Anna Jones - A Modern Way to Eat

MACA Another amazing Peruvian root, which comes from the same family as cabbage and broccoli. It comes in powdered form and has an almost malty sweet flavour. It is thought to calm the nervous system, balance our hormones and help our bodies cope with stress. Look for 100% maca root when you are buying it – start with a teaspoon of maca a day in your smoothie and work up to a tablespoon if you like.

HEMP Hemp comes in seed and powder form and both are perfect for adding to smoothies. Hemp is one of the only complete plant sources of protein, making it great for vegetarians or vegans. It is also high in omega 3 and 6 and in fibre, and delivers a solid dose of vitamins, minerals and the super-green chlorophyll. A tablespoon a day in your smoothie or on your yoghurt and granola every day is just right.

BEE POLLEN Not the stuff that floats around in summer and causes sneezing. Bee pollen is the pollen that bees collect from flowers and take back to store in their hives. They go from flower to flower collecting the stuff and packaging it into little golden granules. It may seem a bit out there to be eating this stuff, but it’s an incredible whole food in the truest sense, as it provides our body with almost every nutrient, vitamin and mineral we need, as well as being super-high in protein and digestion-boosting enzymes. You can buy raw bee pollen in granules (not blocks) from your local health food store. If you are able to buy local bee pollen it can help protect against allergies and hayfever. Bee pollen is powerful stuff, so start off with a teaspoon a day for adults, working your way up to a tablespoon, and for kids just a few grains, working up to half a teaspoon.

SPIRULINA AND CHLORELLA Spirulina and chlorella are two types of algae, which are insanely rich in nutrients and protein. When I put either in my morning smoothie I feel so full of energy. The stuff is like natural green caffeine. The taste of both spirulina and chlorella is quite strong, so start with a half a teaspoon and work your way up to couple of teaspoons.

Each of these four recipes makes one giant smoothie that keeps me going until lunchtime. If you can’t skip your cereal or toast, then split this between two for a little morning kick-start.

Put all the ingredients for your choice of smoothie, apart from the ice cubes but including any extra powders you want to use, into the blender. Whiz on low to start with, then turn it up to high for a minute or so. You may need to turn off the blender, take the top off and use a spoon to get everything moving. Whiz until smooth and a vivid green.

Add a few ice cubes and blitz again until completely smooth. If you have added a lot of powders you may need to water the smoothie down with a little cold water.

EASY WAYS TO ADD PROTEIN

A super easy and delicious way to boost the protein in your smoothies is to add a tablespoon of a nut or seed butter. Almond butter and tahini are my favourites, and they add a depth, richness and creaminess to smoothies too.

Oats are a surprisingly good source of protein as well as fibre – a couple of tablespoons in your smoothie will add a lush creaminess. Porridge oats work best but rolled oats work well too; I just soak mine first for a few minutes in some of the milk I will use for my smoothie.

GO TO GREEN

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1 small banana, peeled

2 apples, cored and chopped

2 large handfuls of greens (spinach or kale)

juice of ½ an lemon

1 tablespoon hemp seeds

a good pinch of ground cinnamon

250ml milk of your choice (I use almond)

AVOCADO AND TOASTED COCONUT

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½ an avocado

1 banana, peeled

juice of ½ lemon or lime

1 tablespoon chia seeds

375ml coconut water or milk

1 tablespoon toasted coconut

2 dates

a few ice cubes

SESAME AND DATE

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1 banana

2 persimmons or ½ a mango

1 tablespoon tahini

300ml milk of your choice (I use almond)

a small handful of oats

a drizzle of honey

the juice of ½ an orange

2 dates

BERRY AND BASIL

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1 large handful of berries (blueberries, blackberries or strawberries)

1 large handful of greens

1 banana

5 fresh basil leaves

1 tablespoon almond butter

2 tablespoons hemp seeds

200ml milk of your choice (I use almond)

a few ice cubes

Lemon maple granola

Shop-bought granola is the breakfast of choice for most of my friends who want to eat a little better. However, while cleverly branded as health foods, most granolas are full of sugar. This is why I make my own on Sunday night. Just 10 minutes’ work yields a deeply satisfying and beautiful jar of breakfast for the rest of the week. I use a mixture of quinoa flakes and oats for balance, as I find oats a bit heavy for first thing, but this works just as well if you use 300g of one or the other (and using just quinoa will make it gluten free). Use whatever dried fruit you like here. I have kept it simple, but sometimes I like to add dried peaches, pears or plums too when I find them. I find it really pleasing to measure in handfuls, but I have given some weights here too if you prefer to be precise.

Quinoa flakes can be used anywhere you would use oats. I use them for my morning porridge. Quinoa is said to be one of the most complete foods in nature, as it contains a brilliant balance of amino acids, enzymes, vitamins and minerals, fibre and antioxidants. Most importantly, it is a complete source of protein, so it’s perfect if you are cutting down or cutting out other proteins.

MAKES ABOUT 700G, A NICE BIG JAR

8 tablespoons runny honey or maple syrup

2 large handfuls (150g) of rolled oats

2 large handfuls (150g) of quinoa flakes

2 handfuls (80g) of seeds (I use sunflower and pumpkin)

2 handfuls (150g) of nuts (I use skin-on almonds and pecans), chopped

a handful (30g) of unsweetened desiccated coconut

grated zest of 2 unwaxed lemons

a handful (100g) of raisins

2 handfuls (100g) of any other dried fruit, roughly chopped (I use dates and dried apricots)

SERVE WITH YOGHURT AND FRUIT

Spring • vanilla-poached rhubarb and soya yoghurt

Summer • roasted strawberries with coconut milk yoghurt

Autumn • poached pears with maple syrup

Winter • dates poached in blood orange juice

Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/gas 5. If you are using honey, heat it in a saucepan until warm (no need to do this if you are using maple syrup). Mix the oats, quinoa flakes, seeds, chopped nuts, coconut and lemon zest in a large bowl, then scatter over two large, lightly oiled baking trays.

Pour over the maple syrup or honey and mix well with your hands to coat everything. Pop into the oven for 20 minutes. Remember to give it a good stir every 5 minutes or so.

After 20 minutes, add all the dried fruits and put back into the oven for another 10 minutes to get that slightly chewy, caramelised fruit texture. Then remove from the oven and allow to cool. Store in airtight jars or containers for up to 1 month.

Ten ways with avocado on toast

To me, avocado on toast is sunny food – it feels right on a summer’s day and brightens up a dreary one. It is a go-to when time is short and cupboards are bare. I often eat it as a hurried breakfast, very simply with some lime, salt and pepper. But these other ways have crept in too.

Since avocado is the star of the show, accept nothing less than soft, yielding, ripe and perfect. Avocados are loaded with good fats and omega 3, like the stuff you find in olive oil, and an artillery of vitamins and minerals. I would struggle to eat without them.