Former royal chefs have detailed one of the late queen’s most loved two-ingredient lunches – and it’s believed it’s also what helped her remain so youthful in her nineties
The late Queen Elizabeth II, who lived until 96, enjoyed a healthy lifestyle, so we had a look at her most favourite two-ingredient lunch, which featured one of the globe’s healthiest vegetables.
While she was never much of a foodie, it’s been suggested that this meal played a part in her radiant and vigorous appearance throughout her 90’s. While many in Britain might lean towards carb-heavy options like pasta for lunch, the Queen favoured lighter, more wholesome midday meals, as disclosed by former royal chefs.
The simple dish is one anyone could easily make – and is packed with health benefits and nutrients.
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Her lunchtime choice often included grilled Dover sole atop a bed of wilted spinach or courgette. Darren McGrady, who had the privilege of cooking for royalty, noted: “But the Queen never was a foodie. She always ate to live rather than live to eat. Prince Philip was the foodie.
“He’d want to try any new dishes all the time and got excited about new ingredients, whereas the Queen, if we had a new recipe, she’d have to look at the whole recipe before saying, ‘Yes ok let’s try it’. But for the most part she stuck to the same dishes week in week out.”
During his four-year tenure at Kensington Palace, Darren observed that Queen Elizabeth had a fondness for fillet steak with a mushroom whiskey sauce for dinner, particularly when paired with venison, the chef elaborated.
Her choice of lunch, Grilled Dover sole on a bed of wilted spinach, is not only low in fat but also rich in protein and packed with nutrients such as vitamin D and B-12. Darren also shared on his website: “Queen Elizabeth enjoyed new potatoes and spinach with her fish.”
Having established the late Queen’s preference for spinach, it’s worth exploring why this leafy green is considered so beneficial. The BBC compiled a list of the world’s top 100 healthiest foods, ranking frozen spinach at number 24.
Spinach contains magnesium, folate, vitamin A, beta carotene, and zeaxanthin, with freezing acting to preserve these valuable nutrients. Surrey Live reports that spinach is also abundant in vitamin K, which is essential for bone health and blood clotting, as well as vitamin A, vital for vision and immune function.
Contrary to what many might think, fresh spinach isn’t always superior; nutrients can diminish during transport and storage, as found by research from Pennsylvania State University. Another study revealed that spinach could lose up to 75% of its vitamin C within a week, hence the practice of freezing it soon after harvest to retain its nutritional value.
Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London and co-founder of the health app Zoe, has even cautioned his Instagram followers against being “snobs” about frozen food.
He mentioned: “Like me, you probably always thought that fresh food is always the best option. Don’t be a snob when it comes to frozen foods or canned foods that can often be lifesavers.”
He further explained: “An example here is frozen spinach, and actually the freezing process and the way it’s packed up means that those nutrients in spinach are perfectly preserved, so you don’t lose anything from buying the fresh product.”
Adding spinach to your diet
Martha Stewart points out that while spinach can be thawed overnight, it can also be quickly incorporated into meals such as pasta, curry, or any dish of choice.
The mild taste and rich vitamin content of spinach make it an excellent addition to smoothies, and it’s also great in omelettes. What’s more, not only is frozen spinach more nutritious than its fresh counterpart, but it’s also more economical and has a longer shelf life. A cube of frozen spinach can be easily included in numerous other recipes like frittatas or quiches.
Benefits of grilled Dover sole
Grilled Dover sole is recognised for being a nutrient-dense flatfish with an abundance of vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids. Expert nutritionist Dominique Ludwig, who studied at King’s College London, emphasises how crucial omega-3 fats from fish are for maintaining a healthy brain and heart.
In particular, Dover sole is touted by the Nutrition And You website as one of the most calorie-efficient flatfish available and heralded as an “excellent” source of essential fatty acids.
READ MORE: Queen Elizabeth’s quick and easy two-ingredient lunch that kept her looking youthful
Research from Cornell University and the New York Sea Grant Extension Program has underscored the vital role of essential fatty acids in maintaining cardiovascular health. These nutrients are key in reducing blood pressure, heart rate, and the risk of arrhythmias.
In addition, findings from the GISSI Prevention Trial suggest that including omega-3 fatty acids in an adult’s daily diet can significantly decrease the likelihood of experiencing recurrent heart attacks, strokes, or sudden death.
The late monarch would have turned 99 on April 21, and floods of tributes from royal enthusiasts were shared online. Commemorating the late Queen Elizabeth II, one individual shared on X: “Today we remember Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on what would have been her 99th birthday. The greatest women to walk the earth. Serving the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth her whole life.”
Another person reflected: “Remembering Elizabeth II who was born 99 years ago today. It’s always sad when good people go – even at 96, like the Queen, or 88 like Pope Francis – who both continued to give service until the very end of their lives, driven by duty and sustained by deep faith.”
Queen Elizabeth II passed away on September 8, 2022, aged 96. Her son, King Charles, ascended to the throne following her death.
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