Celebrity nutritionist and author Madeleine Shaw tells us the healthy swaps everyone can make and why she’s changed her cooking style since becoming a parent
This year, I’ve been baking a lot of banana bread (like everyone else) and other times I’ve been experimenting with new cuisines. I’ve been cooking a lot of Korean dishes as well, which I’m not particularly well-versed in, but it’s been fun to give them a go. I’m also doing a lot more arts and crafts with my son, such as drawing and painting – it’s been good as it’s not something I get to do often, and I’m really enjoying it. We’re spending more time in the garden as a family as well, which is nice.
In the morning, I get up just before my son does so I can meditate. I’ve been meditating for four years now, give or take. It calms me down if I’m stressed and makes me more efficient throughout the day, so I try to prioritise it. My son usually wakes up at 7am, so we hang out and play for a bit before I drop him at nursery. After I’ve done that, I’ll come back and have breakfast, which is normally either mushrooms on toast or a smoothie. My simple smoothie recipe goes like this: a scoop of protein powder, blueberries, spinach, almond milk, flax seeds, peanut butter, and then I blend it all together. It’s a quick, easy and nourishing breakfast that helps me crack on with my work.
As I don’t have a lot of time to prep dishes anymore, I’ve had to change the way I cook since becoming a mum. I try and think of really simple things to make. A few of my goto’s are mackerel and avocado on toast; mixing up my son’s pasta dishes with different types of vegetables and making edamame hummus from scratch. l also like cooking a big batch of black bean chilli, freezing it and having it ready to defrost for the moments I don’t have the time to cook from scratch. It’s important for me to have five to 10 different recipes up my sleeve – as well as having a stocked-up cupboard and freezer.
People have been cooking a lot more during lockdown and I hope that continues. I think, from a nutritionist’s point of view, one of the good things to come out of this difficult time is that we haven’t been able to grab a shopbought sandwich at lunch! Instead, we’ve had to cook each meal – which is fantastic. Cooking is something you get better at the more you do it, so as you start to know your way around the kitchen, you’ll naturally become more confident.
I think an easy way you can eat healthier at home is by making your own snacks instead of buying them at the supermarket. So on a Sunday for example, you could make up a whole batch of energy balls with nuts and dried fruit, and have them in the afternoon rather than eating a chocolate bar. Also, try to plan what meals you’re going to cook each week before you hit the supermarket. If you don’t know what you’re eating from Monday to Friday, then when you go into the supermarket, you’ll grab lots of premade meals or snacks which often aren’t very healthy. When you think ahead, you’ll instinctively make dishes which are more nutritious and with a variety of vegetables.
I think in terms of food and cooking trends, we’ll see people slowing down this year. More people have been going back to basics, making things from scratch and experimenting more. Fermented foods are also becoming a big thing: I think this year we’ll start to see more and more vegetables being fermented, as people realise their health benefits. Hopefully, more of us will be trying out new dishes as well. I’ve seen a rise in chefs demonstrating how to make meals at home, so I think creating restaurant food in your own kitchen will become much more common. It’s a good way to feel like you’re treating yourself.
