After savouring a final mince pie before Twelfth Night on Sunday, I feel I can properly dedicate myself to some New Year food resolutions. But instead of embarking on a stringent detox come the 6th, I’ll be shaking up my culinary repertoire with these healthy recipes.

Breakfast

Begin the day as you mean to go on by forgoing the fry up for a breakfast muffin (pictured, top left). Not only are these only 209 calories a pop, but are sweet with mashed banana and have a gooey blackcurrant jam centre. We recommend baking a batch on Sunday night for a week’s worth of breakfasts. If you need motivation to shed your duvet cocoon on Monday morning, a soothing bowl of porridge might just do the trick. Spiced up with a pinch of cinnamon, this apple and pecan variety is guaranteed to both satisfy your sweet tooth and fill up your tum until lunch.

Lunch

After a week of leftover turkey and bubble and squeak made from Brussels sprouts, it might be wise to opt for soup or salad come lunchtime. Mopped up with a crusty sourdough roll, this red lentil soup (pictured, bottom left) has just a hint of spice from cayenne pepper and is made that much heartier with smoked bacon rashers.

On a grim January day, a cold salad is often grossly unappealing.  A warm salad, however, has just as much goodness and is far more satisfying than a pile of raw veg. Basmati rice, as opposed to leaves, forms the base of this salad (pictured, top right), which gets its sweetness from ripe tomatoes and a teensy bit of heat from a fresh red chilli.

Dinner

Having maxed out my quota for British comfort food over Christmas, I’m in the mood for something exotic. Fragrant with ginger, cumin and cinnamon, this red lentil dahl (pictured, bottom right) fits the bill. It’ll go marvellously with garlic-sprinkled naan bread or wild rice, takes just half an hour from saucepan to table and has the loveliest sunshine colour. If you’re trying to cut down on the carbs, lentils make an excellent substitute. For an intimate dinner party for four, try placing a fried sea bass or bream fillet on a ‘mash’ of lentil dhal for an Indian take on fish and chips.  

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