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Diet
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AWW.COM.aU JANUARY 2012

Michelle Bridges

What you eat is even more important than how much exercise you do, says Michelle Bridges, and here she puts together a five-day diet plan exclusively for The Weekly readers to kick-start your new year, new you weight loss.

DIET PLAN
DAY 1
BREAKFAST One cup untoasted muesli with skim milk and passionfruit LUNCH Tuna, chickpea and coriander salad DINNER Chinese poached chicken with steamed bok choy, ginger and shallots

DAY

Tuna, chickpea and coriander salad

Serves 2 prep tiMe 10 mINUTES KILOJOULES per Serve 3912

Tuna and chickpeas is a satisfying salad that wont weigh you down during the afternoon.

OUR WEIGHT and your health will always come down to what you put in your mouth. So its super-essential to eat well not just while youre torching the extra kilos, but for the rest of your life. Eating for good health should be fun! And learning to cook good, nutritious food for yourself is not only a big money saver its an essential skill. Just remember a few basic rules. Watch your calories To lose weight, women need to stick to 5024 kilojoules and day and men to 7536 kilojoules. Keep an eye on the scales If the kilos are starting to creep up and youre having to jump around the room to zip up your favourite jeans, take action. Check your portion sizes and kilojoule counts, cut back on alcohol and ramp up your exercise. Set limits for yourself Use smaller plates, never go back for seconds, never eat while youre cooking and never eat the leftovers. Dessert is a luxury Dont eat them every day, theyre for special occasions only. Eat whole foods The fresher the better.

Motivation Tip
We all know what we should be eating. There are no secrets out there. How many times have you heard someone say, I shouldnt be eating this, but ... as they stuff another piece of banana bread into their mouth? Does this sound familiar?

1 Combine the chickpeas, tuna, tomato, onion and coriander in a large bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice, and season with pepper. Toss to combine. COOKS TIP This salad improves after standing out of the fridge for 15 minutes, as the avours infuse. Perfect for a lunch box.

COVER AND AUTHOR PHOTOGRAPHY BY nICK WILSON. FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY BY JULIE RENOUF. PENGUIN.

400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 180g can tuna in springwater, drained 1 large tomato, coarsely chopped small red onion, thinly sliced 1 bunch coriander, coarsely chopped 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly ground black pepper

JANUARY 2012 AWW.COM.aU

Its super-essential to eat well not just while youre torching the extra kilos, but for the rest of your life.

DAY 2
BREAKFAST Two soft poached eggs on wholegrain toast LUNCH Rare roast beef wholegrain sandwich with salad and Dijon mustard DINNER Atlantic salmon stir fry with gai lan

250g salmon llet, skin off, deboned and cut into 3cm cubes 1 tablespoons lemon juice 3 teaspoons low-salt soy sauce 1 Add half the oil in a wok or medium frying pan on medium heat, and stir-fry the garlic for 3 minutes or until golden. Remove from the wok with a slotted spoon. 2 Increase the heat to high. Stir-fry the asparagus, water chestnuts and gai lan stems for 45 minutes or until just tender, then remove them from the wok. 3 Heat the remaining oil and stir-fry the salmon cubes until browned, but still pink inside. Add the lemon juice and stir-fry for a further 30 seconds, or until the juice has almost evaporated. Remove from the wok. 4 Stir-fry the gai lan leaves until they start to wilt, then return all the ingredients to the wok with the soy sauce and stir-fry until coated. Serve immediately. COOKS TIP Make sure you dont cut the salmon cubes too small, or theyll overcook and be dry.

Motivation Tip

Best time of the day to train? First thing in the morning: its when youre least likely to be pulled away from it, and youll get the monkey off your back nice and early.

Salmon stir-fry with gai lan and water chestnuts

Serves 2 prep and cook tiMe 20 mINUTES KILOJOULES A Serve 1218

Stir-fries are an absolute basic in our house. You might not think of using salmon in one, but, in fact, the high heat and quick cooking result in a nicely seared crust and a beautiful rare interior. Luscious!

2 teaspoons peanut oil 3 cloves garlic, sliced 1 bunch asparagus, cut into 4cm chunks 227g can water chestnuts, drained and rinsed 1 bunch gai lan, stems coarsely chopped and leaves torn

BREAKFAST Wholegrain toast with ricotta cheeses and a pear slice LUNCH Udon noodle soup DINNER Kangaroo, beetroot and feta salad

DAY 3

200g kangaroo llet, trimmed freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar 1 Combine the mesclun, beetroot and feta in a large bowl. 2 Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan on high. Season the kangaroo with pepper, and cook it for 12 minutes on each side until well browned but still rare. Remove from the pan and stand for 2 minutes before slicing. 3 Add the kangaroo and vinegar to the bowl of salad and toss to coat. COOKING TIP For tender kangaroo, make sure you cook the meat rare to medium in a hot pan. Also, while kangaroo meat doesnt have any fat, make sure you trim off any sinew, as it can be chewy.

Kangaroo, beetroot and feta salad

Serves 2 prep and cook tiMe 20 Minutes KILOJOULES A Serve 1139

My favourite meat needs no introduction! When cooked correctly, its tender and surprisingly delicate in avour.

100g mesclun salad mix, washed 440g can baby beetroot, drained and halved 50g feta, crumbled 2 teaspoons olive oil

Motivation Tip

Im a major fan of habits and rituals. Of course, Im talking about the ones that are good for us. They keep us consistent, and we all know consistency is king, right? Think about it. When was the last time you had to psych yourself up to brush your teeth.

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DAY 4

BREAKFAST White beans with spinach and fried eggs on toast LUNCH Chicken and salad wrap DINNER Pan fried salmon steak with rocket and asparagus

White beans with spinach on toast

SERVES 4 PREP 10 Minutes COOK 10 Minutes KILOJOULES A Serve 1432

This is the perfect dish for a weekend brunch with friends; it also makes a great, quick Sunday night meal when you dont feel like cooking.

1 Lightly spray a large non-stick frying pan with olive oil and heat on mediumhigh. Break the eggs into the pan and cook for 12 minutes until the whites are set, then slide them out onto 4 warm plates. 2 Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan on medium and cook the onion and garlic, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in the beans and cook until heated through; meanwhile, put the bread in the toaster. Add the spinach and tomato to the bean mixture, stir, and cook until the spinach is just wilted. 3 Add two pieces of toast to the egg on each plate, and spoon over the beans. Top with the parmesan and serve immediately.

Motivation Tip

My snowball theory. You know the cartoon where a snowball starts rolling down a mountain and gets faster and faster and bigger and bigger? Thats what your metabolism is like once you get it up and running with regular exercise and good nutrition.

olive oil spray 4 eggs 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 brown onion, diced 1 clove garlic, crushed 2420g can cannellini beans, drained, rinsed 8 slices mixed-grain bread 80g baby spinach 1 large tomato, diced cup shaved parmesan

COOKS TIP If youre only two, use the leftover bean mixture to make a dip for lunch. Place it in a food processor with cup plain low-kilojoule yogurt and a tablespoon of tahini and lemon juice and process until smooth. Serve with 100g each of carrot, cucumber and celery sticks and a small toasted wholemeal pita bread for a 1051kJ lunch per serve for two people.

DAY 5

BREAKFAST Fresh fruit with low-fat yogurt LUNCH Tandoori chicken with carrot salad DINNER Baked white sh with yogurt dressing and eggplant

Tandoori chicken with carrot salad

Serves 2 prep and cook tiMe 35 mINUTES KILOJOULES A Serve 1335

Tandoori seasoning is great for chicken, and the black mustard seeds add crunch and heat to the carrot salad.

Motivation Tip
When youre eating out for dinner with friends, ensure you have a healthy afternoon snack. Group dinners are notorious for having a big gap between ordering and dinner turning up.

220g chicken breast llets 1 tablespoon tandoori seasoning cooking oil spray Indian grated carrot salad 2 tablespoons shredded coconut 2 teaspoons vegetable oil teaspoon black mustard seeds 8 fresh curry leaves small red onion, nely chopped long green chilli, nely chopped 300g carrots, grated freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon sultanas

1 For the salad, tip the coconut into a small bowl and cover with cup of boiling water. Stand for 10 minutes, then drain. 2 Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan on high. Add the mustard seeds and cook for 1 minute until they crackle, then add the curry leaves, onion and chilli and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until the onion is soft. Add the coconut and cook for another minute. Stir in the carrot and season to taste, then reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for 4 minutes until the carrot is just tender. Stir through the sultanas. 3 Sprinkle llets with tandoori seasoning. Lightly spray a char-grill with oil with heat on mediumhigh; grill chicken for 45 minutes each side or until just cooked through. 4 Serve the chicken thickly sliced with the grated carrot salad.
For more great recipes, The No Excuses Cookbook, by Michelle Bridges, Penguin, $29.95, is in shops from January 25. And for simple tips for weight-loss and wellbeing, 5 Minutes A Day, by Michelle Bridges, Penguin, $12.95, is out now.

AWW.COM.aU JANUARY 2012

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