OK so it’s not diet in terms of weght loss and neither is it junk food but I was given a challenge.  A male friend around 50 lives on his own in shared accomodation.  He suffers from depression, snacks on junk food and can’t be bothered to cook proper meals.

He doesn’t have a cooker, just a microwave and a fridge (one of those types with a tiny freezer).  There’s no point in my giving him a diet that takes loads of faffing about and is made up of “rabbit food” as he simply won’t stick to it.

This diet is designed to get him back on the road to healthy eating with meals and snacks that take 15 minutes or less to prepare and many of them are just like the “junk” food he loves, except they’re healthy.

First off we need a toaster, a kettle and a health grill.  All the major supermarkets do their own basic brands of these items and I reckon that for less than £25 he can get all three.

Essential Shopping Basics

 

 

 

 

 

• Herbs and Spices
• Cayenne Pepper
• Turmeric
• Curcumin
• White and Black Pepper
• Crushed Chillies
• Chilli Powder
• Curry Powder
• Cinnamon
• All of the above can be bought dried and so have a long shelf life

 

• Vegetables 
• Spinache
• Kale
• Cabbage
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• With a limited amount of freezer space the above should be given priority
• Onions
• Garlic
• Leafy Greens for stuffing your kebabs and burgers … rocket, baby leaf spinach, pea shoots, watercress and any other seasonal leafy greens … fridge space needed.

What about fruit … The only fruit I would say is crucial is bananas … have at least one a day … buy other fruit if you enjoy it but fruit is high in sugar and vegetables are far more important.

• Jars
• Honey … if you can get local organic … some cheap honey is nothing more than sugar and doesn’t even come from bees 😦
• Peanut Butter
• Marmite or Vegemite

Try to eat as much of all of the above as you can within your meals … They are all Superfoods.  The hotter and spicier you can get your food the more “feel good” endorphins will be released into your brain so go as heavy as you can on those herbs and spices.  More information of other fantastic benefits of these foods here.

There’s no breakfast lunch dinner etc … if you fancy a burger for breakfast and porridge for dinner, go for it … just try to make your diet varied.

So Lets Start With Burgers and Kebabs

 

 

 

 

 

Get yourself one of those tupperware tubs and put in as much minced beef as you like.  Now add your spices to taste, you might want to go easy at first.  Adding Oxo Cubes will also bring out the flavour of the beef.  Next get your hands in there and give it a good old mix up.  Store the mixture in the fridge.

Burgers

• Take a good handful of the mince mixture and squeeze it into a ball with your hands before flattening it.  While the burger is cooking on the grill split and lightly toast a burger bun.  Add a handful of your leafy greens and add your burger … voila.
• Now lets be creative … to the mince you can add garlic, onions and grated cheese.  Top with some more grated cheese, tomatoes, sliced onion, chillis and relishes or sauces (we’ll talk more about them later).
• If your first burger is a bit bland just add some more spices to the rest of your mix and return it to the fridge.
• Minced pork and lamb also make great burgers.

Kebabs

• Use your same mince mixture but roll into rough sausage shapes … toast a pitta bread until warm … split it and add your greens etc as above.
• For other kebabs simply use your health grill to cook pieces of chicken, pork, lamb or turkey (turkey is excellent for depression.  Add your spices to a couple of teaspoons of olive oil and baste the meat on both sides before placing on the grill.
• For both your burgers and kebabs you can also add things like peppers, mushrooms, onions and other veg to the grill while the meat is cooking.

Relishes and Sauces

Of course you can buy these but they are laden with sugar.  Here’s just a few ideas to make your own:

• Salsa … Strain a tin of chopped tomatoes with herbs and garlic … to the tomato pulp add more of your own spices, garlic and onions to taste.
• Sweet Chilli Sauce … Use the juice off the tomatoes, add chilli powder and honey … other spices to taste.
• Garlic Dip … To full fat greek yoghurt add crushed garlic.
• Mustard Dip … To full fat greek yoghurt add crushed garlic and English Mustard.

I make all of the above in a cup and just give them a good wisk with a fork but you could make them in a tupperware beaker, giving them a good shake and then you can store any leftovers in the fridge for a day or so.

Other Warm Pitta Bread Suggestions always stuffed with greens

• Sliced Halloumi (Greek Cheese) … Grill on health grill until browned and stuff into pitta bread … add lemon juice and season to taste.
• Cranberry Jelly, Grilled Brie and grapes … while the brie is grilling spread the cranberry lightly on the warm split pitta then add the greens … add the grilled brie which should be nice and brown on the skin and chuck in a handful of grapes.
• Avocado, Goats Cheese and Tomato … Prepare your ingredients first in a dish and add salt, pepper and lemon juice taste.  Now warm the pitta, split it and stuff it with the contents of your dish.
• Hard Boiled Eggs with Tomatoes and Mustard Mayo … Not got a hob, wash the eggs gently then add to a cold kettle of water and boil … you may need to experiment as to how long to leave them for.  Once the eggs are cool which you can do quickly by running them under cold water, shell them and roughly chop them.  Warm and split your pitta bread, stuff with greens and then your eggs and tomatoes, then add a good dollop of your mustard mayo.

Flour Tortilla Wraps

 

 

 

 

 

Are also great for kebabs but have some wonderfully simple other uses.

• Garlic Bread or Garlic Bread with Cheese or Cheese and Tomatoes is easy peasy … butter one side of the tortilla and add some crushed garlic making sure it’s well spread, top with grated cheese or cheese and tomato, fold in half and grill on your health grill until the outside is golden … slice and enjoy.
• Taking this one step further spread tomato puree on the wrap, sprinkle with cheese and add your favorite pizza ingredients.  If you have a proper grill or oven you can just grill until golden and bubbling … if using the health grill you’ll need to fold the wrap in half.

Curries

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now’s the time to tell you to invest in a couple of these microwave soup mugs … not just for curries and soups but for all sorts of other uses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proper Cooked Dinners

 

 

 

 

Jacket Spuds

 

 

 

 

 

 

Super Quick, Super Healthy Meals on Toast … Using just a toaster and microwave

 

 

 

 

 

Fried Egg on toast … Put a tablespoon of olive oil in your soup mug and crack an egg into it … prick the yolk with a cocktail stick or fork, sprinkle with salt and pepper before replacing the lid with the air hole open.  Pop your toast in the toaster and cook your egg on full power in the microwave for one minute.  Leave the egg to stand for at least one minute before deciding if you prefer to cook it for a little longer.

Cheese in Toast … Cook toast in toaster then top it with grated cheese (cheddar works best) Pop it on a microwave plate and microwave until the cheese has melted.  Season to taste.

Beans on Toast … Put the beans in your soup mug and put the lid on with the air hole open (if you are using tinned beans and there are some left over put them in another soup mug in the fridge with the air hole closed for later). Cook for one minute on full, close the air hole and shake … re-open the air hole and cook for a further minute whilst making your toast.  Timings are approx so depending on how many beans you’ve used, you may need to cook them for a litttle longer.

More ideas for beans on toast … Add some grated cheese on top or an egg or even both … add curry powder and other spices to your beans, along with sultanas and chopped apple … Use mixed beans that include kidney beans and add chilli powder and crushed chillis.

Something Sweet … Mashed banana on toast, drizzled with honey and sprinkled with cinnamon … if you like peanut butter then spreading the toast with peanut butter first makes this a pure power pack.