My Week in Food: Zoe Stirling

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My week in food: Zoe Stirling

Having found at a young age that changing her diet cured her troubled sleep,  Zoe  studied Anatomy and Physiology at Bristol University before training in London at the prestigious Institute for Optimum Nutrition. Providing her clients with bespoke nutrition and supplement advice, meal plans and recipes, Zoe was our go to girl for nutrition advice when creating  Project Bikini . Here she takes us through her food diary for the week...

I believe that food should be had in as natural form as possible, which means unprocessed, wholesome and clean. Equally I never think about food in terms of calories, what really matters is what that food is going to give you; it’s nutritional value or ‘nourishing’ value as I like to tell clients. A nourished body is always one that is going to function more optimally and at its best. Although I’m passionate about food, I’m also very realistic when it comes to the lack of time that one has these days. My motto is: keep it simple and keep it nourishing!

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Monday

Breakfast: My Monday mantra is always to start the week as I mean to go on which means a green smoothie is always involved; made up from coconut water, spinach, kale, cucumber, mint, ginger, chia and a frozen banana for a bit of Monday morning ‘get up and go’ energy!

Lunch: Raw superfood salad made up of watercress, parsley, tomato, cucumber, red pepper, pomegranate, topped with mashed avocado, lemon juice, mixed pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Quinoa bread with homemade pesto on the side. I love to make pesto in a batch on weekends as it’s great for snacks and adding into courgetti if you’re ever stuck on what to make!

Snack: I tend to have a PT session on a Monday evening so I have a small snack beforehand such as an hemp protein and almond butter ball (again, made in a batch on the weekend so I can pick at them during the week).

Dinner: Baked salmon with roasted squash and garlic, purple sprouting broccoli with fresh ginger and chilli. Olive oil and black pepper to dress. Super clean, super simple and packed full of antioxidant and immune boosting goodness!

Between meals I don’t particularly enjoy drinking plain water so I add lemon oil from DoTerra, a very pure oil that is suitable for consumption and it’s the perfect size to keep in my handbag. I’m also not keen on cold drinks so I tend to have lots of herbal teas – Pukka’s Cleanse tea, Dr Stuarts Liver Detox tea and a green tea that my father sends to me from Japan, which is beyond anything I’ve ever tried.

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Tuesday

On waking: Warm water with lemon oil followed by a yoga session.

Breakfast: Quinoa bread topped with avocado, chilli flakes, dried rosemary and olive oil. A papaya on the side with freshly squeezed lime juice. Papaya contains naturally occurring enzymes, which is helps to support digestive health.

Lunch: Lentil salad with leftover pomegranates and watercress from the day before, topped with broccoli. I hate waste so I always try and use up whatever bits are in the fridge. This is also easy to pack into a lunch box if I need to have it on the run between meetings. Dressing made from miso mustard (from Whole Foods), olive oil and apple cider vinegar.

Snack: Green juice – my favourite is the Farmers Market from CPRESS on the Fulham Road. All their food and juices are totally organic with certification from the Soil Association to prove it. A handful of nuts and seeds for protein too to keep energy levels balanced.

Dinner: Butternut squash and turmeric soup (inspired by Nina Parker's Project Bikini recipe) with coconut yoghurt mixed in. Again, squash is from the day before so there’s no wastage. Some dried fruit post dinner as I fancy something a little sweet; mulberries and organic apricots are my favourite.

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Wednesday

Breakfast: Buckwheat muesli made from buckwheat groats, blueberries, fresh figs, flaxseed, cinnamon, pumpkin, sunflower seeds and topped with almond milk. If I’ve had enough time to make my own then I’ll have that and if not then I’ll always have some unsweetened almond milk in the fridge.

Lunch: Pesto courgetti topped with tomatoes, pine nuts and avocado. Pesto is from my batch made earlier in the week.

Snack: Another protein ball from my stash pre another PT session.

Although I don’t necessarily believe in snacking, I do a fair amount of exercise on the whole so I find it very useful around training to keep up my energy levels and to assist with muscle recovery.

Dinner: Organic chicken and sesame stir fry with black bean noodles made with lots of fresh herbs for natural flavour. I also always have a variety of colourful vegetables, in fact I try to incorporate as many different colours as possible with my stir fry veg. Red cabbage is an unsung hero – superb for glowing skin!

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Thursday

On waking: Warm water with lemon oil pre yoga sesh

Breakfast: My favourite fruit and vegetable smoothie made from kale, beetroot, ginger, chia seeds, frozen blueberries, frozen banana and coconut water. Incredibly filling and totally energising, it keeps me going all morning!

Lunch: A Mackerel nicoise salad with mixed watercress and rocket, tomato, green beans, peas, black olives, half a boiled egg and roasted sweet potato bites. Dressed with simple olive oil and lemon juice as it’s already pretty peppery and flavoursome. Mackerel is amazing for plumping the skin due to its omega-3 content. (I pre-prepared the night before)

Snack: A couple of Rude Health Corn Thins with homemade pesto and I’ll pick up a green juice while I’m out and about.

Dinner: Quinoa salad with roasted vegetables and artichoke, orange and tahini dressing. Made a slightly bigger batch so I can have it for lunch the next day.

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Friday

Breakfast: Stewed apple with cinnamon, topped with coconut yoghurt and flaxseed. I also make apple stew in a batch as it’s great for snacks too. Stewed apple is full of soluble fibre so it’s wonderful for digestion!

Lunch: Leftover quinoa salad from the night before.

Snack: The Living Food Kitchen Raw Hummus with carrots. My all-time favourite hummus, once you’ve tried it there’s no going back – it’s totally DIVINE!

Dinner: Out with my husband. Sea Bass with broccoli and a glass of red wine! Raspberry sorbet for dessert…. Of course red wine and raspberries contain antioxidants so I don’t feel guilty!

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Saturday

Early morning cardio session

Breakfast: Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs made by my husband – he’s the best at making it! Served with gluten free toast and a mini avocado smoothie (avocado, apple juice, lemon oil, fresh ginger and ice).

I avoid gluten as for me personally it really doesn’t suit me as it totally knocks my energy levels and makes me foggy headed. The moment I cut it from my diet I feel great again so I only have it on very very very special occasions!

Lunch: A light pea and mint soup as breakfast was so filling, quickly made in my Vitamix followed by a little stewed apple and coconut yoghurt from the day before.

Dinner: Slow cooked organic chicken stew with Jerusalem artichokes, fresh turmeric, Shiitake mushrooms, leeks, carrots, sweet potato, chickpeas, smoked paprika, dried rosemary, chopped tomatoes, chicken stock and chicken thighs.  I love slow cooked stews as they’re so easy to prepare. Chop, chuck in a pot and leave to cook for 6-7 hours. Comes out PERFECTLY every time!

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Sunday

Breakfast: Small avocado smoothie as per day before but with added spinach.

Lunch: Petersham Nurseries in Richmond for lunch! Organic beef carpaccio with foraged leaves to start followed by an artichoke, broccoli and quinoa salad for a main. Totally delicious and can’t recommend this place enough!

Dinner: Sea Bass with asparagus and wilted spinach followed by an evening of food prep for the week!