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Lily Soutter: My Week in Food
Nutritionist and weight loss expert Lily Soutter chose her career after a nutritionist helped her to clean up her diet in order to soothe her psoriasis, realising that so much of our health is tied up in what we eat. Here she shares her food philosophy and weekly food diary...
When it comes to food, my main mantra is to choose unprocessed whole foods wherever possible. I like to shop for fresh ingredients, and avoid ‘food in packets’ whenever I can.
Whilst I love cooking and experimenting with food, I find it starts to become a chore when recipes are complicated or overwhelming. Therefore meals which are quick and simple to put together suit me down to a tee. Most of the time I cook big batches of food and freeze portions for a later date, allowing me to have quick and easy meals.
I suffer from PCOS (Polycystic Ovaries) and psoriasis, therefore my way of eating is designed to keep symptoms at bay.
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Monday
Pre breakfast: 1 cup of hot water with lemon and fresh mint. This gives me the alkaline kick I need first thing in the morning. I made this yummy switch from coffee 2 years ago and have never felt better.
Breakfast: Egg white and chia seed omelette with avocado and wild smoked salmon. I am a big believer in a protein rich breakfast to help keep my energy levels stable throughout the morning.
Lunch: Red cabbage cups with butternut mash, radish, avocado, chickpeas, coriander and rocket. I find that large cabbage leaves can make a tasty bread replacement.
Snack: One homemade maca and cinnamon energy ball. Whilst I do not advocate constant snacking, I find that one small snack a day suits me best. Due to the amount of exercise I perform during the week, a small snack keeps my energy levels high and aids with muscle recovery.
Dinner: Lily’s chicken broth . For me, this is a perfect nutrient-rich Monday night meal, and so simple to put together.
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Tuesday
Pre breakfast: 1 cup of hot water with lemon and fresh mint
Breakfast: Porridge made with whole rolled oats, oat milk, chia seeds and fig. I choose whole rolled oats as they have the lowest glycaemic load. As I’m a PCOS sufferer, I tend to choose oat milk (dairy free) as it tastes amazing in porridge.
Lunch: An Asian style bone broth with chicken, chillies, sesame seeds, bean sprouts and bok choy.
Snack: Hummus with carrot sticks. I am a hummus lover and always try to give mine a twist by adding coriander, red pepper and different spices.
Dinner: Wild salmon fillet on a bed of asparagus and red cabbage. Oily fish does wonders for my skin, especially as I have a history of psoriasis.
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Wednesday
Pre breakfast: 1 cup of hot water with lemon and fresh mint.
Breakfast: Baked eggs in avocado topped with chives. Another super tasty protein rich way to start my day.
Lunch: Homemade tomato and lentil soup topped with coriander. I love making soups as they are so versatile and a great way to up my veg intake. I incorporated lentils into my soup to increase the protein content.
Snack: Beetroot and barlotti bean dip with cucumber. This can be whizzed up in minutes and makes the perfect low sugar, high protein snack. I place portions in little pots to transport with me if I’m on the go.
Dinner: Homemade bolognese with spiralized courgette. I will always try to source good quality, lean and organic mince for my bolognese. I also add spices to enhance the flavour without the use of salt. I absolutely love this dish, so make a big batch and freeze portions for a later date.
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Thursday
Pre breakfast: 1 cup of hot water with lemon and fresh mint.
Breakfast: Smashed avocado on buckwheat toast topped with chillies. Buckwheat is my favourite alternative to wheat. It suits me to a tee as it contains a special compound called chiro-inositol which has been shown to normalise blood sugar levels – perfect for those suffering with PCOS.
Lunch: Spinach and mushroom frittata. This is a 5 minute dish, which makes it great for days when I am busy. Eggs are full of healthy brain fat called phospholipids to support memory and concentration – just what I need for an afternoon of meetings.
Snack: I stopped off for a business meeting at Tanya’s raw food café and chose a cold pressed green vegetable juice. I only choose vegetable juices due to their low sugar content.
Dinner: Tuna Nicoise salad. I rekindled my love for this salad after my recent holiday in Mallorca. I sometimes add buckwheat toast with some tapenade and always pack in the veggies to keep me full.
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Friday
Pre breakfast: 1 cup of hot water with lemon and fresh mint.
Breakfast: Cocao porridge with crunchy cocao nibs. I had an early morning pre-work breakfast with my sister today and this is what she whipped up for me. A chocolatey breakfast isn’t something I would choose, however this combination was really tasty and had zero sugar!
Lunch: JuiceBaby was my lunch stop. My favourite is their kale, avocado and seed salad with a sunflower dressing and a green vegetable juice. Green veg is packed full of magnesium, a much needed mineral needed to boost energy for a busy day.
Snack: I had a more substantial snack today. I made a loaf of high protein seed bread over the weekend, so toasted a slice and topped with avocado, radish, spring onion and a squeeze of lemon.
Dinner: Grilled lamb and roasted vegetable skewers topped with coconut yoghurt.
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Saturday
Pre breakfast: 1 cup of hot water with lemon and fresh mint.
Breakfast: Berry chia pot, which I put together the night before and soaked. I had this with Greek yoghurt to increase the protein content.
Lunch: Nettle soup – this was a homemade soup made from young nettle leaves I sourced from my family home in Surrey.
Snack: Fresh berries and almonds. Berries are a good choice of fruit as they are low in sugar and high in antioxidants. I try to combine fruit with a protein source like almonds to slow the release of sugar into the blood stream.
Dinner: Roasted aubergine with turmeric, coconut yoghurt, pomegranate and pine nuts. This is an Ottolenghi inspired dish. I used coconut yoghurt in replacement of soured cream, and added turmeric for its amazing anti-inflammatory benefits.
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Sunday
Pre breakfast: 1 cup of hot water with lemon and fresh mint.
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs, salmon and rocket. This breakfast has to be my favourite, it’s so protein and healthy fat rich I always feel satisfied for many hours afterwards.
Lunch: Mushroom and buckwheat risotto at Daylesford, I love this organic café as they produce good quality food which can be amazingly healthy.
Snack: Homemade goji berry and beetroot energy balls.
Dinner: ‘Prawn special’. My boyfriend invented this recipe and decided to call it ‘prawn special’. This dish is so tasty, and consists of onion, pureed tomatoes, coconut milk, lemon, black pepper and finally some prawns. I usually have mine with spiralized courgette.