Seeking ways to boost your health, improve your wellbeing and make changes to the way you eat? It’s simple, says Dr Gemma Newman: Eat More Plants. This revolutionary cookbook, The Plant Power Doctor is a down-to-earth British GP’s guide to the radical healing power of a plant-based diet. It breaks down the science of plant-based eating and why it works in an easy-to-read, comprehensive guide with simple recipes to help the everyday cook transform their diet.
“Put simply, as a doctor, I wanted everyone to be able to access this life changing information in a way that they could understand”, she says. This isn’t a diet book or a manifesto to overhaul the way you eat, or even a vegan lifestyle book, but rather a well-researched beginners’ guide to help everyday cooks get more fruit and veg, whole grains, nuts, beans and legumes into their meals. Gemma shares accessible recipes and plans, and suggests simple switches so you can enjoy easy nutritious breakfasts, your favourite family meals and food on the go.
To give you a bit of a taster, we’ve put together a meal plan from The Plant Power Doctor cookbook so you can give it a test-drive for yourself.
Breakfast
Porridge
“Gone are the days when porridge was stodgy or boring – oats done right are the breakfast of champions!”, says Dr Gemma Newman. Whole grains, like oats, form the building blocks of a more plant-based diet: they contain soluble fibre that are good for your gut and will help to keep you fuller for longer, too. Switch up your morning porridge with different toppings so that it never gets boring – Gemma recommends toasted nuts or seeds, fruit compote, grated apple, pear or pumpkin, and even rich chocolate porridge.
Lunch
Winter Vegetable and Barley Soup
This is a hearty soup that will go down well during colder months when you need something filling and nutritious to power you through the afternoon. A variety of at least three root vegetables are recommended here, so this is a great way to use up whatever’s in the fridge, from carrots and squash to celeriac, beetroot, swede, parsnip, turnip or kohlrabi. This is also a delicious soup to experiment with whole grains, like pearled barley. As Gemma suggests: “we all love rice and this can form the staple of many meals but there are countless other grains that can blend seamlessly with dishes too”.
Snack
Banana and Chocolate Caterpillar
Sandwich nutty cinnamon chocolate between banana slices for a fun, tasty snack that even fussy kids will love to eat. Get the kids sprinkling over sesame seeds, turning grapes into banana caterpillar legs and pressing on the currants for eyes.
Dinner
Pulled Jackfruit Burger with Coleslaw
“Jackfruit has a sweet and fruity flavour and is fantastically stringy so it is an ideal swap for meat like pulled pork or shredded chicken”, says Dr Gemma Newman. Make these plant-powered burgers by grilling the jackfruit, then cooking it with BBQ sauce for extra flavour, and serving it all up in soft wholemeal rolls, crunchy lettuce, gherkins and a quick homemade coleslaw.
From the book
The Plant Power Doctor
A British GP breaks down the science behind plant based diets
Accessible information, meal plans, and simple ingredient switches
Tasty, nutritious and easy recipes to fit around your daily life
