Stage one: Garlicky Greens with Mushrooms

For eight to 12 weeks (or until you’ve lost 15 per cent of your body weight) replace breakfast, lunch and dinner with three shakes or soups a day plus a plate of veg or salad. There are no calorie counts for the veg recipes – they’re all around 100 calories a portion. 

Great shakes to get your started:

It’s important that your three daily shakes are all nutritionally complete. Good online brands for these are Exante, Slim And Save and The New You Plan. The homemade shakes here can be swapped in from time to time for variation.

The Teacake Shake – Calories 181

200ml skimmed milk, 2 tbsp skimmed milk powder, 2 pitted prunes (10g), 1 tsp ground allspice, zest of 1 small orange, or 1-2 drops orange essence.  Place all ingredients in a blender and blitz.

Peanut Butter & Banana Shake – Calories 210

200ml skimmed milk, 1½ tbsp skimmed milk powder, ½ a small banana, 40g (frozen banana will make a thicker shake), 1 tsp smooth peanut butter (no added sugar variety), ½-1 tsp stevia sweetener. Place all ingredients in the blender and blitz for 10 seconds until smooth.

Blueberry Pancake Shake – Calories 182

200ml skimmed milk, 1½ tbsp skimmed milk powder, 50g frozen blueberries, 1 tsp vanilla extract, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ½-1 tsp stevia sweetener (optional). Place all ingredients in a blender and blitz.

Choc-Mint Shake – Calories 197

200ml skimmed milk, 2 tbsp skimmed milk powder, 2 tsp dark cocoa powder, 2-3 fresh mint leaves (or 1-2 drops mint essence), ½-1 tsp stevia sweetener. Place all the ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth.

Garlicky Greens with Mushrooms 

Prep 5 minutes

cook 10 minutes

makes 2 servings

250g kale (or any other greens)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 red onion, sliced

200g mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp dried chilli flakes 

• Steam the kale in a pan with a little boiling water for about 5 minutes or until it is tender.

• Drain the kale in a colander.

• Dry off the pan, add the oil and heat on medium.

• Add the crushed garlic and sliced onion and sauté for 2 minutes.

• Add the mushrooms and chilli flakes. Cook for another 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown.

• Return the kale to the pan, mix everything together and cook until it’s heated through.

Tip: If you want to give this dish extra aromatic flavour, try adding the crushed seeds of four cardamom pods before steaming.

 See the ‘Related Articles’ box below for all the recipes  

 ©Roy Taylor 2020. recipes created by: participants on the diabetes reversal trial, Kathryn Bruton, Alison Barnes. Food styling: Clare Lewis. Styling: Sue Radcliffe