The Trick is in the Topping
Eleven nifty and nutritious ways to finish your plate. Plus: Wasteman, Anomalisa, and Physical: Asia
Good afternoon everyone. How are we all feeling?
Yesterday’s brief flirtation with spring put a real pep in my step. Sure it was short lived—I’m in London after all—but even a few hours of light can recalibrate our mood. It got me thinking about the ways we can access that kind of lift on the dreariest of days. How to feel more alive.
I’ve been working on a bunch of fun projects behind the scenes that I can’t wait to invite you into. But just like everyone else, the need to stay motivated and focused to create these things, all while balancing my private practice and everything else, requires a certain level of energy. In phases like this, I have very little tolerance for complicated food.
So, I’m going to keep talking about ways we can keep nutrition a priority without turning every meal into a spreadsheet or another round of chicken and quinoa.
Today, that means Toppings.
Toppings just feel fun
Before I go into which toppings I’m excited for you to build into the routine, I want to talk about the importance of integrating fun into our pursuit of health.
If you’ve been here for a while, or joined a Full Serving event, you’ll know I care about pleasure and participation. Health should expand your world.
There’s a version of wellness that does the opposite. It becomes rigid, competitive and self-surveilling. Everything is correct or incorrect. The world narrows quickly.
I’m not interested in that version.
I’m interested in the one where nutrition feels creative and additive, especially when inspiration is low. Which is why I often look to traditional “fun” foods and adjust them so they hold up through a nutritional therapy lens.
Toppings are a great example. They make me think of ice cream sundaes - the cherry on top. But also citrus zest over ricotta. Quick pickled onions over eggs. Freeze dried raspberries scattered over yoghurt. Small additions that make a humongous difference to the way you feel about the dish in front of you.
Take a bowl of oats. On it’s own, it’s “fuel”. Add toasted walnuts, crushed raspberries, tahini and sea salt and it’s something else entirely. You’ve increased plant diversity, fibre, healthy fats and polyphenols in under a minute. And it just feels f-u-n.
But! They also do the job.
Seeds and nuts increase fibre, magnesium and fat soluble vitamin absorption. Yoghurt and kefir add protein and live cultures. Citrus and vinegar sharpen digestion. Herbs increase polyphenol content.
You can take a tray of roasted carrots and turn them into something that supports blood glucose, hormone health and mineral intake simply by finishing them with a couple extra toppings.
Shall we start sprinkling?
A list of toppings for you to play around with
Here are eleven examples of toppings that you can easily add into meals and snacks and why they’re a great idea to keep in stock:
1. Powdered peanut butter
Made with most of the fat pressed out, so it;s lighter than traditional nut butter. It gives you the roasted peanut flavour and protein hit. Genius if you’re taking a break from nut butters. Check the label though, it should be peanuts only. And rotate with whole nuts occasionally so you’re still getting the vitamin E and beneficial fats that come with the full nut.
Shake on top of oatmeal, into a smoothie, or mix with a little water until it reaches nut butter consistency and spread over freshly toasted millet bread with half a sliced banana on top. It’s also great whisked into tamari, lime and ginger for a quick sauce to go over stir fried veg.
2. Ground flax, chia and pumpkin seed mix
Pre mix and keep in a glass jar away from heat and light. Flax and chia provide omega 3 and soluble fibre that supports bowel regularity and feeds beneficial gut bacteria. Pumpkin seeds bring magnesium and zinc, which support nervous system function, skin and immune health.
Add to yoghurt, cottage cheese, over roasted vegetables. One tablespoon increases fibre and mineral intake without changing the meal structure.
3. Cocoa powder
High in polyphenols that support vascular function and insulin sensitivity. Also it’s chocolate-y, delightful.
Worth buying higher quality for flavour and sourcing reasons - look for 100% cocoa. Stir into tomato based sauces to round out the acidity. Mix with cumin and smoked paprika as a dry rub. Add to chilli or slow cooked beef for depth. It gives a bitter edge that balances sweet breakfasts beautifully, stir it into whatever you want to make a little chocolate-y.
4. Citrus zest
The oils in the zest contain flavonoids that support antioxidant activity and digestion. It also heightens perceived sweetness, which means fruit tastes brighter without adding anything else.
Add to yoghurt, porridge, salads, grilled fish, butter beans. Always use unwaxed, ideally organic.
5. Freeze dried raspberries or strawberries
Concentrated fruit flavour and polyphenols in a small volume. Honestly, any frozen berries will make a great topping but these are a touch fancier.
Crush over yoghurt, stir into oats, fold through cottage cheese. They give colour and acidity without watering things down the way fresh fruit sometimes can.
Great for when berries are out of season. You know I love a freezer food.
6. Nutritional yeast
Provides B vitamins including B12. It also contains beta glucans that support immune function. Sprinkle over popcorn, eggs, roasted vegetables, pasta, tomato soup. It gives depth and often reduces the need for excess cheese.
7. Quick pickled red onions
Slice thinly. Cover with apple cider vinegar and a pinch of salt. Leave for 20 minutes.
The acidity stimulates digestive secretions and enhances mineral absorption from the rest of the meal. It also cuts through richer dishes.
Add to grain bowls, lentils, tacos, grilled fish. Brilliant over omelettes, frittata slices, or egg and sweet potato hash.
8. Toasted buckwheat groats
Dry toast in a pan until fragrant. They give crunch similar to nuts but are lower in fat and provide fibre plus rutin, a flavonoid associated with vascular support, so if you’ve got varicose veins it’s worth considering.
Scatter a tablespoon over salads, yoghurt, soups, or toast with labneh.
9. Chopped capers and parsley
A small handful transforms a plate. Capers provide salt and polyphenols. Parsley is rich in vitamin C and apigenin, a plant compound being studied for anti inflammatory and hormonal support effects.
Chop together and spoon over fish, steak, beans or roasted vegetables.
10. Anchovy paste whisked into lemon juice
Intense umami in small amounts. Anchovies provide iodine and omega 3. Whisk into lemon juice and olive oil for a sharp dressing over greens or white beans. It deepens flavour without requiring a heavy sauce.
11. Shaved fennel or radish
Crunch, hydration, and digestive support.
Fennel contains compounds traditionally used to ease bloating. Radish brings glucosinolates that support liver detoxification pathways. Add raw to salads, tacos, grain bowls, eggs. Temperature contrast and crunch can change everything.
Any small, whole food can be a great topping. Pomegranate seeds for polyphenols and brightness. Toasted sesame seeds for calcium and flair. You can buy pre-made shichimi togarashi or furikake, both great sprinkled over rice and steamed veggies. Thinly sliced spring onions for sulphur compounds that support liver function and a bit of bite.
When you zoom out, the pattern is clear. The best toppings for nutrition tend to:
Increase fibre
Increase protein
Increase polyphenols
Support digestion
Increase mineral density
Or increase pleasure and visual appeal without requiring an entirely new recipe
The base of the meal does the heavy lifting. The trick is in the topping!
What’s fed me
It’s not just food. Everything you take in shapes how you think and feel. Here’s what I’ve been up to that’s nourished my creative brain:
Wasteman (2025). A brutal, tense, tightly wound British prison drama. David Jonsson plays timid addict Taylor counting down the days to parole when Tom Blyth arrives as Dee, a high voltage, charismatic dealer intent on taking over the wing. It’s great. Entertaining and full of dread. The supporting cast - prison guards, rival dealers, all the extras - are exceptional too.
Anomalisa (2015). Peak Kaufman in stop motion puppetry. David Thewlis is the voice of Michael Stone, a customer service expert and motivational speaker who is sleepwalking through a life of loneliness and repetition until a work trip to Cincinnati, where he meets Lisa, a heartbreakingly endearing woman, played perfectly by Jennifer Jason Leigh. I laughed out loud multiple times. It’s surreal, refreshing and tender. Really enjoyed it.
Physical: Asia (2025). Did you watch Physical 100, the Korean series where one hundred elite competitors battle through increasingly bonkers strength and endurance challenges to be the last one standing? This is the latest expansion, with athletes from across Asia. If you’re feeling unmotivated, this is the show for you.
My favourite is Team Mongolia. Just look at them! Mongolian Bökh wrestler as the captain, with a wild card MMA fighter and a contortionist from Cirque du Soleil by his side? I’m in.
OK, YUM! All of your toppings ideas make me think of the menus at Sqirl and Dimes, which I’m forever chasing the high of 🤍