In my previous entry, “What’s a well-balanced diet?” I promised to share examples of balanced and plant-based dishes. Meals that respect the Blue Zone food guidelines: two thirds carbohydrates (vegetables, rice…), 15% proteins (legumes like beans or pulses), 20% fat. So here they come…
Let’s start with the dish featured on top of this page: a lentil salad. I love salads. They are so easy to put together, and are so delicious!
It all starts with the sauce. The source of good fat and the important base of the dish: seed oil. I love flax seed but sunflower seeds or virgin olive oil are also fine. In this case this sauce is Dijon musterd mixed with flax seed oil, peper and salt.
An alternative base sauce is hummus mixed with vinegar or lemon juice and a little oil.
How simple and fast can you make it? Very! Use canned ingredients, here organic lentils. Lentils are an excellent source of protein. Rinse and mix them with the vinaigrette.
You then add whatever vegetables and greens you have: lettuce, fresh spinach, tomatoes, grilled cauliflower, steamed green beans… you’re done. Enjoy!
Many variations are possible based on this mix of oil-based sauce, beans or other protein-rich plant-based ingredients and greens.
A surprising delicious source of protein is tofu. I like to dice (organic) tofu, marinate the dices in soy sauce with chopped onions and garlic. Prepare that in the morning, it’s done in a few minutes before going to work. Come lunch time, warm your wok pan up, mix spices in hot oil and bake the tofu and marinate quickly. Add that to your salade vegetables when the tofu is ready, or toss the lettuce or spinach in the pan to mix the whole thing and here’s a fantastic spicy tofu, lukewarm salad.
Almonds and peanuts are other sources of good fat and protein. And, by they way, they too are delicious in lunch saladd. Sprinkle a handful before you serve your plate and you’ve added a crunchy and healhy texture to your dish.
Hope these ideas inspire you to enjoy plant-based and balanced dishes!
Next time I will simple share time-saving tips. In the meantime let me know if you have tips or recipes you’d like to share or other topics you’d like me to address. Top of my list: why I favour organic and whole ingredients.