Tim Spector Good Mood Food

Tim Spector Good Mood Food – A groundbreaking new cookbook has been published this week from scientist, No.1 bestselling author and ZOE co-founder, Professor Tim Spector. Good Mood Food, published by Jonathan Cape at £30 hardback, shows how what we eat shapes how we feel, think and age. “I want to share what I’ve learned about how we can all achieve a better mood, increased energy levels and long-term brain health, through delicious, easy, satisfying recipes — all grounded in the latest science.” says Spector

For centuries, medicine has treated body and mind as separate concerns. But a revolution is underway: the science is now clear that what we eat directly affects how we feel, and the long-term health of our brains. In GOOD MOOD FOOD, Professor Tim Spector — epidemiologist, microbiome pioneer, and the UK’s most trusted voice in nutrition science — reveals the powerful connection between gut and brain. When we nurture our gut microbiome with varied, plant-rich food, we can improve our energy, day-to-day mood, mental health, and cognitive resilience as we age.  The recipes in GOOD MOOD FOOD are designed to support whole-family health, with targeted ideas for protecting brain health over time, reducing the risk of future cognitive decline, and supporting those already experiencing symptoms. They also offer faster benefits: boosting mood and energy within days when dealing with work stress, family pressures, low mood or anxiety. And for children — at the critical window when neural connections are forming — these recipes could make a meaningful difference.  From 15-minute meals to weekend batch cooking, cupboard raids to on-the-go lunches — GOOD MOOD FOOD makes eating better feel effortless and genuinely pleasurable. Here are a couple of recipes to tempt you to buy a copy:

Stuffed Aubergine Traybake

“This is a delicious way to make the most of aubergines, one of my favourite vegetables. You can even use white aubergine varieties if you can find them. The toppings are very much optional so please don’t feel obliged to splurge on them unless you have them already in your store cupboard. A spoonful of yoghurt on the side is all it really needs, with some nuts or seeds for extra crunch.”

 PREP: 10 minutes COOK: 50 minutes SERVES: 4

2 aubergines

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tbsp Spice Mix ( Baharat or Garam Masala)

2 tbsp harissa

1 x 400g tin lentils, drained and rinsed

1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

30g sultanas (optional)

40g dill, finely chopped

Salt and black pepper

TOPPINGS (optional)

4 tbsp Greek or plant-based yoghurt

4 tbsp tahini

40g pomegranate seeds

2 tbsp pomegranate molasses

60g pistachios, roughly chopped

10g coriander, roughly chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas 6 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
2. Halve the aubergines lengthways, score the flesh in a criss-cross pattern and scoop out as much of it as possible. Finely chop the aubergine flesh and set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying over a medium heat and sauté the onion for 3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
4. Stir in the chopped aubergine and fry for 3–4 minutes, stirring continually, until the aubergines are soft.
5. Add the spice mix, harissa, lentils, chopped tomatoes, sultanas (if using), dill and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Heat through, then spoon into the hollowed-out aubergines.
6. Arrange on the prepared baking tray and bake for 40 minutes. Serve topped with the yoghurt, tahini, pomegranate seeds, pomegranate molasses, pistachios and coriander

Easy Peasy Yoghurt Cake

“Possibly the world’s simplest baking recipe, this cake is super simple to make once you have the ingredients ready. You ideally need a 500g pot of Greek yoghurt to start with, then you use this 500g pot as your measuring tool to speed up the process. This cake is delicious served warm, drizzled with kefir and honey, and is surprisingly healthy as the main ingredients are nuts, seeds and yoghurt. It’s a wonderful recipe to try with children and novice cooks as it introduces them to mixing and baking with low risk of failure. The batter can be also used to make cupcakes. Spoon the mixture into 12 cupcake cases and reduce the baking time to15–20 minutes.”

 PREP: 10 minutes COOK: 45 minutes SERVES: 8–10

1 x 500g pot Greek yoghurt

400g ground almonds (2 yoghurt pots)

150g caster sugar (½ yoghurt pot)

1 tbsp baking powder

3 tbsp poppy seeds

Zest of 2 lemons

4 eggs

300g frozen blueberries (1 yoghurt pot)

TOP-UPS

Honey, to serve

Kefir, to serve

SWAPS

Any frozen berry for blueberries

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas 6 and line a 28cm square baking tin with baking parchment.
2. Pour the Greek yoghurt into a large bowl. Wash and dry the pot, and fill twice with ground almonds. Add to the yoghurt. Half-fill it with caster sugar and add this to the bowl as well, along with the baking powder, poppy seeds, lemon zest and eggs. Mix well until the mixture is combined – make sure there are no lumps.

3. Gently fold in the blueberries, transfer to the prepared baking tin, spread out evenly and bake for 45 minutes.
4. Allow to cool slightly before serving, drizzled with kefir and honey (if liked). The cake will keep for 3–4 days and can be frozen for a later date.

 Extracted from Good Mood Food by Tim Spector (Jonathan Cape, £30). All photography by Issy Croker.

The Seasoned Gastronome