Eunice Power’s healthy lunches to make the night before

After the inevitable overindulgence of the festive season, our bodies crave a reboot in January. I welcome the annual restoration of routine in this first month of the year – the return to exercise, early nights and a little more time to oneself. While many in the hospitality industry bemoan the quietness of January, it does give us the opportunity to get house and body in order.

For me, a good diet is all about planning. I plan dinner at least a day in advance, attempting to vary the carbohydrate offering at meal times. I like to rotate between potatoes, sweet potatoes, brown rice, pearl barley and wholemeal pasta, and lots of leafy green vegetables including spinach, cabbage and kale.

It’s lunchtime that I find more of a challenge on the planning-front. If I don’t have something organised I tend to graze on whatever’s in the fridge, which is a disaster. I am getting into the habit of preparing lunch (well, at least thinking about it) the night before.