Melissa Hemsley, Eat Healthy

Melissa Hemsley is the perfect advert for her food empire. Glossy hair, radiant skin and oozing energy, she talks with the machine gun speed that TV chefs display when demonstrating their super-fast chopping techniques. Full of purpose she cuts straight to the point.

Her mantra is to make satisfying and easy-to-digest meals that leave you feeling vibrant, strong and healthy. Her recipes are gluten-, grain- and refined sugar-free alternatives to daily staples while still being full of healthy fats, tasty and using well-sourced ingredients and seasonal produce.

She is also a realist, who understands that many people are not confident in the kitchen, are struggling on tight budgets or are concerned that they simply don’t have the time to follow a detailed recipe.

Food as comfort for the soul, as well fuel for the body is not just a PR line. Sadly Melissa’s father, Jack died three years ago after suffering from cancer for a number of years and she saw her mother try to make all sorts of dishes to tempt his palate. She knows all too well the stresses of cooking and eating if you are unwell or caring for a patient who is in and out of hospital.

“From my Dad, I know that people who are ill can be intimidated by big portions,” Melissa recalls. “ They may not want to eat when you have prepared a meal. We used to make fresh soup and put it in a thermos so my Dad could eat it when he was ready.

“He didn’t like the smell of cooking and only wanted plain, comfort foods so my mother, who is Filipino and loves spices, would prepare meals when he was out of the house so he didn’t have to smell it being made.”

Good food is Melissa’s passion. You can tell as her eyes light up and her hands and arms are in permanent animation as she discusses ingredients and taste sensations. She truly believes food is an important way to interact with each other.

“I would love to see the tradition of bringing food around to the house of someone who is ill or going through hard times to come back. People don’t do it so much now but it is such a lovely thing to do, so thoughtful, as well as being practical and helpful.

“It is a great thing not just for the person, if they are well enough to eat, but also for the rest of the family who are trying to juggle all the day-to-day things as well.

“It is much nicer than bringing a bunch of flowers that can be really expensive and don’t last. A casserole or a soup is great. If you’re making one for your family, it only takes minutes more to double up and make a second batch for another family. If you prepare something and put it into containers they can be put straight into the freezer. If it is soup, it can be taken straight out and put in a pan with a drop of water and easily re-heated. “

But what about those who aren’t confident about their cooking skills or are time poor and feel they can only dream of making nutritious everyday meals from scratch?

“Anyone can make soup with just five minutes of prep and half an hour simmering/cooking time,” she enthuses. “It is easy to throw onions, garlic and ginger in the pan with a load of roughly chopped carrots and some liquid. If you have some spices in the cupboard, throw in a couple of teaspoons as well. Give it a stir and then blend it. You can easily make six to eight portions and put it in the freezer,” she says, making it sound like the easiest thing ever.

“Soup is nurturing. If you are helping to look after someone, cook large batches so they always have something to eat that is easy for them to prepare.”

Still not convinced? She goes on to explain how to transform ready-made, shop bought soups into turbo-charged bowls of wellbeing.

“Just add more greens. You can put in some spinach, kale or broccoli and reheat. Lentil and chickpea soup is easy to make or buy, then just add some frozen spinach when you re-heat it or put some fresh watercress on the top. Maybe a dash of lemon juice too.

“Soup has become unsexy but there are so many different flavours you can add to make it a main meal. Hardboiled eggs are a saviour for everybody and anybody. They are full of protein and can be sliced and added to lots of things from soups to salads or just as is, as a snack on-the-go.

“I love watching trained Michelin star restaurants cook on television but this isn’t the type of food that I want to cook on a day-to-day basis. I think people often feel that if you can’t cook to that level you may as well not bother. I didn’t start cooking until I was 21 years old but I am lucky my mother is a great cook and my sister and I picked up so much from simply being around her and everything she said she’d say a million times.

“I was brought up to never waste anything in the fridge or leftover on a plate even if it was just a spoonful of something. My mum puts it in a soup or a stew to give it more flavour. She would say garlic and ginger make everything taste better.

“She would go mad at my boyfriend who used to buy loads of stuff and leave it in the fridge until it went off. We are doing up our house at the moment and she still brings round meals she has made for us in what she called her granny trolley s we don't yet have a proper kitchen."

Melissa explains that many of us tend to cook the same meals again and again but there are lots of different types of fish and cuts of meat that are cheaper but aren't bought regularly.

“Go to the fish counter or meat counter at your supermarket and ask them what alternatives there are. Tell them the type of meat or fish you like and ask them if there is anything similar. Chicken thigh is cheaper than chicken breast and much harder to overcook for example.”

To encourage her boyfriend to eat more healthily she has a shelf in her fridge that is like a mini deli counter with olives, hummus, feta, halloumi and mixed chickpeas so he can easily pick bits out and put a lunch bowl together.

“When I write my recipes I always look at the prices of making the dishes. If you can’t afford organic meat but want to eat it, use smaller portions of meat and add more vegetables. It is true that good quality fish and meat is expensive.”

She is a big fan of organic produce and advises variety.

“Eat the whole animal if you eat meat, eat the ocean if you eat fish, eat the rainbow when you eat vegetables and eat seasonally as it will work out much cheaper.”

It is not just what we eat, but how we eat that Melissa would love to transform.

“One thing so many people don’t do is chew properly. It is my mother’s big thing. If you don’t chew properly you don’t do yourself any favours. You could be eating a fabulous raw vegan, organic salad but will miss out on all the nutrients.

“My mother would tell me off for “distorting my mouth”. She said keep your cheeks and lips beautiful, if you put too much in your mouth and your cheeks are full you can’t chew it properly! People tend to inhale food today. If you are stressed try to chew your food properly and it will make you slow down. Also try not to eat too late. Your body needs time to digest.”

One of the key dates in the Future Dreams fundraising calendar is a special lunch at the Savoy where hundreds of women get together to make considerable donations to breast cancer research.

This year was special as it was the 5th anniversary of the lunch and all proceeds went towards opening and running the new, much-needed Haven Centre in central London. It was also special as Melissa, who runs a hugely popular café in Selfridges with her sister Jasmine, created the menu for us working with the head chef at the Savoy.

“It was wonderful as they use the best ingredients. We had sea bream and a vegetarian option of roasted cauliflower . We had canapés and instead of using bread we replaced it with a vegetable, radish and sweet potato base. They were filling but didn’t make people feel heavy after eating them,” Melissa explains.

With a new book due out in January encouraging us to make the most of our left overs in fast, easy-to-make meals ready in just 30 minutes she wants food to ultimately make you feel happy, healthy and well-nourished after you have eaten it.

“I’d love for people to think differently about food. I don’t want people to feel pressured about it but to enjoy it and feel they can make small changes that could make them feel a lot better.” www.melissahemsley.com