Loose Woman star, Linda Robson sits down and tells us what she tends to eat in a day.
7am
I usually get up between 6.30am and 7am. When I’m up, I like to have two cups of decaf tea. Then, for breakfast, I always have either a banana and a slice of granary toast, or a bowl of porridge.
1pm
I never have a snack in the morning and make sure I wait until lunch. When lunchtime comes around, I usually have a vegetable soup or an Irish stew. My grandmother was from Dublin and passed down her recipe. I don’t eat red meat any more, so I usually make this with chicken and include plenty of veg and pearl barley. One of my children is vegan and another is vegetarian, so I often tweak the recipe for them.
3:30pm
In the afternoon, I like to snack on hummus with carrot and celery sticks to keep me going.
6:30pm
For dinner, I like to knock up a quick stir-fry with plenty of vegetables and either salmon or chicken. I used to have a bottle of wine every night before bed but, around 18 months ago, I completely cut this out and now I don’t drink at all. I’ve got two lovely granddaughters and, for their sake, I want to be as healthy as possible, so I try to eat nutritious meals.
11:30pm
I usually make sure I’m in bed between 11:30pm and 12pm. I try to walk at least 10,000 steps a day so I usually feel tired around this time.
Linda is working with NEFF on their community kitchen project, which encourages young and old people to cook together, make friends and keep traditional recipes alive. To find out more information about the project visit neffkitchenlove.co.uk
The low down
Nutritional therapist and author of The Balance Plan, Angelique Panagos (angeliquepanagos.com), gives her insight into Linda’s day.
Linda could benefit from starting her day with some water and a matcha green tea, instead of a decaf tea first thing, for additional antioxidants from the matcha powder. For breakfast, I would recommend Linda has something more substantial by switching to whole rolled oats, which she can have as overnight oats, in a homemade granola, or cooked with almond or coconut milk. Ensuring there is a form of protein would really benefit her, too – this could be nuts and seeds, or nut butter. Adding protein-rich foods to breakfasts helps with satiety and energy balance. Snacking on hummus and crudités is a good way of getting more veggies in, plus some plant-based protein from the chickpeas. If Linda finds that she is really hungry, adding in a little more protein and good fats at lunch could help her feel fuller for longer. Linda’s dinners are a good source of protein, fats and antioxidants. She could try having some cauliflower rice for added fibre and phytonutrients, or quinoa for additional fibre, magnesium, iron and B vitamins, and a side of avocado for good fats.
