Back in May, I ran a blog that looked at some healthy lunch ideas that were super simple to make.

It's something I get asked most by clients. Where I provide hands-on guidance for their fitness and workout goals, it's a little different for the nutritional side of things. Yes, I can give them the knowledge they need to succeed, but when they're at home on their own in their kitchen, I'm not physically there to oversee and champion their decisions.

Weight gain is a pretty basic principle that we all grasp: we put energy (calories) into our body by eating food, expend them through physical activity, and any that don't get burned off are stored as fat.

So following on from my lunch ideas blog, I've put together some breakfast and dinner meal ideas that are nutritious, easy to make, and, most importantly, delicious.

Strawberry Shortcake Breakfast Muffins (Makes 6-8 muffins)

These delicious muffins are from fitness and lifestyle blogger, Zanna van Dijk. They're the perfect breakfast item to have on the go as they can be baked in advance: perfect for those busy morning scrambles. It's recommended to use silicone or foil muffin cases for these, as the paper ones don't really hold up that well.

200g porridge oats

2 eggs, lightly beaten

150g natural full-fat Greek yoghurt

50ml milk or milk alternative

50g clear honey

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

125g hulled and roughly chopped strawberries

3-4 tbsp chopped almonds

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mk 4 and line a 12-hole muffin tray with 6-8 muffin cases.

2. Blitz the oats in a blender or food processor until a fine flour is formed. Tip the oat flour into a bowl and add the eggs, yoghurt, milk, honey, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda and mix until combined (do not over-mix). Add the strawberries and gently stir them through, retaining some for garnishing the finished muffins, if you wish.

3. Spoon the batter into the muffin cases and sprinkle with chopped almonds for added crunch. Bake for 15 minutes (or 20 minutes if making 6 larger muffins) until cooked through, golden, and just firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin.

Lemon and Coconut Overnight Oats (Serves 1)

I absolutely love this recipe from Zanna van Dijk, as it's the perfect breakfast, especially in the warmer months as it's so light and fresh. It's also effortless to make, so even the most amateur of us will struggle to mess it up: just pop all the ingredients into a container and chill overnight.

Note: you can add protein powder to the below ingredients before leaving the mixture to soak overnight, but – depending on the type of powder you use – you might need to add more liquid to compensate for the drying nature of the powder.

50g porridge oats

20g unsweetened desiccated coconut

70g natural Greek yoghurt

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp honey or maple syrup

Grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon

1 tbsp chia seeds (optional)

150ml milk or milk alternative

Fresh berries or chopped nuts to serve

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine the oats and coconut in a bowl, then add the yoghurt, vanilla extract, honey/maple syrup, and the lemon zest and stir thoroughly until combined.

2. If you're using chia seeds, add them with all the milk. However, if you're not using them, just add 100ml of the milk. Bear in mind the finished oats won't be as creamy.

3. Transfer the mixture to a container, seal with a lid, and pop it in the fridge. Leave it overnight to thicken up, and add your chosen toppings in the morning.

Smashed Butter Bean and Avocado Open Sandwich (Serves 2-3)

Another recipe from Zanna van Dijk, this sandwich is perfect for dinnertimes as it’s packed full of flavour and fibre, which will help you keep feeling full for longer. By making the sandwich open face, it halves the typical bread intake of a regular sandwich. For a bit of a twist on flavour, substitute the pesto for a tablespoon of Dijon mustard.

400g tin of butter beans, drained and rinsed

1 ripe avocado

Juice of ½ lemon

1 heaped tbsp pesto

1 tbsp natural Greek yoghurt

6-8 basil leaves, finely chopped

2-3 large slices of bread (toasted, if desired)

Salt and black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Pat the butter beans dry with a kitchen towel, put them into a bowl and mash to form a paste.

2. Add the avocado and lemon juice to the butter bean paste and mash again until the mixture has a smooth consistency. Stir in the pesto, yoghurt, and basil, then season to taste.

3. Dollop the mixture onto the bread slices, spread evenly, and devour!

Build Your Own Salad

This isn't typically a recipe, but more a base for you to build your own salad. Salads are filling, delicious, and can often be made from stuff we've got knocking about in our cupboards. The below are just some suggested building points, so feel free to play around, mix and match, and discover new flavour pairings.

Whatever dressing you use, try to keep it light and ideally homemade. An excellent basic dressing is simply 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil whisked together. You can then add any additional flavours, such as minced garlic, a dash of mustard, or some fresh herbs.

Super Simple, Super Healthy Breakfast and Dinner Ideas