Recipe for a healthy new year

Published on Saturday 3 January 2009 10:07

AS January arrives with a dull thud it's time for counting the costs of December's party season. Opening this month's bank statement may be depressing enough but think also of your healthy lifestyle that got mislaid somewhere amongst all those Christmas meals office drinks parties and boxes of chocolates in front of the TV. Along with your inevitable New Year's resolution to visit the gym more regularly you could do worse than starting the year with some healthier eating.

Fruit and vegetables are a good place to start. While filling your basket with apples, oranges and bananas and skipping the biscuit aisle is an obvious step, investigating some of the more interesting vegetable recipes could also pay healthy dividends.

Cooking imaginatively with vegetables usually requires a little more time and inspiration than, say grilling a piece of fish, but it needn't be at all daunting. Vegetable soups, stews and curries are all straightforward to prepare and just as tasty as their meat-based counterparts as well as being one-pot dishes that retain all their nutrients during the cooking process. Pies, tarts and flans are also perfect for showcasing different types of veggies. Try wrapping vegetable combinations such as sweet potato, spinach, goat's cheese and wild mushroom in filo pastry, baking and serving along with a chick-pea, beetroot and coriander salad for a robust combination of flavours that also ticks a few of those health boxes.

Eating more fish is another area where most of us could improve our intake health-wise. The fish markets might just getting back into gear but there still should be plenty of options to choose from. While farmed salmon and trout are available all year round you should be able to find a nice piece of pollock, plaice or turbot at the moment. Simply season with a little sea salt, black pepper and lemon juice then pop under the grill for a couple of minutes for a quick and healthy main course. Accompanying with boiled baby potatoes and steamed green vegetables will top up your health points, but if you fancy something a bit more adventurous you could serve your fish with a cauliflower, spinach and prawn curry made with tomato or coconut milk instead of cream or butter.

January is also an excellent month for Scottish shellfish and you should be able to find good quality mussels, clams and oysters in plentiful supply. Half a kilo of fresh mussels steamed simply in a pan with garlic, black pepper and lemon juice and served with crusty bread is a straightforward and healthy lunch or dinner dish that will be bursting with natural flavours, not to mention vitamins, minerals and protein.

If all the excesses of the festive season have left you feeling listless and lacking in energy it's important to eat starchy foodstuffs such as potatoes, rice and pasta, especially if you're planning a New Year's exercise regime. Red meat too shouldn't be overlooked as a provider of protein and iron, though you should choose leaner cuts and limit your steak or burger eating to maybe once a week.

Those who tend to get through the morning on a cup of coffee and wonder why they're tired come lunchtime should consider eating breakfast on a regular basis as this will give your energy levels a boost. Non-sugary whole grain cereals are ideal but for those who have time for a hot breakfast kippers, eggs or good old-fashioned porridge will do the trick.

So you may have to put a little more thought into meal-planning, but if you concentrate on regularly cooking a different variety of foods in healthier ways then you should balance your diet and hopefully recover from December's excesses.

&#149 Andy McGregor is chef/proprietor at Blonde Restaurant, 75 St Leonard's Street, 0131-668 2917