Food

This salad is a great way to welcome spring. Cha soba are buckwheat noodles that have matcha green tea added to them. They can be easily sourced next to the regular soba noodles in the Asian section of some grocery stores. To make this into a more substantial meal, serve topped with some slices of tempeh or tofu.

Crunch time

This show-stopping, make-ahead, no-bake cake is a grown-up version of a childhood favorite: ice cream cake. Sweet, creamy and refreshing, this is one recipe you’ll find yourself repeating through the year.

Piece of cake!

As women enter their fifties, there’s an increased need for vitamin D as well as omega-3s and potassium. With vitamin-rich salmon that’s also packed with healthy omega-3 fats and a colourful salad that offers a healthy serving of vitamins and minerals, including potassium, this meal is a powerhouse of nutrition—and flavour. TIP: Shichimi togarashi is a Japanese blend of seven spices that often includes red chili flakes, dried orange peel, white and black sesame seeds, nori (seaweed) flakes, poppy seeds, and ginger. Ingredients may vary in some brands.

It is truly amazing what you can do with a couple of cans of beans. Their versatility was unveiled to me when I visited a friend who had just returned from a trip to Sardinia; she told me about a meal she had enjoyed in a simple taverna on the beach one summer’s evening. She wanted to recreate it in her kitchen back in London with me, so we did—and I have to thank her for this magic recipe. Flageolet beans are a member of the haricot bean family; they are picked before the beans are ripe and retain their green color, and they are even more flavorful than a regular cannellini or haricot bean. You can buy them pre-cooked in cans in most grocery stores, or you can substitute with butter beans or any other white bean you like.

You’ll be amazed at how much this nut “cheese” tastes just like a soft cheddar. Although it may seem like a bit of work to make the cheese, I have really come to appreciate the art of making nut cheeses, and I recommend giving it a go. Serve this dish for a dinner party starter or as a simple weekday lunch. This soup is suitable for simplicity or celebration.

Many women are leaning into motherhood in their thirties, when increased levels of folate are needed. In this recipe, dark leafy vegetables coupled with asparagus and artichokes add an über-healthy hit of folate. Not only is this bouquet lovely to look at, but it also offers a combination of flavours that virtually pop in your palate. DID YOU KNOW? Folate is a B vitamin naturally present in many foods and is essential for forming healthy DNA and other genetic materials. It’s especially important for pregnant women to facilitate the healthy division of cells. TIP: There are many foods naturally rich in folate that would be delicious with the Smoked Rosy Tahini Dressing. All dark leafy vegetables, Brussels sprouts, various nuts, black-eyed peas, and kidney beans are excellent sources of folate and would be a delicious substitute for the greens in the Asparagus Bouquet Salad.  

This may seem totally self-indulgent and just a reason to eat chocolate at breakfast, but to be honest, it’s the perfect time of the day for chocolate—or rather, its source, raw cacao. The caffeine in cacao gives you a natural high, and having caffeine at this time of day won’t disrupt your sleep patterns. It helps to boost your energy for the day ahead, so jump right into this porridge knowing your chocolate cravings will be satisfied and your circadian rhythm healthily maintained.

This is a tonic to your body and an awakening signal to your third-eye chakra. Enjoy this elixir before your breakfast.

Adolescent girls and young women have an increased need for iron-rich foods. And enhancing vitamin C consumption is essential for optimal iron absorption. Our iron-rich pasta dish is a simple and tasty dish that scores on all levels. With the combination of tomatoes, clams, and parsley, it’s the perfect marriage for an iron-clad, vitamin C meal.

When a meal is this colourful, easy to prepare, and eminently adaptable, how could it not be the best lunch ever? Women in their midlife and beyond need increased levels of vitamin B12. These delicious spreads build the foundations for colourful, nutritional toppings that fill your meal with vitamin B12 benefits. DID YOU KNOW? Many health professionals will advise taking a supplement to be sure vitamin B needs are met—particularly for vegetarians or vegans.

This lovely spread is perfect with cheese, figs, and olives. Spread on crisp crackers or toasted baguette. The surprise pairing is seafood: top that baguette slice with Maple Apple Pear Butter, a grilled prawn, and crumbled goat cheese, and it’s a winner of an appetizer!

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Pesto is delicious and often paired with pasta. But there are many other tasty ideas. Drizzle pesto over oven-roasted vegetables, swirl in a soup, or spread over bread and layer with sandwich toppings. We’ve compiled this insanely delicious pesto and drizzled it over a salad, then topped it with a poached egg, halloumi, or tempeh. The secret to this great pesto is in the nutrient-rich kale stems.

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This burger is the perfect antidote to a mega appetite. This is absolutely delicious shaped into 6 good-sized burgers or rolled into small balls, baked, and served on toasted buns, over rice, or as appetizers.

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No need to peel vegetables for this delicious stock. Just be sure to use organic. Stock can be made and served as a simple base in a myriad of recipes.

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This detoxifying tempura will be sure to jazz up any dinner party! Garlic scapes arrive in late spring and are similar to asparagus in texture but pack a distinct garlic taste that’s slightly milder than the bulbs. They’re great pickled, on the grill, or turned into a wonderful pesto.

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These tacos not only pack a flavour punch, but are also composed of plant-based powerhouse nutritional stars. Carrot tops add a wonderful fresh herblike taste to enhance the carrot flavour in this miso salsa. But be careful: don’t use the greens if they’re very large, as they will be bitter.

Did you know?

This salad is a great spring dish using fresh local and seasonal bounty. This dish not only looks amazing, but is also packed with flavour and nutrition. Swiss chard is an excellent source of vitamins K, A, and C, as well as a good source of magnesium, potassium, iron, and dietary fibre.

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Buddha bowls are insanely good. And good for you, too! Try this combination, or switch it up with any number of flavourful garden greens such as bell peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, and more. With a generous sprinkling of gomashio overtop before serving, it’s a powerhouse of nutrition in a bowl.

Apple cider vinegar is easy to buy for a small price. But making your own is even easier. If you buy organic fruits, the skins are perfectly safe to eat. We’ve got a few ideas for using up your fruit peelings, which might just help neutralize your global footprint, but we’ll start with healthy and fermented vinegar. We can sip apple cider vinegar diluted with water to start every day, but there are hundreds of other wonderful ways it can be used.

Watermelon rind is typically left for the compost—or worse: the trash can. But research clearly shows it’s worth preserving and serving in a salad. Shaving it thinly and marinating before serving it is a recipe served in many famous establishments. We’re doing one better and serving it as a cool and delicious gazpacho—something you’ll enjoy so much you’ll be serving it often to family and friends.

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By using vegetable noodles instead of rice noodles in this pad Thai, we amped up the nutritional value and visual appeal of the dish without compromising on flavour.

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(pictured with Cranberry and Pumpkin Seed Bars) Apple slices have a brand-new best friend in this earthy nut and seed butter. Feel free to substitute another nut, such as Brazil nuts or pecans, in place of almonds.

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(pictured with Sweet Potato and Spinach Curry) This sunny-hued nut-free butter is one you’ll want to have on hand. It’s divine spread on vegetables or crackers and really adds something special when stirred into soups or stews. Try stirring in some add-ins such as chia seeds, hemp hearts, or flax meal for a crunchy nutritional boost to this nut-free butter.

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These bars make the perfect on-the-go snack. Grab one as breakfast on a hectic morning or pop one into your gym bag for an after-workout treat.

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