Everyday Super Food

4 Reviews For This Product

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   04

   by Miranda M August 29, 2023

   I bought this book in the hope of finding some healthy snacks and meals to compliment a new gym and better overall nutrition programme, I haven’t been disappointed and I’m amazed by some of the 1-star reviews on here. For me, finding good alternatives to crisps, chocolate and even normal boring fruit has been a godsend. I agree that some of the recipes have long lists of ingredients, and yes, you can probably buy cheaper alternatives in the supermarket (i.e. buy Nakd bars rather than make the vegan date and seed bars), but there is a sense of accomplishment, in my opinion, to making your own and taking some control of your diet. If an ingredient doesn’t work for me or suit my diet I simply change it, though I’m yet to come across anything unhealthy – everyone seems to have a different definition of unhealthy. I’d say it depends on your opinion and expectations of good nutrition. I’m fine eating dairy, meat and fish and wouldn’t want to exclude them form my diet at this time. I needed to eat more nuts etc and this has been a great way to incorporate this in. The snacks like the vegan bars, the apricot, ginger and sesame energy balls and the cocoa and sesame energy balls have been a saviour, pre-gym, for me. The protein bread is delicious too! Yes, some of the pictures of the cooked recipes don’t look so appetising, but I’m not looking for a fine dining cookbook – if I want one, I will go elsewhere. I haven’t yet come across any obscure ingredients either, so I’m a bit surprised by these comments. But if I can’t find something, I’ll just simply google and use an alternative. LOVE this book, and use it constantly!

2. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   04

   by KM September 2, 2023

   I am a big fan of Jamie Oliver and I was so pleased to hear the premise of this new book was around super foods and balanced eating; not low calorie foods but making nutritionally balanced meals that will still bring you in under your recommended calories for the day. Perfect.

   I have posted a full RECIPE LIST at the end of this review for those wondering what kind of recipes are in the book.

   I have to start this review with a summary in that I really do love this book, it’s a wonderful addition to my (growing) collection of Jamie’s books, plus I know that I should be eating a bit better and this book really has sincerely given me a fresh burst of inspiration… I made one of the best pasta dishes I’ve had in a long time from this book (Skinny Carbonara)… without cream.

   Before actually trying it I wasn’t sure if I would be ok with replacing the cream in my carbonara with natural yoghurt (and a few other changes), but honestly it was an absolute dream, the skinny carbonara tasted fresh and light and was still filling (thanks to the whole wheat pasta). You can tell these recipes are really well researched and thought through but it tasted so good too!

   Unlike Jamie’s other books I think this one may have a very slightly narrower appeal; all the recipes look very tasty indeed but there are some, my parents for example, who are very traditional shall we say, and wouldn’t dream of blitzing up dates and mixing them with spices to make ‘energy balls’, or taking cream out of pasta dishes for that matter! But they do love all of Jamie’s other books. Personally I love this book as it’s about making tasty and balanced meals and it’s packed full of beautiful pictures too.

   The book is full of doable super food recipes, split by meal time and a really nice section at the back of the book with advice on ‘living well’.

   I’ve uploaded a couple of images of my skinny carbonara and ‘happiness pasta’ that I have already made from this book (thanks to some pre-release recipes I had). In short if you are looking to eat a more balanced, nutritionally dense diet and want a book packed with doable recipes, with lots of images as well as calorie information, then this is one of the best out there in my opinion and I have a room literally stacked full of cook books.

   So that’s my summary, but if you want a bit more detail about the book please read on…

   FIRST IMPRESSIONS & PAGE LAYOUT
   ***********************************

   When I first got the book I absolutely loved how it felt and looked; in line with its theme the book has a very ‘clean’ and fresh layout, that’s a little paired back.

   Every recipe page has a photo (huge bonus for me) and also has the following information:

   Recipe subtitle – explaining health benefits of the super foods in the recipe listed
   Serving size
   Prep time
   Ingredients in g
   Method
   Nutritional info per serving: calories, fat, sat fat, protein, carbs, sugar, fibre

   SECTIONS
   ***********************************

   The book is split into 4 main recipe sections, split by meal time:

   Breakfast (up to 400 calories)
   Lunch (up to 600 calories)
   Dinner (up to 600 calories)
   Snacks and Drinks (varies)

   I love this, I’m not a calorie counter (although my wife is), but this means I can do recipes from this book knowing I will be staying under my daily recommended calories (2500 for me, 2000 for my wife), with the option for additional snacks.

   The last section of the book after the recipes is called ‘Live Well’, it has the following sub sections:

   My philosophy in this book and the balanced plate
   Illustrious veg and fruit
   Celebrating good carbohydrates
   The power of protein
   Fat is essential
   Dipping into dairy
   Drink water and thrive
   Alcohol
   Vote for organic food
   Revolutionise shopping
   The basics of sleep
   Do you want to live to be 100 years old

   As you can probably tell from the section headers, the last 40 pages of the book are dedicated more to generic diet advice. For the book Jamie has taken advice from experts in the world of nutrition, health and sleep and put it into bite sized chunks of advice. It’s definitely worth checking out this section once you’ve got over the excitement of the recipes; although if I’m honest it was the recipes and trying them out that I was most excited about.

   RECIPES ON TEST
   ***********************************

   I have tried three recipes so far and all have come out very well, and very different to any pasta dishes that I would typically make (I have uploaded a couple of images of my attempts).

   It is nice to be able to make healthy meals where the ingredients are very easy to come by. Other ‘health’ books that I own require a specific trip a health foods store but not the case with these recipes.

   I made Happiness Pasta and this was lovely, using ricotta and aubergines and with no meat it was very tasty indeed, and having the calorie information to hand is such a huge bonus. Small changes made this recipe healthier than how I would normally cook including steaming the aubergine with the chillies was absolutely beautiful, whereas normally I would griddle it with a good lug of oil.

   Same with the skinny carbonara and differences, as I normally make a very ‘fat’ carbonara. This one contained fat free natural yoghurt in place of cream and I was sceptical but it was genuinely absolutely gorgeous. It was fresh, zingy, I would never have dreamt of doing a pasta dish like this with yoghurt and lemon, I did wonder if I was potentially going to end up wasting ingredients as I was making this and it all came together at the end as with all of Jamie’s recipes over the years.

   I also made the ‘Energy Balls’ which were basically medjool dates blitzed up with some lovely spices, and coated in blitzed pumpkin seeds, but these were devoured very quickly, which I take as a huge compliment, so whilst the basis of the recipes are healthy I think we have to work on our portion control.

   SUMMARY
   ***********************************

   I have high expectations with Jamie’s books as I’ve found all his others to be the ones I reference most out of my entire collection, and this Everyday Super Food book is a wonderful addition to my shelf.

   I feel like I’ve grown up cooking from all of Jamie’s books, and this Super Food book is quite timely for me as I start to feel a little more like I should start to take care of my body and be conscious of what I eat as I approach my mid-thirties.

   And true to form Jamie has given me inspirational recipes with unfussy and easy to find ingredients, I like that you don’t have to take a special trip to the health foods store to do these recipes, Jamie has made them accessible and tasty. I really can’t think of a more reliable cook book author. I love Jamie’s other books and I’m over the moon with this one. Love it.

   RECIPE LIST
   ***********************************

   BREAKFAST

   Baked eggs – cherry tomatoes, ricotta on toast
   Awesome granola dust – nuts, seeds, oats and fruits galore
   Microwave poached egg – smashed avo and seeded toast
   Smoothie pancakes – berries, banana, yoghurt and nuts
   Mexican pan cooked brekkie – eggs, beans ,tomatoes and mushrooms
   Black rice pudding – mango, lime, passion fruit and coconut
   Figgy banana bread – blood orange and nut butter
   Silken omelette – spinach, tomato, parmesan and rye
   Pretty fruit pots – trendy chia and nut milk
   Protein porridge – blended oats, seeds, nuts and quinoa
   Vegeree not kedgeree – spiced rice, veg, eggs and yoghurt
   Fruit soups – yoghurt and granola dust
   Harissa waffles – sesame fried eggs and carrot salad
   Rye soda bread
   Perfect porridge bars – nuts, seeds, fruit and spices
   Breakfast popovers – cheese, ham, mushroom and tomato
   Berry pocket eggy bread
   Rainbow open wrap
   Scrambled eggs part one
   Smoked salmon and spring onion eggs
   Spinach, parmesan and chilli eggs
   Scrambled eggs part two
   Tomato cheese and basic eggs
   Mushroom and marmite eggs
   Quick homemade tortilla
   Toasted oats with mango, blueberries and yoghurt
   Sweet potato muffins – chilli, cheese and seeds
   Epic fruit salad
   Superfood protein loaf (and topping ideas galore)
   Post gym super salad – chicken, quinoa and loadsa veg
   Healthy cheese and corn pancakes, smoky bacon and caramelized banana
   Sexy stewed prunes – toast, banana, yoghurt, almonds
   My bircher muesli – fruit, nuts, yoghurt, seeds
   Pan cooked mushrooms – tomato, pancetta, spinach and cheese
   Earl grey banana bread – griddled peaches, yoghurt and nuts

   LUNCH

   Tasty fish tacos – game changing kiwi, lime and chilli salsa
   Asian crispy beef – brown rice, noodles and loadsa salad
   Happiness pasta – tomato, aubergine and ricotta
   Orange garden salad – bresola and giant rye crispbreads
   Healthy chicken Caesar
   Sprouting seed salad – smoky bacon and balsamic dressing
   Amazing Mexican tomato soup – sweet potato chips, feta and tortilla
   Tomato and olive spaghetti, garlic bread and sardine sprinkles
   Easy scandi crispbreads – picked herrings and rainbow veg
   Portable jam salads
   Skinny carbonara – smoky bacon, peas, almonds and basil
   Roasted sweet potatoes – black beans and jalapeno tomato salsa
   Beets and sardines – horseradish, yog and rye bread
   Super green soup – chickpeas, veg and smoky chorizo
   Herby pasta salad – radishes, apples, feta and bresola
   Hot smoked trout – green lentils, fresh tomato sauce
   Tasty veg omelette – tomato and chilli salsa
   Cosy squash soup – chickpea salad flatbreads
   Seared tuna – Sicilian couscous and green
   Healthy chicken club – tomato, lettuce, pear and tarragon
   Chicken and garlic bread kebabas
   Wholewheat spaghetti, sprouting broccoli, chilli and lemon
   Mexican gazpacho – flatbreads and garnishes
   Super summer salad – watermelon, radishes, quinoa and feta
   Asian green salad – tofu, noodles and sesame
   Seared turmeric chicken – houmous, peppers, couscous and greens
   Salmon ceviche – chopped salad and black rice balls
   Asian stir fried veg – crispy sesame noodle omelette
   Squash it veg sandwich – houmous, avocado and cottage cheese
   My Russian salad – golden paprika chicken
   Sesame seared salmon – tahini avocado and shred salad
   Grilled corn and quinoa salad

   DINNER

   Bombay chicken and cauli – poppadoms, rice and spinach
   Mega veggie burgers – garden salad and basil dressing
   Spelt spaghetti – vine tomatoes and baked ricotta
   Seared golden chicken – mint sauce and spring veg fest
   Easy curried fish stew
   Golden salmon steaks – sweet peas and smashed veg
   Delicious squash daal – special fried eggs and poppadoms
   Roasted squash laksa bake – chicken, lemongrass, peanuts and rice
   Golden chicken skewers – yellow pepper sauce and black quinoa
   Roasted mustard mackerel – rainbow beets and bulgar wheat
   Super squash lasagne
   Sizzling Moroccan prawns – fluffy couscous and rainbow salsa
   Asian steamed fish – black rice, greens and chilli sauce
   Smoky veggie feijoada – black beans, squash, peppers and okra
   Crumbed pesto fish – roast cherry vinces, spuds and greens
   Harissa roasted aubergine – pomegranate, pistachios and olives
   Tasty samosas – beef, onion and sweet potato
   Veggie ramen – walnut, miso, kimchee and fried eggs
   Indian roasted cauliflower – pineapple, chilli and coronation dressing
   Roasted carrot and squash salad – millet, apple, jalapeno and pomegranate
   Crispy sea bass – pea, mint and asparagus mash
   Spring squid – peas, asparagus, beans and greens
   Chicken and squash cacciatore
   Moreish fish soup – mackerel, mussels, broth and couscous
   Fagioli fusilli – sweet leeks, artichokes and bay oil
   Super tasty miso broth – chicken, mushrooms and wild rice
   Lemon sole and olive sauce – sweet courgettes and jersey royals
   Mighty mushroom curry – red lentils, brown rice and poppadoms
   Green tea roasted salmon – ginger rice and sunshine salad
   Griddled steak and peppers – herby jewelled tabbouleh rice
   Ginger and chicken penicillin – brown rice and crunchy veg
   Crazy fish – veg and noodle stir fry
   Pork and apple sauce – glazed carrots, brown rice and greens

   SNACKS AND DRINKS

   100 calories snack bowls
   Skinny homemade houmous
   Feisty beet and horseradish dip
   Healthy poppadum snack combos
   Popcorn fun: hot chilli sauce flavour / marmite flavour / balsamic vinegar flavour
   Cucumber sticks stuffed with lovely things
   Blushing pickled eggs – red cabbage, cloves and anise
   Homemade nut butters
   Raw vegan flapjack snacks – nuts, seeds, dates, oats and fruit
   Fro-yo fun
   My tasty energy balls – date, cocoa and pumpkin seed
   My tasty energy balls – apricot, ginger and cashew

   Flavoured waters:
   Cucumber, apple and mint
   St Clements
   Watermelon and basil
   Pomegranate, ginger and lime

   Therapeutic teas:
   Fennel seeds, lemon and honey
   Grapefruit, orange and mint
   Ginger, turmeric, lemon and honey
   Strawberry, hibiscus and star anise

3. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   04

   by KM November 16, 2023

   I’m a big fan of Jamie Oliver, have most of his books and have cooked from them a lot. I found his 30 minutes 

   Jamie’s 30-Minute Meals: A Revolutionary Approach to Cooking Good Food Fast

   and 15 minutes 

   Jamie’s 15-Minute Meals

    cookbooks great for encouraging me to put real food on the table mid week, rather than eating too many ready meals. I like his reliable recipes and flavours and his sheer enthusiasm is very infectious. Now that Jamie is 40 he is so focused on health that he says ‘the ultimate promise in these pages is that every recipe choice is a healthy choice.’

   Jamie’s new focus is anti-sugar and this is something that I’ve placed huge emphasis myself over the last ten years or so. I follow a low GI approach, eat protein at every meal and snack and aim for good fats and complex carbs and the type of balanced plate that he advocates here. He suggests:
   * vegetables and fruit – 1/3 of your plate
   * starchy carbs – 1/3 of your plate
   * Protein – 1/6 pf your plate
   * Dairy foods and milk – 1/6 of your plate
   * Fat/Sugar high foods – Try to eat only a small amount of food high in food high in fat and/or sugar

   Though I’m surprised that he lumps the fat and sugar together here as he says himself that ‘Fat is Essential’ and ‘let’s bust a myth right off – there’s no need to be afraid of fat, it’s not the enemy it’s been portrayed as.’

   Another reviewer has kindly listed all the recipes so I won’t repeat that. The format is familiar with one page carrying the recipe and the opposing page a photo. At the bottom of the recipe page is a calorie count and the nutritional breakdown. I think this is very useful when you’re watching your weight or wishing to improve your nutrition or even to feel a bit healthier. There is also an indication of how long it takes to cook the recipe and I have found the times are very doable and less rushed than the 15 minute and 30 minute cookbook recipes. the techniques are straightforward and the ingredients are not hard to source.

   So far every recipe I’ve tried has been very successful:
   – The crispy sea bass, pea, mint and asparagus mash is very like a meal I already make myself but zhushing up the mash with the peas and asparagus and then adding cheddar makes the flavour combinations completely delicious.
   – Bombay chicken and cauli, poppodoms, rice and spinach was a lovely light take on an Indian dish. I didn’t bother with the poppadoms and didn’t miss them.
   – Asian green salad, tofu, noodles and sesame sprinkle was super quick to make and full of flavour
   – Post gym super salad, chicken, quinoa and loadsa veg was good too. I cooked the quinoa in advance and had this after I got in from swimming, when I am ravenous and most in danger of eating less wholesome foods. This had good texture and flavour combinations and would be great for a lunch too.

   I also used his breakfast recipes to ring the changes on some of my breakfasts too. I was already making chia see puddings but I hadn’t used bananas in mine and his were better. I like the idea of making a batch in advance (they keep in the fridge for 3 days) but getting variety with differerent toppings such as fruit or oats. I have also made his Mexican pan-cooked breakfast which makes a perfect brunch and is lighter than the breakfast burritos I also make for brunch.

   I like his 100 calories salad snack bowls…a great idea and he show photos of how many nuts or seeds you can expect to have for a 100 calorie snack.

   There’s nothing groundbreaking here and some of the recipes will look reasonably familiar but Jamie is great at delighting the eye with healthful colour and providing good reliable taste combinations that will make some of these recipes part of your regular healthy repertoire.

   I’ll update this review when I’ve had the chance to try more of the recipes. For now, I am delighted with the book and looking forward to healthy and flavourful weeks ahead.

4. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   04

   by Purpleheart November 18, 2023

   Bought 2nd hand but you would think it was new. Excellent seller. Prompt delivery. Described as new and it is. Excellent value. Interesting book with novel recipe ideas.