apple, blueberry & cinnamon breakfast bars

This is the autumn remix of one of my most popular recipes. My Blueberry & Raspberry Breakfast Bars have gone down so well that I gave them a seasonal tweak, swapping the raspberries for apple and cinnamon.

They’re soft, slightly chewy, and easy to make ahead, so there’s a healthy breakfast ready in the fridge for busy mornings.

Why they’re a good way to start the day

A nutritious breakfast is a good start for anyone. It can be especially helpful during perimenopause and menopause, when many women find it harder to balance energy, appetite and weight. These bars give you:

• A balanced mix: fibre, healthy fats and protein, which together can help keep blood glucose more balanced than a breakfast that’s mostly sugar.

• Magnesium: this contributes to a reduction in tiredness and fatigue, and to normal bone and muscle function.

• Six plants in one bar: oats, banana, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, blueberries, and apple. All of these count towards the 30 different plants a week I often suggest to support gut health.

How to serve them

Each bar has around 10g protein on its own. To boost the protein, serve one warm with a generous dollop of Greek yoghurt. Around 150g of a high-protein yoghurt takes it to roughly 25g of protein. Try Fage, Yeo Valley Greek Recipe or Coconut Collab’s vegan protein yogurt.

Top with toasted nuts, seeds (hemp seeds are especially good) or a drizzle of nut butter for a little more protein, fibre and healthy fats. Finish with extra berries, apple slices or a sprinkle of cacao nibs.

Ingredients

Makes 6 bars

• 300g ripe banana (peeled weight)

• 160g rolled oats

• 50g toasted pumpkin (or sunflower) seeds* (40g mixed in, 10g for the top)

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• ½ tsp baking powder

• 75g peanut (or almond) butter

• 80ml plant milk

• 2 tbsp honey (or maple syrup)

• Pinch of salt

• 90g frozen blueberries (I like organic Pack’d)

• 75g peeled apple (about 1 small apple), cut into roughly ½cm dice

*Toast the seeds in a dry frying pan for around 6-8 minutes, tossing regularly.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan. Line a 20 x 12cm baking dish.

2. In a large bowl, mash the banana until fairly smooth (some lumps are fine). Add the oats, 40g of the seeds, the cinnamon, baking powder, and salt, and mix well.

3. Stir in the nut butter, plant milk and honey.

4. Gently fold through the blueberries (from frozen) and the chopped apple.

5. Scrape the mixture into the dish, even out the top and scatter over the remaining 10g of seeds.

6. Bake for 40 minutes, until golden around the edges and set through the centre.

7. Cool completely before cutting into 6 bars. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

8. To serve warm, microwave for about 30-45 seconds.

raspberry & blueberry breakfast bars

Busy mornings are much easier with something ready in the fridge - no decisions, just grab and go. These Raspberry & Blueberry Breakfast Bars are made with oats, banana, peanut butter, berries, and pumpkin seeds, so they provide a healthy mix of fibre, protein, wholegrains, good fats, and plant nutrients in something easy to take with you.

Each bar provides around 10g protein and 6.4g fibre. I usually suggest aiming for around 30g protein at each meal and 30g fibre across the day, so a bar on its own won't get you all the way there, but on a busy morning it can be a much better start than skipping breakfast altogether.

They're soft and slightly chewy, but firm enough to wrap up and take to work, school or eat on the go. If you're eating at home, they're delicious warmed through and served with Greek yoghurt, fruit compote, a few chopped almonds or other nuts, or both. For an extra protein boost, you could stir a scoop of protein powder into the yoghurt.

They also work well as an afternoon snack.

Fresh raspberries are lovely while they're in season, but you can experiment with other fruit like grated apple or pears, berries, nuts, seeds and nut butters depending on what you have.

Ingredients

Makes 6 bars

• 50g pumpkin seeds (40g mixed in, 10g for the top)

• 300g ripe banana

• 75g peanut butter

• 80ml plant or cow’s milk

• 2 tbsp honey

• 2 tsp vanilla

• 160g rolled oats

• ½ tsp baking powder

• Pinch of salt

• 75g fresh raspberries

• 75g fresh blueberries

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan. Line a 20 × 12cm dish with baking parchment.

• First, toast the pumpkin seeds for around 5 minutes in a dry frying pan on a medium heat. Set aside to cool a little.

• In a large bowl, mash the banana until fairly smooth, then stir in the peanut butter, plant milk, honey and vanilla.

• Mix in the oats, 40g of the pumpkin seeds, the baking powder and the salt.

• Gently fold through the raspberries and blueberries.

• Scrape the mixture into the dish, smooth the top and scatter over the remaining 10g of pumpkin seeds.

• Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden around the edges and set through the centre.

• Cool completely before cutting into 6 bars.

• Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

• Approximate nutrition per bar: 306 kcal | 10g protein | 6.4g fibre

• Serving suggestion: high-protein Greek or coconut yoghurt, fruit compote, chopped nuts/seeds, cacao nibs, desiccated coconut, nut butter

Almond butter

Adding almond butter to your breakfast is a simple way to make it more balanced, satisfying and supportive for your energy through the morning. It provides healthy fats, fibre and a little protein, helping to slow the release of energy and keep you feeling fuller for longer. Almonds are also a natural source of vitamin E, magnesium and plant compounds that support overall health, including helping to manage oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress is something we’re all exposed to through factors like stress, poor sleep and a busy lifestyle. Over time, it can contribute to things like low energy, brain fog, dull skin and feeling run down. Including foods rich in antioxidants is one small, supportive way to help your body stay more resilient.

Making your own almond butter at home is often more cost-effective than buying it ready-made (approx 50% cheaper!). It’s an easy, practical step that helps your breakfast work a little harder for you. You do need a high-powered or fast food processor to make it, though!

Ingredients

Makes 1 × 500ml Kilner jar

• 500g whole almonds

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C

2. Spread the almonds evenly on a baking tray and roast for 8 minutes until lightly golden and fragrant

3. Leave to cool completely

4. Add to a high-powered food processor and blend for around 10 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed, until smooth and creamy

If your blender struggles, pause and let it cool for 10 minutes. I use a Sage food processor.

Optional additions:

• Pinch of sea salt

• Added flavours - ½ tsp of ground cinnamon or ginger

• ½ tsp vanilla essence

• A drizzle of maple syrup or honey

Sweet spicy almonds

Tasty snacking nuts! Great to have with drinks or as a low carb snack that’ll keep you feeling fuller for a longer as almonds are high in protein and fibre. Plus you get all these additional nutritional benefits:

• Vital antioxidants and Vitamin E are concentrated in almond skin (try to avoid blanched) - these protect your cells from oxidative damage which contributes to aging and disease.

• Magnesium rich, which helps to convert food into energy, lowers blood pressure, assists in the contraction and relaxation of muscles and regulates neurotransmitters.

• Almonds also help to lower the levels of LDL lipoproteins in your blood, or ‘bad’ cholesterol, which is a well-known risk factor for heart disease.

Ingredients

• 200g whole almonds

• 2 tsp olive or rapeseed oil

• 2 tsp honey or maple syrup

• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

• A good pinch of salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

• Put the almonds on a foil lined baking tray.

• Drizzle / sprinkle over all the ingredients evenly and mix to coat well.

• Put in the oven for 6-7 minutes and then allow to cool, so they go crunchy.

Banana, almond, raisin & spelt loaf

This is a great loaf to make for quick breakfasts or healthier afternoon treats as it’s sweet, but not too sweet and has plenty of nutrients in the fruit, almonds and spelt to give you energy. Yes there’s sugar, but it’s definitely packing more goodness than your average sponge! I love this kind of cake as it’s full of interesting flavours and textures, plus there’s nutritional value in it without compromising on taste - win/win! It’s delicious, let me know if you give it a go.

Ingredients

• 150g almonds

• 150g spelt flour

• 125g ground almonds

• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• 1 ½ tsp baking powder

• 300g banana

• 250g golden caster sugar

• 3 eggs

• 140ml yoghurt

• 70ml rapeseed oil

• 1 tsp vanilla essence

• 80g sultanas

Method

• Preheat the oven to 170ºc and line a 2lb loaf tin - I use these liners.

• Spread the almonds on a baking tray and roast in the oven for 6-7 minutes. Set aside to cool and then chop roughly.

• Mix the flour, ground almonds, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder together in a medium sized bowl.

• Put the bananas into the bowl of a mixer and beat for a minute or so until mashed. You can do this with a fork if you don’t have a mixer.

• Add the sugar, eggs, yoghurt, rapeseed oil and vanilla, mixing well.

• Gradually add the flour etc to the bowl using a large serving spoon, or just tip in slowly.

• Beat with the mixer briefly until the ingredients are just combined, then fold in the almonds and sultanas. I usually turn the mixer on low briefly to do this, it will bump about a bit though!

• Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 1hr 10 minutes and then check with a skewer. It should come out clean when the cake is cooked, if not put back in for a further 5 minutes, check and then repeat once more. It should be cooked through by 1hr 20 minutes, but remove sooner if a skewer taken from the middle of the cake is clean.

Roast tomato, sweet potato & quinoa salad with tahini dressing

My new favourite salad: red and white quinoa with tomatoes, sweet potato and red onions roasted with cumin, fennel and coriander. Ok, so my favourite changes weekly, but this is a super tasty and definitely one to add to your menu! The dressing is made with roast garlic, tahini and deglazed tomato juice from the roasting tray (see the swirls in the little bowl), to really pack in the flavour. It would also be nice to add some crunch by serving with toasted nuts, or feta if you want to add cheese - I had both!

Ingredients

Serves 4 as a main, or 6-8 as a side

• 250g baby plum tomatoes

• 2 large garlic cloves

• 1 small sweet potato, 1cm cubes

• 1 medium red onion, half moon slices

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• 1 tsp fennel seeds

• ½ tsp ground coriander

• 250g quinoa

• ¼ tsp sea salt

• A handful of parsley and/or coriander, chopped

  Dressing

• 6 tbsp tahini

• 100ml water

• ¼ tsp sea salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc. Spread out the tomatoes and garlic on a roasting tray, drizzle with rapeseed or olive oil and add a pinch of salt, mix well.

• Put the sweet potato and red onion on two halves of large tray, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with ½ tsp cumin seeds, ½ tsp fennel seeds and the coriander, plus a pinch of salt. Mix well and place all the vegetables in the oven for 15 minutes. Turn and put back in for another 5 minutes. The sweet potato and onion should be cooked by now, but the tomatoes will need about another 10-15 minutes - they should be starting to blacken.

• While the vegetables are roasting, rinse the quinoa really well and then simmer in boiling water for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.

• Put the remaining cumin and fennel seeds in a frying pan and warm gently for about 1 minutes util you can smell their aroma, set aside.

• Use the two roasted garlic cloves in the dressing - squeeze the soft clove out of the skin and mash in a small bowl. Next add the tahini and mix well. Deglaze the tomato tray with 6 tbsp of boiling water and mix into the tahini. Add an extra tablespoon of water if needed. Stir in the salt.

• To serve, put the quinoa in a large bowl, gently stir in the vegetables, herbs, salt, then pour over the dressing and lastly sprinkle over the cumin and fennel seeds. If you’re not eating all the salad straight away, leave the dressing separate, so it stays fresher.

Tip

• After roasting vegetables, I always deglaze the tray with a 2-3 tablespoons of boiling water to get extra flavour into my salad dressings, stocks and stews. Even if you don’t need that flavour now, it’s worth doing as you can freeze the liquid in an ice cube tray and add to another dish as an extra flavour boost. It also helps to clean your tray before washing up!

Honey & soy glazed almonds & seeds

I’m trying to quit my Christmas chocolate habit (thanks Covid), so I thought I’d make something healthy to pick at instead of reaching for the sugar! These crunchy almonds and seeds are great to have to hand as they’re super tasty and filling whilst being full of nutrients. So far all of us have been eating them, even the kids, as we all like the sweet and slightly salty flavour. They’re also a good snack to make for friends when they come round for garden drinks or sprinkle on a salad to add some crunch. Try them out, they take about 10 minutes to make and are so good for you!

Ingredients

Makes a medium sized bowl full

• 100g sunflower seeds

• 100g pumpkin seeds

• 100g whole almonds, skin on

• 50g flaxseeds

• 1 tbsp coconut oil

• ½ tbsp maple or honey

• ½ tsp ground ginger

• ¼ tsp cinnamon (I used 1/8th as I only like a bit!)

• ½ tbsp low salt soy sauce

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

• Measure all the nuts and seeds into a medium sized bowl.

• Put the coconut oil on a large baking tray and melt in the oven for 2-3 minutes.

• Mix the ground spices and soy into the nuts and seeds, then tip them on to the tray and stir well to combine with the coconut oil.

• Then mix in the honey and place in the oven for 8 minutes, turn and put back in for another 2 minutes.

Orzo, sweet pepper, spinach & toasted almond salad

It’s all about salads for me at the moment! I love the warmer weather and the food it brings, out with soup and in with lots of colourful plates of grains, veggies, cheese and fresh herbs. This is a Italian-style plate with a lovely combination of pasta, roasted peppers, spinach, basil and toasted almonds in a garlic red wine vinaigrette. The salad is vegan, but if you want to top with crumbled feta, that would work really well too.

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

• 3 sweet peppers (red, orange or yellow)

• 250g orzo

• 150g fresh spinach

• A handful of ripped basil leaves

• 50g almonds

Dressing

• 60ml olive oil

• 20ml red wine vinegar

• 1/2 tbsp maple or honey

• ½ small garlic clove, grated

• 1 thinly sliced half moon of red onion, finely chopped (see photo below)

• ¼ tsp sea salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

• Make the dressing by mixing all the ingredients in a salad shaker (I love this one by Oxo)

• Spread the almonds on a baking tray and toast in the oven for 6-7 minutes. Allow to cool and then chop roughly.

• Cook the orzo as per the packet instructions, usually simmer for 8-12 minutes, depending on the brand. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop it cooking further. Once thoroughly drained put in a bowl and drizzle with a little of the dressing to stop it clumping. Add a good pinch of sea salt too.

• While the orzo is cooking, roast the peppers: put them on a sheet of tin foil and place under a hot grill, blacken on all sides - this should take about 12-15 minutes, turning every 2-3. Wrap in the foil once cooked and leave to cool for 5 minutes, then peel, deseed and cut into strips. Reserve the juices from the peppers and pour over the salad before serving for extra flavour.

• Steam the spinach for approx 3 minutes until it has just cooked, then spread out on a plate to cool.

• Mix the peppers, spinach and basil leaves into the orzo and pour over 2/3 of the dressing. Spread the salad onto a large serving plate, drizzle over a little extra dressing and the juice from the peppers. Finish by scattering over over a few basil leaves and the toasted almonds.

Tip

• Avoid green peppers as they’re unripened and bitter.

• Save the rest of the red onion to chop thinly in salads.

• This salad tastes even better for lunch the next day! I think because the flavours from the dressing have more time to permeate the pasta. Or may be it was because I didn’t have to actually make anything!

Pecan & almond muesli

I always find that museli off the shelf has either too much of one ingredient or not enough of another, so I like to make my own. It’s so easy and way cheaper than buying shop bought; the only effort you have to make is toasting a tray of nuts and seeds then you’re done. This batch will last me absolutely ages for a fraction of the price.

Ingredients

Makes approx 1kg

• 500g oats

• 70g desiccated coconut

• 150g raisins, or any dried fruit you prefer - need to add 120g

• 70g pumpkin seeds, toasted

• 70g sunflower seeds, toasted

• 100g pecans (almonds, hazelnuts or cashews if you prefer), toasted

• 100g flaked almonds, toasted

• 50g flax seeds

• 150g buckwheat flakes, optional

• 50g quinoa flakes, optional

Method

• Preheat the oven to 160ºc.

• Tip the nuts and seeds on to a large tray, spread them out and them place in the oven for about 7 minutes. Keep checking every 2-3 minutes if you put them back in as they can turn very quickly. Put a timer on! My trick is not to put the timer on, get distracted and burn 5 quids worth of nuts!

• Leave the nuts and seeds to cool before adding to a large bowl or tub with the rest of the ingredients.

• Serve with fruit compote, nut butter and slices of banana. It also works well to mix with coconut or Greek yoghurt instead of milk.

Tip

• I added the buckwheat and quinoa flakes to vary the texture a bit, but if you don’t have them it’s not a major problem. The muesli will still be great with just oats.

• But if you want some variation, other alternatives for the base are: wheat, barley or spelt flakes, bran or jumbo oats