Menu Inspiration No.5

Using glassware creatively, swapping out ingredients and deconstructing favourites are three easy ways to give traditional menu dishes a fresh new look. This Menu Inspiration No. 5 does all three. It also showcases my two favourite accompaniments for a fruit and dairy snack – Cheesecake Cream and Chocolate Yogurt.

Breakfast

Brekkie Parfait

https://foodloversdietitian.com/healthyweight/breakfast-cereal-creations/

This brekkie uses ½ fruit serve (1/2 cup), the larger carb serve (3/4 cup flakey cereal) and 3/4 dairy serve (1/2 cup natural low fat Greek yogurt) from the Food Lovers Dietitian Meal Planner. But instead of eating it the traditional way, as cereal in a bowl, I’ve layered it as a parfait (or trifle) in a drinking glass. You could get fancier with your glassware, but at the time, this was as fancy as it got in the Virgin Lounge.

Snacks

Morning Snack 

Chocolate Yogurt with Fruits

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbL5jtUj9o5/

I’ve then spread the other 1½ fruit serves over the day’s snacks. At the morning snack I’ve use ½ cup berries to top a ½ dairy serve (1/3 cup) of low sugar, low fat yogurt mixed with a teaspoon of no-added sugar drinking chocolate to make chocolate yogurt! This I’ve also served in a drinking glass to make it feel a little special.

Afternoon Snack 

Fruit Trifle Deconstructed

Pro-tip

Deconstructed dishes can be good ways to customise the amounts of each element.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdeggT9DDeh/

In the afternoon, I’ve used ½ cup of fresh cherries and nectarine slices to make a deconstructed fruit trifle using no added sugar port wine jelly and  ¼ dairy serve (1½ Tbsp) of Cheesecake Cream made from blended cottage cheese sweetened to taste.

Evening Snack/Dessert 

Eton Mess Make-over 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbMEmP4jRCl/

For dessert in the evening, I’ve used another ½ cup of fresh cherries (they were I season) with the ¼ dairy serve (1½ Tbsp) of Cheesecake Cream and served it in a cocktail glass. It’s garnished with a few flaked almonds and fresh mint. Another example of a deconstructed dish, made to order!

Lunch

Smoked Salmon and Salad Wrap

Two slices of bread (small carb serves) have been swapped for a wrap. Flatbreads or wraps are terrific for holding lots of salad ( 1 cup which is one veg serve) and a nice change for traditional sandwiches. But like sandwiches, they need some tasty ingredients like this 40g (a small protein serve) of smoked salmon and the 2 tsp mayo (2 fat serves) spread on the wrap. I also added a dollop of yogurt (1/4 dairy serve)  to bind the different flavours together.

Dinner

Warm Kangaroo Salad with Butter Bean Skordalia

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbluF2njrKe/?taken-by=foodloversdietitian

Steak with salad and mash is given a nice summer twist here. I’ve chosen salad I had on hand, along with asparagus in season, which I’ve blanched by pouring on hot water and left to stand for a few minutes before draining. I’ve drizzled on two tsp (1 fat serve) of my favourite dressing.

Instead of beef steak I’ve chosen a larger protein serve (120g raw) of marinated kangaroo steak which I’ve sliced thinly before frying in 1 tsp (1 fat serve) in a non-stick pan.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcAzThKDvW1/

Mashed potato has been swapped for two different types of smaller carb (1/4 cup of each). A salsa made from a can each of drained black beans and corn kernels mixed with lime, chopped tomato and coriander is seasoned to taste. This is accompanied by the butter bean mash (1/4 cup) that was made using 1 cup drained canned butter beans mashed with 1 tsp olive oil, 1 clove minced garlic and 1 Tbsp lemon juice. This also works well with chickpeas or cannelloni beans (any white beans in fact). If I was just using either salsa or the bean mash, I’d serve ½ cup for my smaller carb. A dollop of low fat Greek yogurt completes this meal.

The Food Lovers Dietitian Meal Planner Check

So over the day you can see here how the serves from the Food Lovers Dietitian Meal Planner were spread out over the meals and snacks.

Key

Watch or Listen to Menu Inspiration No. 5

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