisms, prebiotics are the components of our food that are otherwise not easily digested,
but are thoroughly enjoyed by our beneficial bacteria. These 
include oligosaccharides such as oligofructose and inulin, which 
leave behind carbohydrate molecules that are a tasty meal for our microbiome. Good vegetable sources of prebiotics include fresh dandelion greens, Jerusalem artichokes, onions, leeks, chives, garlic, endive, asparagus, radicchio, chicory, shallots, spring onions (scallions), beetroot (beet), fennel bulbs, green peas, snow peas (mange tout) and savoy cabbage.

Prebiotic fruits include avocados, custard apples, nectarines, white peaches, persimmons, bananas, apples, pomegranates and figs. I encourage you to incorporate some of these delicious prebiotic foods into your diet, it’s your body’s best defence to keep you ahead of common bugs and boost your immunity.

Probiotic Rich Foods

To replenish your strains of good bacteria, it’s helpful to try to consume small amounts of probiotic-rich foods at least a few times each week. Good sources include yoghurt or coconut yoghurt, coconut water kefir or water kefir, sauerkraut, kim chi, kombucha, miso paste and natto (a Japanese fermented soybean product).

Probiotics and probiotic rich foods will help contribute to a thriving inner ecosystem that will benefit the wellbeing of your entire body.

Immune Boosting Probiotics

I like to take a probiotic supplement daily, and consume a range of fermented and probiotic foods to widen the diversity of my good bacteria, as different strains have different health benefits, ranging from increased serotonin production to an improved metabolism.

Bioxyne, has a daily probiotic supplement called Prograstrim to assist in supporting a healthy gastrointestinal tract and a healthy immune system. The active ingredient in is PCC®, Bioxyne’s patented strain of the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus fermentum.

Several scientific and clinical studies have shown that consumption of PCC® may assist in maintenance of a normal healthy gastrointestinal and healthy immune system. In clinical trials, Lactobacillus fermentum VRI-003 has demonstrated positive effects on the gastrointestinal and immune systems, including reduced susceptibility to respiratory tract infections, improvement in eczema (atopic dermatitis) symptoms, and boosting of the immune response to the flu vaccine.

Lactobacillus fermentum VRI-003 is of human origin and exhibits superior survival to other probiotics in the acidic (pH 2-4) environment found in the stomach and large intestine. It colonises the human intestinal tract and stimulates the areas of immune tissue in the small intestine.

I previously interviewed molecular biologist Dr Peter French, on the blog and we spoke about the connections between atopic dermatitis (eczema) and the gut, as studies also show that this strain can reduce the symptoms of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (eczema) in infants. If you know of anyone suffering from eczema you might like to send him or her this link.

To find out more about Bioxyne, the latest research on the gut microbiome and its effect on our health read on here, or if you are interested in reading more in-depth information about Lactobacillus fermentum VRI-003 you can find it here.

And now for my ultimate Immune Boosting Edible Smoothie!

Edible smoothie bowls are thick and creamy smoothies you can eat for breakfast, topped with delicious add-ons. Do you remember those thick shakes you may have enjoyed as a child? You know the ones which you could barely suck through a straw without getting fish face?

Here’s a much more nourishing blend to be enjoyed with a spoon, bursting with phytonutrients and enzymes that’ll give you an easily digested energy boost for the day ahead. This is the ultimate immune boosting bowl! I add it to my repertoire of meal ideas as the flu season kicks in.

Serve it with your choice of toppings — fresh passionfruit, extra flaxseeds or chia seeds, flaked coconut, fresh berries.

SERVES 2

Smoothie bowls are simply a thicker version of a smoothie —

• 1/2 ripe avocado
• 2 frozen bananas, cut into chunks
• 1 fresh mango, roughly chopped, or 1 large handful of frozen mango chunks
• 2 large handfuls of rocket (arugula)
• 2 kale leaves, centre spines and stems removed
• 375 ml/ 1 ½ cups Coconut, almond or oat milk (your choice)
• 1 tablespoon flaxseed (linseed) meal
• 1 tsp Love Your Gut powder (optional)
• 1 tablespoon tahini

Method

Place all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and whiz until creamy and smooth. Add more milk to thin the smoothie a little, if necessary.

Scoop into two serving bowls and add your favourite toppings!

Whether you’re a mum, dad, grandparent or carer (or perhaps a kid yourself), my aim is to inspire you and the family to enjoy healthy recipes to supercharge ALL your lives.

Being a mum and step-mum, it’s that time again when you're getting ready to send the kids back to school, which means for me and many parents and caregivers... busy schedules and challenging lunchbox fixing!

If you’re looking to supercharge your child's lunchbox and get creative I'd love to share some of my simple tips, that have really made life easier in the kitchen.

Being an ex English teacher, I've really seen the impact that nutritious meals can have on students, a nutritious lunch can really make a big difference to their mental clarity, focus and behaviour in the classroom.

When it comes to packing and presenting lunchboxes that your kids will enjoy and devour, much of the battle will be in communication and variety. Unfortunately, taking the “You’ll get what you’re given” approach that many older generations may have experienced, is a sure fire way to ensure that kids are removed from a relational experience of food.

What we're all aiming for is a place where children are able to freely and creatively engage in the process of making healthy food choices, and learn how to take responsibility for what they're eating. By opening up a relevant two way conversation about the importance of eating real foods, and giving them the opportunity to make some choices about what they may be able to have in their lunchbox, will more likely result in an empty container on their return home from school.

Some of the things I've figured out along the way are:

Let your child be involved in the purchasing of their lunchbox, make sure it's sturdy with a strong lid, insulated or comes with an ice pack... no parent likes to find a black mushy banana on the return trip home!. If they choose one that they love, they won’t mind toting it around, hey you can never be too cool for school! If you’re using plastic then BPA free makes a good choice too.

Choose a lunch box with separate pockets or sections and make sure it is large enough to hold a flask or drink bottle.  Using smaller lidded containers will protect the lunchbox and its contents and alleviate the need for foil and cling wrap. They're useful for dips, salads, fruit, wraps and casseroles.

When attempting to expose your kids to new, more nutrient dense real foods, it’s a no brainer that a dull, monochromatic spread of food is unlikely to entice their taste buds. Not only do we eat with our mouths, but first and foremost with our eyes; so presenting a visually appealing, colourful lunchbox is a must.

A nutritionally balanced lunch box should contain an array of food from various food groups.  Avoid a mid-afternoon dive by including plant-based treats like fresh juice or smoothies, chopped up veggies and hummus and seeds, smash up blueberries and strawberries instead of jelly and sugar rich jams.

Use different types of fruits and vegetables, seeds, coconut flakes, full fat calcium rich dairy foods, protein rich foods such as meats, eggs, seed butters, pulses and tuna and oily fish.

If your child is gluten free, there are a bunch of really healthy bread options in my book Supercharged Food for Kids  or the eBook version here, things like wraps, breads and tortillas which will be a good source of long term energy.

Here’s a Supercharged Tip: Make a “rainbow salad” with different coloured ingredients such as purple cabbage, red tomatoes, green snow peas, orange carrot and yellow capsicum.

There are a few simple swap outs you can make that will improve your child’s diet enormously.  If you’re in doubt remember to try and choose wholefoods, which are as close to their natural state as possible.

Eating seasonal fruit and vegetables that are in abundance will be less of a strain on the purse strings. Buy dried beans they are more economical than canned. Swap margarine for real butter, use full fat dairy in place of low fat, which is often compensated with sugar and additives, choose real cheese instead of plastic cheese slices, try and choose organic meats where possible.  Major supermarkets now carry very affordable organic meat.

Using real food will teach your child to appreciate food’s natural flavours and develop an understanding of what real food actually tastes like.  If you can, skip the sugar-filled, artificially flavoured yoghurts in the supermarket and instead opt for full cream plain yoghurt with mixed fresh berries in a fun container with an animal shaped spoon.

You can make chocolate yoghurt with cacao powder and a touch of natural sweetener, or avocado and chocolate mousse using an avocado, a banana, two tablespoons of cacao powder and sweetener of your choice. Adding Chia seeds to yoghurt, which are flavourless will provide sustenance as well as essential protein, calcium, vitamin C, iron, potassium and Omega 3 essential fatty acids. You can add seeds to nibble mixes too, along with coconut flakes, Vitamin c rich goji berries and dehydrated fruit.

Making kids lunches interactive and less soggy is also important. Separate dry and wet ingredients such as dressings, sauces, spreads and slices of tomato for crackers and sandwiches in mini containers, and let them engage in some of the construction of the food.

Mix up textures of smooth yogurt with crunchy pumpkin seeds, or gluten free sandwiches with contrasting fillings of creamy avocado, “hairy” sprouts crunchy slithers of celery with a homemade mayo.

Soups can be frozen in single portions and then heated and placed in a thermos for lunchbox use. Incorporate leftovers into lunch the next day.  Grains, meats, vegetables, eggs and undressed salads make excellent additions to a lunchbox.

When it comes to drinks, rather than providing a reconstituted fruit juice, why not try a “green monster”, blending green veggies such as spinach, celery and cucumber with apple, pear and lemon juice for an exciting, eye catching addition or try a green slushie. If you child doesn't like anything green, then flasks of chocolate milk can be made at home with rice or oat milk or banana smoothies help them feel full for longer too.

My favourite smoothie to make for the kids is a Very Berry Shake. It's also a good one when you need breakfast on the run. This shake will provide ample energy when time is short.

Very Berry Shake

Serves 1

• 125 g (4¹₂ oz/1 cup) fresh or frozen mixed berries
• ¹₂ banana, peeled and frozen
• 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) oat milk
• 4 ice cubes

Whizz all the ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Always remember to encourage your child to drink water, it hydrates, regulates body temperature, and helps prevent constipation and urinary tract infections. It is also important for your child’s oral health, their immune system, digestion and weight management.  Make it fun for them and give them a straw, add some ice and squeeze fresh lemon in to or a mint leaf give it a hint of flavour. You could even drop a couple of frozen berries in.

Investing in a water filter is preferable to tap water. If you’re still having trouble getting your child to drink more water set a pee challenge!  The lighter the pee the better.

Here’s a Supercharged Tip: Keep pre-cut sticks of celery, carrot, cucumber, and capsicum in the fridge for incredibly quick last minute snacks or as a colourful addition to lunch boxes.

For healthy lunchboxes it’s a good idea to always keep a variety of fresh fruit and veggies in stock. Having raw fruit and veg that can be simply cut up is the easiest way to ensure that kids are snacking on fresh, nutrient rich foods.

I’d love to hear about what you put in your healthy lunchboxes, so over to you guys!

You can purchase my Supercharged Food for Kids book here or the ebook version here.

And for a delicious after school snack that the kids will love, why not try my Chocolate Popsicles, they're a big hit at home! I hope you guys love them as much as we do :).

Chocolate popsicles

Makes 4

• 2 bananas
• 65 g (2¹₄ oz/¹₄ cup) nut butter
• 60 ml (2 fl oz/¹₄ cup) coconut milk or coconut water
• 2 tablespoons cacao powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon honey or sweetener of choice
• 4 iceblock (popsicle/ice lolly) moulds and sticks

Whizz all the ingredients in a food processor to combine.

Pour into the ice block moulds and add the sticks, then freeze until set.

Happy lunchbox fixing! And I'd love to hear some of your favourite things to include in your school lunch boxes below.

To get fit and feel better, we can push ourselves to our limits at the gym, leave eight hours between our low-carb, low-fat and scarily high amounts of protein meals, and drench them with a side of celery juice. Oh, and don’t forget about getting into ketosis and only eating green vegetables with the added bonus of feeling starved, exhausted, hangry and never satisfied with your body! 

Sounds like a great time… said no one… ever. 

Fad diets. Urghhh.

Fad diets are the ones that praise eliminating certain foods, or only eating particular foods. While they promise quick weight-loss, this weight-loss is not usually sustainable and can often wreak havoc on our minds, bodies and gut microbiome.

You and the planet are much better off with a high plant based flexitarian approach with diverse ingredients. And for all the strict vegans and people worried about climate change there is an interesting article over on the Guardian here  which suggests that unless you’re sourcing your vegan products specifically from organic, “no-dig” systems, you're actively participating in the destruction of soil biota, promoting a system that deprives other species, including small mammals, birds and reptiles, of the conditions for life, and significantly contributing to climate change.

Diet plays a key role in regulating the health of the microbiota. Eliminating certain food groups or following a specific elimination diet can starve good gut bugs, ruining our microbiota and intestinal lining.

Having healthy, diverse and happy gut bugs ensures we’re protected against pathogens, helping to regulate our immunity and absorb all the nutrients we ingest.

Let’s start with carbohydrates. Ahh, the low-carbohydrate diet, a classic one followed by many. Before we start, let’s get one thing straight. There are two different types of carbohydrates – digestible carbohydrates that we’re able to, as the name suggests, digest, such as sugar and starch, and non-digestible carbohydrates such as fibre. Fibre is accessible to the gut and is vital for digestion, absorption and transportation of nutrients. 

Carbohydrates are essential for maintaining the health of our microbiome, energy stabilisation and hormone regulation. With limited carbohydrates, we have limited gut diversity which is never a good thing and starving ourselves of essential fibres and prebiotic rich ingredients.

When it comes to carbohydrates, it’s important to include a variety of different sources for microbiota diversity and anti-inflammatory effects. Choose nutrient-dense carbohydrates, such as whole grains like oats, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat and brown/red rice, legumes such as beans, chickpeas and lentils, fruit and starchy root vegetables like pumpkin, sweet potato and beetroot. 

Some of my favourite gut-friendly and carbohydrate-loving recipes include:

Waffles with Fresh Strawberries and Coconut Yoghurt

Vegetable Marrakesh Casserole

Golden Gut Pumpkin and Nut Loaf  

There’s a lot of talk about cutting out fat to lose fat, but generally fats don’t make us put on weight. They’re essential for hormone balance, the health of our skin and nutrient absorption.

On the other side of the scale lies the high-fat diet. One of the biggest diets going around at the moment is the ketogenic diet, a high fat and low carbohydrate approach. The ketogenic diet was initially developed to treat epilepsy, but it’s reached fame for its ability to quicken up weight loss. The aim of the ketogenic diet is to reach a state of ketosis, which can help with weight loss and lowering blood sugar levels.

Recent studies have indicated that being in the state of ketosis can cause an increase in the gut bug Akkermansia muciniphila, a bacterial species that can cause harm (1).

While the jury’s not quite out yet on this one, many people are now having to relook at their gut health after taking up the keto approach.

When it comes to what to eat, it’s more important to have a balanced diet and eat a moderate amount of high-quality fats such as avocado, hemp seeds, nuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds and oily fish.

For all of your gut-loving delicious recipe needs plus the latest gut health research and information, get your hands on my latest book, Supercharge Your Gut.

Some of my favourite gut-friendly recipes rich in good-quality fat include:

Salmon and Coriander Fish Cakes

 Turmeric Seeded Loaf 

Supercharged Egg Hoppers with Peanut Sauce  

Dietary changes can cause imbalances in the diversity of your microbiome, causing gastrointestinal dysbiosis and potentially causing irritable bowel syndrome, irritable bowel disease, asthma and more.

If you're looking out for your gut, the best piece of advice I can give you is to follow an approach that looks after the health of your gut, a diverse high plant based approach with all the necessary amounts of fibre, protein, good carbohydrates and good fats. 

If you're not sure where to start, it helps to begin with a clean, toned and efficient gut. For people who don't have the time to start from scratch when it comes to cleansing the gut, try my Love Your Gut powder. It's a vegan, gluten-free whole food that can improve digestion and nutrient absorption, and reduce gas and bloating and help your gut to work more efficiently and productively. 

I’d love to know – which fad diets have you tried? Have you noticed how they’ve affected the health of your gut? 

If you’re looking for a gut-friendly snack that’s full of goodness, these tasty crackers are on regular rotation at our house, where they’re affectionately known as ‘buck cracks’.

Simple and quick to make, they’re a convenient snack when you feel jelly legs coming on.

If you’re looking for more information on the best way to feed your gut, my book Supercharge Your Gut is definitely one to add to the book shelf.  

Gut Buck Crackers

Ingredients:

• 100 g (3 1/2 oz/1 cup) almond meal
• 35 g (1 1/4 oz/1/4 cup) buckwheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• 100 g (3 1/2 oz/1/2 cup) flaxseed (linseed) meal 
• 1 tablespoon dried mixed herbs
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 free-range egg (optional and if you are vegan, it can be replaced with 1 TBS ground flax to 3 tbs water and mix until absorbed)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Preheat the oven to 175°C (340°F).

Grease a large baking tray.

Combine the almond meal, buckwheat flour, salt, flaxseed, dried herbs and lemon zest in a bowl.

Whisk the egg  (or flax mixture if using) in a small bowl, then slowly whisk in the olive oil. Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and mix to form a dough. If it’s too dry to roll out, mix in a little water.

Roll the dough out on a sheet of baking paper, to a thin rectangle measuring about 25 x 35 cm (10 x 14 inches). Place the baking tray face down over the top, then invert the two together so the dough is on top. Peel off the baking paper.

Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 5 cm (2 inch) triangles or squares. (Alternatively, you can leave it whole and break into pieces once cooked.)

Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until crisp, turning the crackers over halfway through. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely before serving.

The crackers will keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container in the pantry.

(1) https://translational-medicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12967-017-1175-y