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Mod-Carb Plan Appropriate for a person weighing >100kg

Developed by Kelly Schreuder, Registered Dietician

© 2013 Sleekgeek All rights reserved

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Dear Challenger,

 

Please note that these are general plans that are intended for use merely as guidance with a healthy lifestyle plan. They are designed to be appropriate in terms of quantity for weight loss or maintenance. If you are in any doubt about whether or not they are suitable for you (including, for example, if you have an existing medical condition that needs attention, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, if you are severely overweight or underweight, or if you are allergic to something) please consult with a doctor or dietician before you begin. Such general plans do not compare with the individualised attention of a health professional. Sleek Geek and the consulting dietician cannot be held responsible for the misinterpretation or misuse of this content in any respect.

The plans provide a week of meals and some recipes to use as an example of how to apply the principles of healthy eating. Shopping guides are also provided. The quality of your diet beyond a week is up to you. If you eat exactly the same foods every week, even if they are extremely nutritious, you are likely to miss out on other essential nutrients. Variety is very important for optimum nutrition.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Your eating plan at a glance:

Food Group Number of Portions Per Day

MILK 2 (full cream is fine if you like it)

FRUIT 3

VEGETABLES* 4 +

STARCH 6

PROTEIN 12 (2 high fat plus 10 lean)

FAT 7

SUGAR • Aim for no more than the equivalent of 3 tsp added

sugar/honey/syrup/jam DRINKS • 6-8 cups of water – more if you are

thirsty or on a hot day, plus 500ml after an exercise session (up to 1

litre) • Avoid too much caffeine – max 2

cups coffee per day. ALCOHOL Avoid for first 8 weeks, then max 2

units per day, 7 per week. TREATS During the first 8 weeks of your

plan, avoid unnecessary junk food, puddings etc. Count all your portions, even if you make a

mistake and eat junk. After that, decide on 2 treats that you will plan into your week ahead of time that

you don’t have to count.  

*The portion allocation of vegetables is a MINIMUM – feel free to eat more than 4 portions if you would like to.

 

 

 

 

 

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Notes on all the food groups

MILK

• You can have full cream milk and yoghurt if you enjoy it, just count an extra fat portion for every milk portion.

• If you consistently eat less than the 2 servings and you don’t eat cheese, then you might need a calcium supplement. Another good source of calcium is canned fish e.g. sardines or salmon, with the bones mashed up.

• If you use sweetened yoghurt (with sugar) you will have to count one starch per serving as well.

• If you use a milk alternative such as soy/rice/almond milk, read the labels – check for sugar and calcium content. Milk as a food group is included mainly for its calcium content, so it would be good to use a substitute that provides calcium as well. Unfortunately, many milk substitutes are full of sugar, so try to avoid those brands.

 

FRUIT

Fruit is high in sugar, so although it is very good to eat fruit because it is full of vitamins and fibre, the reason why it helps to restrict fruit consumption slightly is to control overall carbohydrate intake. Try to eat more non-starchy vegetables to ensure you are getting enough fresh, nutritious, high-fibre foods.

VEGETABLES

The number of servings of vegetables is just a guide – by all means eat more if you would like to, just remember to count starchy veg (butternut, potato, sweet potato, corn and peas) as starches. Try to get into a habit of adding a vegetable to every meal or snack that you eat. Although all vegetables contain vitamins, minerals, fibre and phytochemicals that should be eaten in abundance, the cruciferous vegetables – cabbage, bok choi, kale, broccoli, cauliflower and kale – are particularly beneficial, with powerful anti-cancer properties, so try to eat these several times a week. Eat your vegetables raw or lightly steamed.

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STARCH

Your plan has a relatively high protein and fat content, which is fine, but it does restrict your carbohydrate intake a bit, so the quality of your choices is important. Always go for the whole grains rather than their refined versions. Apart from having a far superior nutrient content to polished grains, flours and sugars, whole grains will also help you to keep your blood sugar (energy) levels nice and stable and they contain more fibre.

PROTEIN

Protein plays an important role in helping you to feel satisfied when you eat. It is a good idea to try to mix starchy or sugary foods (including fruit) with a protein at each meal or snack. For example, you could mix nuts with fruit or fish with sweet potato.

• Make most of your protein choices things like fish (not fried), chicken without skin, turkey, beans, lentils, chickpeas and tofu.

• If you eat red meat, try to select lean red meat and extra lean mince rather than sausages, fatty mince and other meat with lots of fat. Do not eat red meat more than about 3 times per week.

• Avoid eating very processed meats more than once a week (e.g. ham, viennas, bacon) that contain lots of nitrates, colours and flavours – rather eat cold meat you have cooked yourself.

• The “high fat protein” options are there to allow you freedom with your diet. No matter what your weight goals, it is a good idea to learn to eat these foods in moderation – 1 or 2 portions a day might seem like very little to begin with, but this is where you should be heading long term anyway for weight maintenance.

• If you eat something like streaky bacon with the fat, a chop or piece of steak with its fat, ribs, salami, parma ham/prosciutto with fat, or any other obviously fatty meat, count it as high fat protein.

FAT

Be aware of the quality of fat that you eat and how you treat it. If you buy good oil, like extra virgin olive oil, flax oil, walnut oil, or another delicate cold pressed oil, try to protect it from heat and light and don’t use it for cooking.

• If you are going to fry something in a little oil, rather use an olive oil or coconut oil that has a higher smoke point.

• Some particularly delicate oils (like flax) should be stored in the fridge. If you grind up flax seeds, these should also be kept in the fridge.

• Try to eat raw nuts and seeds more often than roasted ones.

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There is very good fat in oily fish such as salmon and sardines. If you don’t eat a meal with oily fish at least twice a week, you can get the same omega 3 fatty acids from linseeds (flax seeds) and chia seeds or in supplement form. Grind up a tablespoon of seeds to mix into porridge (not too hot or you will damage the good fats) or yoghurt every day, or take 1000 – 2000mg omega 3 supplement e.g. salmon or flax oil capsules daily.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Portions Guide Daily Allowance – Number of

Portions Examples of One Portion

___ Milk

Note: These milk portions are here to provide calcium in your diet. If you do not use milk or milk products, it would be a good idea to take a calcium supplement.

1 cup milk 3/4 cup plain yoghurt or cottage cheese 1 cup buttermilk/maas

___Fruit

Note: Each fruit portion contains the same amount of carbohydrate as a starch portion, so you can eat more fruit and less starch sometimes.

1 medium (tennis ball size) or 2 small (golf ball size) fresh fruit or: ½ cup chopped fresh fruit or berries ½ cup unsweetened fruit juice *Remember that dried fruit is concentrated – e.g. one tablespoon raisins = 1 bunch grapes

___Vegetables

Note: Remember to count starchy veg as a starch.

½ cup cooked vegetables (not including starchy vegetables) 1 cup raw vegetables e.g. salad ½ cup vegetable juice e.g. cucumber/tomato/celery/carrot

___Starch

Reading labels : 1 portion = 15g total carbohydrate (1-3g protein as well)

Note: Decide if you want to count the legumes as starch or protein for that meal.

30g slice wholegrain bread e.g. pumpernickel 2 Rye biscuits/rice cakes ½ cup cooked starchy vegetable e.g. sweet potato, butternut or peas ½ cup cooked grain e.g. brown rice or quinoa ¼ cup muesli or granola (count 1 fat portion as well if it includes seeds or nuts) ½ cup cooked legumes/chickpeas

___Protein *These are high fat options.

Reading labels: 1 portion – 7g protein

Note: Decide if you want to count cottage cheese as a protein or a milk portion and adjust the portion size accordingly.

30g (matchbox size) meat/chicken/cheese* 45g fish/sardines 3 tablespoons canned tuna/salmon (approx. ½small tin tuna) ¼ cup cottage cheese 1 large egg ¼ cup cooked mince ½ cup cooked beans/lentils/chickpeas ¼ cup nuts, seeds, or 2 tablespoons nut butter*

___Fat

Reading labels: 1 portion = 5g fat

Note: If you count nuts, nut butter or seeds as fat rather than protein, the serving size is much smaller.

1 tsp butter 1 tsp oil 2 teaspoons mayonnaise 2 tsp nut butter ¼ medium avocado 1 tablespoon nuts or seeds 1 tablespoon hummus 5 big/ 10 small olives

 

 

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This portions guide has been created to take the counting and weighing out of your daily eating habits. It is based on realistic portions of cooked or ready-to-eat foods so that you can serve yourself from a buffet or eat at a restaurant and still be able to estimate if you are following your plan. It is not perfect, but it is more practical and sustainable than carrying scales and calculators around.

Remember that foods are not always consistent and they do not always contain exactly what the portions guide says they should. It still helps to read labels and understand foods that you enjoy regularly. Otherwise just make sure that you eat a good variety of foods, so that slight variations in nutritional content average out over time.

The table below might help when you are trying to apply the portions guide:

Portion size Used commonly for these foods

Equivalent

1 teaspoon (tsp) = 5ml Butter and oil ½ of the top joint of your thumb

1 tablespoon (tbsp) = 15ml

Fats, including nuts and seeds

Acorn or ½ golf ball

2 tablespoons = 30ml Almond butter Golf ball 30g Nuts, cheese, meat,

dried fruit Matchbox, egg, meat from a chicken drumstick, container of dental floss, closed handful (all fingers closed and food not visible)

2 protein portions Meat Meat from an average chicken thigh

3 protein portions Meat Pack of cards, or the palm of a lady’s hand e.g. chicken breast

4 protein portions Meat Large chicken breast or the palm of a man’s hand

½ cup = 125ml Fruit, grains and cooked vegetables

Tennis ball, computer mouse or light bulb

1 cup = 250ml 2 portions fruit, grains and cooked vegetables, 1 portion salad

Grapefruit, baseball

 

 

 

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Planning and Keeping Records

It is very important that you keep good records of what you are eating every day. It has been shown over and over again that people who successfully lose weight are those who are disciplined about keeping records. Those who do not keep records do not see the same results. Do not give yourself the option here. If you are committed to losing weight, there is no other way to do it well. Ideally, you should plan your meals and snacks for the next day and then record what you eat throughout the day, immediately after your meal or snack. This awareness of what you are eating will be extremely helpful long term, because it will show you how much or how little you have to eat to maintain your weight loss. It will also highlight unhelpful patterns of unplanned eating and show you where you need to make adjustments.

Example of good food records:

Planned Meals Actual Consumption Unplanned eating and reason Breakfast: 1/2 cup berries 2 boiled eggs ¼ avocado 1 cup coffee, no sugar

1/2 cup berries 2 boiled eggs ¼ avocado Coffee with milk and 1 sugar

Coffee with milk and sugar is such a habit I forgot

Snack: 1 handful raw almonds 1 apple

Biscuit at work Forgot to pack properly before I left the house and was STARVING by 10am

Lunch: 1 sachet tuna ½ avocado ½ cup roasted sweet potato lots of salad 1 tbsp toasted sunflower seeds

1 sachet tuna ½ avocado ½ cup roasted sweet potato lots of salad 1 tbsp toasted sunflower seeds

None – good planning J

Snack: 30g biltong 4 pieces dark choc with coffee The bar of chocolate was is my

desk drawer and couldn’t stop myself, then decided not to eat the biltong, but felt very hungry – should have just eaten biltong

Supper: 1 chicken breast 1 cup broccoli 2 tsp oil for cooking

1 chicken breast 1 cup broccoli ?? oil for cooking

Forgot to measure oil properly, so don’t know how much I added

Other: 1 glass of wine Friend visited and felt I had to

drink to be sociable There  is  a  blank  version  of  this  table  on  the  last  page  that  you  can  print  and  use  for  your  own  records.  

 

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Stock Cupboard & Grocery Lists These foods are not a prescription and you do not have to buy them all. They are ideas for items that are great to have in the house. Obviously, follow your plan first, but there are plenty of options, so if something is not available, you can always find an alternative.

Try to clean out your fridge and cupboards so that they contain only real food. Whenever you shop, read labels and select those foods that have only a few ingredients listed – stick to things that you recognize and understand! Avoid products with added sugar, fats, preservatives, colours and flavours.

Milk Products

Always buy milk, yoghurt or cottage cheese that is as natural as possible. Avoid brands that include additional thickeners, preservatives, sweeteners or flavours.

Vegetables and Salad Ingredients

Buy enough for 2-3 days at a time and topping up half way through the week. Try to make sure you always have the “basics” which you can use in a lot of dishes and salads and then add a wide variety of other vegetables.

Basics:

Leafy greens like chard, kale, spinach, mixed lettuce, rocket, watercress etc.

Sprouts – If you are willing, it is cheapest to make them yourself. The easiest to get used to are the smaller ones like alfalfa, lentil and onion sprouts, all of which are tasty and easy to eat. Chickpea and other large sprouts are great if you like them, but if you are not used to them they can be difficult to digest in large quantities, so start slowly and chew well.

Carrots (1 bag)

Onions (4-6)

Spring onions (one bunch)

Celery (one bunch)

Cucumber (2 large)

Tomatoes – if you like them (2 small punnets or 1 punnet plus 4 slicing tomatoes)

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Other Vegetables (there are so many, so please do not feel restricted by this list!):

Cabbage

Beetroot

Cauliflower

Broccoli

Pumpkin

Baby marrow

Asparagus

Mushrooms

Starchy Vegetables – decide if you would rather eat grains or starchy vegetables with your meals for the week:

Sweet potato

Potato

Butternut

Peas

Fresh Fruit

Select a good variety of seasonal fruits – try to avoid imported items, which have usually been in storage for a long time and tend to lose some nutritional value.

These are the basics:

A bag of bananas (whatever you do not manage to eat in time can be peeled and cut up and frozen in bags for smoothies)

A bag of apples - they keep well and travel well, so you can also leave a few in your car in case you need a snack. When they start looking tired make apple sauce, or use them for baking.

Lemons – good to have for salads, adding to water etc.

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…And then select 2-3 other seasonal fruits for the week such as:

Grapefruit

Oranges or other citrus

Berries

Melons

Mango (freezes well in cubes if you do not get around to eating them in time)

Pineapple

Limes (a nice alternative to lemon)

Papaya

Grapes

Cheese

If you look at cheese labels, you will find that some cheeses are lower in fat than others per 100g. Although they still count as “high fat” protein options, try to make these lower fat cheeses your frequent choices if you are trying to lose weight.

1 serving = 30g. Look for:

Low fat ricotta

Feta

Mozzarella

Slimmer’s Choice cheeses

Chevin or goat’s cheese

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Protein

Frequent options:

Chicken: 1 whole free range chicken for roasting (or pieces if you prefer) or free range chicken breasts (cut into strips if you prefer) – 35-40g raw skinless meat, mince or chicken is approximately 1 protein serving, so dinner for one with 4 protein servings would be around 160g.

Fish: At least 1 meal of fresh fish or seafood – http://www.wwfsassi.co.za has a “green list” and a database that you can search to see if the fish you are choosing is being sustainably managed – Aim for about 50g raw fish for one protein portion.

Beef: Fillet, rump or sirloin (with the fat removed) or topside cubes for stewing.

Pork: Fillet

Mince: Extra lean beef or ostrich

Venison: Great if you have a good source.

Eggs: Free range and/or organic

Canned fish: Tuna, salmon and sardines – the bones in these canned fish are a great source of calcium if you mash them up and eat them with the fish.

Other seafood: Try to eat something different every few weeks e.g. calamari or mussels – it is very healthy to get a good variety of foods in your diet.

Organ meats: These can be very rich and not ideal for frequent consumption, but they are very nutritious, so if you do like dishes like liver and onions, eat them occasionally (once every few weeks) and be aware of how you cook them. Liver pate for example is not as nutritious as eating plain liver because of all the other ingredients that are added to it.

Processed meats: Avoid eating these on a daily basis – they should be considered treats because they often contain a lot of fat, preservatives and curing compounds that have been linked to cancer.

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Starches

Brown rice and other whole grains e.g. quinoa, oats, millet, spelt, wheat kernels, barley etc: 1 Starch = ¼ cup raw, ½ cup cooked

Whole grain noodles e.g. buckwheat - 1 Starch = approx. 25g raw, half cup cooked

Pumpernickel or other wholegrain rye bread - 1 Starch = 1 small slice (30-40g)

Brown rice cakes or Ryvitas - 1 Starch = 2 rice cakes or Ryvitas

Baking/making granola/smoothies:

Pecans or walnuts

Hazelnuts

Cocoa

Vanilla extract

Baking powder

Bicarbonate of Soda

Coconut (dried)

Coconut oil

Cinnamon

Fats & Oils

Good quality extra virgin olive oil for salads

Real butter (for baking as well)

Flax oil (found in the fridge at health shops)

Sesame oil for stir fry

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Coconut oil or olive oil for light frying (optional)

Nuts & Seeds

Nuts: Preferably raw nuts when you are eating them as a protein source in larger quantities – Almonds are a good choice, but you can use others if you prefer them. Try to keep macadamias and Brazil nuts as a treat, or eat them with other nuts, because they have a slightly higher fat content.

Almond butter

Sunflower seeds

Pumpkin seeds

Chia or flax seeds (or flax oil – these are all good sources of omega 3 fatty acids)

Other:

Dijon mustard

Wholegrain mustard

Apple cider vinegar for cooking/salad (or just use lemons)

Rice vinegar for stir fry

Check weekly recipes for herbs & spices that you might need

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Making your life easier

There are some things that you can prepare routinely that will make your life much easier when you are looking for something to eat. Do these things once a week – if you do not feel like taking a long time over them, do one thing each day and you will always have something good to eat.

ü Make a vegetable snack box in your fridge, full of cucumber, carrot and celery sticks, sugar snap peas and baby tomatoes.

ü Make either the “Confetti” cabbage salad or the “Love your liver” beetroot salad and store in the fridge – they keep well and both can be added to meals during the week. A cup of the Love your liver salad has about 1 serving of fat as well, depending on the amount of dressing you add, so it is relatively low fat. The Confetti salad is almost fat free. Another great idea (if you like tomatoes) is to make a fresh tomato salsa or “pico de gallo” to eat with everything.

ü Keep portions of vegetable soup ready in the fridge/freezer. ü Always keep things like cottage cheese, eggs, tuna and cold meat to

use for quick lunches or snacks – a bit of protein always makes the meal more substantial and satisfying.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  18  

 

Recipes

Basic Italian Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

1 onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 bottle tomato passata (or a tin of tomato puree)

1 heaped teaspoon dried oreganum

Handful of chopped basil

Salt to taste (start with about ½ tsp)

Method:

1) Fry the onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes on a medium heat. 2) Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly so it doesn’t

burn. 3) Add the vinegar and stir. 4) Add the tomatoes and the herbs and cook gently for 5 minutes. 5) Season with the salt. If the sauce still tastes very sharp, add a small

amount of xylitol, but remember that it will also “mellow” when it is mixed with other ingredients e.g. meatballs.

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  19  

Cauliflower Mash

Use a hand blender or food processor to combine the following:

1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets and steamed until tender

1 tsp mustard (optional)

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Salt to taste

Butter or oil to add fat (optional)

A bit of water to help with blending, if necessary

The texture is nice on its own, but sometimes even better if you add one cooked potato or sweet potato as well, just remember to count the starch servings.

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  20  

Confetti salad

Makes one large bowl that keeps well for a few days

Ingredients

½ large green cabbage (or a mix of green and red if you like), finely shredded

Spring onions (about 4 for a large bowl), or ¼ red onion, finely sliced

You could also add about a cup of julienne carrot, red onion, sprouts or mangetout peas – whatever you have in the fridge that might go well, even julienne apple is nice if you’re going to eat it immediately, otherwise it will go brown.

½ tsp chilli flakes or chopped fresh chilli

a few thin slices of fresh ginger finely chopped or grated

½ tsp salt, or to taste

2 tablespoons white wine or apple cider vinegar (lime juice is a good alternative)

1 tsp sesame oil

2 tablespoons toasted sunflower seeds or flaked almonds, or both

Directions:

1) Chop or julienne all the vegetables and the ginger and combine in a large mixing bowl.

2) Add the remaining ingredients.

3) Use your hand to mix and squeeze the ingredients for about one minute – this helps to release some of the juices from the cabbage and allows the salad to marinate nicely.

4) Cover and store in the fridge and eat within 5 days. You can stir fry the remaining salad towards the end of the week – just put it into a hot wok or frying pan with a drizzle of oil and a clove of garlic (chopped) and cook for 2 min.

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  21  

 

Frittata

Eggs (As many as your plan allows. Select pan accordingly – you want the frittata to be about 2cm thick)

Vegetables – all optional:

1 tbsp chopped onion or spring onion

1 tbsp chopped red or green pepper

Steamed and chopped spinach or Swiss chard

Optional starchy veg e.g. cooked sweet potato, cut into small cubes

Mushrooms

Herbs e.g. thyme or oreganum or both

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1) Cook all vegetables before you begin – either sauté or steam. 2) Beat eggs and add to pan with all the vegetables, stirring over medium

heat until it the eggs begin to set. 3) Allow them to settle and then either cover with a lid or place the whole

(oven proof) pan into a 180oC oven to set the top.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  22  

Italian Meatballs

Prepare the Basic Italian Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

1kg lean mince

1 tsp salt

¼ cup tomato puree

1 onion, finely chopped and fried

1 carrot, finely grated and cooked with the onion for 2 minutes

1 clove garlic, finely chopped/minced

½ tsp coriander

1 tsp mixed herbs

Black pepper to taste

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 200oC and grease a baking sheet with about 2 tablespoons cooking oil, using a piece of paper towel to spread it.

2) Cook onion and carrot.

3) Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl with your hand.

4) Shape into bite-sized balls, remembering that they shrink slightly during cooking.

5) Arrange on baking sheet with enough space between them – about 2-3cm.

6) Bake until cooked through and slightly brown.

7) Add to Basic Italian Tomato Sauce.

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  23  

Lamb or Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

1 kg boneless lamb shoulder or stewing lamb, or chicken breast cut into 1 and a 1/2" chunks 4 tbsps oil for cooking 2 large onions, finely chopped 2 large tomatoes diced 2 tbsp finely chopped garlic 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger 2 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp cumin powder 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 1/2 tsp red chilli or cayenne pepper powder 2 tsp garam masala powder (check ingredients for any additives other than spice – rather double up the other spices if you can’t find a “pure” spice mix) Salt to taste Chopped fresh coriander to garnish Optional addition: Full cream yoghurt or coconut milk to finish

Method:

1) Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan, on medium heat. 2) Sauté onions until begin to turn a pale golden brown in color. 3) Add spices, ginger and garlic and sauté for 1 min. 4) Add tomatoes. 5) Add meat and 1/2 a cup of hot water to the pan, stir to mix well, simmer

the heat and cover the pan. Cook until the meat is done and tender (chicken breasts cook in 15min, lamb might take 2 hours or more to tenderise, depending on cut). You will need to keep checking on the lamb as it cooks and adding more water if all the water dries up. Stir often to prevent burning. The dish should have a fairly thick gravy when done.

6) Garnish with chopped coriander.

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  24  

How to use quinoa Quinoa is like couscous and it keeps well for several days, so you can eat it hot, but cook enough so that you have leftovers to use in salads for lunches.

Cook quinoa just like white rice. Measure out as many cups as you like into the pot and fill with lots of cold water – swirl the quinoa around and then pour the water off through a strainer. If you skip this step, there might be a bitter taste to the quinoa. Return all the quinoa to the pot and add fresh cold water in a 1:1 ¼ ratio of quinoa:water i.e. 1 cup of quinoa to 1 ¼ cups water.

Put the pot onto a medium/high heat and when it starts to bubble, turn the heat down as low as you can, cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Don’t lift the lid unnecessarily or you’ll lose precious steam. After 15 minutes, move the pot off the heat and leave the lid on for another 3 or 4 minutes.

When you are ready to use the quinoa, fluff it with a fork the way you would with cous cous.

You can eat it plain – perhaps add a pinch of salt to the cooking water – but there are lots of ways to make quinoa more interesting. I usually do one of the following:

1) Fry an onion, add a clove of garlic, the cooked quinoa, a dash of wine and/or stock and herbs of your choice. I usually add green veg to this e.g. some steamed broccoli or green beans and some spinach or kale. I always add a leafy vegetable and I like to keep it all white and green, but feel free to add whatever you like. A squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper and it’s a perfect side dish for fish, lamb or chicken…or eaten cold the next day with some chickpeas and feta cheese.

2) To make a grain salad with leftover plain quinoa, finely slice some spring onions and whatever other salad ingredients and fresh herbs you feel like. Then make a vinaigrette (I would do this in a mini Tupperware, so I can shake it together before I pour it on my salad) e.g. crushed garlic, a bit of dijon mustard, honey, vinegar or lemon juice and olive oil and salt to taste…that does make it nice, but honestly, if I am doing this early in the morning to take for lunch I use a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil and go. It’s a nice idea to add something like beans or chickpeas for extra protein, or some chicken, feta cheese etc. Seeds are also a good idea if you feel like it.

A few ideas:

• 1 Fennel bulb and 1 onion, sliced and caramelised together in a pan over gentle heat with some olive oil. Toss with 2 cups cooked quinoa, lemon juice and zest and some fresh or dried dill. Serve with salmon or other fish and green veg e.g. green beans or asparagus.

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  25  

• 1 onion, chopped and sautéed in olive oil. When onion is translucent, add 1 tsp curry powder (or garam masala), 1 clove garlic, minced and 1 tsp finely chopped or grated ginger. Add 2 cups cooked quinoa and 1 tin chickpeas (optional).

Cajun spiced chicken & quinoa:

2 cups cooked quinoa 1/2 cup mixed sprouts 1 cup rocket 1 spring onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 tsp ground cumin or cumin seeds 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1/2 cup mixed salad veg e.g. chopped cucumber, radish and red pepper 1 tsp flax oil 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil lemon juice and a pinch of salt to taste

For 4 chicken breasts:

1 tsp ground cumin ½ tsp ground coriander 1 tsp oreganum 1 garlic clove, crushed (optional) ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp cayenne (optional)

Mix together and use hands to massage evenly over chicken or fish before grilling or pan-frying.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  26  

Adding Flavour to Grains

You can do this in 2 ways:

1) Adding flavour DURING cooking. Fry and onion and some garlic in the cooking pot before adding the raw grain. Use stock instead of plain water and herbs of your choice. Follow the package instructions for quantity of liquid to use and cooking time. Some ideas:

• Italian cous cous: As above, but use a can of chopped tomatoes to replace some of the liquid. Add salt and pepper, a pinch of sugar and some oreganum and basil.

• Saffron rice to serve with fish: In the pestle and mortar, combine a handful of parsley, a clove of garlic and a generous pinch of saffron threads with a pinch of salt. Fry onion in olive oil, add rice and saffron mix and then fish stock. When the rice is cooked, finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and some lemon zest. This is the basic Spanish paella method. You would add mixed seafood about 5 minutes before the end of the rice cooking time. You can skip the mixed seafood and just serve with grilled fish.

2) Adding flavour AFTER cooking. Add chopped spring onions, fresh herbs, crushed garlic and some olive oil to the cooked grain. Depending on the dish you can also add lemon zest. Some ideas:

• Quinoa with green veg to serve with chicken or fish. Add spring onions, chopped parsley and lemon juice, salt and pepper. Steam any green vegetables of your choice e.g. green beans, spinach, peas, baby marrow and mix with the flavoured quinoa.

• To serve with curry or spice-rubbed chicken or fish: Mix cooked brown basmati rice with toasted cumin seeds, flaked almonds and chopped fresh parsley.

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  27  

Butternut & Lentil Salad

Ingredients

½ packet brown lentils

1 small butternut, peeled and cut into small cubes

1 tbsp honey or maple syrup

1 tbsp olive oil

1 shallot or ¼ onion, very finely chopped

3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

Walnuts & feta (optional)

Leafy greens e.g. rocket to serve.

Method

1) Put the lentils into a pot with lots of water and boil like pasta for about 15-20 minutes until tender – drain.

2) Toss the butternut in the honey or maple syrup and olive oil and roast at 180 degrees until soft and golden around the edges about 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the cubes.

3) While the butternut is cooking, put the chopped shallot and vinegar into a pan and simmer until the vinegar has reduced by about half.

4) Mix with the oil and mustard. 5) Combine the cooked lentils, roasted butternut and dressing. Season

with salt and pepper. Serve with leafy greens and top with chopped toasted walnuts (put them into the oven onto a dry baking tray for 3 minutes after the butternut) and crumbled feta cheese.

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  28  

Chicken, Barley & Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

Either 6-8 chicken breasts, depending on size, or a whole chicken (if you use a whole chicken, factor in the time it takes to cool and remove the meat from the bones)

1 x 500g bag soup mix, plus ¼ bag barley

1 kg bag carrots, grated

2 large onions, finely chopped

1 large stick celery, finely chopped

2 bay leaves

Water or chicken stock to cover

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1) Fill a large pot with water and put on a medium to high heat. 2) Add the soup mix and barley. 3) Grate the carrots and chop the celery and onion, adding to the pot as

you go. 4) Add the stock or water and the bay leaves. 5) Add the chicken and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked –

breasts take 10-15min, a whole chicken might take 30min or more. 6) Remove the chicken and cool. 7) When the barley and soup mix is tender (approximately 40min after it

comes to a simmer) remove from the heat, discard bay leaves and blend about 1/3 of the soup separately until it looks smooth and return it to the pot.

8) Cut the chicken into pieces and return to pot. 9) Before serving, heat through and season to taste, adding more water if

it looks too thick.

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  29  

Hake & Spinach Pie For 4 people:

500g sweet potatoes, boiled in skins, then chopped (with skins on) and mashed with:

1 tbsp grainy mustard

2 tbsp coconut oil (or olive, if you prefer) or ¼ cup coconut milk

salt to taste

In a bowl, combine:

1 box hake medallions, poached gently in stock and cut into cubes

2 small or one large packet spinach or Swiss chard, washed, steamed, squeezed out and chopped

1 egg, beaten

2 tsp curry powder

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup of the mashed sweet potato

Put the hake and spinach mix into a baking dish, top with mashed sweet potato. Bake at 180 degress for about half an hour until the top starts to look lightly browned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  30  

“Love Your Liver” Beetroot Salad

Ingredients:

1 bunch radish (about 8 small)

2 medium beetroots

2 medium carrots

1 green apple

1 handful sprouts (sunflower sprouts best, but alfalfa work as well)

Method:

1) Julienne all veg and apple and add Essential Omega Dressing (about ¼recipe to start, more if required).

2) “Squeeze” and mix ingredients with clean hands. 3) Garnish with sprouts.

This salad keeps well in the fridge for a few days.

Essential Omega Dressing

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup flax oil

2/3 cup olive oil

1 clove garlic (grated or minced)

pinch chilli flakes, cayenne, black pepper or crushed mustard seeds

pinch salt (preferably good quality sea salt)

Mix all ingredients in a jar and store in the fridge because flax oil is sensitive. Shake before using.

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  31  

 

Roasted Butternut Soup with Toasted Paprika Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients: 2 medium-sized butternuts 30 mlolive oil 5 cloves garlic 1 Lchicken or vegetable stock 45 mlpumpkin seeds 2 ml smoked paprika 1 tsp olive oil

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 200 ºC. Halve butternuts and scoop out seeds. Place cut-side down, on a baking tray. Roast for 40 minutes until tender. Put the unpeeled garlic cloves into the oven after about 25 minutes (they cook much faster than the butternut).

2) Cool the butternut slightly and then scoop out the flesh. Blend with about half the stock and the garlic (squeezed out of its skin). Blend until smooth.

3) Transfer soup to a saucepan and add remaining stock (until desired thickness)

4) Season to taste.

5) Fry pumpkin seeds and paprika in oil with a pinch of salt for 1-2 minutes. Drain on paper towel. Serve hot soup with toasted pumpkin seeds. Remember that butternut is a starchy vegetable, so count 1 cup of soup as a starch.

 

 

 

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  32  

 

 

Roasted Tomato & Basil Soup

Ingredients 1 1/5 kg ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tablespoon salt (if you use a stock that has salt in it, do not add this here – rather add about 1 tsp and check seasoning later 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 onions, chopped 2 tbsp olive oil 6 garlic cloves, peeled (if you don’t love garlic, use a bit less) 1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes 1 can cherry tomatoes, or whole plum tomatoes, with their juice 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 1 litre water or chicken stock (best to make your own with chicken bones, carrot, celery, onion and parsley)

Method Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Toss together the tomatoes, olive oil, salt, and pepper and whole garlic cloves. Spread this in 1 layer on a baking sheet and roast for 25-35 minutes, until nicely browned on the edges.

In a soup pot over medium heat, saute the onions with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and chilli flakes for 8-10 minutes, until the onions are translucent and start to brown. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes and garlic, including the liquid on the baking sheet. Blend roughly so there are still some small pieces of tomato if you like that - otherwise blend until smooth. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Taste for seasonings.

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  33  

Salad Dressings

All salad dressings should contain approximately 1 part acid (vinegar or lemon juice) to 3 parts oil.

It helps to start with your allocated portion of fat for that meal and add the acid part to that. If it seems like a very small quantity you can add a splash of water as well.

Make dressings in a jar with a lid, so you can shake the ingredients together and store the leftovers easily.

Classic Dijon Vinaigrette

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

¼ tsp Dijon mustard

salt & pepper to taste

Lemon, Thyme & Garlic

As for Classic Dijon, plus ½ tsp fresh thyme and 1 clove garlic, peeled and bruised and allowed to sit in the dressing for an hour or more.

Asian – See Confetti Salad ingredients and add orange segments (optional) and sesame seeds to the salad.

 

 

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  34  

Marinades & Spice Rubs These recipes make enough for the equivalent of 4 chicken breasts

Lemon Oreganum Marinade for Chicken or Fish

Juice of 1 lemon ¼ onion, sliced 1 tsp oreganum Black pepper ½ tsp salt

1) Mix all ingredients together and marinade chicken or fish for a few minutes (up to half an hour) before cooking.

2) Serve with fresh lemon wedges and chopped fresh herbs e.g. parsley.

Cajun Spice Rub for Chicken or Fish

1 tsp ground cumin ½ tsp ground coriander 1 tsp oreganum 1 garlic clove, crushed (optional) ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp cayenne (optional)

Mix together and use hands to massage evenly over chicken or fish before grilling or pan-frying.

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  35  

Stir Fry

Ingredients:

2 carrots, julienne 1 cup green veg e.g courgettes, sugar snap peas or broccoli 1 cup cabbage or other Asian greens 3-4 spring onions, finely sliced (keep tops for garnish – make long thin strips and soak in iced water – they curl up into a pretty edible garnish) 1 clove garlic, chopped 3-4 thin slices of fresh ginger, chopped 2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice Salt to taste 1 tsp sesame oil Oil for frying – approximately 1 tablespoon, but stick to allocated portions per serving – this makes enough for about 4 people.

For meat: (This is a method rather than a recipe, so the quantities are up to you – if you love chilli, add some too) 1 clove garlic, chopped or minced Either 1/2 tsp ground ginger or 3-4 slices fresh, finely chopped 1 tsp oil (or as much as needed according to your eating plan) 1 tsp Chinese 5 spice (optional) Salt to taste

Method: 1) Fry onions and carrot for 1 min 2) Add other veg and fry for 1 min 3) Add garlic and ginger and fry for 15 seconds until just fragrant – do not burn 4) Add lemon or lime juice and salt 5) Cook until veg just starts to wilt then remove from heat 6) Add sesame oil and season to taste

Method for meat: 1) Combine oil, spices, garlic and ginger and rub into meat. 2) Cook in a pan on high heat.

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  36  

Hamburgers Ingredients:

500g extra lean mince

½ onion – finely chopped and sautéed in butter or olive oil

1 tablespoon mixed herbs

¾ tsp ground coriander

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

½ tsp salt and pepper to taste (always cook a small piece to check seasoning before you shape the burgers)

Method:

1) Mix all the ingredients together with your hands and shape into burgers. 2) Cook for about 12 minutes (for well done) in a dry pan over high heat,

turning 2 or 3 times during cooking.

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  37  

Simple Egg Muffins

Ingredients:

8-9 eggs (Eat 2-3, depending how much protein you need for breakfast)

1 cup milk

1 cup any mixed veg of your choice e.g. sautéed onions, mushrooms, peppers and chopped, steamed spinach OR leftover steamed asparagus with sliced spring onions – anything will do.

Salt and black pepper

Optional extras for adding flavour:

Crumbled feta or goats cheese

Fresh herbs – chopped

Smoked meat or sausage e.g. bacon or chorizo. These add wonderful flavour, but please be sure to check ingredients to avoid things like nitrates and MSG in your regular breakfasts.

Method:

1) Preheat the oven to 180oC. 2) Use butter or olive oil to grease a muffin pan. 3) Distribute the vegetables in the 12 sections of the pan. 4) Whisk together eggs and milk and pour approximately 1/3 cup into

each section. 5) Season individually with a quick grind of salt and pepper. 6) If adding any of the additional flavours, just place then into the

individual sections on top of the other ingredients. 7) Bake for 12-15 minutes until puffed and golden. They will sink slightly

when cooling.

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  38  

Venison Kebabs Serves 4

Ingredients:

500g venison (e.g. eland or springbok) or ostrich fillet, cut into 3x3cm cubes

1 onion, peeled and cut into large chunks, separating the layers

1 green or yellow pepper

1 red pepper

1 ½ cups tomato puree or crushed tomatoes

1 tbsp garam masala (mixed curry spice powder) OR any bought curry paste of your choice – check ingredients so that the mix contains only things like garlic, ginger and real spices, and not any artificial flavours, starch thickeners, sugar or chemical preservatives. If you do not have a mix at home, combine 1tsp coriander, 1tsp cumin and 1 tsp turmeric instead.

1 clove garlic, chopped

½ tsp salt

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Method:

1) Combine all ingredients in a bowl and allow to marinate for 30 minutes or more.

2) Thread meat and vegetables onto 4 large or 8 small wooden skewers. Tip: soak skewers in water for 30 min before using – this helps them not to burn during cooking.

3) These can be cooked on a grill outside, or placed on a baking tray under the grill in the oven. Cook for approximately 10 minutes, turning to brown all sides, but leaving meat slightly pink in the middle.

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  39  

Brazil Nut Crumble

Ingredients:

100g brazil nuts, chopped

100g pumpkin seeds

100g walnuts, chopped

50g flaked almonds

50g sunflower seeds

2 tsp cinnamon

3 tbsp coconut oil, melted

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 160oC. 2) Toss all nuts and seeds with cinnamon and coconut oil, spread onto a

baking sheet and cook for 10-15 minutes until toasted and fragrant. 3) Serve with plain yogurt and fruit of your choice.

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  40  

Salmon Fish Cakes Enough for about 8 large or 16 cocktail cakes

Ingredients

1 large or 2 small tins of salmon

1 onion, finely chopped and sautéed

1 tsp oil for frying onion

1 medium sweet potato – cooked, peeled and mashed (or use about 2/3 cup mashed butternut instead)

1 egg, beaten

Handful of fresh parsley, chopped

¼ tsp lemon zest, finely grated or chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Almond flour for coating

Oil for shallow frying (optional – it is also possible to bake these on a greased baking sheet until golden brown, turning once or twice)

Method

1) Mash salmon carefully with all its bones. Go through it carefully and “squash” any remaining pieces of bone between your fingertips – this is a wonderful source of calcium.

2) Add all the ingredients apart from the almond flour and mix well. 3) Either preheat the oven to 180 degrees C, or heat a pan on the stove

with some oil and then start to shape the mixture into cakes with your hands.

4) Dip each cake into the almond flour and then cook.

You can make a quick tomato and red pepper chutney to go with your fish cakes, or simply serve them with lemon wedges.

Tomato and red pepper chutney:

1) Peel and de-seed 2-3 medium tomatoes. You can use a can of whole peeled tomatoes - just drain them well.

2) Saute one finely chopped onion and one finely chopped red pepper in a small saucepan for 3 minutes on medium heat.

3) Chop the tomatoes and add to the pan, along with ½ a chopped apple (for sweetness) and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar.

4) Add salt to taste and cook for 7-8 minutes, or until the onion is tender, adding water if it looks like it is sticking.

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  41  

Smoothies

Basic components:

• 1-2 fruit servings, depending on your daily requirements e.g. 1 banana plus ½ cup berries. You can use frozen fruit or add some ice cubes if you want a nice cold smoothie.

• 1-2 fat servings, depending on your daily requirements e.g. 1 tsp flax oil, 2 tsp peanut butter, 1 tbsp chia or hemp seeds, ¼ avocado etc. OR use a nut milk e.g. almond milk as liquid.

• Flavour e.g. lemon juice, granadilla, vanilla extract, cinnamon, chai spices etc.

• 1 cup milk or milk substitute e.g. almond milk OR plain water. • Optional protein powder e.g. whey or hemp protein – whey is an

excellent recovery snack component that really helps to rebuild your muscles and hemp is a more alkaline-forming plant source of protein. You can buy both of these from most health shops.

• Other “super foods” are a nice addition to smoothies to boost their nutritional punch e.g. maca root powder, spirulina etc. Remember that things like fresh berries, cocoa and flax oil are also “super foods” so don’t feel that you have to spend a fortune on branded, imported items to be healthy.

Chocolate Avocado Protein Smoothie

1 banana 1/2 avocado 1-2 tsp cocoa powder (depending on intensity desired) 2 tablespoons whey protein concentrate powder or hemp protein powder few drops vanilla extract pinch salt 1 large fresh date or 2 small dried dates that are soaked in water overnight 1 tsp maca powder 1 cup milk (or water) – you could try using less liquid to make this nice and thick so it can be eaten with a spoon like chocolate mousse :) 4-5 ice cubes (optional)

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  42  

Summer Smoothie

1 banana ½ cup pineapple or mango (or leave out the banana and use ½ cup each pineapple and mango) ½ fresh granadilla, scooped out from flesh – this is delicious, but not essential 2 tbsp protein powder Few drops vanilla extract 1 tsp flax oil Milk of choice Ice cubes, optional

Berry Smoothie

1 cup berries 2 tbsp protein powder Few drops vanilla extract 1 tsp flax oil Milk of choice Ice cubes, optional

Green Breakfast Smoothie

Either juice some kale or spinach (about 50g) OR use a green powder e.g. wheatgrass or spirulina 1 granny smith apple, peeled and seeds removed ½ cup pineapple Freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 tbsp hemp protein powder 1 tsp flax oil Water as liquid Ice cubes, optional

 

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  43  

Super Bircher Muesli

This is a standard recipe that you can alter to suit your preferences. The basic ingredients are oats and some liquid to soak them in overnight. The liquid can be milk, water, apple juice or any other fruit juice you like – fresh orange or berry juices work nicely. It is nice to add some fresh blueberries (in season) or dried goji berries for their antioxidant properties and chia or ground flax seeds provide some essential omega 3 fatty acids. Chia seeds have a more neutral flavor than flax, although they are more expensive because they are imported.

Basic mix to make the night before (can be stored for up to a week in the fridge):

40g (about half a cup) rolled oats per serving (3 cups for a large bowl)

2/3 cup liquid per serving – You might have to adjust the consistency by adding more liquid in the morning, but rather go too dry than too wet the night before.

1 tablespoon dried fruit per serving – always use some raisins or unsulphured chopped apricots for sweetness, then if there are no seasonal berries add dried goji berries to soak overnight (use about ½ cup dried fruit for a large bowl)

If you choose to add chia or ground flax seeds they can be added to this basic mix to soak (use about 3 heaped tablespoons for a large bowl or 1 tbsp per serving for smaller portions). Keep other nuts and seeds to add just before serving.

In the morning:

1) Check consistency and stir in some more milk if necessary – it should be like thick porridge – not runny, but not crumbly or stiff either.

2) Add grated apple (about ½ apple per serving or 2 for a large bowl) – you can also add berries or other fruit (1 cup for a large bowl).

3) Optional extras: Cinnamon, honey or other flavours e.g. vanilla extract if you like.

4) Add a spoon of plain yoghurt to each serving or as a layer on top of a large bowl.

5) Garnish with toasted seeds or chopped nuts – I prefer to add these just before eating, so they stay crunchy.

This recipe can be made with almond or rice milk for those who are lactose intolerant or prefer to avoid dairy, in which case leave out the yoghurt as well.

 

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