Alkaline-focused eating is really about one simple idea: filling more of your plate with vegetables, fruit, greens and other whole plant foods. These four recipes make that easy, from breakfast through to dinner.
Each one uses everyday ingredients, takes less than an hour, and can be adjusted to whatever's fresh and in season.
Breakfast
Morning green smoothie
A quick way to get a serve of greens and fruit before 8am.
Ingredients
- 1 large handful of baby spinach
- 1 frozen banana
- ½ cup frozen mango or pineapple
- ½ small cucumber
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 cup filtered water or coconut water
Method
- Add everything to a blender, liquid first.
- Blend until smooth, adding more water if it's too thick.
- Drink straight away.
Tip: freeze ripe bananas in halves, so they're ready to go for smoothies.
Lunch
Rainbow salad with lemon-tahini dressing
A colourful, filling salad that keeps well in the fridge for packed lunches.
Ingredients
- 2 big handfuls of mixed leafy greens
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1 capsicum, sliced
- ½ avocado, sliced
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin or sunflower seeds
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 small garlic clove, crushed
- 2–3 tablespoons water
- A pinch of Himalayan or sea salt
Method
- Whisk the dressing ingredients together, adding water until it's pourable.
- Toss the vegetables together in a large bowl.
- Top with avocado and seeds, then drizzle over the dressing.
Tip: keep the dressing in a separate jar if you're packing it for later, so the leaves stay crisp.
Dinner
Roasted sweet potato and broccoli tray bake
One tray, minimal washing up, and endlessly adaptable.
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato, cubed
- 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
- 1 red onion, cut into wedges
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Himalayan or sea salt and pepper
- A handful of fresh parsley and a lemon wedge, to serve
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Toss the sweet potato, onion and chickpeas with oil, paprika, salt and pepper, and roast for 20 minutes.
- Add the broccoli, toss, and roast for another 15 minutes until golden.
- Finish with parsley and a squeeze of lemon.
Dinner
Hearty vegetable and lentil soup
Perfect for batch cooking and freezing in portions.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, 2 carrots and 2 celery sticks, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1.5 litres vegetable stock
- 2 big handfuls of spinach or kale
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Himalayan or sea salt and pepper
Method
- Heat the oil and gently cook the onion, carrot and celery for 8 minutes until soft.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the lentils, tomatoes and stock, then simmer for 25 minutes until the lentils are tender.
- Stir through the greens until wilted, then season with lemon, salt and pepper.