You don’t have to exchange tasty food and curries for a bland diet in order to lose weight. Here are some ideas on healthy eating while still enjoying your Asian food.
General Guidelines
Use as little oil as possible. Put it into cooking by the teaspoon full.
Eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day.
Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day.
Don’t eat more than a cereal bowl full of wet curry or three tablespoons full of dry curry — a little more for men.
Breakfasts
1. Porridge; use semi-skimmed milk, and add a few sultanas or a little honey.
2. Methi (fenugreek) roti: cook as chapati without oil; serve with yoghurt, no butter
3. One boiled egg with a slice of wholemeal toast, spread thinly with butter or margarine.
4. Unsweetened cereal with semi-skimmed milk.
5. Wholemeal toast with banana.
Lunches
1. Whole bean curry.
2. Stuffed paratha cooked without oil and served with natural yoghurt.
3. Dry spiced vegetable curry and natural yoghurt.
4. Chicken or lamb curry; use lean meat and little oil.
5. Vegetarian mince or lean minced lamb cooked with peas.
Dinners
Keep this meal light and start with a mixed salad, which is filling, but low in calories.
1. Split lentil dahl with tomato chutney.
2. Chicken tikka (see recipe) stuffed in pitta bread and lots of fresh salad and mint dip.
3. Spicy mushrooms served with raita.
4. Potato and pea curry.
5. Masala fish served with plenty of salad and mint dip. Serve with rice, chapatis, naan or pitta bread (bread should be unbuttered). Bread portions should consist of 2 – 3 slices.
Get Fit & Healthy
Ditch processed foods and go simple and natural. Simple fresh meals can be cooked just as quickly.
Why?
Processed foods can be high in fat and salt. Adding natural unrefined food boosts your fibre intake and fills you up.
How?
Eat whole grain breakfast cereals and bread. Eat fruit; jacket potatoes with salad; include broccoli — one of the best vegetables you can eat.
Recipe of the Week
Chicken Tikka
Serves 6
Ingredients
800 g lean chicken breasts (skinned)
4 cloves crushed garlic
4 small pieces ginger, finely grated
4 tsp. yoghurt
2 level tsp. salt
4 green chilies, finely chopped
6 tsp. tandoori paste
4 tsp. olive oil
Finely chopped coriander
Tomato wedges
Method
Wash chicken, cut into 3-cm long pieces and place in a large bowl. Add all ingredients, except the oil, and mix well. Leave to soak for 2 - 3 hours. Pan-fry the chicken with olive oil for 5 minutes on a moderate heat. Cook in a pre-heated oven 200C for 25 minutes, or until tender. Garnish with tomato wedges and coriander.
Ask Alva
I am a 34-year old woman weighing 60 kg. My height is 5.0’ I have two kids age 5 and 4. I have been trying to loose weight for the past 3-4 years without success, going through numerous crash diets and gym. But I lose all good intentions and resolutions when I don’t seem to lose any weight. I also have a very big tummy, which I cannot seem to reduce. Right now I am following the diet plan but can you please suggest something that will work for me so I can lose at least 5-8 kg? Shalini
Your BMI is 25, which means that you are a little overweight. Aim for 55 kilos. One thing you can start to do right now is to begin following my Weekly Task in Review. But you also need to take regular exercise and eat healthy, balanced meals every day. I never advise low-calorie dieting because in the long term, it will only serve to make you put on even more weight. Also, if you impose a low-calorie diet regime, then your body goes into negative-metabolism mode. Effectively, your body’s metabolism slows down in answer to being starved of food, which makes it even harder to lose weight. If you email to [email protected] you will receive a copy of my Healthy Eating Guide — this explains how to ensure that you follow a healthy diet and will advise you on portion sizes. Alva
