Are you ready to kick-start 2026 focusing on your health and wellness?

If the answer is yes, then fuelling your body with nutrition-packed foods is the way to start.

If you’re wondering how you can do that, you’ll be happy to know that in fact it’s not too complicated, you basically just need to:

• Eat ingredients from all the main food groups on a daily basis; and
• Include as many healthful and nutritious foods as you can in your diet

So, in practice what should you eat?;

• Some good carbohydrate sources, like the starchy crops (kumala, dalo, cassava etc) or whole grains (like oats, brown rice; wholemeal pasta or rye bread for example)
• Lots of vegetables and fruits, the more colourful the better;
• Some protein. I recommend in particular that we should all eat more plant-based protein sources such as lentils, dhal, beans, peas or tofu; and
• A handful of unsalted nuts or seeds like walnuts, almonds, sesame or flax seeds

But enough with the theory now! As we all know, the best way to remember all of this is to put it into practice with a tasty recipe.

To honour my Italian background, today’s recipe idea is a pasta salad which includes all the different food groups and is light and fresh, perfect for this hot weather.

Tomato and avocado pasta saladIngredients (serves 2);

• 160g wholemeal pasta (like penne or fusilli/spirals);
• 200g tomatoes;
• 200g avocado; and
• 240g beans (I like Borlotti beans, but you can choose the type that you prefer)

Herbs like basil or mint;

• One dash salt;
• One tbsp. olive oil; and
• One handful of walnuts (or any other nuts)

Optional: balsamic vinegar

Directions

Bring water to a boil and cook the pasta as directed on the package. Don’t add any oil at this stage – to prevent the pasta from sticking you just need to stir frequently.

Wash and slice the tomatoes and avocado.

You can use canned beans in brine if that’s more convenient for you, as long as you rinse them well to remove excess salt.

On the other hand, pre-cooked meals such as baked beans should be avoided as these products tend to contain high levels of salt, fat and sugar.

Combine all the ingredients together and mix well.

Feel free to add lots of herbs like basil or mint if you like, this is a great way to enhance the flavour of your dishes without adding too much salt and fat.

Bonus: herbs and spices are also packed with precious nutrients!

This recipe is quick and easy to prepare and works well also as a packed lunch to bring to school or to the office.

Balanced, nutritious and low-GI, it will give you all the nutrients you need while also keeping you full for longer.

This will help prevent your afternoon cravings and the drive to snack on unhealthy foods throughout the day.

Wash and slice the tomatoes and avocado.
Picture: RULEDME

One handful of walnuts (or any other nuts). Picture: EATTHISNOTTHAT

Bring water to a boil and cook the pasta as directed on the package. Picture: YAHOOLIFESTYLECANADA

This recipe is quick and easy to prepare and works well also as a packed lunch to bring to school or to the office. Picture: GOOGLE

VITTORIA PASCA