NEW Year’s Resolutions. There. I said it; what are your emotions right now? Does your soul stiffen with determination? Are your teeth gritted against the swirling winds of temptation pushing you from your course? Do your eyes narrow on your distant but worthy goal?

Or, like me, does a small piece of you die inside at the mention of the "R’’ word? If so, fear not. I am not here to urge you to make reckless resolutions nor to urge you to eliminate the things you like. Instead, join me in making subtle changes. My aim is to introduce healthy habits, in manageable steps, focusing my efforts on super-foods.

No strict definition exists for super-foods, nor do dieticians use the term. But essentially they offer highly concentrated amounts of good stuff. Oysters (zinc), chia seeds (omega 3, fibre, calcium) goji berries (vitamin C), avocado ( healthy fats), spinach (vitamin K), Barley (beta-glucan, a fibre that lowers cholesterol), Brazil nuts (1 nut contains the daily amount of selenium) blackberries (antioxidants), bok choi (calcium), Greek yoghurt (high protein) and sweet potatoes (vitamin A) are just a handful of foods that can make an enormous difference to your nutrient intake, in moderate amounts. There is no sense of ‘making do’ or ‘going without’, so it really can be a Happy New Year.

Chia seed, Greek yogurt, kiwi and mango breakfast sundae

Recipes serve four

50g chia seeds (available in health food shops)

250g coconut milk (or use almond milk or skimmed milk)

300g Greek yoghurt

2-3 dsstsp honey

1 dstsp each hazelnuts and sunflower seeds (optional)

1 large mango, peeled

2 kiwis, peeled

2 passion fruits

Mint leaves

1. Soak the chia seeds in the coconut milk in a medium sized bowl for 4-8 hours, or overnight. Give the mixture a brisk stir or whisk now and again; if soaking overnight, give it a good whisk last thing and further whisks in the morning. This is ready to use now but can also be stored in the fridge, covered, for a couple of days. Stir well before use.

2. Transfer the chia seed mix to a medium sized mixing bowl. Add yoghurt and honey and whisk thoroughly into the chia seed mix. Set aside for now.

3. Cut the mango into small neat dice and place in a separate bowl then slice and dice the kiwi and combine with the mango. Halve the passion fruit and scoop out the pulp, adding it to the mango and kiwi mix. Stir well to combine.

4. Layer up the sundae in four tumblers, glasses or ramekin style dishes. Place a spoonful of the chia seed mix in the base of each glass first, about 1cm deep. Add a layer of the fruit mixture. Scatter a few torn mint leaves then repeat with another layer of of the chia seed and yoghurt mixture then another of the fruit and mint, and continue until the glasses are filled. Scatter a few more mint leaves on to then serve at once. Enjoy for breakfast or pudding.

Seared salmon, crushed sweet potatoes, bok choi and sesame seeds

4 salmon steaks, about 150g each, skin removed if you prefer

4 small heads of bok choi

2 small sweet potatoes

1 spoonful Greek yoghurt

60g dried puy lentils

Coriander leaves

1 red chilli, diced

1 dsstsp soy sauce

1 dsstsp sesame oil plus a little more for finishing

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 red onion, diced

1 dsstsp sweet chilli sauce

1 dsstsp black sesame seeds

1 lime

Method:

1. Dice the red onion and sweat in sesame oil until soft. Add the balsamic, soy, chilli, sweet chilli sauce and bring almost to the boil then remove from the heat and set aside.

2. Place the lentils in a pan of cold water, bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer gently until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain but reserve around 70ml of the cooking liquid. Add the lentils and reserved cooking liquid to the balsamic and soy sauce mixture, toss well and set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 180C. Place the sweet potato on a baking tray and bake until fully cooked through, around 70 minutes. Remove from heat and stand to cool slightly. Cut in half lengthways then scoop the flesh into a small pan. Crush with a fork and stir in the spoonful of yoghurt and chopped coriander. Set aside.

4. Heat the grill and bring a large pan of salted water to the boil for the bok choi. When the grill is hot, place the salmon on a baking tray, brush lightly but evenly with sesame oil, season with sea salt flakes then place the tray under the hot grill. Cook until the flesh is golden brown and the heat has penetrated almost halfway into the fish, so the centre is still slightly opaque and underdone. You can test this by carefully opening out the flesh slightly with the tip of a small knife and peering into it. Turn off the grill and leave the fish under the cooling grill to finish.

5. Trim the root off the bok choi but leave enough intact so the head is held together still, or the leaves will come apart. Boil for five minutes then drain. Dry on kitchen paper and reform into a neat, natural shape.

6. Warm the sweet potato mixture and divide between four serving plates, spooning a bed into the middle of each dish. Lay a piece of salmon on top of each bed then lay the cooked bok choi next to it. Spoon the lentils over the salmon and around the dish. Scatter the coriander over the top and finish with a scattering of black sesame seeds, a little drizzle of sesame oil and a squeeze of lime then serve at once.

Geoffrey Smeddle is chef proprietor of The Peat Inn, by St Andrews, Fife KY15 5LH 01334 840206 www.thepeatinn.co.uk