Recipe

Information

According to the traffic light clock you shouldn’t eat carbohydrate rich foods for dinner. After 5 pm your meal should be of proteins and vegetables, lettuces to provide vitamins and minerals.

The reason for this is that when carbohydrates, fats and proteins are eaten at the same time, the body primarily burns carbohydrates and the fats are stored in the body.

Normally we are no longer very active after dinner and therefore the body does not burn the fats, but stores them in the depot. If, however, no carbohydrates are ingested, the body immediately starts to burn fat to provide the nutrients to the cells. Foods from the green and yellow zone contain proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals.

Dinner Suggestions

• Shepherd’s Pie
• brown-butter salmon with tomatoes and capers, lettuces

In my Weight Loss Programme you will find plenty Dinner recipes, information and support.

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Information

Drinking a smoothie is a great way to quell hunger cravings, satisfy a sweet tooth. Load up on low-calorie berries. Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamins C and K as well as providing a good dose of fibre, folic acid, manganese and potassium. They also contain significant amounts of phytonutrients and flavanoids which makes strawberries bright red.  They may increase HDL (good) cholesterol, and lower your blood pressure.

Banana contains high amounts of vitamin B6 and B12, as well as magnesium and potassium. They are higher in sugar than many other fruits, but this sugar is natural sugar, not added. It’s totally fine to eat bananas in moderation if you want to lose weight. Fruit sugar sources, like banana are in the company of fibre, which is the type of carbohydrate you want to maximize in your diet.

Orange juice is a good source of: Vitamin C. Vitamin A. Calcium, and is high in anti-oxidants.

Because of the relatively high content of carbohydrates this smoothie shouldn’t be eaten in the afternoon or evening. To provide more protein you can use skimmed milk instead of orange juice.

Ingredients: (1 serving)

• 10 strawberries hulled (approx 175g), or other berries of your choice
• 1 small banana sliced
• 100ml orange juice chilled

Preparation:

Blitz the berries in a blender with the banana and orange juice until smooth.

Information

Cauliflower is low in calories but high in fibre and water — all properties that may assist in weight loss. Cauliflower is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, containing some of almost every vitamin and mineral that you need, and is a good source of antioxidants.

• Calories: 25
• Fibre: 3 grams
• Vitamin C: 77% of the RDI (required daily intake)
• Vitamin K: 20% of the RDI
• Vitamin B6: 11% of the RDI
• Folate: 14% of the RDI
• Pantothenic acid: 7% of the RDI
• Potassium: 9% of the RDI
• Manganese: 8% of the RDI
• Magnesium: 4% of the RDI
• Phosphorus: 4% of the RDI.

Cauliflower can replace grains and legumes in many recipes, which is a great way to eat more veggies or follow a low-carb diet.

Onions of all colours (including white) are good sources of vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium and folate, while garlic is rich in vitamin C, vitamin B6, thiamin, potassium, calcium, phosphorous, copper and manganese.

Carrots are a particularly good source of beta carotene, fibre, vitamin K1, potassium, and antioxidants. They also have a number of health benefits. They’re a weight-loss-friendly (low in calories) food and have been linked to lower cholesterol levels and improved eye health.

Red peppers pack the most nutrition, because they’ve been on the vine longest. Green peppers are harvested earlier, before they have a chance to turn yellow, orange, and then red. They are an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium. Bell Peppers also contain a healthy dose of fiber, folate, and iron. Compared to green bell peppers, the red ones have almost 11 times more beta-carotene and 1.5 times more vitamin C. Peppers are low in calories as well.

Asparagus contains many nutrients. It is an very good source of essential vitamins and minerals, especially folate and vitamins A, C and K. Asparagus has a number of features that make it a weight-loss friendly food. It’s low in calories, high in water and rich in fibre.

Ground beef is a good source of protein, providing 22 grams per 3-ounce serving. It is a good source of carnitine, zinc, selenium, iron, and B vitamins. It should be eaten sparingly because of its relatively high content of fat. Ground beef is available in a range of lean/fat ratios, from 70% lean/30% fat to as little as 3% fat (97% lean). Calorie and fat totals change accordingly.

Ingredients: (2 servings)

• 4 Tablespoons rapeseed oil, divided
• 1 head cauliflower, stem removed and chopped into small pieces
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup white onion, diced
• 1 cup carrot, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeds and membrane removed, diced
• 2 cups asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• paprika, to garnish

Preparation:

To make the cauliflower mash:

1.  Add 1-1/2 tablespoons rapeseed oil to a large pot over medium heat. When hot, add the cauliflower pieces and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until it begins to turn golden. Add the water, reduce the heat slightly, and cover. Cook for 7-9 minutes or until soft. Drain the cauliflower and reserve the cooking water.
2. Add the cauliflower to a food processor. Add 2 tablespoons of the cooking water and pulse until smooth. Add another 2 tablespoons of the water as needed, and blend to the consistency you like. Set aside.

To make the filling:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Add 1-1/2 tablespoons rapeseed oil to a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and carrot. Cook until soft. Add garlic, bell pepper, and asparagus to the skillet with the vegetables. Add about 1/4 cup of the remaining cauliflower water to the skillet with the vegetables and cook until they begin to soften.
2. Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil to a second skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the ground beef and cook until browned. When the ground beef is cooked, use a slotted spoon to transfer it to the skillet with the vegetables. Add the cumin, coriander, salt, black, and red pepper to the mixture. Stir to combine.

To assemble:

1. Transfer the mixture to a cast iron skillet (or a lightly oiled baking dish if using). Transfer the mashed cauliflower over the top of the mixture and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle the paprika over the top.
2. Bake for about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Information

Salmon is rich in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure and decrease risk factors for disease. Your body requires protein to heal, protect bone health and prevent muscle loss, among other things. Salmon provides 22–25 grams of protein per 3.5-ounce serving. Salmon is an excellent source of several B vitamins, which are needed for energy production, controlling inflammation and protecting heart and brain health. 100 grams of salmon provide 11–18% of the RDI (required daily intake) of potassium, which helps control blood pressure and prevent excess fluid retention. A 100-gram serving of salmon provides 59–67% of the RDI of selenium, a mineral involved in protecting bone health, improving thyroid function and reducing the risk of cancer. Consuming salmon may help you control your weight by reducing appetite, boosting metabolic rate, increasing insulin sensitivity and decreasing belly fat.

Tomatoes are low in calories and provide are good amount of vitamins like vitamin A, vitamins C and E, some B vitamins and vitamin K. They also contribute some minerals including calcium and magnesium.

Tomatoes are an excellent source of lycopene, a type of carotene. Lycopene can help immune function and has been shown to prevent some types of cancer. 

While tomatoes have many benefits, eating too many of them could cause you some problems. One of these is acid reflux. Tomatoes contain malic acid and citric acid and consuming too much of these could make your stomach too acidic and cause heart burn or acid reflux.

Lettuces are naturally fat free, low in calories, high in fibre, high in folate, and a high protein food as 44%of its calories come from protein.

Ingredients: (4 servings)

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 thick salmon fillets or steaks (about 1 1/2 pounds total), skin on
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved if you like
• 1 tablespoon drained capers
• lemon wedges, for serving
• lettuces

Ingredients salad with dressing:

• 6 Baby Gem lettuces
• 1 pack cress, trimmed

For the dressing:

• 4 tbsp mayonnaise (low fat, 15%)
• 2 tbsp sieved tomato
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• juice 1 lemon

kcal 81 fat 8 g saturated fat 1 g fibre 1 g protein 1 g

salt 0.2 g

Preparation:

1. Heat the oven to 245 °C. Put the butter and a sprinkle of salt and pepper in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the foam subsides, add the salmon and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Cook, undisturbed, until the salmon sizzles and the butter darkens, 2 to 3 minutes. Scatter the tomatoes and capers around the fish and transfer the pan to the oven.

3. Roast without turning until the salmon browns on top and the inside is as cooked as you like (you’ve got to peek between the flakes with a knife to check), 3 to 8 minutes. (If you’d rather they be opaque all the way through, then leave in the oven for up to 8 minutes. Just don’t overcook them or they’ll be dry.) Serve the salmon steaks with the tomato-caper sauce spooned on top, passing the lemon wedges at the table.

Separate the lettuce leaves, put on a large dish and sprinkle over the cress. Combine all the dressing ingredients with a few tsp water to make a runny consistency. Drizzle over the lettuce and cress and serve.

Information:

Tuna Fish is high in omega-3 fatty acids which may help to reduce the level of omega-6 fatty acids and LDL cholesterol (also called bad cholesterol) that can accumulate inside the arteries of the heart. Studies have shown that eating more omega-3 is associated with reduced rates of cardiovascular disease, including heart attacks. Also Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to help reduce inflammation. It is lean fish, so there isn’t much fat in it. Tuna is popular among bodybuilders and fitness models who are on a cut because it’s a great way to keep protein high, with total calories and fat low.
Caution: Tuna should only be eaten rarely because of the relatively high levels of heavy metals. Tuna, as a large fish, is high in the food chain i.e. it accumulates more heavy metals in the body than small fish.

Tipp: Take Selenium rich foods to help the liver to detox. In addition to nuts and kernels, legumes, grain products, certain types of vegetables and mushrooms also contain considerable amounts of selenium.

Crème fraîche is a dairy product, a soured creme containing 10–45% butterfat, with a pH of approximately 4.5. It is soured with a bacterial culture. Standard crème fraîche contains around 30–45% milkfat while low-fat crème fraîche contains closer to 15% milkfat. So you can save some calories by using low-fat crème fraîche. Crème fraîche is a source of Vitamin A, C and Calcium. Should only be eaten in small amounts because of the high content of saturated fatty acids.

Mayonnaise is an excellent source of vitamins E and K, but it also contains almost 50 percent of your daily recommended amount of sodium . As well as helping with the absorption of all sorts of important minerals and vitamins, the healthy fats (contains mostly unsaturated fat, from 70% up to 85% of total) in mayonnaise can help lower your cholesterol.

Capers have an intense flavour that is developed as mustard oil is released from the caper buds when pickled. They have nearly no fat, no sugar but they are rich in sodium. Additionally they contain some fibre, Vitamin C, Iron and some protein. Usually they are used because of there flavour and to garnish a dish.

Dill is rich in antioxidants and a good source of vitamin C, magnesium, and vitamin A and is anti-inflammatory.

Ingredients (2 servings):

• 170g Tuna
• 2 tbsp crème fraîche light
• 2 tbsp Mayonnaise light (15% fat)
• 1 tbsp capers
• 2 tbsp dill chopped
• spices like pepper

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. If using canned tuna it should come from in water packed tuna cans. As a dish for lunch you and have a slice of wholemeal bread with it. Prepared for dinner scrambled eggs go well with it. Don’t take bread with it at dinner because the intake of carbohydrates after 5 pm should be largely reduced.

Information:

Pancakes made with wholegrain oats and wholemeal flour contain not only carbohydrates but plenty of fibre to make you feel satisfied longer. The eggs and the milk provide a good amount of protein, and the apples + lemon juice give you vitamins. For a better taste I prefer rapeseed oil (or canola oil) before olive oil for baking the pancakes. In any way fats with a high content of mono- or poly- unsaturated fats should be used instead of saturated fats, which means using plant oils is healthier than using fats from animal sources (like butter).

Rapeseed Oil (15ml = 1 tablespoon)

• Saturated fat: 1 gram
• Monounsaturated fat: 9 grams
• Polyunsaturated fat: 4 grams
• Vitamin E: 16% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Vitamin K: 8% of the DV

Using Cinnamon has a few health beneficial properties like:

• It is loaded with antioxidants
• Cinnamon has anti-inflammatory properties
• It reduces levels of total cholesterol, “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, while “good” HDL cholesterol remains stable
• Cinnamon can improve sensitivity to the hormone insulin
• Cinnamon lowers blood sugar levels and has a powerful anti-diabetic effect
• It helps fight bacterial and fungal Infections
• and more

Ingredients (2 servings):

Pancakes:

• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp whole grain oats
• 2 tbsp wholemeal flour
• pinch of Bourbon vanilla
• 4 tbsp skimmed milk

Apple Sauce

• 3 apples
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• pinch of cinnamon

Preparation:

Apple Sauce:

Grate the apples with a grater into a saucepan, trickle the lemon juice over them and add the cinnamon. Simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes and prepare the pancakes in the meantime.

Pancakes:

Put the eggs in a bowl and whisk until they become frothy. Gradually add all the ingredients and stir thoroughly. Leave it rest for moment to thicken. Pour some oil into a pan and fry the pancakes. If you use a coated pan, you don’t need to add any fat. Put the pancakes on plates, pour the apple-sauce on half and fold the empty half over the apple-sauce half. Serve and enjoy.

Information:

100% Oatmeal is not only high in fibre which makes it satisfying, but filled with antioxidants as well. It is Gluten-free and vegan-friendly. Oats are rich in with essential minerals, such as magnesium, potassium, calcium, and iron.  The consumption of oats has been associated with improved cardiovascular conditions, including a reduced risk of heart disease, anti-inflammatory properties and lower LDL  (“bad”) cholesterol. Oats can also offer specific benefits for people with type 2 diabetes because of their low Glycemic Index. (Glycemic Index = a system of assigning a number to carbohydrate-containing foods according to how much each food increases blood sugar for guiding food choices).

Ingredients (2 servings):

• 1 cup wholegrain oats
• 2 cup unsweetened almond-, rice-, or oat milk
• 1 medium banana, mashed or other fruits and berries
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon low fat Greek yogurt

Preparation:

1. Put all ingredients into a small saucepan and turn heat to medium/high.
2. Bring to a boil. Then, turn the heat down to low/medium and continually stir for around 3-5 minutes as the oatmeal cooks and thickens.
3. Once oatmeal is at the desired consistency, remove from heat, and serve with yogurt.