Healthy Diet Plan Summer 2016 – recipes

Each day provides more than five of your five-a-day and keeps within the recommended Reference Intakes (RI) for fats, protein, sugar, salt and calories, and follows the latest guidance on your intake of ‘free’ sugars. However, if you want to swap or repeat days, you’ll still reap all the benefits of eating whole, unprocessed, nourishing foods.

For those of you who want to lose weight, the daily calorie count of up to 1,500 kcals will help you reach your goal. However, if you’re already at a healthy weight or are particularly active, our healthy snacks can fill any hungry gaps.

What to eat when...

The recipes

We've got breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes for 7 days, and each recipe serves two - although they can be easily scaled up or down to suit your family. If you're vegetarian or would rather cut out the meat, we have a vegetarian plan just for you.

We've also got a handy shopping list so you can buy everything you need in one weekly shop - just remember to check the packets for sell-by dates, to make sure they'll last until the end of the week.

Breakfasts

Almond crêpes with avocado & nectarines
Why it's good for you...
These simple crêpes will keep you going all morning, yet they’re gluten-free and low in carbs. Pomegranate seeds don’t just add an extra visual flourish, they contain protective antioxidants including vitamin C.

Orange & blueberry Bircher
Why it's good for you...
Citrus fruits like oranges are rich in collagen-supportive vitamin C, and are great for promoting skin health and elasticity, while oats are a good source of silica for strong, shiny hair. Save time by making double and keeping in the fridge to enjoy over two days. Blueberries are rich in protective anthocyanins, which are brain-friendly, helping to maintain memory and function.

Basil scramble with wilted spinach & seared tomatoes
Why it's good for you...
Forget toast and serve our scramble with tomatoes and spinach for a speedy, supercharged breakfast. Spinach is bursting with nutrients that are important for our skin, hair and bone health. Eggs are great value for money, too – a fabulous source of cheap protein.

Berry Bircher
Why it's good for you...
Soaking oats and seeds overnight makes them easier to digest. This, consumed with fruit, adds up to a fabulously nutritious start to the day with all the right kind of fats, fibre, vitamins and minerals.

Lunches

Wild salmon veggie bowl
Why it's good for you...
Succulent salmon flaked over a bed of healthy vegetables makes for a delicious, protein-packed salad. Salmon is one of the oily varieties of fish that supplies beneficial omega-3 fats, which help alleviate inflammatory conditions and reduce the risk of heart problems.

Feta frittatas with carrot & celery salad
Why it's good for you...
Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, which our bodies convert to immune-supporting vitamin A. Combining carrots with foods naturally rich in fats, like eggs and cheese, helps us to asborb this vitamin. Spinach is rich in lutein, which is good for eye health. Tahini is a great way to top up levels of calcium, iron, zinc and magnesium.

Niçoise chicken salad
Why it's good for you...
We’ve given the usual tuna Niçoise a twist by using chicken, a lean meat that makes a filling substitute. Chicken is a useful source of the amino acid, tryptophan, which helps us cope with stress and lifts mood.

Lemon roast vegetables with yogurt tahini & pomegranate
Why it's good for you...
Tahini is made from sesame seeds and is naturally high in fats – the majority of which are heart-friendly. Save time and prep this lunch the night before, then layer together in a Tupperware and store in the fridge.

Summer carrot, tarragon & white bean soup
Why it's good for you...
A bowl of this soup will supply your body with the fibre needed for a healthy gut. Eat half and freeze the rest, or enjoy on two days if you're following the veggie diet plan.

Dinners

Creamy chicken & asparagus braise
Why it's good for you...
Asparagus is richer in heart-friendly folate than broccoli, and supplies chromium, which helps balance our blood sugar levels. Peas are a useful source of iron and fibre, including soluble fibre, which helps regulate cholesterol levels. These are a freezer favourite – frozen peas are often nutritionally richer than their fresh alternative.

Smoked paprika paella with cod & peas
Why it's good for you...
Cod is an excellent source of stress-busting B vitamins and magnesium. Using brown rice instead of refined white rice lowers the overall GI of the dish, and helps to keep you fuller for longer.

Sweet potato jackets with guacamole & kidney beans
Why it's good for you...
Unlike regular potatoes, sweet potatoes count as one of your five-a-day. They also contain beta-carotene, a protective antioxidant. Although naturally sweet-tasting, they don’t disrupt blood sugar levels. Avocados supply more potassium than bananas. This, plus their rich mono-unsaturated fat content, makes them superhealthy for the heart.

Moroccan harira
Why it's good for you...
This vegetarian version of the classic Moroccan soup contains turmeric, which is good for heart and brain health, and inflammatory conditions like arthritis. Cumin improves blood circulation, while cinnamon is a digestive aid and helps regulate blood sugar levels. This one-pot makes enough for two meals this week. Adding the coriander after cooking helps protect its beneficial oils and flavour.

Meatballs with fennel & balsamic beans & courgette noodles
Why it's good for you...
Rich in potassium, courgettes are used instead of pasta here as a delicious, gluten-free alternative. Potassium helps to lower blood pressure and maintain a healthy heart rate.

A few notes on our recipes...

Choosing the right fats
Don’t be afraid to eat some fat – it's essential to good health because it helps your body to absorb fat-soluble vitamins like A and D. We’ve used rapeseed oil because the cold-pressed version has just 7% saturated fat (compared to 52% in butter), and it supplies more of the heart-healthy omega-3 fats than olive oil. Rapeseed oil is a great source of immune-supportive vitamin E – invaluable for a youthful appearance because it helps protect and repair skin cells. Our plan also includes oily fish such as wild salmon, as well as nuts, seeds and avocado.

Prepping pulses...

We use canned beans and pulses, preparing from dried is even better, if you have time. To do this, soak them in water overnight and allow a slightly longer cooking time. Alternatively, you can use fresh rather than canned ingredients. As an example, use the same weight fresh to canned tomatoes and top up with a little extra water.

A note on eggs
Many people shy away from eating eggs on a regular basis, but the latest scientific evidence has proven that eating them as part of a healthy, balanced diet is beneficial for most of us. Eggs are a valuable source of vitamin D, needed for strong bones and teeth, as well as B vitamins and trace minerals, which are important for a healthy nervous system.

Please email any questions about the recipes to goodfoodwebsite@bbc.com and we'll do our best to help.

All health content from BBC Good Food is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. Any healthy diet plan featured by BBC Good Food is provided as a suggestion of a general balanced diet and should not be relied upon to meet specific dietary requirements. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local health care provider.