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If you start eating more protein and more fiber from anti-inflammatory whole foods today, you'll feel fuller for longer, have more energy, and give yourself the best chance of aging well. But, packing all this nutrition into a busy day is can feel impossible. So, I'm going to show you exactly what I eat from breakfast to dinner to make it easy and enjoyable even when I'm super busy.
Starting with breakfast. Now, when I was a junior doctor, breakfast was cereal, granola bar, or just a coffee. And I'd be hungry by 10:00 a.m., relying on caffeine to get me through the day. And a lot of people find themselves in a similar situation. Now, if there's one thing you take away from this video, it's that sorting your breakfast to be high fiber and high protein will help you feel so much better throughout the entire day. And it's the first thing that I actually switched up when I was going through my own health journey. But, the challenge is having a proper breakfast when you're rushing out the door is hard. And what saves me is having a solid rotation of breakfast that rely on depending on how much time I've got in the week.
Overnight oats are my go-to. When I know that my week is busy, I'll prep overnight oats in about 5 minutes the night before. Now, most overnight oat recipes that you'll find online are largely oats, and they won't keep you full and satisfied because they can be quite starchy. So, I use a 2-2-1-1 formula. 2 Tbsp of oats, 2 Tbsp of flax seeds, 1 Tbsp of chia seeds, and 1 of hemp seeds. That base alone gives you soluble fiber, lignans from the flax that have been studied for their anti-inflammatory effects, and a good base of protein from the hemp seeds. Once you have your base, you can get creative with toppings depending on what you're feeling that day. Right now, I'm in the mood for raw cacao, a good quality unflavored protein powder, cinnamon, and turmeric for their anti-inflammatory benefits. Give this all a stir first, then add dried fruit for sweetness like raisins, and your liquid of choice, either water or milk. The best thing about overnight oats is that it takes the same amount of time to make a three as it does one. So, I've got three days of breakfast in just 5 minutes. In the morning, when I'm ready to eat, I'll just top it with some fresh fruit, like berries and seeds, and then I'm out the door. This beautiful recipe gives you different fibers, healthy fats, protein, and plant diversity all in one jar.
But, I'm not having overnight oats every single day. When I want something savory, I'll make a batch of my Tupperware frittatas, and I'll keep them in the fridge for the week. I've got to give credit to my wife for this recipe. I did not think it was going to work, but she was right, I was wrong. I'll just whisk eggs in a large bowl. I'll add extra protein from cottage cheese, which gives a lovely creamy texture, but it also keeps you fuller for longer because it's high in a protein called casein. I always have a mantra in my head of looking to add more vegetables. Spring onions, spinach, green peas, even frozen veg. It's such a great hack to adding more nutrient density to any meal you're making. Frittatas tend to be high in protein and low in fiber. So, a special trick of mine is to add ground flaxseed. Now, you barely notice the flavor, but it adds extra fiber and those anti-inflammatory lignans. And for even more polyphenols, I'll add any spice I'm feeling. It could be dried oregano, dried tarragon. Mix it in. It doesn't look that appealing, but trust the process. I'll spoon this mixture into small glass containers lined with unbleached parchment paper. Pop these into the oven and bake until they look set and golden on top. The trick, once they're ready, is to let them cool completely on a rack. And then, I'll just pop them into the fridge ready for breakfast for the week ahead. I'll have these on when I'm in a rush, or I can turn it into a grab-and-go sandwich with hummus just in between two toasted sourdough pieces. Or, if I've got a little bit more time, I'll turn this into a proper meal with avocado, broccoli sprouts, and mixed seeds.
Now, I know what you're thinking right now. "But, Dr. Rupie, what if I haven't prepared anything on a Sunday?" I get it. Happens to me all the time, and this is why I have this emergency smoothie recipe printed on the inside of my brain. I'll add frozen berries, banana, avocado, and spinach into my bullet blender, but I don't just stop there. The key is making it not just fruit and liquid. You want it to be more like a meal. So, I add ground flaxseed and a tablespoon of good quality unflavored protein powder. For liquid, I'll either go for milk or just simple water. Blend it all up, and you've got yourself an emergency smoothie. This is completely different to the smoothies that you buy in most stores. Now, this isn't my everyday breakfast because chewing whole foods is a lot more filling than drinking it. But, on busy mornings, it gets me out of trouble every single time.
If there's one meal where planning really does pay off, it's lunch. When I was first trying to overhaul my diet, I realized lunch was a massive deal for me. Even in the hospitals that I worked at, it was full of meal deals, refined snacks, sweets. In fact, in the UK, there is still a Burger King in Addenbrooke's Hospital, which is royally wrong. [laughter] And if you've not planned ahead, you're often limited to what happens to be nearby, which usually means expensive, low-fiber, low-protein, ultra-processed lunches. And so, I began always bringing in my lunch to work. So much so that my medical colleagues used to call me Tupperware Boy, a name that I'm super proud to have earned. And if you want to be a Tupperware Boy or Girl yourself, you can do it easily using my high-protein lunch bowl formula.
I'll start with a fiber-rich carb like pre-cooked whole grains or sweet potatoes. It's much higher in fiber than refined grains like white rice, bread, or pasta. Add a green like kale, rocket, spinach, or cavolo nero. I always try and get my greens in every day to support my brain and because they're magnesium-rich, which tends to be lacking in many people's diets. I'll pair it with a colorful veg. Sweetcorn, peppers, radish, carrots, basically any veg that I've got that's easy to prep. And to ensure my gut health needs are covered, I'll add a legume to boost the fiber. Think black beans, chickpeas, puy lentils. These are what your gut microbes absolutely love. And of course, a core protein source. This could be tofu one day, tempeh, chicken, fish. To bring my lunch bowls together, I add a sauce like garlic yogurt, two ingredients. Harissa or tahini soy dressing, a couple of ingredients, something that brings all these flavors together easily. I usually make three in one so my lunch is sorted for the next few days, but no two are ever exactly the same. I'm always rotating the ingredients and keeping it interesting throughout the week.
However, there are times where I've got no energy to build a proper meal, but I still want to hit my nutritional goals. So, I'll rely on high-protein spreads, usually on toast. But, we're not talking about avo toast here, that's not enough protein. I make high-protein spreads in minutes with just a few ingredients. Like my herby tofu cream cheese. Blend up firm tofu with nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, garlic powder, dried onion powder, some miso paste for umami, chives, and a splash of plant-based milk. I'll blend it up and I'll keep it in a jar for a few days. To serve it up, I'll just spread it on good-quality bread and sometimes if I've got time, I'll serve it with crispy mushrooms to make it extra special. And one of my favorite hacks is tinned fish. They're phenomenal sources of both protein and omega-3, which is great for heart brain health. I'll simply mash tin mackerel or sardines with a fork, add capers to cut through that oiliness, sauerkraut, Greek yogurt, fresh herbs, spread that on toasted rye, add some sliced radish if you've got it, and a squeeze of lemon, and that's it. Lunch is taken minutes.
If I eat a nutrient-dense, high-protein lunch, I often don't feel hungry for a snack mid-afternoon at all. But, sometimes, when filming days run a bit longer, or maybe I've done a more intense workout that morning, I get the hankering for a snack. And instead of grabbing some random, overpriced healthy snacks from the shop, I've got a few grab-and-go staples that I'll make ahead, and others that I can whip up together on autopilot. Like a pear, simply sliced with a drizzle of tahini and crushed nuts. It sounds unusual, but it works so well. You're getting fiber and polyphenols from the pear and healthy fats from the tahini and nuts. It hits the spot. Some friends of mine, the Happy Pear guys, have a really simple air fryer recipe of mixed nuts and dark chocolate cooked for around 5 minutes and allowed to cool. And what it does is create this indulgent, nutty chocolate bark. A sprinkle of salt and you've got something truly special and actually healthy. When I've got a little bit more time at the weekend to get organized, I'll make a batch of my six-ingredient pistachio cacao energy balls. They take less than 10 minutes to prep. I'll just blitz pistachios, cacao, hemp seeds, tahini, softened dates, and a little coconut oil in a food processor until everything comes together in a big ball. Then, I roll them into small balls, coat them in crushed pistachio crumb, and pop them into the fridge to firm up. They'll keep in an airtight container for weeks, and I love having them on hand to grab and go on busy days.
By dinner time, I'm usually short on energy, and I've got my son running around, so I need something fast. But, it's got to tick all the boxes. And midweek, it's usually some version of a traybake. The goal is not creating a masterpiece. And again, I follow a simple formula in my head to make sure I'm hitting my nutrition goals. Quality carb, like potatoes or sweet potatoes, a green, like broccoli or anything that cooks well in the oven. Colorful veg and white veg can also count, too. I often go for things like cauliflower because it's from the brassica family and contains glucosinolates that are actually anti-inflammatory. And what's great about a traybake is that you can just throw in any veg that you've got. I always add a fiber booster like pre-cooked lentils or beans. That way, I'm getting even more variety for my gut microbes. And of course, a core protein. It could be trout, chicken, or tofu. Whilst that's cooking in the oven, I'll make a quick dressing like a honey mustard sauce. It's just three ingredients, but it's super flavorful, sharp, sweet, and it lifts the entire meal. Easy, easy flavor. I'll just drizzle the sauce everywhere, throw in any fresh herbs I've got hanging around in the fridge. And extra points for sprouts, specifically broccoli sprouts. They've got 50 to 100 times more glucoraphanin than the mature broccoli plant. This is a great complete dinner with minimal washing up. Win-win.
And if it's not a traybake, it's a one-pot. Who doesn't love a one-pot? Seriously, who? All right, let me convince you. One of my ultimate favorites from the Doctor's Kitchen app is my South Indian style monkfish curry. You can either use a store-bought paste or blend up tomatoes, ginger, garlic, chili flakes, onion, and coconut for a fresh paste. And to a pan, just start with a beautiful base of warming spices. I'll add mustard seeds, cumin, star anise, turmeric, and a little bit of coconut oil, or whatever neutral oil of choice you prefer. Let those warming spices temper for a few minutes, then add your fresh paste to the pan. Cook that down for a bit, then I'll add soaked red lentils. Add water, coconut milk, and stock. Simmer that away for around 15 minutes before adding green beans or whatever greens you've got, and a core protein. Monkfish or whatever thick fish that I've got on hand works really well, but this recipe also works well with tofu or chicken. It's super flexible. And again, because I'm always trying to sneak in more greens into my diet, I'm going in with a generous handful of spinach. And that's it. A bit of lime lifts the meal, and it can also be lunch the next day. In fact, that's actually one of my best hacks, cooking a big one-pot in the evening during the week that serves as lunch the next [music] day.
Having strategies like overnight oats for breakfast, prep-ahead high-protein lunch bowls, and traybakes for dinner means that I'm consistently getting over 140 g of protein daily, 45 g plus of fiber, and a mixture of anti-inflammatory whole foods that keeps my [music] health in check. But, I didn't start by doing everything at once. I started with simple swaps to remove ultra-processed foods from my diet, which I'll show you in the next video.