FOODS YOU SHOULD EAT EVERY DAY

Every day, you should aim to have my recommended number of servings from each section of what I call my daily dozen:

1 CRUCIFEROUS vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, spring greens, radishes, turnip tops, watercress. ONE SERVING A DAY: A serving is half a cup chopped or quarter of a cup of broccoli or brussels sprouts.

2 GREENS including spring greens, kale, young salad greens, sorrel, spinach, swiss chard. TWO SERVINGS A DAY: a serving is one cup raw or half a cup cooked.

3 OTHER vegetables: asparagus, beets, bell peppers, carrots, corn, courgettes, garlic, mushrooms, okra, onions, pumpkin, snap peas, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes. TWO SERVINGS A DAY: a serving is one cup raw leafy vegetables; half a cup raw or cooked non-leafy vegetables; half a cup vegetable juice; a quarter of a cup dried mushrooms.

4 BEANS: black beans, cannellini beans, black-eyed peas, butter beans, soyabeans, baked beans, chickpeas, edamame, peas, kidney beans, lentils, miso, pinto beans, split peas, tofu, hummus). THREE SERVINGS A DAY: That’s a quarter of a cup of hummus or bean dip; half a cup of cooked beans, split peas, lentils or tofu; or a full cup of fresh peas or sprouted lentils.

5 BERRIES — any small edible fruit, including grapes, raisins, blackberries, cherries, raspberries and strawberries. ONE SERVING A DAY: a serving is half a cup of fresh or frozen, or a quarter of a cup of dried.

6 OTHER fruits such as apples, apricots, avocados, bananas, cantaloupe melon, clementines, dates, figs, grapefruit, honeydew melon, kiwi, lemons, limes, lychees, mangos, nectarines, oranges, papaya, passion fruit, peaches, pears, pineapple, plums, pomegranates , prunes, tangerines, watermelon. THREE SERVINGS A DAY: One serving is a cup of cut-up fruit, or one medium fruit, or a quarter of a cup of dried fruit a day.

7 FLAXSEEDS: one tablespoon a day.

8 NUTS: a quarter of a cup a day, or two tablespoons of peanut, almond or other nut butter.

9 SPICES — every day you should have a quarter teaspoon of turmeric in addition to any other spices you enjoy.

10 WHOLE grains ( rice, buckwheat, quinoa, cereal, pasta, bread). THREE SERVINGS A DAY: That’s half a cup of cooked rice or pasta; one cup of cereal; a slice of bread; half a bagel.

11 EXERCISE — ideally 90 minutes a day of moderate activity such as walking.

12 Water: five large (12oz/340ml) glasses a day.