Delicious recipes designed to help you eat to live longer at every single meal

The recipe for the elixir of life is as simple as eating at least 30 different plants each week. But how to do it? At first, 30 a week can sound daunting, but that’s only four or five different plants a day.

The difference between this target and the old-style five-a-day regime is that we are aiming for our five to be a different five every day of the week. And to help you keep up with this goal, use a planner.

Gut health expert Dr Megan Rossi shares recipes to help you live longer

Each day, record what you eat across the Super Six categories — wholegrains, fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, legumes, and herbs and spices.

Each new plant in each category counts for one plant point, apart from herbs and spices, for which you can award yourself a quarter of a point (that includes tea, coffee and olive oil, too).

But remember, you only get a point the first time you eat something in a week — so if you eat strawberries every day, that only counts as one point. 

Think about it that way and it’s easy.

If you usually have yoghurt with fruit for breakfast, for example, make sure it’s a different fruit each day rather than, say, raspberries on repeat, and you’ll find you’ve jumped from one to seven points without really changing your routine. 

Add a sprinkle of different nuts or seeds and you’re suddenly at 14 points.

Varied coloured versions of the same fruit and vegetables (green and red apples or orange, red and yellow peppers, say) count as a new point, too.

And be sneaky — use the sort of tricks you might use on a toddler, such as blending extra veg in with a Bolognese sauce or replacing half the meat in a lasagne with lentils.

Think of it as a series of little food hacks and you’ll soon realise it’s easier, simpler and more delicious eating for longevity than you ever dreamed.

There are an estimated 300,000 edible plants yet more than half of our global energy needs are met by just four: rice, potatoes, wheat and maize.

Many of us are used to thinking this is normal, yet the science, and surging rates of chronic diseases, are telling us a different story.

What we need in order to lengthen our lives is to grow a more diverse range of microbes inside us — a sure sign of optimal gut health which reduces the risk of many diseases that can shorten our lives.

And we do that by reaching beyond just those four plants, to the thousands of others on offer.

Over the past two days, I’ve introduced you to a science-backed way of eating that’s good for you, your gut microbes and your longevity.

You can eat to live longer at every meal. Here I’ve cherry-picked some of my favourite recipes to help you pack in more plants across the day.

They range from breakfast pancakes which whizz in multiple plant points by combining banana, oats and four different vegetables to create a gorgeous rainbow effect without food colouring, to a delicious carrot cake that doesn’t leave it at just one vegetable but blends in three types of nuts and half the spice rack, too.

BREAKFAST: EAT-THE-RAINBOW PANCAKE STACK

Prep 5 mins

Cook 15 mins

There are many amazing colours in nature, and this breakfast favourite celebrates that. Along with gut-loving phytochemicals with their brilliant tones, these rainbow pancakes have just four base ingredients —and no food dye in sight. Ease, taste and gut-love flipped into one!

These rainbow pancakes have just four base ingredients ¿and no food dye in sight. Ease, taste and gut-love flipped into one!

These rainbow pancakes have just four base ingredients —and no food dye in sight. Ease, taste and gut-love flipped into one!

Makes 8

For the pancakes

  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 50g porridge oats
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for frying
  • Colourings (1 per base)
  • Pretty Pink (betalain): 25g raw beetroot
  • Mellow Yellow (curcumin): 1 tsp turmeric
  • Proud Purple (anthocyanin) 40g red cabbage
  • Go Green (chlorophyll): 30g baby spinach leaves

Toppers (optional)

  • Live yoghurt, sweetened with honey
  • Fresh figs
  • Grilled banana
  • Berries, blitzed
  • Mixed seeds, toasted

Place the eggs, bananas and porridge oats, along with one of your plant colourings, in a high-powered blender. Blitz for 1-2 minutes until smooth and a little foamy on top.

If you are making additional batches using different colourings, pour the first batch into a jug and set aside. Rinse the blender and repeat.

Heat a large frying pan with olive oil over a low heat before spooning in 45ml (3 tbsp) of batter per pancake.

Cook over a low heat for 2-3 minutes, until you see the top of the pancake start to bubble and dry round the edges.

This signals it is ready to be flipped and cooked on the other side for a couple of minutes. Don’t be tempted to increase the heat, otherwise you’ll lose the vibrant colours.

Repeat until you have used up all the batter. Enjoy with your toppers of choice. 

LUNCH: BEETROOT, LENTIL AND GOAT’S CHEESE SALAD

Prep 10 mins

Cook 5 mins

Because boring salads have no place on my plate! This winning combo features layers of earthy flavours rounded off with creamy goat’s cheese, and will give you a whopping 14g of fibre per portion.

Serves 4

  • 2 x 250g pouch cooked Puy lentils
  • 4 large cooked beetroots, cut into wedges
  • 20 sundried tomato halves in oil, roughly chopped

For the Dressing

  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp honey, or sweetener of choice
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • Toppers l60g leaves of choice (e.g. rocket)
  • 160g goat’s cheese, crumbled
  • 60g blanched hazelnuts, chopped
This winning combo features layers of earthy flavours rounded off with creamy goat¿s cheese, and will give you a whopping 14g of fibre per portion (pictured is Dr Rossi's beetroot, lentil and goat's cheese salad)

This winning combo features layers of earthy flavours rounded off with creamy goat’s cheese, and will give you a whopping 14g of fibre per portion (pictured is Dr Rossi’s beetroot, lentil and goat’s cheese salad)

Add the lentils, beetroot and sundried tomatoes to a mixing bowl. Whisk together the dressing ingredients and allow to marinate for at least 5 minutes before pouring over the lentils and veg. Preheat the oven to 180c/160c fan/ gas 4.

Place the hazelnuts on a baking tray and bake for 5 minutes until golden. Allow to cool, then chop roughly. Add the green leaves to the marinated mix along with the goat’s cheese and hazelnuts. Toss before placing on a large serving plate. 

DINNER: ORANGE-GLAZED ROASTED SALMON

Prep 10 mins 

Cook 20 mins

A celebration of omega-3, which many of us overlook for gut health. This roasted salmon with orange glaze is the perfect reminder that health and flavour really can go hand in hand.

Serves 4 

  • 4 x salmon fillets, skin on (130–150g each)
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • ½ tbsp soy sauce
  • 400g greens of choice (e.g. pak choi, spring greens or sliced kale)
  • 500g precooked mixed wholegrains of choice
  • 2 spring onions, sliced
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced (optional)

Marinade

  • Juice of ½ orange (40ml)
  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • 10g ginger, grated
  • 1½ tbsp soy sauce
  • ½ tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 Medjool date, mixed to a paste with 2 tbsp hot water, or 1 tbsp sweetener of choice 

To serve

Dr Megan's orange-glazed baked salmon - a celebration of omega-3, which many of us overlook for gut health. This roasted salmon with orange glaze is the perfect reminder that health and flavour really can go hand in hand

Dr Megan’s orange-glazed baked salmon – a celebration of omega-3, which many of us overlook for gut health. This roasted salmon with orange glaze is the perfect reminder that health and flavour really can go hand in hand

Preheat the oven to 220c/200c fan/gas 7. Place all the marinade ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often, until reduced and syrupy. Meanwhile, using foil make four little ‘bowls’ for the salmon to go in, and place on a baking tray. Add one piece of salmon to each foil ‘bowl’ and, when ready, coat with the reduced marinade, before folding up the foil.

Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, opening the foil for the final 5 minutes to brown a little. Check the fish is cooked (the flesh should be opaque all the way through.

If it still appears translucent, return the fillets to the oven for 2 more minutes). While the fish is in the oven, heat the sesame oil and the soy sauce in a frying pan over a medium heat before adding your greens of choice. Cook until softened (about 5 minutes).

Add the cooked wholegrains, spring onion and sliced chilli (if using) to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes to heat through. Divide the wholegrains between 4 plates, and top with the greens, salmon and any juices from the foil bowls. ­Sprinkle over the sesame seeds before serving. 

GUT-LOVING CARROT CAKE WITH VANILLA CREAM FROSTING

Prep 25 mins, plus chilling

This is my raw and vegan version of a classic carrot cake. Perfectly sweet, rich and indulgent, it also nourishes your gut microbes and each slice has almost 6g of fibre. There are two toppers to choose from, depending on how much time you have. 

Serves 12

  • 18 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped (300g)
  • 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg powder
  • 3 medium carrots, grated (250g)
  • 200g walnuts
  • 100g pecans 
  • 100g ground almonds
  • 60g raisins Toppers
  • 250ml plant-based double cream (look for one that says ‘for whipping’)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 10 walnuts, crumbled or 350g cashews
  • 250ml coconut cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 60ml honey
  • Juice of ½ lemon, plus zest to taste

Line a high-sided 20cm cake tin with non-stick baking paper on the base and sides, and set aside.

For desert, try the gut-loving carrot cake with vanilla cream frosting, which is also vegan

For desert, try the gut-loving carrot cake with vanilla cream frosting, which is also vegan

Blitz the dates with the spices in a food processor until it makes a ball. Add the carrot, and pulse to combine roughly, then transfer to a mixing bowl. Blitz the walnuts and pecans until they form slightly chunky crumbs, then add to the bowl with the almonds and raisins. Combine everything with a wooden spoon.

Tip the mix into the tin, press down, then smooth the top. Chill in the fridge until you are ready to make the topping. Now whip the cream with the vanilla extract until it makes soft peaks, spread over the cake, sprinkle with the walnuts and serve.

For the more luxurious topping, cover the cashews with boiling water and soak for at least 10 minutes. Strain, blitz the nuts in a food processor with the other topper ingredients for 5-6 minutes. Pour over the cake base and smooth out the top. Leave in the fridge to set for 4 hours.

Adapted by LIBBY GALVIN from Eat More, Live Well by Dr Megan Rossi, published by Penguin Life at £16.99.© Megan Rossi 2021. To order a copy for £13.59 (offer valid to 26/2/22; UK. P&P free on orders over £20), visit mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937.

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