The diabetes diet revolution: super soups, shakes and delicious dishes to help you lose weight

DR MICHAEL MOSLEY: The diabetes diet revolution – super soups, shakes and delicious dishes to help you lose weight (the fast and easy way)

• Blood Sugar Diet is low in starchy carbs, but packed full of vitamins and fruit
• Mediterranean-style diet has health benefits and people find it easier to stick to   
• Eight weeks of 800 calories a day, then 5:2 diet if you need to lose more weight

As the Mail revealed yesterday, the NHS will be offering people with type 2 diabetes a liquid diet of just 800 calories a day as part of radical plans to turn the tide on the disease.

There is another way: Dr Michael Mosley’s ground-breaking 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet from his book. 

Here, in the first part of a two-part series, we publish his simple yet healthy and tasty plan for sticking to 800 calories a day — while still feeling full. 

Don’t miss part two in tomorrow’s Daily Mail.

Six years ago I discovered, after a routine blood test, that I was a type 2 diabetic. This was a particularly nasty shock because my father had died, aged 74, from complications of diabetes.

But rather than start on medication, which is what my doctor advised, I decided to find something I could do to overcome diabetes without drugs.

I’m not alone in trying to find a solution to this cruel disease, which is at epidemic proportions: one in three Britons now has pre-diabetes (blood sugar levels that are abnormally high but not yet in the diabetic range), while about four million have the condition itself.

And if you do have pre-diabetes (and unless you’ve been tested you won’t know), there’s a 30 per cent chance that within five years you will go on to develop type 2 diabetes — the kind linked to unhealthy diet and lifestyle.

This can lead to a range of serious complications including an increased risk of going blind, needing an amputation or suffering a heart attack, kidney failure or dementia.

Luckily, I believe I did discover an answer to type 2 — my best-selling Blood Sugar Diet book, which shows you how to eat to beat diabetes.

I believe I did discover an answer to type 2 — my best-selling Blood Sugar Diet book, which shows you how to eat to beat diabetes

Since I wrote it just over two years ago, tens of thousands of men and women have used it to lose weight, cut their risk of type 2 diabetes and even reduce their reliance on medication.

People like Cassie, a nurse, who within weeks of starting was able to come off insulin injections. In a couple of months she lost more than 20kg (44lb) and then managed to get pregnant. ‘You have helped make a little miracle possible,’ she wrote, ‘for which I can’t thank you enough.’

But it’s not just weight loss and diabetes — the diet has led to dramatic improvement in people with a range of other ailments, from eczema to polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition that hinders fertility and affects nearly one in five women.

The key, based on extensive research, lies in switching to a Mediterranean-style diet rich in healthy fats and vegetables, but low in sugar and starch.

And, if you have a lot of weight to lose, sticking to 800 calories per day for eight weeks, you could lose up to an astonishing 33lb and completely reverse your diabetes.

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Studies by one of Europe’s leading diabetes experts, Professor Roy Taylor of Newcastle University, have shown that a rapid weight-loss diet is just what you need to reduce the belly fat that’s so bad for us. My own plan is backed by studies which show that if it is done properly, a rapid weight-loss diet can be a safe and effective way to cut fat and achieve your goals.

It’s this kind of research that’s the basis of the new liquid diet taken up by the NHS.

I’m thrilled to see the health service is taking the research seriously and I look forward to lots more people reversing their type 2 diabetes.

Not everyone can manage a low-calorie diet like this. But you can still gain many of the benefits (though you may lose weight more slowly) by easing yourself in gently and picking one, two, or three 800-calorie days a week and eating according to sensible, low-carbohydrate diet principles the rest of the time.

In scientific studies, liquid diets are mainly done for convenience — it’s an easy way to keep tabs on what people are consuming. But others have done it just as successfully on solid food.

To make it easy for you, here in a sample week of my 8-week plan, the Mail is focusing on soups and shakes that can go towards making up your 800 calories a day.

Tomorrow we will look at delicious proper dinners and lunches that can make slimming so easy.

Since I wrote it just over two years ago, tens of thousands of men and women have used it to lose weight, cut their risk of type 2 diabetes and even reduce their reliance on medication (file photo)

HOW IT WORKS

The principles of the Blood Sugar Diet are that it is low in starchy carbs, but packed full of disease-fighting vitamins and rich in olive oil, fish, nuts, fruit and vegetables, as well as full-fat yoghurt and eggs.

That’s because large studies have found that not only do people gain multiple health benefits from a Mediterranean -style diet but they find it easier to stick to — unlike a low-fat diet — as it’s simple and enjoyable.

Alongside the diet, I recommend a really simple fitness plan.

Here are some pointers to give you an idea of what is meant by Mediterranean-style eating:

• Cut right down on sugar, sugary treats, drinks and desserts.
• Minimise or avoid the starchy ‘white stuff’. That means bread, pasta, potatoes, rice.
• Switch your starches. Instead of pasta and rice, try quinoa, bulgur (cracked wheat), whole rye, wholegrain barley, wild rice and buckwheat. Legumes, such as lentils and kidney beans, are healthy and filling too.
• Avoid most breakfast cereals as these are usually full of sugar.
• Full-fat yoghurt is also good. For flavour, add blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, or a sprinkling of nuts. 
• Start the day with eggs. They can be boiled, poached, scrambled or made into an omelette, and will keep you fuller for longer than cereal or toast. Delicious with smoked salmon and chilli.
• Snack on nuts. They are a great source of protein and fibre. Try to avoid salted or sweetened nuts, which can be moreish.
• Eat more healthy fats and oils. Along with oily fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel), consume more olive oil. A splash on vegetables improves the absorption of vitamins. Use olive, rapeseed or coconut oil for cooking.
• Avoid margarine and use butter instead. Cheese in moderation is fine.
• Pick high-quality proteins — oily fish, prawns, chicken, turkey, pork, beef and eggs. Other protein-rich foods include soya, edamame beans, Quorn and hummus. Processed meats, such as bacon and salami should be eaten only a few times a week.
• Eat plenty of different-coloured veg. Choose a range from dark, leafy greens to bright-red and yellow peppers. Add sauces and flavouring, such as lemon, butter or olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, chilli, gravy.
• Avoid too many sweet fruits. Berries, apples or pears are fine, but tropical fruits such as mango, pineapple, melon and bananas are full of sugar.

The idea is that — whether by following the recipes shown here or creating your own — you follow these principles, restricting your daily calories to 800.

For some people this will mean having just two meals a day, for others it will be three smaller ones. And while alcohol isn’t banned for life, it’s worth avoiding owing to its high calorie content.

If after eight weeks you still have more weight to lose, or need to bring your blood sugar levels down further, move to the more relaxed 5:2 approach. 

To make it easy for you, here in a sample week of my 8-week plan, the Mail is focusing on soups and shakes that can go towards making up your 800 calories a day

It’s vital to take these precautions 

If you are on medication, talk to your GP. This is particularly important because he or she should be involved in monitoring and tapering off your medicines. It’s also essential that you discuss the diet with your doctor if any of the following apply:

• You are on insulin or any diabetic medication other than metformin. You may need a suitable reduction in dosage to avoid too fast a drop in blood sugar.
• You are on blood pressure tablets — you may have to reduce the dosage or come off them. The same applies to glucose-lowering drugs, ones that begin with the letter G, like glibenclamide and gliclazide, which may have to be stopped because they can push your blood glucose abnormally low.
• You have moderate or severe retinopathy. You should have extra screenings within six months of reducing diabetes.
• You are pregnant or breastfeeding.
• You have a psychiatric or eating disorder.
• You are taking warfarin.
• You have epilepsy.
• You have a significant medical condition.
• You are unwell or have a fever.
• Don’t follow the diet if you are under 18, your BMI is below 21, or you are recovering from surgery or are generally frail.

You should also confirm with your doctor that you really are a type 2 diabetic. There are other, rarer forms that will not respond in the same way to weight loss.

If you are in any doubt, please click here for a website where you can find useful information.

The 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet by Dr Michael Mosley (Short Books, £8.99). © Michael Mosley 2015.

To order a copy for £7.19 (20 per cent discount) go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 0844 571 0640. Offer valid until 30/9/18. P&P free on orders over £15.

The 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet Recipe Book by Dr Claire Bailey (Short Books, £14.99). © Claire Bailey 2016. Order for £11.99 before 30/9/18, details as before.

Monday 

BREAKFAST

BLUEBERRY AND GREEN TEA SHAKE

100 cals / Serves 1

● 1 green teabag

● 50g blueberries

● 1 tbsp almonds

● 200ml water

● 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt

● 1 tbsp flaxseeds, steeped for 4 mins

Add the teabag to 200ml boiling water. Remove the bag and chill tea in fridge. Put in a blender with other ingredients. Whizz together.

LUNCH

CHICKEN, BUTTER BEAN WALNUT SALAD

270 cals / Serves 2

● 200g diced chicken breast

● 2 sprigs of rosemary

● 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

● Drizzle olive oil

● 50g green beans, trimmed

● 100g tin butter beans, drained

● 1 red onion, very thinly sliced

● 1 tbsp walnut pieces

For the dressing

● 1 tbsp olive oil

● 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

● 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Place chicken, rosemary and garlic in a large bowl with olive oil and toss together. Fry chicken pieces for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to the boil and add the green beans. Boil for 2 minutes, then add the butter beans and cook for 2 minutes more then drain.

In a large serving bowl, mix together the warm chicken, beans, red onion and walnuts.

To make the dressing, whisk together the oil, mustard and vinegar in a small bowl. Pour over the salad and toss gently to combine.

DINNER

CRABCAKES

440 cals / Serves 1

● 100g crab meat

● Pinch paprika

● 1tsp mayonnaise

● Handful parsley, roughly chopped

● Drizzle olive oil

● 3 broccoli florets

● 1 tbsp tinned sweetcorn

● Worcestershire sauce

● 1 spring onion, chopped

● Juice half a lemon

● Flour for dusting

● Freshly ground black pepper

In a bowl, mix the crab meat, sweetcorn, paprika, a splash of Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, spring onion and parsley. Season and stir in lemon juice.

Place the bowl in the fridge for a few hours. Sprinkle some flour, seasoned with black pepper, on a clean surface and on your hands and shape the crab mixture into two patties. Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan. When hot, fry the crabcakes for 3 minutes on each side. Serve with steamed broccoli. 

Tuesday 

BREAKFAST

SCRAMBLED EGG WITH TOMATO AND CHIVE

200 cals / Serves 1

● 2 small eggs

● Salt and black pepper

● Knob butter

● Sprinkle chives, snipped

● 2 thick slices beef tomato

Crack eggs into bowl and whisk with salt and pepper. Heat butter in a pan and add the eggs. Push them around for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in chives and serve on tomato.

LUNCH

SPANISH CHICKPEA AND SPINACH SOUP

210 cals / Makes 2 portions

● 50g Spanish chorizo, diced

● 1 tbsp olive oil

● 1 large leek, rinsed and thinly sliced

● 1 red pepper, diced

● 2 chopped medium cloves garlic

● Pinch chilli flakes

● 1 tsp paprika

● 1 tbsp tomato puree

● 1 litre chicken stock

● 200g tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

● 150g baby spinach leaves

Cook chorizo over medium heat, stirring a bit, for 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and discard fat. Add the oil to a pan on a medium heat. Add leek and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the pepper, garlic, chilli and paprika and cook for 1 minute. Add the puree and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add stock and chickpeas and boil. Simmer, partially cover and cook for 20 minutes. Add spinach and chorizo and heat for 2 minutes.

DINNER

STIR-FRY CHICKEN WITH LIME AND COCONUT MILK

340 cals / Serves 2

● 2 tsp rapeseed oil

● 2 skinless chicken pieces

● 1 deseeded green chilli, chopped

● 150ml coconut milk

● 1 tbsp Thai fish sauce

● Large handful coriander, chopped

● 4 spring onions, chopped

● Juice of 1 lime

● 2 tbsp brown rice (adds 70 cals)

Heat oil in wok over a high heat, add chicken and stir-fry for 5 minutes, until golden brown. Add chilli, stir-fry for 1 minute then add coconut milk, fish sauce, coriander and spring onions. Cook for 3 minutes, drizzle with lime juice and serve, with cooked rice if you wish.

Pictured: Stir-fry chicken with lime and coconut milk

Wednesday 

BREAKFAST

MELON, SPINACH AND BLUEBERRY SHAKE

130 cals / Serves 1

● ¼ Galia melon, chopped

● 50g blueberries

● 200ml unsweetened almond milk

● 2 handfuls spinach leaves

● Sprinkle sunflower seeds

Put melon, berries, milk and spinach into a blender. Whizz smooth. Stir in seeds, pour into a container and chill in fridge for at least an hour.

LUNCH

COURGETTE AND FETA SALAD

270 cals / Serves 1

● 1 courgette

● 2 large handfuls rocket

● 50g raspberries

● 1 tbsp each balsamic vinegar and olive oil

● 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds

● 40g feta

● Handful mint leaves, torn

Peel courgette into ribbons. Mix with rocket and raspberries. Drizzle with vinegar and olive oil and top with seeds, feta and mint.

DINNER 

FRENCH FISH STEW

390 cals / Serves 2

● Drizzle olive oil

● 1 shallot, finely chopped

● 1 bulb fennel, finely chopped

● 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

● Splash of vermouth or dry white wine

● 300ml chicken stock

● 200g (½ tin) chopped tomatoes

● 250g fresh seafood (prawns, crab, white fish)

● 2-3 handfuls spinach leaves

Heat oil in a large pan, add the shallot, fennel and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add wine and let bubble for a minute. Pour in the chicken stock and tomatoes and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes, then stir in the seafood and spinach to heat through.

Pictured: French fish stew

Pictured: Smoked mackerel and orange salad

Thursday

BREAKFAST

NO-CARB BIRCHER

180 cals / Serves 1

● 1 tbsp raisins

● 50ml apple juice

● 2 tbsp ground flaxseed

● 2 tbsp plain yoghurt

● Pinch of ground cinnamon

● 1 tbsp walnut pieces

Place the raisins in a bowl and pour over the apple juice. Leave to chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight. When ready to eat, mix with the flaxseed and yoghurt and sprinkle over the cinnamon and walnut pieces.

LUNCH

PRAWN PHO

170 cals / Makes 2 portions

● 1 litre vegetable stock

● 50g baby sweetcorn

● Handful beansprouts

● 50g mangetout

● 50g sugarsnap peas

● Knob ginger, peeled and grated

● 1 tbsp fish sauce

● Juice from half a lime

● 12 large prawns, shelled and deveined

● Handful each of basil leaves, mint, coriander

● ½ red chilli, finely sliced

Pour the stock into a large saucepan and bring to the boil, add the sweetcorn, beansprouts, mangetout, peas and ginger and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the fish sauce and lime juice, and season. Cook prawns in the broth until pink, it should take 2-3 minutes. Serve topped with the herbs and red chilli.

DINNER

SMOKED MACKEREL AND ORANGE SALAD

460 cals / Serves 2

● 200g small uncooked beetroot

● 2 tbsp red wine vinegar

● 1 tbsp olive oil

● 1 head chicory

● Zest and juice of ½ orange

● 2 oranges

● Pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper

● 2 spring onions, sliced diagonally

● 2 small smoked mackerel fillets

● 20g walnut halves

Heat the oven to 200c. Put the beetroot in a roasting tin with a couple of centimetres of water in the bottom. Cover with foil and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the vinegar, juice, zest and oil into a screw-top jar, season with salt and pepper and shake until well combined. When they are done, remove the beetroot from the oven — they should be tender when pierced with a knife.

When they are cool enough to handle, peel off the skins, top and tail them and slice into rounds. Toss them in a little of the dressing from the jar. Peel the oranges, following the contour of the fruit, then cut each one into thin slices. Trim the head of the chicory and separate the leaves, discarding the outer ones. Arrange the leaves in a salad bowl and then add the cooked, sliced beetroot, orange rounds and chopped spring onion.

Flake the smoked mackerel fillets on top, add the walnut halves and drizzle with the remaining dressing. 

Friday 

BREAKFAST

POACHED EGG AND SALMON STACK 

320 cals / Serves 2

● 4 portobello mushrooms

● 2 slices smoked salmon

● 1 tbsp half-fat creme fraiche

● 1 tsp wholegrain mustard

● Lemon juice

● 2 handfuls watercress

● 2 poached eggs

● 1 tbsp pine nuts

Grill the seasoned mushrooms, drizzled with oil, on a baking tray, for three minutes then add smoked salmon to each. Mix the creme fraiche, mustard and lemon juice and spread over the salmon. Top each with watercress, a poached egg and a scattering of pine nuts.

LUNCH

BEETROOT, APPLE AND CANNELLINI SOUP

200 cals / Serves 3

● 1 tbsp olive oil

● 1 tsp cumin seeds

● 2 medium onions, chopped

● 500g raw beetroot, grated

● 2 Bramley apples, peeled and quartered

● 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock

● 2 star anise

● Salt and ground black pepper

● 1 × 400g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

● Greek yoghurt, to serve

● Handful of chives, chopped

Heat the oil in a pan, add the cumin and onions, and cook for 10 minutes, lid on. Add the beetroot and apple, stir and cook for 10 minutes more. Add the stock, turn up the heat, add the star anise and season. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Take off the heat, remove the star anise and blitz. Return to the pan, add the beans, simmer for 20 minutes then serve with yoghurt and chives.

DINNER

ROAST CHICKEN WITH GARLIC AND THYME 

260 cals / Serves 6

● 3-4 garlic cloves

● Large knob of butter

● 2 tsp thyme or tarragon

● 1 large free-range chicken

● 1 lemon, rind and juice

● 1 onion, halved

● 400g carrot batons

● 1 large cauliflower, in florets

● 1 tbsp olive oil

● 400g green veg to serve

For the gravy

● 1 tbsp cornflour

● 1 chicken stock cube

● ½ tbsp soy sauce

Preheat the oven to 200c. Mash the garlic, butter and herbs together. Put chicken on a roasting tray and cut holes in the skin over breasts and thighs. Push blobs of garlic butter under the skin, and over it. Season. Squeeze lemon juice over the chicken and put the rind inside the cavity. Add the onion to the tray, cut-side down. Roast the chicken, allowing 20 minutes per pound plus 20 minutes extra, basting every 20 minutes. Add the carrots 40 minutes before the end of cooking time.

Place the cauliflower florets on another tray. Season, drizzle with oil and bake for 25 minutes. Cook the green veg as you make gravy. When chicken is cooked, remove it to rest. Discard onion. Stir cornflour, oil and juices in roasting tray, then add 300ml water, stock cube and soy sauce, and stir until gravy has thickened. Carve and serve with the vegetables. 

Saturday 

BRUNCH

CHEESY BAKED BEANS  

260 cals / Serves 1

● 2 Portobello mushrooms

● ½ tin baked beans

● Worcestershire sauce

● Mozzarella, grated

Season the mushrooms and grill for 2 minutes. Place the beans, sauce and mozzarella in a pan and heat. Combine and serve.

LUNCH

MISO WITH BABY VEG  

70 calories / Serves 1

● Packet miso soup

● 2 handfuls baby veg, e.g. sweetcorn or mangetout

Make up the miso soup and add the veg.

DINNER

STEAK WITH PEPPERCORNS

510 cals / Serves 2

● 200ml beef stock

● 100ml red wine

● 2 sirloin steaks (approximately 225g each)

● Pinch steak seasoning

● 1 tsp butter

● 1 tsp olive oil

● 2 tbsp creme fraiche

● 2 tsp mixed peppercorns, crushed

● Green salad leaves

Put stock and wine in a pan, boil for 10 minutes to reduce. Rub steaks with seasoning. Place a frying pan over a high heat with butter and oil and fry steaks for 3 minutes on one side for medium or 2 minutes for rare. Turn and cook for 2 minutes for medium, 1 minute for rare. Pour in the reduced stock, creme fraiche and peppercorns. Stir, and cook for a minute more. Serve with salad.

Pictured: steak with peppercorns

 

 

 

Pictured: roast chicken with garlic and thyme 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday 

BREAKFAST

ALMOND BUTTER WITH GOJI BERRIES 

110 cals / Makes 4 portions of almond butter

● 300 skin-on almonds

● 2 tsp mixed seeds and goji berries

● 1 apple, cored and sliced

Preheat oven to 190c. Bake almonds for 10 minutes. Cool, then blend. Serve 2 tbsp of butter with seeds, berries and apple.

SNACK

CONSOMME WITH CELERIAC

40 cals / 1 portion

Make up a consomme base and add two chopped spring onions and 80g of grated celeriac.

LUNCH

TROUT ON LIME AND CORIANDER PEAS

480 cals / Serves 2

● 2 × 120g trout fillets

● 2 limes, 1 sliced, the other juiced

● ½ tsp cumin powder

● 200g frozen peas

● 1 tbsp Greek yoghurt

● Large handful chopped coriander

Preheat oven to 180c. Drizzle trout with olive oil, place lime slices on top, sprinkle with cumin, season and bake for 8 minutes. Cook peas in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and place in bowl. Add yoghurt and lime juice and mash. Stir in coriander and season. Serve trout on top of peas.

Pictured: kedgeree

DINNER

KEDGEREE  

390 cals / Serves 2

● 2 eggs

● 180g smoked white fish

● 150ml semi-skimmed milk

● 2 bay leaves

● ½ large cauliflower, grated

● 2 onions, one diced, one sliced

● 2 tbsp coconut oil

● 2 tsp medium curry powder

● 40g cooked peas (optional)

● Squeeze of lemon (to taste)

● Handful of parsley, chopped

Boil eggs for 6-7 minutes, then cool, peel and cut in half. Meanwhile, simmer the fish in milk with bay leaves for 10 minutes. Remove fish to a plate to cool, then remove skin and flake the flesh. Add grated cauliflower to the milk and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Drain the milk into a bowl and put cauliflower aside.

In a frying pan, sweat diced onion in 1 tbsp coconut oil for 5 minutes. Stir in curry powder and cook for another 2-3 minutes, then fold in cauliflower, flaked fish and peas, with infused milk to loosen. Simmer. In a pan, fry sliced onion in the rest of oil until crisp. Add a squeeze of lemon to kedgeree and serve. 

Healthy snacks that are just so scrummy

I lost more than 6st – it’s the best diet of all

Val Cornall, 52, lost more than 6st in eight months on the 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet.

The school lunchtime supervisor is married to David, 63, a farmer, and the couple have three grown-up children.

She says: ‘At my largest, I weighed 17st 4lb, despite being just 5ft 5in. Nothing could shift the weight for good.

‘Then a routine blood test five years ago showed me to be pre-diabetic. This came as a terrible shock.

Val Cornall, 52, lost more than 6st in eight months on the 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet. She said: ‘It’s the best diet for me and the only way I’ve ever lost weight.’ Right: before, left: after

‘Despite trying other diets that my friends had followed, such as Slimming World, the temptation of carbohydrates was always too much. I realised that I needed to cut them out because if I don’t I get hungry and just eat more.

‘Thanks to the 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet, I lost 6st 5lb. It cuts out carbs, which is why it’s so good for me.’

Val who now weighs 14st 11lb says: ‘Recently, I’ve regained a couple of stone due to a bereavement. But I decided today that I’m going to go back on it — it’s the best diet for me and the only way I’ve ever lost weight. I really want to be there for my lovely grandchildren. While on the diet I had so much more energy to play with them.’

THIN SEEDED CRACKERS 

50 cals per cracker / Makes 24 small crackers

● 60g spelt flour (or any wholegrain flour)

● 300ml water

● 1 heaped tsp Marmite

● Black pepper, chilli, rosemary or thyme

● 120g seeds: equal amounts golden linseeds (or flax seeds), chia seeds, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds

● ¼ tsp Maldon salt, plus an extra sprinkle

● Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 170c. Mix the flour and 250ml cold water in one bowl and in another, dissolve the Marmite in 50ml hot water and pour it into the flour. Add extra flavouring or herbs, if using.

Now stir in the seeds and the Maldon salt. Leave the dough to bind for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Line a large baking tray with baking paper and brush liberally with oil.

Tip the mixture onto the tray and spread it very thinly with the back of a fork, to about 3mm thick.

Pictured: thin seed crackers with dip. Crackers can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week

Sprinkle over a little extra Maldon salt and bake for 25 minutes. While still warm, slice the biscuit into crackers.

Remove them from the baking paper and turn them over. Return them to the oven for another 25 minutes, until they start to turn golden.

Turn the oven off but leave them inside for a further 15-30 minutes to dry out.

Crackers can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.

HEALTH MINI PLOUGHMANS 

For a super-simple lunch snack, take a matchbox-sized piece of hard cheese, an apple or pear, or a handful of berries, along with a stick of celery and a couple of seeded crackers.

PERFECT HUMMUS 

210 cals per portion / Makes 4 portions

● 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed

● 3 tbsp lemon juice

● 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus drizzle

● 4 tsp tahini

● 2 garlic cloves, crushed

● 1 tsp ground cumin

● Pinch salt

● 3 tbsp water, as required

● 1 tsp paprika

Blend the chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, garlic, cumin, salt and water in a food processor until you have a creamy puree. Serve with a drizzle of oil and a sprinkling of paprika.

BRAZIL NUT BUTTER 

110 cals / Makes 4 portions

● 2–3 garlic cloves

● 180g Brazil nuts, soaked in water for 24 hours, drained and rinsed

● 3 tbsp lemon juice

● 4 tbsp rapeseed oil

● 2 tbsp tahini

● Pinch cayenne pepper

Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until you have a paste. Loosen with water if needed and season. Cover and store in the fridge.  

Pictured: Brazil nut butter

RAITA 

270 cals per portion / Makes 4 portions

● ½ cucumber

● 250ml full-fat Greek yoghurt

● ¼ tsp cumin seeds

● 2-3 mint leaves, finely chopped

● Pinch salt

Peel and deseed the cucumber, then grate or finely dice it. Combine it in a bowl with the yoghurt and all the other ingredients and a large pinch of salt.

SMOKED FISH PATE 

270 cals / Makes 2 portions

● 1 fillet smoked mackerel/trout

● 3 tbsp full-fat soft cheese

● Squeeze lemon juice

● 1-2 tsp hot horseradish sauce

● ½ cucumber, thickly sliced

Remove the skin and mash the fish in a bowl with cheese and lemon juice. Season with black pepper, and add the horseradish. Serve on slices of cucumber.  

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