The Seasoned Chef
I have said it before and I will say it again. Number one on the list, Food has to taste great.
There is no point eating something you don’t like regardless of how good it is for you.
I have tried the lot. Raw eggs, ghastly protein powders, plain chicken breast, tuna in springwater the list goes on.
But there is no need for these plain or horrible foods to pass your lips. You can tick off great tasting along with great nutrition for every meal with these easy to use tips.
For breakfast and snacks look no further than berries. You can add them to natural plain yoghurt, blend them up with some cottage cheese or protein shake. Throw in some walnuts to round out the good fats and you have a nutritionally complete, great tasting meal in minutes.
My top three are blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. Grab them fresh in season and have a bag of frozen as a backup.
When it comes to adding flavour to meat skip the high sugar or high fat sauces and marinades and go straight for the herbs and spices. For the best flavour you want freshly ground. The most convenient way to do this is to grab a premixed seasoning grinder like this or putting your favorite mix into a small pepper mill.
Currently I am using a mix of sea salt, red bell peppers, garlic, black peppercorns, oregano and parsley. Apply liberally to both sides of your chicken or steak immediately before cooking. For tuna mix in with a teaspoon or two of mayonnaise.
Follow these simple steps and you will go from bland and boring to brilliant, gourmet healthy meals. You will never have to complain that you have to eat healthy!
Kitchen here we come.
James
June 11th, 2009 at 12:54 am
How can you forget nuts and seeds? They glamorise a salad, and sex up a bland dish of oatmeal with milk. I use nuts and raisins (and even fruits), so a PWO meal is a real treat for me!
June 14th, 2009 at 11:35 am
Great idea. I use nuts a bit in cooking, but eat them straight up more of the time.
June 14th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
Instead of mayo for the tuna, you can use a goat’s yogurt, which is less fattening, and I like to add ground up almonds to give it good fats. It gives it good flavor, a slight crunch, which diced up celery also gives. For added flavor to either tuna or chicken, I like to add a dash of curry.
For oatmeal, same thing with ground up nuts, flaxseed, some cut up dried fruit (or fresh fruit), & good protein powder to round things out.
June 16th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
It is a good idea to keep all bottled spices and herbs in the freezer…that ‘stale’ taste never eventuates.
June 17th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
Great tip, because it can take a long time to get through them. A lot of the time you might buy a whole jar/shaker and only use it every few months.
June 17th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
Never tried goat yogurt, tried goats feta, but I’m always up for something new.
July 1st, 2009 at 5:51 pm
I *totally* agree with you – there is no point in struggling through a meal you don’t like, just because it’s healthy. There are so many fantastic, healthy foods that taste really, really good.
I’m also a fan of eating real, actual food. Rather than things which are made in a lab.
I have a similar spice grinder. At the moment mine contains dried chilli, fennel, paprika, salt, pepper and dried garlic. Such an easy way to perk up any meal.