Wealden Times | WT259 | December 2023 | Christmas Supplement inside

istockphoto.com, miwa_in_oz , Magone, chokja, Elena Tsvetkova, Drazen Zigic, Agustin Vai / Olha_Afanasieva
Nourish to Flourish
Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach Charlotte Lau
explores the benefits of incorporating
another healthy ingredient into our
diets. This month it’s root veg
Root vegetables are starchy vegetables including sweet
potatoes, parsnips, carrot, beetroot and turnips.
Low cost and readily available throughout the
winter, they are delicious roasted, cooked in stews, mashed
or served warm in salads. Root vegetables are not only low
in fat, cholesterol and calories but are packed with fibre,
which is crucial in supporting our digestive health.
Dietary fibre takes on many times its own weight in
water and swells in the digestive system. This stretches the
gut wall and causes receptors to stimulate the rhythmical
contraction process that moves the contents of the gut
along through the various stages of the digestive system.
Foods bright in orange pigment, like carrots and
sweet potatoes, contain high levels of beta carotene.
This is a fat-soluble antioxidant which supports
skin health, offering protection from free radical
damage. Inside the body, beta carotene is turned
into vitamin A which, in addition to helping your
eye health, supports a healthy immune system.
Charlotte runs Plume Nutrition, where she offers support and advice
for weight management, controlling cravings, sleeplessness, stress
and increasing energy levels. Find out more at plumenutrition.com
Fibre rich roast root vegetables
with lentils and tahini dressing
• 1 packet of precooked
puy lentils
• 1 courgette, sliced
• 1 red onion, cut
into large chunks
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 1 carrot, sliced
• 1 aubergine, sliced
into moons
1. Preheat the oven to
200°C/180°C fan. Chop
and place all the vegetables
on a large baking tray and
drizzle with olive oil. Roast
for 30 minutes, until golden.
2. Heat half the lentils
according to the instructions
(usually 2 minutes in the
microwave) and gently
mix into the vegetables.
3. Stir through a
Serves 2
• 1 sweet potato,
peeled and sliced
• a handful of rocket
For the tahini dressing:
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp cold water
handful of rocket.
4. For the dressing, mix
the olive oil, tahini, lemon
juice, maple syrup and
cold water in a jam jar or
small jug and whisk until
combined. If the dressing
is too thick, gradually add
more cold water to thin.
5. Share the lentils and roast
vegetables between two plates
and drizzle with the dressing.
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