I only like healthy food. I was brought up with great, simple, natural ingredients cooked by my Iraqi-Israeli mother.
Tomatoes: They have to be vine tomatoes from a sunny country — not a Dutch greenhouse.
Olive oil: I use extra virgin olive oil for my tomato sauce. I also like it to dip pitta in and to put in salads. My current favourite is a Greek one.
Bananas: I eat them raw, the way nature intended. They are a great energy food — a good way to start the day.
Greek yoghurt: I have the full-fat cow’s milk yoghurt, with a little honey, or with some banana, by itself or with a little granola.
Rice milk: It’s delicious — much nicer than soya milk. It’s a great taste and really thirst- quenching straight from the fridge.
The redness of tomatoes is due to their content of lycopene, an antioxidant thought to reduce the risk of heart disease and have anti-cancer effects. Lycopene is best absorbed from cooked tomatoes.
Olive oil is high in both monounsaturated fats, which help to lower “bad” LDL cholesterol, and heart-protective antioxidant phenolic plant chemicals. Extra virgin olive oil is thought to be richest in phenolic compounds.
Bananas not only provide energy from carbohydrates, but also Vitamin C, potassium, and Vitamin B6.
Greek yoghurt has a high saturated fat content, so should probably be alternated with low fat plain yoghurt and enjoyed occasionally.
Dairy products provide us with our main source of calcium, which is important for bone health. If rice milk (or soya milk) is chosen in preference to cow’s milk, make sure it is enriched with calcium.
Doron Zilkha is the owner of the Brompton Quarter Cafe and Restaurant in Kensington