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Banting Plan
Appropriate for a person weighing 81-100kg
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 for a Banting-style diet. They were
designed because we have had many requests for a Banting
menu and portion guide for those trying to follow this type of
diet. The recommendations in the food lists are taken directly
from the Real Meal Food Lists and we suggest that if you are
interested in this way of eating as a lifestyle, you take a look
at www.realmealrevolution.com. These plans are designed to
be appropriate in terms of quantity for weight loss or
maintenance, whilst following the basic carbohydrate
restriction of under 50g per day, as recommended in the Real
Meal guidelines. If you are in any doubt about whether or not
these plans are suitable for you (including, for example, if you
have an existing illness or medical condition, 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 diet. 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 1
FRUIT, STARCH or STARCHY VEG 1
VEGETABLES* 4+
PROTEIN 11 (1 high fat plus 10 lean)
FAT 12
SUGAR Use alternatives and try to reduce
need for sweetness by reducing the
amount you use each week until it is
very occasional.
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
TREATS A low carb lifestyle does not allow
for eating sugar or refined
starches. We suggest using
products like “Banting” cakes and
breads as treats initially, rather
than as staples, since many of
these products are not well
formulated. Please also read
ingredients. During the first 8
weeks, stick to the simple foods
that are suggested in this plan and
count your portions. It is as much
about learning as it is about
cleaning up your diet. After that,
you can decide on 2 treats that
you will plan into your week ahead
of time that will make this feel
sustainable for you.
**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 consistently eat less than the servings recommended 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 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 a small amount of fruit is recommended,
because it is full of vitamins and fibre, the reason why it helps to restrict fruit
consumption is to reduce your 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 things like butternut and sweet
potato as starchy vegetables. Get into a habit of trying to add 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.
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. A portion of starchy vegetables has the same amount of
carbohydrate as a portion of fruit, so these are your major carbohydrate
sources and it is important to understand your portions sizes and to read
labels of mixed foods to see where your carbohydrates are coming from.
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PROTEIN
Protein plays an important role in helping you to feel satisfied when you eat. It
is critical to remember that a low carbohydrate diet does not mean that you
can eat an abundance of protein. You should be eating a moderate amount of
protein, which means approximately a palm-sized piece of meat at each meal.
As with all foods, try to eat a variety of different meats and aim to eat organic,
free-range, grass-fed meat and eggs, and wild SASSI-approved fish.
• Avoid eating very processed meats (e.g. ham, viennas, bacon) that
contain lots of nitrates, colours and flavours – rather eat cold meat you
have cooked yourself.
• If you eat meat with lots of fat, like streaky bacon, a chop or piece of
steak with its fat, chicken with skin, ribs, salami, parma ham/prosciutto
with fat, or any other obviously fatty meat, count it as high fat protein,
or count fat portions along with the protein portions. It does not mean
that meat fat is not allowed, it is simply because the protein portions in
this plan are calculated around lean meats and protein sources like
eggs, so additional fat must be considered separately.
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. Ghee (clarified butter) also
handles heat well.
• 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.
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
e.g. 1000 – 2000mg fish or flax oil capsules daily.
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Portions Guide
Daily Allowance – Number of Examples of One Portion
Portions
___ Milk 1 cup milk
3/4 cup plain yoghurt or cottage cheese
Note: These milk portions are here to 1 cup buttermilk/maas
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.
___Fruit 1 medium (tennis ball size) or 2 small (golf ball
size) fresh fruit or:
Note: Each fruit portion contains the ½ cup chopped fresh fruit or berries
same amount of carbohydrate as a ½ cup unsweetened fruit juice
starch portion, so you can eat more *Remember that dried fruit is concentrated – e.g.
fruit and less starch sometimes. one tablespoon raisins = 1 bunch grapes
___Vegetables ½ cup cooked vegetables (not including starchy
vegetables)
1 cup raw vegetables e.g. salad
Note: Remember to count starchy ½ cup vegetable juice e.g.
veg as a starch. cucumber/tomato/celery/leafy greens
___Starch
½ cup cooked starchy veg e.g. sweet potato,
Reading labels : butternut or peas
1 portion = 15g total carbohydrate
(1-3g protein as well) If you do include these, your portion sizes
must be carefully controlled because they are
high-carbohydrate foods. If you struggle to
control your portion size, rather avoid them.
___Protein 30g (matchbox size) meat or chicken
*These are high fat options. 45g fish/sardines
3 tablespoons canned tuna/salmon (approx. ½
Reading labels: small tin tuna)
1 portion – 7g protein 1 large egg
¼ cup cooked mince
¼ cup nuts, seeds, or 2 tablespoons nut
butter*
30g cheese*
___Fat 1 tsp butter, ghee or oil
2 teaspoons mayonnaise
Reading labels: 2 tsp almond butter
1 portion = 5g fat ¼ medium avocado
1 tablespoon nuts or seeds
Note: If you count nuts, nut butter or 5 big/ 10 small olives
seeds as fat rather than protein, the 1 tbsp cream, coconut cream or cream cheese
serving size is much smaller. 2 tbsp coconut milk (1/4 cup = 2 fat servings)
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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 green and orange lists that go along with
the Real Meal Revolution guides are carefully calculated for specific foods, so
if you are being very strict, go with those lists to begin with. The risk of sticking
too closely to lists long-term is that you restrict your options, and the variety of
your diet, which is why these more general portion guides have been provided.
The table below might help when you are trying to apply the portions guide:
Portion size Used commonly for Equivalent
these foods
1 teaspoon (tsp) = 5ml Butter or oil ½ of the top joint of your
thumb
1 tablespoon (tbsp) = Fats, including nuts Acorn or ½ golf ball
15ml and seeds
2 tablespoons = 30ml Almond butter Golf ball
30g Nuts, cheese, meat, Matchbox, egg, meat
dried fruit 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, vegetables, Tennis ball, computer
starchy vegetables mouse or light bulb
1 cup = 250ml 2 portions fruit or Grapefruit, baseball
cooked vegetables, 1
portion salad
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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 1/2 cup berries Coffee with milk and sugar is
2 boiled eggs 2 boiled eggs such a habit I forgot
¼ avocado ¼ avocado
1 cup coffee, no sugar Coffee with milk and 1 sugar
Snack:
1 handful raw almonds Biscuit at work Forgot to pack properly before I
left the house and was
STARVING by 10am
Lunch:
1 sachet tuna 1 sachet tuna
½ avocado ½ avocado None – good planning J
lots of salad lots of salad
1 tbsp toasted sunflower seeds 1 tbsp toasted sunflower seeds
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 chicken breast Forgot to measure oil properly,
1 cup broccoli 1 cup broccoli so don’t know how much I added
2 tsp oil for cooking ?? oil for cooking
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 lists and guidelines are taken from The Real Meal Revolution. 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, refined fats, preservatives, colours and flavours.
Green List
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.
Cottage cheese
Cream*
Cream cheese*
Full-cream Greek yoghurt
Full-cream milk
Cheeses
*These are considered fat portions according to this plan
Fats
Any rendered animal fat
Avocado oil
Butter
Cheese - firm, natural, full-fat, aged cheeses (not processed)
Coconut oil
Duck fat
Ghee
Lard
Macadamia oil
Mayonnaise, full fat only (not from seeds oils)
Olive oil
Nuts and Seeds
Almonds
Flaxseeds
Macadamia nuts
Pecan nuts
Pine nuts
Pumpkin seeds
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Sunflower seeds
Walnuts
Sweeteners
Erythritol granules
Stevia powder
Xylitol granules
Vegetables
All green leafy vegetables (spinach, cabbage, lettuces etc)
Any other vegetables grown above the ground (except butternut)
Artichoke hearts
Asparagus
Aubergines
Avocados
Broccoli
Brussel sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Celery
Courgettes
Leek
Mushrooms
Onions
Peppers
Pumpkin
Radishes
Sauerkraut
Spring onions
Tomatoes
Orange List (the amounts listed here provide approximately 1 fruit or
starch “portion” according to this plan, or approximately 15g
carbohydrate)
Fruits
Apples 1
Bananas ½ small-medium size
Blackberries 1 ¾ C
Blueberries ¾ C
Cherries (sweet) ½ C
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Clementines 1 ½ small
Figs 1 ½ small
Gooseberries ¾ C
Grapes (green) 1/3 C
Guavas 1
Kiwi fruits 1 ½
Litchis 9
Mangos, sliced 1/3 C
Nectarines 1
Oranges 1
Pawpaw ½ small
Peaches 1
Pears (Bartlett) ½
Pineapple, sliced, ½ C
Plums 2
Pomegranate ¼
Prickly pears 2
Quinces 1
Raspberries 1 C
Strawberries 12
Watermelon 1 C
Nuts – remember these are also high in fat
Cashews, raw, 3 T
Chestnuts, raw, ½ C
Sweeteners
Honey 1 t
Vegetables
Butternut ¾ C
Carrots 2 ½ medium
Sweet potato 1/3 C
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Fat Bombs
This low-carbohydrate way of eating might require more fat consumption than
you are used to. These are all ways to add additional fat if your meals do not
provide enough to suit your plan. Always count the portions of fat you use.
Here are some ideas:
• “Bullet proof” coffee, which is the name for adding a desired amount of
coconut oil, butter, or MCT oil, or a combination, to your coffee and
blending it together. It is sometimes mentioned as a substitute for
breakfast, but we do not recommended this as a regular meal
replacement because it is low in essential nutrients. It can be used
simply to add fat if you really need it.
• Avocado mousse or smoothies – use 1 avocado and add cocoa
powder, vanilla and xylitol to taste, blending into a mousse, or adding
some water, milk or coconut milk to make a smoothie.
• Adding spoons of coconut oil or flax seed oil to smoothies.
• Guacamole or avocado salsa makes a great addition to a piece of fish
or burger.
• A simple “salsa verde” – in a food processor, finely chop fresh herbs
like basil, flat-leaf parsley, chives and coriander. Add some grated
lemon zest and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Drizzle in enough olive
oil to make a sauce and season with salt and black pepper. This is
delicious with steak, lamb, chicken and fish, or used as a salad
dressing.
• Adding olives, seeds and avocado to salads.
• The occasional cream sauce or coconut milk curry.
Remember that it might not be necessary to add these foods in the plans for
lower weight categories, so follow the portion allowances and the notes in the
menu to guide you at first.
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Food
Records
Date:
Planned
Meals
Actual
Consumption
Unplanned
eating
and
reason
Breakfast:
Snack:
Lunch:
Snack:
Supper:
Other:
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