HEALTHY FOOD SWAP: NUTS AND SEEDS FOR CROUTONS

A warming soup is the perfect lunch or light supper on chilly days, and veggie-packed recipes are an easy way to boost your daily plant intake. While crunchy croutons are a tasty addition, fried white bread isn’t the healthiest choice. A smarter swap is a sprinkle of toasted seeds and nuts, which add flavour, fibre, vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and plenty of crunch. Most supermarkets sell seed-and-nut mixes that can be used raw or briefly toasted in a hot pan to enhance their aroma and crispness.

Zoe’s Daily30+ blend contains 30 different plants, including nuts, seeds, mushrooms and herbs, and works well as a soup topper. In a small placebo-controlled study sponsored by the company, 70% of people who ate a daily scoopful reported better digestion, and over half felt more satisfied after meals – likely thanks to the fibre content. The mix costs £45 for a month (zoe.com), but any simple handful of nuts and seeds can offer similar benefits.

You can also pair nuts with specific soups – hazelnuts with parsnip, almonds with broccoli or cauliflower – or create your own spiced seed mix with chilli, cumin, coriander, dried oregano or paprika. A delicious and nutritious upgrade that also works on salads.