Want to keep to your lean eating plan while still enjoying your food? Then fitness guru, TV personality and chef JOE WICKS’S new cookbook is for you

SINCE day one, it has been my aim to get more people cooking healthy food at home, and I believe the new book will do just that. I haven’t included any workouts in it, so this one is all about the food.

LET’S GET EVERYBODY LEAN

I think there is a big misconception that trying to get lean and eat more healthily isolates you from your friends and family.

That could be the case for people following a really low-calorie, restrictive diet.

I don’t believe in low-calorie diets or that you need to spend your day eating boring meals out of lunch boxes, cooking separate dishes for yourself or avoiding dining out with friends and family altogether.

DON’T OBSESS THE CALORIES

Many of my meals are high in calories and the reason I don’t list them is because I don’t think people should obsessively count calories.

That said, in order to reduce body fat you do need to be burning more calories than you are consuming, so if you want to actually see changes in your body, get moving and try to make exercise a part of your life.

There’s no need to try to get by on a really low-calorie diet when instead you can exercise, feel good and eat the meals from the book, knowing you are making progress.

Exercise isn’t just going to make you feel and look better, it’s also going to give you more energy and confidence. My advice is to aim for 25 minutes of exercise, four to five days a week. With these recipes, I’m going to show you that eating healthily can be fun and inclusive for everyone at every occasion.

PORTION CAUTION

One thing to be aware of is your portion sizes. Everyone is different and will have different energy demands. For example, if you are a 20-year-old exercising five days per week, you will need more food than someone who is 40 and doesn’t exercise much. The key here is to eat to feel energised, so simply increase or decrease your portions accordingly. Once you get that bit right, you’ll find it very easy to sustain a healthy lifestyle and a lean body. – Daily Mail Cooking For Family And Friends – 100 Lean Recipes to Enjoy Together is available on Loot.co.za Preparation 15 mins THIS is probably the best salad I’ve ever made. Poaching the chicken in stock keeps it moist and gives it so much more flavour. Makes 4 1.25 litres chicken stock 4 skinless chicken breasts 5tbsp olive oil 3 spring onions, sliced 2 large sprigs of rosemary, needles only 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped 1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely sliced 16 cherry tomatoes, halved salt and pepper 6tbsp breadcrumbs 2 avocados, stoned and cut into wedges 2 x 110g balls of mozzarella, torn into large chunks TO SERVE 2 large handfuls of rocket 1-2tbsp balsamic vinegar Pour the chicken stock into a large lidded saucepan and bring it to the boil. Slide in the chicken breasts – if the liquid doesn’t cover them, add a little more stock or water. Bring back up to the boil, clamp on the lid and then reduce to a low heat. Cook the chicken breasts on a very low simmer for 10 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and leave the chicken in the warm stock for a further 10 minutes with the lid still on. Meanwhile, make the dressing. Pour 4½ tablespoons of the oil into a saucepan and add the spring onions, rosemary, garlic, red chilli and tomatoes along with a good grinding of salt and pepper. Place the saucepan over a medium to low heat and cook for 10 minutes, being sure not to let the oil get too hot. Turn off the heat and leave the mixture to sit while you prepare the rest of the salad. Heat the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over a medium-tohigh heat. When it is hot, tip in the breadcrumbs and fry for about 3 minutes, or until they are crisp and golden. Transfer the breadcrumbs to a clean piece of kitchen roll to drain off the excess oil. Carefully remove the cooked chicken from the stock and tear it up with your hands or a couple of forks. Place the chicken on a large serving plate along with the avocado and mozzarella chunks. Spoon over the warm tomato dressing, then top with the rocket and the fried breadcrumbs. I like to serve this salad with a little balsamic vinegar on the side.