Super food, for me, is a new way of thinking.
It's not about goji berries and green drinks,
it's about cooking smart with simple foods
that are nutritious and delicious.
I think it can be really confusing these days,
cos there's such a lot of, kind of,
noise about what is and what isn't healthy.
'So, in this show,
'I'm going to some of the healthiest places in the world,
'where people live the longest,
'to find out what they eat...'
Oh-ho-ho!
It's really, really good.
'.. and how they live...'
88 years old, still in charge of the kitchen.
'.. from the jungles of Costa Rica...'
It's absolutely jam-packed full of vitamin C.
'.. to the islands of Greece...'
This is what life's all about.
The old, the very young,
all having a party. Great food.
'.. and Japanese city life.'
Keep practising.
'They're all using humble ingredients
'to make some of the simplest and tastiest dishes I've eaten.'
I've picked the bowl up now cos it just makes me want to hug it.
'Inspired by what I've learned,
'I'm going to show you the tricks and tips
'to build my version of super food into your life.'
I don't want you to eat healthy food because you have to,
I want you to eat healthy food because it's delicious.
This is good stuff, this is good food.
Colourful, fun food
that's going to slap your taste buds
around the chops.
'And tonight, it's all about my favourite super food dinners.
'I'll be putting a Costa Rican healthy spin
'on an old British classic --
'pork and apple sauce.'
Really delicious. I want some more, actually.
That is so good.
'I knock up a protein-rich, tasty,
'sizzling beef and noodle dish,
'using a mega super food ingredient
'from my Ikarian mates in Greece...'
It's a really exciting plate of food.
'.. and my time in Japan inspires a creamy fish curry
'that will do your body a whole world of good.'
That... is a triumph.
Three of my all-time favourite super food dinners,
packed with nutrition,
insanely delicious,
perfect for tucking into with friends and family
and each one rocking in under 600 calories per portion.
In this series, I'm travelling thousands of miles
to uncover the secrets of some of the world's healthiest diets.
The Nicoyan peninsula in Costa Rica
is famous for beautiful beaches,
lush tropical forests
and some of the oldest people on the planet.
There's one nutritional powerhouse they eat tonnes of.
So, how much fruit do you guys eat a day?
Do you eat fruit for breakfast, lunch and dinner?
This super food ingredient
could be one of the reasons
behind their longevity
so, let's kick things off with fruit.
Multiple cancer research studies
have drawn links between
the high intake of vitamin C
from food and low rates of cancer.
So, this is something I think we need more of in our diet.
Here's the thing, guys. I mean, fruit is so important.
It's full of so many vitamins and trace elements
and our bodies just love it --
and actually, humans are one of the very few
creatures on the planet
that don't store vitamin C.
We have to have it every single day.
And there's lots of clever ways
to work it into any meal.
Here's a fruit-inspired spin
on an old British favourite.
This delicious family meal
packs in three of the five portions
of fruit and veg you need in a day --
and all that for 579 calories per portion.
We're going to do pan-cooked pork
with sage, apple sauce,
all home-made.
We're going to do it with greens, amazing glazed carrots.
We're going to do it with brown rice,
it's going to be absolutely gorgeous.
In with your brown rice, OK?
Brown rice takes more time to cook than your white rice,
but it's a complex carb.
It's going to burn really slowly, it's going to fill you up.
You've got amazing flavour in there.
Add a pinch of salt and cook it for 35 minutes.
While that rice is boiling, we want to do two jobs.
So, we're going to get a colander,
we're going to put that on top
and we're going to steam our carrots.
Now, we like steaming
because it does, kind of, help preserve a lot of the nutrients.
I'm keeping them whole.
So, they're going to steam for 15 to 20 minutes.
Next job, apple sauce.
Now, look, I know you can get it
in a jar, but this is next level.
Roughly chop two green eating apples,
put them in a pan and cover with 300 ml of water.
I'm not going to add any sugar, I'm not adding any butter,
it's going to be clean and fresh --
but I do want a vibe going on there
and ginger is going to give that.
Slice up a centimetre piece
and pop it in with the apples,
cover and boil till nice and soft.
Once cooked, liquidise the apple and ginger powerhouse until smooth.
Pour into the dish and leave to cool.
Now it's time for that beautiful pork fillet.
Often, when you're talking about really healthy cooking,
people always sort of think,
"Well, pork, it's kind of very fatty, is it healthy?"
Well, look, we're using a fillet of pork.
It's one of the leanest cuts...
Really, really nice,
about 220g for two people
.. and it's tender and delicious.
I want to show you a preparation
that makes it outrageous in flavour.
So, sprinkle some grease-proof paper with salt and pepper,
then grate over a quarter of a nutmeg...
and lay the pork fillet on top,
and then simply roll it up,
coat it in that beautiful seasoning.
OK, next, grab some sage.
Lay out four in the bottom...
.. four on top.
This is going to flavour it. It's going to, kind of, cook into it.
So, just put the paper over the top.
Put your body weight into it.
The sage will stick to the pork.
Also that weight has tenderised it.
It's going to taste and look incredible.
Let's put the pan on.
Let's get it onto a nice medium-high heat.
Drizzle a tablespoon of oil into the hot pan.
The pork's in. Looking beautiful.
It'll need to cook for about four minutes on each side.
Pork is packed with B vitamins,
including thiamine.
Great for healthy heart.
This pork is already
looking beautiful.
We've only got minimal fat in the pan,
but enough to baste the pork.
The carrots have had enough time,
we're just taking the rawness out of them...
'Put them into the pan alongside the meat.'
.. and you're going to start kind of searing and catching the carrots.
Next, I'm going to steam some gorgeous,
Tenderstem broccoli and some chard --
both high in vitamin C.
With the pork,
I'm going to let it rest now, over here.
With the carrots,
you can see it's starting
to get some lovely colour happening.
And here is a really clever super food trick
to work in even more of that all-important vitamin C
and sweeten your carrots.
Classically, when you do glazed carrots,
you have butter in there and a load of sugar.
And of course, that's going to send our lovely healthy dish...
.. off the scale.
So, we're going to be clever.
We're going to use the natural sugars that occur in here.
So, just squeeze it into the pan...
and what's going to happen...
is these will naturally glaze,
but the flavour is going to be bright, full of life.
Carrots and oranges, they're really good friends.
Add a pinch of salt and keep an eye on it
so it doesn't reduce down too much and burn.
You see the orange juice,
kind of, cook down.
Then it'll start, almost, acting a little bit more like honey.
Once the carrots are glazed,
turn off the pan and drain the rice.
Just a couple of tablespoons of nice yoghurt,
and then the same of that apple sauce...
and then I want to marble it.
It's really refreshing and sour...
and that, my friends, is special.
Right, now for the stunning pork fillet that's been resting.
Just slice it about a centimetre thick.
Just perfect.
So, let's serve up.
First of all, trading up brown rice from white --
and that's really, really good for you.
Next on, you want your steamed chard and broccoli.
Then we got the pork.
Then we've got these unbelievable carrots and that's the thing,
I just want to, kind of, just put them, bonkers, all over the place.
Finally, we're going to add that delicious apple sauce.
Flavours galore.
All of the food groups are in here.
It feels indulgent, but it's,
literally, the most beautiful,
balanced, healthy food.
Everything's in there.
Right, let's try it.
That apple sauce...
is so alive.
Really delicious. I want some more, actually.
That is so, so good.
Your body's going to love you for that.
Happy days.
For all recipes, go to...
I'm travelling the world to uncover the secrets
of some of the planet's healthiest diets,
so that we can all cook smarter...
but just as important as what we're eating is what we're drinking.
Hydration is super, super important.
Obvious stuff but most of our body is made up of water.
We need water for nearly every single thing
that happens in our bodies.
So, I'm harnessing the vitamin
and antioxidant-packed
superpowers of fresh fruit,
to show you how to make a simple drink that's insanely delicious.
One of the biggest problems at the moment is sugary drinks.
It's the biggest single source of sugar
for our kids and our teenagers.
We want to get off of it as often as possible.
So, any way to make water beautiful is great.
Now, you can, kind of, get one of these jugs here,
where you can put a few things in there.
Some mint, cucumber, bit of lime, water. Put it in the fridge.
Brilliant.
Or at the dinner table, get a nice jug.
Just two little slices of ginger.
Get it in there.
You can take a little bit of lime or lemon juice,
or any kind of citrus,
and just use a speed peeler to put the zest in there.
You can take things like pomegranate, right?
And just the juice of one quarter,
just squeeze in there like that.
Some capsules will come out.
Some'll get crushed.
Look at the colour.
Full of wonderful antioxidants and vitamins,
and then we simply top it up with water.
You won't believe how much flavour is packed into it
AND it's yet another clever way of working in
that all-important vitamin C.
It looks beautiful.
You know, it's simple, it's refreshing,
you'll get into it
and you'll be amazed how delicious
these refreshing drinks can be.
So, enjoy it, have fun with it.
And if you keep it in the fridge,
it's going to get even better.
Cheers!
Here's to the good stuff.
Delicious.
Next, a beautiful beef and noodle dish
with a super food secret discovered on my trip to Ikaria...
Healthy food doesn't have to be boring.
So good.
.. and the most amazing fish curry,
brimming with goodness.
Really fragrant.
Feels like comfort food.
There's not one superfood that can fix all ills
but when you start putting them together, you can
create something truly amazing, delicious and nutritious.
In this series, I'm travelling to remote locations,
famous for health and longevity,
to unlock the secrets of some of the world's healthiest diets.
On the Aegean island of Icaria, with its rugged coastline
and boat-filled harbours,
the population often remains physically active
well into their 90s.
Thanks in part to a superfood which grows here in abundance nuts.
He keeps pulling nuts out and it's never-ending.
He's done about a kilo. I'll probably live to about 200 now.
Nuts are rich in nutrients and a handy source of good fats,
which help keep your heart healthy
and a little goes a long way.
A handful of nuts a day reduces your risk of heart disease by 50%.
There should be billboards that say that. It's so important.
So you can use them in many dynamic ways in salads, in stews,
in curries.
Today, I'm using them with crispy beef,
brown rice noodles and a zingy dressing.
And at just 440 calories per portion,
this delicious dinner packs the kind of wholesome punch you need.
It's really nice and simple to make.
So one pan on a medium heat.
I'm going to get a handful of peanuts.
About 20g, into a pan like that.
I just want to toast off those peanuts to wake up the flavours,
get the oil going.
I've got a kettle of boiling water
and I want 150g of brown rice noodles.
They've got a whopping five times more fibre than white noodles.
I'm just going to move it around like that,
and then pour the boiling water straight on top.
Add a little seasoning of salt and give them about ten minutes.
Basically, keep moving them around until they look nice
and plump and sort of perfect to eat.
These little peanuts here, you just want to char 'em a little bit.
I'm just going to put them into a pestle and mortar
and then we'll just grind these up.
I want to have some big bits
and I want some sort of powdery bits as well.
So that's kind of a garnish.
OK, so in this pan, we're going to add these little babies star anise.
They are so beautiful.
The classic flavours of hoisin sauce.
They'll start to toast up.
I'm going to add to the pan one tablespoon of sesame oil.
I'm going to go in with the gorgeous, lean, quality beef.
200g so we're only using 100g per person.
And we want to get these kind of crispy, golden and full of flavour.
Beef is packed with zinc,
which is fantastic for bone health
and we also need to metabolise certain nutrients.
While the beef is frying,
peel and chop a thumb-sized piece of ginger and a clove of garlic.
Add both to the pan to give the beef a real kick of flavour.
OK, so let's have a little toss-up.
You can see the moisture's kind of cooked away now.
The garlic and the ginger will start almost like candying,
and that's what you want.
One last thing I've got to put in there is a little bit of honey.
Just a teaspoon, that's all we need.
It will give it a lovely shine and a gorgeous sweetness.
So now, keep your eye on this like a hawk.
OK, dressing. Now, I need a little bit more ginger.
Grate a teaspoon's worth into a dish.
I'm going to put an extra clove of garlic in.
Grate it on top of the ginger.
And then chilli you don't need much, say half a chilli.
Again, grating it is going to give you a lovely, warm hum.
Add one teaspoon of low sodium soy sauce,
and one teaspoon of fish sauce.
Soy sauce and the fish sauce are quite salty,
so we're not going to season anything else.
And then one and a half limes.
We want it to be sour, salty, hot, fragrant.
Have a taste.
Maybe a tiny bit more soy.
Happy days.
What I want to do now is look at the salad.
Cut a round lettuce into quarters.
Along with some radishes, they're an excellent sauce of vitamin C
and folic acid, which we need to keep our immune system
strong and healthy.
So that really, really nice.
Grab some everyday cress,
finely slice some spring onions
and then onto the carrots.
Just use a little speed peeler
and you get those lovely ribbons which are undeniably beautiful.
So, look, I've got some coriander.
Finely slice the stalks.
We'll keep these leaves nice and whole.
Look, there's all our shredded veggies in all their glory.
Let's have a little look here.
Look at that.
That's what I'm talking about.
Crispy bits.
Golden, looking gorgeous.
Drain the noodles and divide between your plates.
Silky and soft.
Pile on the salad.
Shake over your crispy beef
and drizzle over that zingy dressing.
Then sprinkle on those gorgeous peanuts for a massive hit
of energy-giving superfood goodness.
This is going to be
a joy to eat.
This is absolutely the kind of stuff
I love to do in the middle of the week.
It's so good.
Healthy food doesn't have to be boring.
This is full of texture, colour, flavour.
440 calories...
It's a really exciting plate of food.
The Japanese island of Okinawa
is home to one of the longest living populations in the world
and when it comes to food, they live by the principle of nuchi gusui,
meaning, "Let food be your medicine."
The idea is simple.
Eat the right food to help prevent illness.
This is really, really delicious.
Oshi!
So this clever health tip provides the inspiration
for my next superfood dinner.
Spices add incredible layers of flavour to any dish
and are full of micronutrients and medicinal powers.
Turmeric has been used in traditional medicine for 4,000 years,
as well as ginger, and both are reputed to have
anti-inflammatory properties.
So if you like your food with a gentle spicy kick,
then this curry will be right up your street.
Healthy white fish, prawns, brown rice
and a clever trick for low calorie poppadoms.
Filling, medicinal goodness,
and all for around 460 calories per portion.
It's a one pot wonder, let's get on with it.
So pan on.
Fire it up, medium high.
Go in with one tablespoon of oil.
So as this heats up, let's start adding stuff.
One teaspoon of mustard seeds.
These will start to pop.
Half a teaspoon of cumin seeds.
These are a little bit more potent, don't go OTT.
We're going to start toasting these.
Both are rich in iron.
Same with the fennel seeds.
That's that nice sort of aniseed flavour.
So half a teaspoon of chilli powder.
High in chloride, for digestion.
And then one level teaspoon of turmeric.
And turmeric, amazing golden colour.
So Indian spices... This is curry leaves, by the way.
You can get these online, you can get these in good supermarkets.
So just put your hand on the stalk, and you just get your leaves
and these go into the oils.
And they are high in calcium.
So let's start mixing this all up now.
Um, the curry leaves will start crispening up.
The room's going to smell incredible.
So let's get some spring onions in there.
Get those into the pan.
A bit of fresh chilli in there.
I'm going to use about half to a whole chilli,
depending on how hot it is.
So that goes in.
And then about 5cm of ginger.
So refreshing.
And just finely slice this into little matchsticks,
and just keep stirring that pan.
Look at that.
That's the aromatics done.
So I've got 12 prawns.
If you want mega flavour, just rip those heads off, right,
and get the heads in the pan with the spices.
It's all the juice in there that's the really good flavour.
But don't worry, you don't have to eat them.
We're going to actually cook the rice in here,
and this is an opportunity to trade your white rice for brown
and you're going to love it.
Brown rice not only has four times the fibre of white,
it's also a better sauce of magnesium and phosphorous,
important for healthy muscles, bones and teeth.
It's kind of got a little bit of a sensibility of paella
or kind of risotto, where you're sort of building flavours.
Stirring in the rice.
So good.
And then we're going to go in with 1.2 litres of boiling water.
Um, turn up the heat.
Look at that.
Leave to cook for ten minutes and you're ready for the next stage.
We're going to be throwing in next some tomatoes.
We want to do a very delicate seasoning now, as well.
And we're going to go in with the coconut milk.
So just pour that in.
And now I want to simmer that for 20 minutes.
While that's cooking, you need to prep your seafood.
So I've got my fishmonger to scale
these beautiful bream fillets,
and, by the way, you can use any nice white fish fillet.
You know, try and get yourself sustainable fish.
It's really, really important.
What I like to do is just pinch this fillet like this,
and use the length of the knife just to score it.
And again, it allows it to cook nice and evenly.
And look how beautiful that is.
A little bit of care goes a long, long way.
White fish is a great low fat sauce of protein and selenium,
which helps keep your immune system healthy.
Now it's time to add the fish,
the beautiful fresh prawns.
There's loads and loads of fish here.
So we're going to cook it for about another five minutes.
We want it to be delicate and light,
and all that rice and juice is kind of cooked in and around it.
So, this is enough for six, OK?
And there's loads of food there.
But you can't have this without poppadoms.
Normally, poppadoms would be deep fried
and considered sort of fairly unhealthy, but actually
if you get these like that and you can get them in all supermarkets.
One by one, pop 'em in the microwave and they kind of just puff up.
30 calories you can have two each, a big old wodge of this.
Absolutely delicious.
A final squeeze of lemon juice over the curry and it's time to serve up.
OK, the moment of truth.
This beautiful, beautiful dish.
Garnish with your poppadoms, a wedge of lemon
and a sprinkle of mint for a flash of colour and fresh flavour.
A nice little bit of yoghurt on the side as well.
A pinch of chilli and look at that.
Sumptuous, aromatic goodness
and at only 460 calories per portion, it's super healthy.
So... time to try it.
Mmm...
It's all those flavours that we know and love.
Really fragrant, really perfumed.
Feels like comfort food.
That is a triumph.
Right there, I'm well chuffed with that.
Mmm!
So here you have it, guys, incredible pork and apple sauce.
Crispy beef, brown rice noodles with a zingy dressing,
and a creamy curried fish stew,
each for under 600 calories.
My three favourite, delicious and insanely good for you
superfood dinners.
As well as tips on how to healthily hydrate.
It's all about filling your bodies with the good stuff.
That's superfood.