OH! Magazine - Australian Version August 2015 | Page 13

DR JOANNA NO-COOK DINNERS www.drjoanna.com.au ( Nutrition ) Enjoy a night off with these no-cook dinner ideas from Dr Joanna. Ideally, set yourself a goal of cooking most nights of the week – say, at least four nights – and if you manage more then terrific! On the other nights you need a few ideas to fall back on that will ensure you don’t sacrifice your progress towards your goals (although you may also eat out on one or more nights). Following are three ideas, with reference to my Dr Joanna Plate (pictured below) as a helpful guide to appropriate nutritional portions (where 1 = plant food, 2 = protein, 3 = smart carb and 4 = healthy fat). • Plant food = add a side of whatever greens you have in the fridge (e.g., sliced tomato, lemon juice, or even a spoonful of tomato salsa) • Protein = canned sardines (heat them gently in a non-stick frying pan – I’m not going to call that cooking either!) • Smart carb = wholegrain toast (rye toast is particularly delicious with sardines – keep a loaf in your freezer for such occasions) Protein = can of tuna or salmon, cold leftover meat from the night before, cheese and perhaps a dollop of natural yoghurt in the soup. Even better if there are lentils, beans, meat or seafood in your soup. • Healthy fat = avocado or simply drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over your toast (and then rub it with a clove of garlic). • Smart carb = wholegrain bread • love cooking and there’s no doubt that preparing food at home generally ensures healthier, and often tastier meals. However, regardless of whether you love or hate cooking, we all have nights where you just don’t want to – me included. But that doesn’t need to ruin your plans to stay healthy! I Healthy fat = avocado or hummus. Throw together a mix of whatever salad veggies you have in your fridge, top with a can of tuna, half a can of four-bean mix (or whatever beans you have in your pantry) and whisk together 3:1 portions of extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice, or white wine vinegar as a dressing. veggie soup to boost the plant content and help fill your stomach. The soup can be a pre-frozen portion of homemade soup, or a tin or carton of soup from your pantry (there are some good commercial varieties available). • • Plant food = veggies in the soup, plus whatever salad veggies are in your fridge to add to your sandwich (e.g., salad greens, tomato, grated carrot, snow peas, sprouts, cucumber). If you have a can of sliced beetroot in your pantry add that in too. 2. SARDINES ON TOAST Okay, so I’m not counting toast as cooking! Canned sardines are one of the best sources of the anti-inflammatory, brain and heart healthy, long chain omega-3 fats (EPA and DHA). 1. SOUP AND SA NDWICH We always think of sandwiches as being lunchtime fare, but who says a sandwich can’t make a great dinner? Keeping the Dr Joanna Plate in mind, you can build a perfectly healthy and filling meal with the right sandwich, teamed with a bowl of While much criticism is thrown at modern processed foods, some technologies can actually make healthy eating easier. Canning is one of them. Not all foods can well of course (e.g., green leafy veggies), but for others it’s a brilliant means of food preservation without adding chemicals and/or dramatically increasing the shelf life. Certain types of fish including sardines, tuna, salmon and mackerel, all can really well so make an ideal pantry staple. 3. NICOISE SALAD If you have the energy to boil an egg (alright, that may be kind of cooking;) do that while you’re throwing the salad together and when it’s cooked, peel it, halve it and pop it on top. • Plant food = salad veggies • Protein = can of tuna, egg • Smart carb = can of beans • Healthy fat = extra virgin olive oil. Learn more about the Dr Joanna Plate and Dr Joanna’s fresh, personalised, research-based approach to getting lean at www.drjoanna.com.au ( OH! MAGAZINE ) AUGUST 2015 13