My Week On A Plate: Louise Murray

MONDAY

BREAKFAST: I often don’t have time to make myself breakfast, so I’m all about prep the night before, which is why I love overnight oats. This morning I’m having tropical mint overnight oats, made with kiwi, mango and fresh mint. The great thing about these oats is you can make a big batch and it will last a few days in the fridge; you can also change it up each day with different toppings to keep it interesting – add chopped fresh fruit, nut butter, or chopped nuts and seeds. Science shows overnight oats have a nutritional advantage versus porridge as they are richer in resistant starch, a type of dietary fibre that is beneficial for your gut bacteria. I always add ground flaxseeds to my overnight oats for an extra dose of fibre. Soaking oats also makes them easier to digest – great if you are sensitive to gluten. Mid-morning, I have a matcha latte. Matcha is packed with an amino acid called l-theanine, which slows the release of caffeine to give you a more sustained energy boost. It’s also brimming with immune-supporting antioxidants, phytonutrients and chlorophyll, which protects your skin from sun damage and pollution. 
 
LUNCH: Lunch today is an antioxidant salad: blueberries, blackberries, beets, baby chard, watercress, lemon, olive oil, sea salt, pumpkin seeds, sprouted clover, radishes and dried mulberries. Dried mulberries provide high levels of protein and iron (great for reducing fatigue), and are also a rich source of vitamin C, fibre, calcium and antioxidants. 
 
SUPPER: Beetroot tarts are so easy and quick to make. Sweet beets, tangy blue cheese, zingy capers, crunchy walnuts and fresh dill is a great flavour combination. Beets are rich in nitrates that support your bodies’ energy cells. They also increase oxygen flow, so can help you feel more energised. Plus, they’re packed with vitamin C, which aids iron absorption and promotes healthy skin, and can help flush toxins from the body. They also boost brain function, which is great for my ‘mum’ brain. 

TUESDAY

BREAKFAST: Today’s breakfast is a fig, pecan and honey chia pudding. Chia seeds are an ancient superfood – they were a mainstay of Aztec and Mayan diets thanks to their nutritional value. They are great for gut health and an excellent way of increasing your fibre intake. I mix half a cup of chia seeds with one cup of non-dairy milk – mix them together with an optional sweetener (I use honey or maple syrup) in a mason jar and sit in the fridge for an hour or until set. Then add in your fresh fruit, nuts and yoghurt. I also have a matcha latte mid-morning.
 
LUNCH: Homemade instant noodles in a jar are one of my favourite lunches when I have a busy day of coaching as I can make them the night before or in the morning and then take with me to work. The layers consist of a flavour base – I love miso, tamari, chilli, garlic and fresh ginger, which I make into a paste – and then noodles, followed by your filler ingredient. I like to use a combination of carrots, peas, diced tofu, any leftover cooked meats, cabbage, thinly sliced mushrooms, spinach, a hard-boiled egg and edamame beans. When you’re ready for lunch, simply pour over enough boiling water to cover the ingredients, cover and leave for ten minutes. Mid-afternoon, I also have a couple of lemon and turmeric energy balls – I always have a batch on hand. Turmeric is a great anti-inflammatory.
 
SUPPER: It’s taco night, and I’m making cauliflower, sweet potato and chickpea tacos. It sounds complicated but it’s so quick and simple. Cauliflower is such an under-rated vegetable – just one cup provides over 75% of your daily recommended intake of vitamin C. Sweet potatoes are also a great option – adding naturally sweet foods to your diet will satisfy your sweet tooth and they’re rich in fibre. Before bed, I make a super-mushroom hot chocolate, which is perfect to induce calm and sleep. You can’t taste the mushrooms, but their earthiness pairs nicely with chocolate flavours and they are packed with health benefits.

WEDNESDAY

BREAKFAST: I start the morning with some banana, nut butter and cacao baked oats. I am obsessed with cacao – it’s been a game-changer for me in terms of energy, mood and gut health. Plus, it gives you a chocolate pick-me-up without the refined sugar. Baked oats are super simple to make – they take four minutes to throw together and then around 30 minutes to bake. This morning, I add in a few dark chocolate chips – packed with antioxidants and fibre, they can support gut health, and they stimulate the production of endorphins and serotonin for a better mood. 
 
LUNCH: Lunch today is a nourish bowl with a turmeric and tahini dressing. I love a bowl filled with goodness and a nourish bowl like this is a great way to tick all the boxes with your macros. The perfect nourish bowl consists of greens (today I’ve gone for spinach and baby chard), protein (you can keep it plant based if you want – today I’ve gone for quinoa and edamame beans), healthy fats (this bowl contains avocado), veggies (I’ve gone for butternut squash), carbs (the quinoa covers this and I’ve gone for chickpeas today too), and some nuts or seeds. A great dressing brings everything together – today, I make a quick one using turmeric and tahini. 
 
SUPPER: I love simple, one-dish dinners – they require minimal effort so you’re free to do something else while dinner takes care of itself. Tonight, I make ras el hanout slow-roasted mushrooms with pine nuts, halloumi and flat-leaf parsley. Mushrooms are a fantastic source of vitamin D, which is vital for our immune system and something us Brits do not get enough of especially through autumn and winter. After supper, I treat myself to a homemade chocolate brownie, which I make using cacao powder and oat flour – just whizz oats in a blender for a refined sugar-free flour alternative. 

THURSDAY

BREAKFAST: Avocado and blueberries with mint on toast is on the menu today – it’s such a fresh combination. Avocados are a concentrated source of energy and are packed with good fats, which aid the absorption of other nutrients. The majority of the fat in avocado is oleic acid — a monounsaturated fatty acid associated with reduced inflammation. I also have a matcha latte later in the morning.
 
LUNCH: It’s so easy to get caught up in a salad rut, but if you think about layering flavours and texture, the options are endless. Today, I make a kale, fig and beetroot salad with pumpkin pesto. This is a delicious combination, combining roasted beetroot, avocado, figs, massaged kale and spinach, crunchy walnuts and a light drizzle of pumpkin pesto. Dark greens like spinach and kale are so important for energy and are very high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc, and vitamins A, C, E, and K. They’re also loaded with fibre, folic acid, chlorophyll and other micronutrients. At around 4pm, I have one of my choco-medicinal mushroom paleo energy balls – medicinal mushrooms have been shown to support optimal immunity. These no-bake balls are sweetened with medjool dates, and combined with pecans, cacao powder, shredded coconut and a scoop of grass-fed collagen for added protein. 
 
SUPPER: This evening I make a turmeric squash curry, which is a warming and comforting end to the day. It’s all about the beta-carotene in butternut squash – this is a powerful antioxidant, which protects the body against free radical damage. Did you know you can also eat the seeds? They are a great source of omega fatty acids, which is great for the skin and heart. Simply remove them from the pulp, lay on a baking tray and gently roast in the oven for around 15 minutes with some olive oil and a pinch of salt. 

FRIDAY

BREAKFAST: I make another chia seed pudding this morning, but mix it up with blueberries and cherries. The addition of these two berries not only packs a flavour punch, but also provides a significant polyphenol and fibre feast for the gut. I top my pudding with bee pollen for additional fibre plus energy-giving B vitamins, zinc and iron.
 
LUNCH: Today is another busy day of back-to-back health coaching, so I’ve made myself a lunchbox tin to take into my home office. Today’s box is a mix of kale, sweet potato and pomegranate with a miso dressing (a blend of miso paste, tahini, sesame oil, maple syrup, rice vinegar and a good squeeze of lime). Tahini is a good ingredient to have in your fridge as it contains more protein than milk and is a good source of B vitamins. 
 
SUPPER: Friday nights are pizza night in our house, and tonight we make our own. I make the bases from cauliflower (whizz in the blender with egg white and buckwheat flour to create a gluten-free base) and top mine with roasted peppers, pesto and olives, and the kids’ with goats’ cheese, spinach and pine nuts. It’s fun to get the kids involved with the toppings.  

SATURDAY

BREAKFAST: Another weekend ritual in our house is Saturday morning pancakes. I have been making my banana, oat and flaxseed pancakes for years – they are free from refined carbs and sugar, meaning they’ll sustain you for longer without a sugar crash. Today, I add a teaspoon of raw beetroot powder. I top the pancake stacks with nut butter, bee pollen and hemp seeds for added omega-3s, fats and fibre.
 
LUNCH: I fancy a simple salad for lunch today after a filling breakfast, so make a broccoli, kale and halloumi salad with a strawberry vinaigrette. This salad uses raw kale, which retains much more of its nutritional value. I massage it with tahini and lime for a few minutes – this sounds onerous but it makes it much tastier and easier to digest. The saltiness of the halloumi with the sweetness of the strawberry is a delicious pairing in this dish.
 
SUPPER: Tonight’s dinner – Mexican mince with lettuce wraps – is pure comfort food. This is one of my go-tos when I want something tasty and light for dinner. They are so simple to make and tick all the nutritional boxes. I serve these with a variety of sides – think creamy avocado, a punchy salsa and plenty of chilli and coriander. 

SUNDAY

BREAKFAST: I love eggs – they are an excellent source of protein and healthy fats, and the egg yolks are rich in minerals – so decide to make a veggie egg bake this morning. It’s incredibly simple to make, and also travels well, so we often make a big batch and then take leftovers on our Sunday walk to fuel the kids. We like to make this recipe when we have a lot of veggies to use up – favourites include peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, leeks, asparagus and courgette. You can even add a little organic cheese or your favourite non-dairy cheese right before baking for a little flavour boost. 

LUNCH: It’s wet and rainy today, so I make a simple beetroot and sweet potato soup for lunch. For a fiery kick, I add some horseradish, and top with some walnuts and fresh dill – I love a bit of crunch with my soup.
 
SUPPER: We end the week with maple miso-glazed salmon – one of our go-to meals that is big on flavour but a real time-saver thanks to the fact it can all be made in one baking sheet. It also happens to be packed with omega-3 fatty acids, a group of essential fats that must be obtained from the diet as the body cannot produce them on its own – they are linked to lower rates of depression due to their mood-supporting properties. Miso is also rich in essential minerals and provides the gut with beneficial bacteria to keep you healthy, vibrant and happy.

For more information, visit LiveWellWithLou.com or follow Louise on Instagram @Live_Well_With_Lou.
 
DISCLAIMER: *Features published by SheerLuxe are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. Always seek the advice of your GP or another qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise or other health-related programme.