Made this – super simple and very tasty. We’re having it with a pan fried sea bass fillet and tender stem broccoli later 

Preparation Time:30 mins

Cooking Time:40 mins

Serves: 4

Calories per serving:247.7

Ingredients

Butternut Squash, Raw, peeled and chopped into 2cm cubes -500g

Oil, Olive -1 Tbsp/15ml

Barley -100g

Tomatoes, Sun Dried, chopped -50g

Pumpkin Seeds -1 Tbsp/10g

Black pitted olives, halved -7 Olives/24.5g

Basil, Fresh -2 Tbsps/10g

Balsamic Vinegar -2 Tbsps/30ml

Olive Oil, Extra Virgin -2 Tsps/10ml

Dijon Mustard -1½ Tsps/7.5g

Garlic, Raw -1 Clove/3g

Red Onions -50g

Capers, in Brine -1 Hpd Tsp/10g

Method

Preparation: Peel and de-seed butternut squash and cut into 2cm cubes. Peel and dice the red onion. Slice the sun dried tomatoes. Roughly chop the basil. Peel and finely dice garlic.

For the dressing

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.

Place the squash on a baking tray and toss with olive oil. Roast for 20 mins. After 20 mins, stir thoroughly and then add the chopped onion. Continue to roast for a further 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil the barley for about 25 mins in salted water until tender, but al dente.

While this is happening, whisk the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, then season with salt and pepper. Drain the barley, then tip it into a bowl and pour over the dressing. Mix well and let it cool.

Add the remaining ingredients (olives, capers, chopped basil, seeds) to the barley and mix well.

This will keep for 3 days in the fridge and is delicious warm or cold.

Nutrition Data Per Serving

Calories (kcal) 247.7

Protein (g) 5.0

Carbohydrate (g) 31.7

Fat (g) 10.8

Fruit & Veg 1.8

Fibre (g) 5.5

This was so easy and quick and very, very delicious. We’ll definitely be making it again!

Preparation Time: 5 mins

Cooking Time: 18 mins

Serves: 2

Calories per serving: 278

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Ingredients

Salmon, Fillets, Raw, Skin-On (2 x 90g) – 190g

Butter, Salted – 8g

Cheese, Parmesan, finely grated – 15g

Lemon, Zest – 2 Tsps/4g

Breadcrumbs, Panko – 15g

Mustard, Dijon, Average- 6g

Dill, Dried, Average- ½ Tsp/0.5g

Oil, Olive, Average- 3ml

Preparation: Melt butter in microwave. Finely grate parmesan cheese. Zest half a lemon.

Method

1   Heat oven to 200 degrees. Use oil to brush bottom of a Pyrex baking dish. Pat salmon dry with paper towel. Place salmon, skin side down, in dish; spread with the Dijon mustard.

2   Mix panko bread crumbs, cheese, lemon zest and dill with the melted butter. Press bread crumb mixture evenly on salmon.

3   Bake uncovered 15 to 25 minutes (I cooked for 18 mins) or until salmon flakes easily with fork. Serve immediately.

I served mine with some stir-fried cabbage and leek and half a pouch of brown rice with roasted vegetables.

Nutrition Data Per Serving

Calories (kcal) 278

Protein (g) 21.8

Carbohydrate (g) 6.6

Fat (g)18.4

Fruit & Veg 0.0

Fibre (g) 0.2

This was lovely – very filling and a nice bit of heat from the chilli and the chorizo. It suggested serving with green beans and rice – but it most certainly didn’t need the rice!

Preparation Time: 20 mins

Cooking Time: 30 mins

Serves: 2

Calories per serving: 424

Ingredients

Oil, Olive – 7ml

Onions, peeled and sliced -100g

Peppers, Yellow, Raw (1 medium) cut into bite-sized chunks – 155g

Courgette, Raw – cut in half lengthwise and then sliced – 200g

Chorizo, sliced – 70g

Tomatoes, Chopped, in Tomato, Canned – ½ Can/200g

Butter Beans, Canned – ½ Can/125g

Tomato Puree, Double Concentrate – 1 Tbsp/15g

Oregano, Dried,- ½ Tsp/0.5g

Dried Chilli Flakes – ½ Tsp/1.5g

Stock Cubes, Chicken, half a cube

Parsley, Fresh – 1 Tbsp/3.8g

Salt – 1 Pinch/0.1g

Freshly Ground Black Pepper – 1 Pinch/0.2g

Chicken Breast Fillets 2 x 100g, cut into slices – 200g

Method

Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan or saute pan. Add the chicken and season with the pepper. Fry for 2 minutes, stirring regularly.

Transfer the chicken to a plate using a slotted spoon or spatula and add the onion, pepper, courgette and chorizo to the pan. Fry over a medium high heat for 3 minutes, stirring regularly.

Add the wine, tomatoes, butterbeans, tomato puree, oregano, chilli flakes and chicken stock cube to the pan. Refill the tomato tin with cold water, pour into the tomato mixture and stir. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Bring the sauce to the boil, return the chicken to the pan and simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and cooked through and the sauce has thickened.

Garnish with the parsley and serve immediately. Goes nicely with green beans,

Nutrition Data Per Serving

Calories (kcal) 424.6

Protein (g) 42.4

Carbohydrate (g) 26.4

Fat (g) 16.9

Fruit & Veg 5.1

Fibre (g) 8.1

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I thought I’d try out this new idea for aubergine parmigiana, which roasts the aubergine halves – rather than slicing and pan frying (which adds many more minutes to the preparation).

I think I’m on to something! Much easier, saves on the quantity of oil and just as tasty!

Preparation Time: 45 mins

Cooking Time: 60 mins

Serves: 2

Calories per serving: 412

Ingredients

Onions – 77g

Tomatoes, Chopped, in Rich Tomato Juice – ½ Can/200g

Garlic, Raw, Average – 1 Clove/3g

Parmesan Cheese – 20g

Breadcrumbs, Panko – 1 Serving/30g

Oregano, Dried – ¼ Tbsp/1.25g

Aubergine, Raw – 350g

Mozzarella Cheese, Half Fat – 125g

Sugar, Granulated – ½ Tsp/2.5g

Tomato Puree, Double Concentrate – 12g

Avocado Oil -13ml

Cheese, Soft, 50% Less Fat – 70g

Olive Oil – 6ml

Fresh Basil – 15 leaves/7.5g

Method

Preparation: Peel and finely dice onion. Peel and finely chop garlic. Grate the parmesan and mix in a bowl with the breadcrumbs.

Remove the stalks from the aubergines, cut them in half lengthwise. Score the flesh deeply into small diamonds, being careful not to break through the skin. Heat the oven to 200 degrees.

Place the aubergines, skin side down, side by side in an oven proof shallow baking dish. Drizzle over the avocado oil and brush quickly over the cut uppermost surface until fully coated. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

Place the aubergines into the hot oven and roast for around 30 minutes until softened and golden brown.

Whilst the aubergines are roasting, heat a large non-stick frying pan. Add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onion and fry for about 10-15 minutes – until softened. Do not allow to brown more than to a golden colour. Then add the garlic and cook for 10 minutes, until the onion is soft and the garlic has a tiny bit of colour.

Add tinned tomatoes and tomato puree to the onion and garlic. Add the oregano and sugar. Give the mixture a good stir, lower the heat and cook for a further 15 minutes.

When the tomato sauce is reduced and sweet, season it carefully with salt, pepper.

Once the aubergines are roasted, spoon the tomato mixture over the top. Lay over the whole basil leaves in an even layer.

Place the soft cheese in small blobs over the top of the tomato mixture.

Drain and slice the Mozzarella and lay the slices over the aubergine. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan over the top.

Place the dish in the oven and bake at 200C/375F/gas 5 for 20 – 30 minutes until golden, crisp and bubbly. It’s best eaten straight away, but it can also be served cold.

You can make this dish using courgettes or fennel in place of the aubergines.

Nutrition Data Per Serving

Calories (kcal) 412

Protein (g) 26

Carbohydrate (g) 26.8

Fat (g) 22.7

Fruit & Veg 3.7

Fibre (g) 5.4

Dealing with any kind of grief or additional life stresses can be really difficult without the addition of trying to control what – or how much – we are eating.

Work, family crisis, illness, money worries, relationship issues – will enter and leave all of our lives at some point in varying degrees.

At this critical and vulnerable moment in time, it can be really easy for things to go either one way… or the other. Learning how to deal with stress and our automatic reactions to it can be truly life changing.

You can either fall back on food and use emotional eating to help you through the bad patch. After all, if you haven’t got the time or energy (because of the stress/trauma) to plan, shop and cook, the perfect solution may appear to be to turn to slices of toast, packets of biscuits and crisps, take-away and fast food. The things that provide “instant gratification” and deal with the hunger pangs.  They provide a comforting and effortless instant fulness.

This could potentially have a huge impact on your emotional health. Eating “rubbish” is likely to leave you feeling worse, lethargic, tired. Waking up to the fact that you’ve eaten all the wrong things will just add to your feelings of sadness, emptiness and add to the feelings of inadequacy and loathing that you may already have in relation to your weight.

It is at this moment in time when you are feeling particularly vulnerable – that you should take the time to look after yourself – REALLY look after yourself.

I was just thinking this morning (as I was exercising – my time to “think”!) that I was really helped in a recent trauma I experienced by the fact that my food planning and preparation are so regimented.

Rather than just tell myself that “I haven’t the time…” because of dealing with the effects of the trauma (physically and emotionally) and turning to fast food, snacks etc. I told myself instead, that now – more than any other time – it is important to keep going and not to lose all the positive benefits that I have achieved through my weight loss.

The improvements to my physical and emotional wellbeing are something I am not willing to jeopardise. The only person who can be truly responsible for helping you to heal will be you. It may well be with support and help from others, but you have to be committed to the actual “doing”.

When you are feeling at an all-time low, taking the time to look after and care for yourself – to prioritise your own needs – is absolutely essential.

Often what can help a lot with stress is to keep busy and active – keep your mind occupied so that you are not instead dwelling on the recent event / trauma.  Concentrate on the fuel you are putting into your body to make sure you are giving yourself the very best.

Trying to keep your meal times regular, trying to go to bed / get up at the same sorts of times each day and by making a huge effort to eat healthier foods as well as some exercise (ideally outside / some fresh air) will help to lift your mood.

You may find yourself surprised at just how a few simple “rules” to ensuring that you prioritise your own needs will start to make the difference to your emotional well-being.

Please note: I am not a trained psychologist! This post is written in relation to my own weight loss journey and the changes I have made to the way I think about and approach my eating.  I hope it helps you.

I’m being strict with myself over the next 5 weeks as I have a window of opportunity to shift some excess poundage ahead of a trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar in September where I most definitely will want to try the local cuisine.

It’s our sixth wedding anniversary today  so we are out tonight to the Indian restaurant around the corner where I plan to be sensible. I had a cute cared from Andy and I have a feeling some flowers are being delivered at some point. I bought him some lovely scented candles in pots (set fo 4), some Mindfulness cards – designed to be used over a month and a beer bottle opener in the shape of a bears head with mouth opened that he can fix onto a wall outside. It’s the Iron anniversary so the cast iron bear was chosen with that in mind.

I’ve mowed the grass and watered for a couple of hours so earned myself 350 exercise calories and have already done over double my target steps – nearly 6,000! Sad to see so many brown oak leaves, but I think they’ve been blown out from various nooks and crannies by recent strong winds.

Food:

Lunch: 0.75 of an avocado, homemade creamy Greek yogurt coleslaw, salad with beetroot and olives (loving our home grown tomatoes!), tzatziki and a sprinkling of toasted seeds.

Planned Dinner: 1 x Poppadum for starter, Chicken Shashlik, cucumber and onion raita. Strawberries, raspberries and creme fraiche when back at home.

The photo was my beautiful rainbow lunch, lettuce and tomatoes from the garden – 439 calories.

Planned dinner tonight, including my dessert should be around 630 calories.

Bulking out a curry with lots of vegetables means that you can still enjoy a filling portion for relatively few calories.

Served here with 100g of cauliflower “rice” (just 34 calories!) and half a portion of stir-fried leek and savoy cabbage (I cook it in butter and olive oil) – 37 calories.

Whole meal (including 30g of full fat Greek yogurt – 40 cals) = 260 calories!!!

Preparation Time: 30 mins

Cooking Time: 1 hr

Serves: 4

Calories per serving: 149.0

Ingredients

Butternut Squash, Raw – 270g

King Prawns, Peeled, Raw – 200g

Onions, Red – 117g

Oil, Sunflower – 7ml

Peppers, Red, Raw – 134g

Tomatoes, Chopped, in Rich Tomato Juice – 1 Can/400g

Curry Paste, Jalfrezi, Patak’s – 30g

Mushrooms, Chestnut – 120g

Garlic, Raw – 1 Clove/3g

Coriander, Leaves, Fresh, Average – 1 Bunch/20g

Peppers, Chilli, Red, Raw – 2 Med/90g

Ground pepper (to taste)

(PS, I forgot to add the fresh coriander! Disaster – love the flavour…)

Preparation:

Peel and chop the butternut squash into 2cm chunks. Peel and chop the onion, de-seed and chop the pepper into large chunks, peel and finely chop the garlic. De-seed and finely chop the chilli peppers.

Method:

Put the oil into a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry for about 10 – 15 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, red pepper and chilli and continue to fry for about 5 minutes. Add the curry paste and stir to release the flavours.

Add the tinned tomatoes, cubed butternut squash and cook for a further 10 minutes. Then add the ground pepper and mushrooms.

Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer and continue to cook for a further 45 minutes, stirring at regular intervals.

Add the prawns and stir through for 5 – 10 minutes until the prawns are cooked.

Chop the coriander finely onto curry and stir through just before serving.

Nutrition Data Per Serving

Calories (kcal) 149.0

Protein (g) 10.9

Carbohydrate (g) 15.8

Fat (g) 4.8

Fruit & Veg 3.5

Fibre (g) 4.1