Fitness guru Joe Wicks shares feel-good recipes the whole family will love

How to keep picky kids from eating the same meals day after day is the bane of every parent’s life. But the nation’s gym teacher, Joe Wicks, is here to save us from boring meals.

He just published Feel Good Food – a book full of healthy family recipes. Why don’t you try it tonight?

Wholemeal crepes with strawberry chia jam

Pancakes or crepes? I couldn’t pick a favorite if I tried as I love them both. This recipe is an absolute winner because of the delicious homemade chia jam it contains. It has such a lovely sweet flavor and any leftovers can be used on toast, waffles, crumpets or scones. Victory!

MAKES 12 CREPES

For the dough:

• 60 g pure wholemeal flour
• 90 g oat flakes
• 4 eggs
• 320ml partially skimmed or
• non-dairy milk
• pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp melted coconut oil, plus extra for frying

For the chia jam:

• 200g frozen
• strawberries
• 1 tbsp liquid honey
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp chia seeds

Serve:

A big dollop of plain, low-fat yogurt

1 Use a standalone mixer or electric hand blender to beat all of the ingredients for the crepe batter until smooth. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.

2 In the meantime prepare the jam. Place frozen strawberries, honey, and water in a small saucepan and cover with a lid. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until the strawberries have released some juice and are soft, then remove the lid and simmer for a further 5 minutes to reduce slightly.

3 Use a potato masher or fork to mash the strawberries into a lumpy paste (or with an immersion blender if you prefer a smooth texture). Remove from the heat and stir in the chia seeds. Set aside to thicken and cool.

4 When ready to make the crepes, lightly grease a medium non-stick skillet with a thin coat of coconut oil and set over medium-high heat. Pour in a few tablespoons of batter while tilting and swirling the pan to create a thin, even sheet of batter. Fry until the underside is golden brown, then flip the crepe and cook on the other side. Place the crepe on a plate and set aside.

5 Repeat this until you have cooked all the crepes.

6 Serve with jam and yoghurt.

Joe’s Tip: You can store leftover jam in a clean jar in the fridge for up to a week.

Sheet pan baked pork fajitas

Fajitas are such a fun and messy way to eat together with family or friends. You get all the delicious ingredients together on the table and can playfully put together your own perfect fajita. This recipe also works well with chicken or quick-cook beef strips.

SERVES 4

For the filling:

• 250 g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
• 3 red onions, quartered
• 1 tbsp light olive oil
• pinch of salt
• 400 g pork fillet, cut into 1 cm strips
• 4 teaspoons fajita seasoning mix (see below)
• 40 g tomato paste concentrate

For the fajita seasoning mix:

• 2 tsp smoked paprika powder
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp garlic granules
• 1⁄2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1⁄2 tsp salt

Serve:

• 8 whole wheat tortillas
• 1⁄2 head of iceberg lettuce, finely chopped
• Natural yoghurt
• hot sauce

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C for a fan oven.

2 Mix together the ingredients for the fajita seasoning mix and set aside. That makes more than you need – the extra can be stored in an airtight jar for next time!

3 Toss the tomatoes, peppers, and onions in the oil and a pinch of salt on a large baking sheet. Roast for 30-40 minutes until the vegetables start to caramelize.

4 Take the sheet out of the oven. Toss the pork strips with the fajita seasoning mix and tomato puree, then arrange the vegetables on the baking sheet. Place in the oven for a further 20 minutes until the pork is done.

5 Warm the tortillas according to package directions.

6 Serve the pork and veggies with the warm tortillas, and set the salad, yogurt, and hot sauce in bowls for everyone to serve themselves.

Joe’s Tip: Not only is making your own spice mix cheaper, but it also means you can control the amount of salt and sugar that goes into it. Making a large batch and storing it in an airtight jar will cut down on your prep time for each fajita concoction.

Beef and black bean burger with sweet potato salad

When it comes to food, nothing makes me happier than a juicy burger. There’s nothing more satisfying than a good patty in a bun, right? This combines beef with black beans, so it’s high in fiber and protein and tastes amazing. It goes great with this crunchy Greek yogurt.

FOR 4-8 PEOPLE, DEPENDING ON HUNGER

For the burgers:

• 400g can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 red onion, finely diced
• 2 tsp smoked paprika powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 300 g ground beef (12% fat)
• 1 large egg
• 30 g panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp olive oil, for frying
• 4-8 whole wheat English muffins, cut in half, to serve

For the sweet potato salad:

• 75 g Greek yoghurt with 0% fat
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and coarsely grated
• 1⁄4 head of red cabbage, very thinly sliced
• 1 red onion, finely diced
• Handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

1 Place the black beans in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher into a chunky paste. Add the onion, smoked paprika and cumin and stir to combine, then add the ground beef, egg and breadcrumbs and mix gently until just combined.

2 Divide the mixture into 8 equal balls, then flatten into patties.

3 Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Cook the patties for 3-5 minutes until browned on the bottom, then flip and cook on the other side until browned.

4 To make the coleslaw, combine the yogurt, garlic, and vinegar in a medium bowl, then fold in the shredded sweet potato, cabbage, onion, and cilantro.

5 Toast the muffins in a dry pan or on a griddle.

6 Serve the burgers in the toasted muffins topped with the coleslaw. Beef and black bean burger with sweet potato salad

Chicken Caesar Salad with crispy chickpea croutons

This is a real Wicksy special – a healthy twist on an old favourite. I use roasted chickpeas, the high-protein heroes, instead of fried bread croutons and yogurt instead of mayo in the dressing. It’s a really nice swap and tastes wonderful.

SERVES 4

For the salad:

• 400g can chickpeas, drained but not rinsed
• 1 tbsp light olive oil
• 1⁄2 tsp garlic granules
• pinch of salt
• 2 heads of romaine lettuce
• 2 cooked without skin
• Chicken breast, shredded

For the dressing:

• 75 g Greek yoghurt with 0% fat
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1⁄2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (see tip)
• 1⁄2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 10 g parmesan cheese, grated

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C for a fan oven.

2 Combine all the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl and set aside.

3 Invert the chickpeas onto a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic granules and salt, then shake the tray to coat the chickpeas. Bake for 25-30 minutes until crispy.

4 Wash romaine lettuce, dry, cut into 3cm pieces and place in a large bowl. Add the shredded chicken and dressing and mix to coat. Top with the crispy chickpeas and serve.

Joe’s tip: If you like, you can use three anchovy fillets instead of the Worcestershire sauce and mash them into a paste with the back of a fork.

Strawberry Smoothie Surprise

The surprise in this smoothie is actually…cauliflower! But don’t freak out and turn the page just yet – trust me, you can’t taste it. The cauliflower just adds more fiber and gives this smoothie a really nice creamy texture. The banana and strawberry is what you will really taste. It may sound strange, but give it a try. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

SERVED 2

• 200g frozen strawberries
• 2 ripe bananas, peeled
• 100 g frozen cauliflower
• 1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter or nut butter of your choice
• 200 ml milk or plant-based milk

1 Blend everything together in a blender until smooth.

2 Pour into 2 glasses and serve.

Joe’s Tip: Try using frozen blueberries instead of strawberries. You could also use coconut water as the liquid and frozen mango instead of the strawberries. Add a few tablespoons of oatmeal or a scoop of unflavored protein powder to make it more filling.

Feel Good Fact: Strawberries are a good source of fiber, which supports your digestive and gut health and controls blood sugar levels. They’re also an excellent source of skin-boosting vitamin C.

Feel Good Food by Joe Wicks (HQ, HarperCollins) is now available in hardcover and eBook priced at £20.