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My Week in Food
Henrietta Norton is co-founder of food-grown supplement brand Wild Nutrition, which she set up in 2013 with her husband Charlie. She is also a Nutritional Therapist with over 13 years’ experience in women’s health, author of Take Control of Your Endometriosis and Your Pregnancy Nutrition Guide , and mother to three young boys. Here she shares her food philosophy and diary with us…
Despite the routine of school drop-offs and pick-ups, each week is rich with variety, ranging from travelling abroad to deliver a talk, to attending meetings at our Head Office in Lewes, or taking the dog to the vet! This week was especially changeable but it is a reminder to remain flexible and this is perfectly illustrated in my approach to food and nutrition. As a nutritionist, I am naturally passionate about eating well as a way to support your wellbeing but we all need to be realistic and remember that food is there to nourish us and certainly not to add further stress. Very often I am thinking about what’s for supper, just before we need to eat it - but this is also when I become particularly creative (needs must!). Keep nourishing staples in stock (good olive oil, fresh herbs, green leaves, pulses and nuts are always in good supply). Don’t feel it is all about kale and juices – just do the best that you can, cook from scratch as often as you can, eat a rainbow of vegetables daily, keep sugar to a minimum, embrace good fats and find space in your day to unwind and go ‘off grid’.
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Monday
I don’t work on Fridays and don’t give into the temptation to check work and emails over the weekend, so by the time Monday comes along I usually feel like I hit the ground running. I come straight to the office after school drop-off and check in with my emails, followed by my usual Monday meeting with the digital marketing department and the management team. Having had guests staying over the weekend, today’s food is all about leftovers and creatively up-cycling the contents of the larder.
Breakfast: Fresh, chopped tomatoes with freshly chopped herbs (this can be anything I have in the fridge or garden – today it is basil), lemon juice and zest and extra virgin olive oil, on homemade spelt bread, with a fried egg. Ordinarily I choose not to eat gluten (this was one of the most significant changes I made to managing endometriosis) but this morning it was all that was available.
Lunch: Half an avocado filled with Pistachio and Feta dip left over from the weekend (recipe from Persiana , Sabrina Ghayour).
Supper: Dove’s Farm brown rice pasta with spinach (frozen – an absolute staple in our house), freshly chopped red chilli, chopped tomatoes, lemon juice and vegan feta by Violife from Planet Organic (recommended by one of our team members so I was curious to try it).
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Tuesday
Visiting the stores of one of our London stockists, Planet Organic. The day started early and so I had prepped a portable breakfast for the train, the night before.
Breakfast: Nourishing Bircher Muesli from our Total Cleanse Programme recipes .
Lunch: Planet Organic Turmeric Dhal with Asian vegetables.
Supper: Lamb Pilau made with organic brown basmati rice, leftover slow-cooked leg of lamb, freshly grated cinnamon, all spice, cashew nuts, dates, feta and chopped flat leaf parsley. All inspired by one of my kitchen staples, Diana Henry’s wonderful book Food from Plenty .
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Wednesday
Yoga in the morning followed by:
Breakfast: Organic houmous, chopped tomatoes (leftover from yesterday) and basil on gluten free sourdough crackers. A mug of Yogi tea.
Lunch: Smoked mackerel with chopped avocado, watercress salad and flaked almonds
Supper: Slow cooked ragu cooked by Charlie. Eaten with the children (this is the perfect way to pack lots of vegetables into a meal with celery, onion, mushrooms, carrots, fresh and tinned tomatoes, fresh herbs) and a mixture of brown rice spaghetti. The smell and richness of colour was fantastic – wish I had taken a picture but simply forgot, caught in the chaos of end-of-day family life.
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Thursday
A morning in the office but we all woke up later than usual and so it was a bit of rush and “grab” before getting the kids off to school.
Breakfast: Bowl of fresh raspberries from our farm shop before school drop off, followed by crispbreads with chopped organic ham and tomatoes.
Lunch: Baked potatoes with hummus with rocket, pumpkin seeds and avocado salad.
Supper: Roasted butternut squash with chilli and rock salt, with wilted rainbow chard, authentic Chorizo from a friend who recently visited from Spain, marinated in lemon juice, olive oil and vegan feta.
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Friday
I drop the children off and head to the Friday market in Lewes where I can buy fresh vegetables, fish and other incredible local products.
Breakfast: Leftover from a fruit salad that Alfie made at school. Followed by, about half an hour later, eggs and chopped avocado.
Lunch: A packet of Tyrrells crisps (my Achilles heel!) and a homemade sandwich of goat’s cheese and lettuce for Oscar and me – we had a picnic on the river bank in Lewes.
Supper: Chicken fillets with cannellini bean puree and wilted chard .
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Saturday
Yoga at 8.30am – one of my favourite ways to draw the working week to a close.
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs, free range bacon from the farmer’s market and wilted spinach and a fabulous coffee from Ground on my way back from yoga.
Lunch: Salmon fillet (cooked the night before) with salad: chopped gem lettuce, thinly sliced fennel, spring onions, chopped mint and lemon.
Supper: Homemade lamb and mint burgers with buttery new potatoes with a warm broccoli salad with flaked almonds, lemon zest and olive oil dressing. The boys eat with us, but put the burgers in wholemeal pitta breads and a good dose of Mr Organic Tomato Ketchup!
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Sunday
Lazy mornings are a must in our house, at least once at the weekend. Dog walk on waking, with a mug of Women’s Balance Yogi Tea.
Breakfast: Gluten-free blueberry pancakes made by Charlie and devoured by all (well mostly the children, we hardly got a look in!).
Lunch: At our local pub in Middle Street, Alfriston – Spatchcock chicken with lemon, wilted greens and a beautiful glass of Moroccan Rose.
Supper: Sheep’s halloumi salad with a sweet potato, in the garden.