Food

Diet Foods That Don’t Taste Like Diet Foods

It’s important that we say this here and now: largely, being on a diet completely sucks. Nobody likes to feel like they are denying themselves pleasure or indeed food that other people seem free to enjoy. This is one of the main reasons that most diets fail – nobody can perpetuate a life of self-denial without the cracks showing eventually. So, how do people lose weight if temptation is everywhere and abstinence isn’t the answer? Well, the answer is, as with so many things, to change your mindset – that is to say, seek out foods that are healthy but also give you intense pleasure. Let’s take a look at some of these game-changing foods.

Breakfast
Breakfast is key. Breakfast is exciting. Frankly, I live for breakfast. There are plenty of options here that will really set you up for the day and, frankly, this is the meal where you can really afford to feast (it’s best to wind down your portions as you get through to the end of the day so that your digestion isn’t so encumbered and you’re actually hungry when you wake up in the morning) so let’s get going:
Nut butter with mushed-up banana on wholegrain toast
Oh god, this is the best. What’s important is that you get the core ingredients right: the nut butter should be sugar-free and, if you’re a woman with a high oestrogen count, you might want to go for something like almond or hazelnut butter, as the traditional peanut butter is quite oestrogenic itself. Still, when it’s teamed with wholegrain toast and banana, you’re getting a breakfast that is incredibly high in fibre, protein, potassium, monounsaturated fats and you’re getting one of your fruit and vegetable portions as well. You only need half a banana to really get the benefit of the gooey caramelised sweetness, and if you sprinkle some digestion-enhancing cinnamon on the whole thing and put it under the grill for about a minute, you’re going to have yourself a taste sensation beyond compare.
Lunch
Turkey Mandarin Salad with Honey Lime Dressing
Sometimes, all you need to do is recontextualise a ‘healthy’ food and suddenly it seems like the most appealing thing in the world. Such is the case with this, a particular gem in my bulging folder of turkey recipes. Turkey is low in saturated fats and high in selenium, which helps regulate the thyroid and immune system.
600g turkey meat
4 onions, chopped
300g canned mandarin orange segments, drained Green salad of your choice – I’m a big fan of a peppery watercress/rocket mix
For the dressing: 2 tsp lime zest
½ tsp mustard powder
60ml lime juice
4tsp runny honey
60ml olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Serves 4.
Fry the turkey using a low calorie cooking spray. Set aside to cool.
Then combine the turkey, oranges and raw onion in a bowl. Mix them up and allow the flavours to mingle.
Combine all the dressing ingredients in a sealed jar and then shake to combine.
Toss everything together and then serve the turkey mixture over a bed of green leaves. It’s a very light but incredibly zesty and satisfying dish.
These are mere suggestions. You know your own tastes better than anyone. The point is that the key to properly changing your lifestyle is making it a lifestyle that you actually want to pursue. Yes, of course there are going to be slips and overindulgences but as long as you’re able to keep on track 80% of the time, that will be enough to make your healthy eating choices stick. Remember: dark chocolate, avocado, little pockets of dried apricots, a steaming bowl of porridge…all these things are good for you. This is no time to despair, it’s a time to experiment! Enjoy!