If you know us, you probably know we really care about keeping teeth healthy. But we don’t only love oral care, we like to get stuck into all aspects of living a healthy lifestyle. So, with inspiration from Dr. Michael Greger’s most recent book ‘How Not to Die’, we’ve put together a little health guide. In the book, Greger created the Daily Dozen which includes a list of essential plant foods you should aim to eat every day for optimal health benefits. To help you cram all these great nutrients into your diet, we’ve suggested recipes and ideas for how to get your dozen into your daily regime.
1. Beans:
Soya beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils, tofu etc.
- Slap on 2 dollops of roasted onion hummus onto a rice cake or slice of rye bread. Our favourite is - https://www.waitrose.com/ecom/products/schneider-brot-organic-rye-sunflower-seed-bread/015949-7628-762
2. Berries
Grapes, raisins, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, cherries etc.
- You can easily add some berries into your morning granola bowls, or enjoy them in a smoothie. We love this berry-packed recipe from Joe Wicks - https://www.getthegloss.com/article/joe-wicks-big-fat-smoothie-recipe
3. Other Fruits
Apples, tomatoes, avocados, bananas, oranges, melons, lemons, plums, watermelon, dates etc.
- Why not get inventive and treat yourself to some healthy banana bread. Perfect for a midday snack to satisfy those sweet cravings. http://thisisdavina.com/gossip/read/spiced-banana-bread.
Broccoli, cauliflower, kale, rocket, brussels sprouts etc.
- Change things up instead of boiling and steaming veg. Try roasting your broccoli/cauli for a deep nutty flavour. Line a bake tray, cut up your cruciferous veg into florets, drizzle over some extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with smoked paprika and turmeric spices (go easy on the salt folks). Roast at 180 degrees until crispy .
5. Greens
Spring greens, kale, rocket, spinach, salad greens, swiss chard etc.
- A quick go to green juice is a great way to pack in vitamins and nutrients into your daily regime. Here's a superfood recipe by Hemsley&hemsley that we love - http://www.hemsleyandhemsley.com/recipe/winter-green-smoothie/. Or, even easier, chuck in a handful of fresh spinach leaves into your pre-packed lunch.
6. Other Veg
Peppers, beetroot, carrots, sweetcorn, garlic, onion, mushroom, butternut, sweet potato etc.
- Our friends at Ocado have created a delicious heart-warming soup for any cold rainy day. Check out https://www.ocado.com/webshop/recipe/butternut-squash-soup/1146 for their recipe. If you’re feeling lazy, they have some pretty tasty pre-made soups too.
7. Flax-seeds
Golden or brown
- Ground up flax-seed is always preferred to get its maximum nutrients. Try adding one tbsp to your smoothies or yogurt pots. It’ll top up your fibre intake.
8. Nuts and seeds
Almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, hazelnuts, macadamias etc.
- Peanut or almond butter. Spread it onto anything, and everything. Enough said. There's loads to choose from, but our favourites are https://www.pipandnut.com/jars/. You’ll get lost in their nutty deliciousness, we sure did.
9. Spices
Allspice, basil, bay leaves, cumin, curry powder, paprika, ginger, coriander, saffron, sage, turmeric etc.
- Its so easy to incorporate spices into your meals, check out the roasted veg recipe above under ‘curciferous veg’. Cinnamon is great, simply add ½ tsp to your morning porridge or overnight oats.
10. Whole grains
Barley, brown rice, wild rice, brown pasta, oats, millet, whole wheat pasta, quinoa etc.
- Munch on some turmeric+black pepper popcorn from one of our favourite stockists - https://www.planetorganic.com/planet-organic-turmeric-black-pepper-popcorn-20g/27763/. We also recommend trying out one of our team’s go to lunch box recipes - http://www.crazyvegankitchen.com/rainbow-quinoa-salad-with-tahini-ginger-dressing/
11. Liquid
Water, coffee, green tea, herbal teas etc.
- Try a Dash drink https://www.ocado.com/webshop/product/Dash-Water-Sparkling-Lemon/436842011, they are sugar free, refreshing and taste good too.
12. Exercise
- Go rock climbing, get a standing desk, spring clean the house. Pretty much whatever gets you moving.
100% plant based not your thing? No problem. There’s plenty of ways you can incorporate all these awesome tips into your daily routine whilst including a little meat and dairy too. If you want to find out more from where this came from, get yourself a copy of Michael’s book. We thoroughly recommend.