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The medicinal chef's chocolate avocado pots

By Dale Pinnock

OK, I know avocado and dessert don’t sound as though they belong in the same sentence. But trust me – when making healthy desserts, avocados can be your best friend. They provide a creamy texture without the need to add any nasties, and happen to be packed with heart-healthy nutrients to boot. These chocolate pots are also incredibly quick to make… 

How to make jam with chia seeds

We’ve reached the end of our chia-fuelled week, and we saved our favourite recipe for last…

Healthy Valentine's Day pudding

If you’re looking for a special ending to dinner or a Valentine’s treat with a lighter touch, these chocolate goodies will hit the spot

Win a Magimix and Kikkoman goodies

Chinese New Year begins on Thursday 19 February and it’s the Year of the Sheep. Say "baa" to a takeaway and instead get your friends and family together and celebrate with a delicious homemade oriental meal.

How to make gluten-free chia and quinoa bread

In the second instalment of our chia celebration, we’ve adapted a gluten-free bread recipe from thehealthychef.com. It’s quite different to a traditional sandwich loaf as the mixture makes a batter not a dough, and the baked result is more dense and cakey than light and airy. But the flavour is deliciously nutty and wholesome. We like to spread a slice with mashed avocado for a nutritious breakfast or brunch.

Should we go back to eating full fat?

This week’s headlines might make it seem that after years of being told to cut back on saturated fat, it’s time to bring back the butter dish and return to full-fat milk. But is this really the case? HFG’s nutrition consultant and registered dietitian Juliette Kellow goes behind the headlines…

How to add chia seeds to your diet

It’s the tiny seed that packs a big nutritional punch, which is why this week we’re saying ‘three cheers for chia’. 

Highly prized since the time of the Aztecs, chia seeds are rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a plant form of omega-3, which the body converts into the longer-chain omega-3 fats naturally found in oil-rich fish. Plus they’re high in fibre, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium – and they contain all eight essential amino acids needed for the body to make complete proteins, making them a particularly good choice for people who follow a vegan or vegetarian diet. 

Celebrate Bramley Apple Week

Tangy bramleys are at their best now and, to celebrate, this week has been earmarked as Bramley Apple Week. This refreshing mackerel and apple slaw recipe recipe from TV chef Valentine Warner and herb expert Jekka McVicar combines the flavour of the crisp green fruit with the freshness of herbs, so there’s no need to add salt or sugar.

Why don’t we just move more?

By David Stalker, CEO of the not-for-profit health body, ukactive

There’s one single message that will help us tackle the inactivity crisis: Just do more than you’re currently doing.

The Medicinal Chef's Jerusalem artichoke soup

By Dale Pinnock

Let’s start with a little warning. When you first try this soup you may think I have played an evil prank on you. Because initially it may feel like digestive warfare has unfolded and you will feel bloated and gassy afterwards. But what you are experiencing is a massive feeding of the good bacteria in the gut, which will cause the bacterial colony to grow and strengthen.

WIN a De'Longhi Multifry Extra worth £199.99!

Cake, creamy risotto, fried fish and chips… so much for lighter eating, right? Well, actually, yes – made in a De'Longhi Multifry Extra and traditionally high-fat dishes such as these could receive the healthy seal of approval. That’s because this innovative cooking appliance can bake, stew and air-fry with the minimum amount of oil – in fact, just 1tbsp oil (equivalent to only 2.3% fat) is needed for the Multifry to turn 1kg potatoes into crispy, healthier chips. But here’s the best bit – WE’VE TWO TO GIVE AWAY!

WIN a Sophie Michell cookbook and a month’s supply of Total Greek Yoghurt!

Dark, dreary days and unrealistic weight loss resolutions getting you down? We’ve got a competition prize that’s sure to brighten your mood – and you might even shed a few pounds, too…

Can you get healthy fish and chips?

By Juliette Kellow

It’s not the obvious event for a dietitian to attend, but on Tuesday I went to The National Fish & Chip Awards 2015. Living by the seaside and being a firm supporter of the fishing industry (as well as working as a nutrition consultant for Seafish, who organised the event), I wanted to fly the flag.

How to get healthy this weekend

Every January people resolve to join the healthy brigade, and those of us who are already longstanding members vow to maintain the balance between eating well, exercising regularly – and having fun while we’re at it. But sometimes we all need a little live-well inspiration, and this weekend’s Fare Healthy event is an ideal place to find it…

A weighty question

With one in four adults in the UK considered obese, we’re delighted to support this initiative in helping tackle the problem of being overweight. Last week (12-18 January), saw National Obesity Awareness Week, a well-planned programme of events to help children and adults understand more about obesity and how to tackle it. Whether it’s by cooking more healthily, or being more active, the idea is to encourage a positive approach to the problem.

How to get results from your new year’s resolutions

By Laura Day

Six years ago, Australian Joe Cross made a radical change to his diet by giving his system a reboot. He started drinking green juice and eating a mostly plant-based diet. He not only lost weight but reversed a rare autoimmune disease, chronic uticaria. Joe documented the changes in the film Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. In his new film, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead 2, he explores how to maintain a healthy lifestyle – and how much of his sensible approach can work for us.

How to get the best from a fitness tracker

By David Stalker, CEO ukactive

Did you get a shiny new activity tracker for Christmas? As well as measuring distance and pace, they’re vital for monitoring your heart rate. You need to understand what they can do for your health so they don’t end up in the back of your drawer with the loose batteries and old phone

Super bakes!

By Laura Day

Childhood friends – now time-short, food-loving parents – Philippa Askham and Tanya Mitchell, launched nutritious baking brand Sweetpea Pantry last year. They won Richard Branson’s Foodpreneurs Award in 2014, and are on a mission to make nutritious food for kids easy

How to get your fitness on track

Physical activity is a huge part of a healthy lifestyle, says David Stalker, CEO of ukactive. And, whether you’re active by habit or not, it’s easy to go astray. Here are some tips to help you stay on the go

Healthy eating advice for the year ahead

Healthy Food Guide’s experts share their tips for important diet tweaks that could make a difference to your health in 2015

Should you have a dry January?

’Tis the season to cut back or stop drinking alcohol – and, if you’re in any doubt about whether you’re having one too many or are unaware of the risks excess alcohol poses, GP Dawn Harper presents the facts