PLANT-POWERED PERFORMANCE

As the nutritionist to sports stars and athletes across the world and a Michelin-starred chef, Alan Murchison knows how important getting the right balance is to performance and exercise.

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With an estimated 2.5m of us who eat a purely plant-based diet, instruction on how to fuel ourselves on plants has never been more in demand. When it comes to exercise, a vegan diet is often (mistakenly) viewed as limiting to performance, but no one has more specialist knowledge and experience in this field than Alan.

In his new book - the cycling chef: plant-powered performance - Alan shows how we can eat a fully plant-based diet and still get all the nutrients and energy we need to power ourselves through our day and our fitness. With over 60 fresh and mouth-watering recipes, bespoke meal, nutrition and training plans, and invaluable expert guidance it will be a must for anyone who wants to perform on a plant-based diet. Think of this as a deluxe vegan tray bake with some awesome flavours. The tofu and chickpeas deliver a protein hit, while the pomegranate and crispy chickpeas provide the crunch. Chop up the leftovers – if there are any – for the most amazing lunch box.

Pearl barley risotto with kale and pine nut pesto

This is a very different take on a risotto, but it's delicious and delivers a high-carb hit. The pesto can be made in advance, also works really well as a salad dressing and you can freeze what's left over.

METHOD: 1. To make the pesto, put the kale, pine nuts, olives, tahini, 100 ml (½ cup) of olive oil, and lemon zest into a food processor and blitz until you have a nice chunky paste.

2. To make the pearl barley rice, in a large pan, heat the tablespoon of olive oil, add the onion and garlic, and cook over a medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add the pearl barley and stock, and simmer for 18 to 20 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed and the pearl barley is soft.