eating healthy without sacrificing flavour

Australian celebrity chef Matt Preston has revealed his best tips for creating healthy habits in the kitchen for spring, relying on natural flavours and texture to excite the tastebuds. The former MasterChef judge, 59, recommends starting the day with a filling meal, making exciting ‘chunky’ salads and adding texture to dishes so you hardly notice a lack of saturated fats, he told Delicious magazine.

Preston also said to use produce that’s in season and fill the freezer with ‘sensible individual serves’ when meal prepping to ensure you’re never caught out without an emergency dish to eat. 

Pack a meal with flavor

By using fresh, flavoursome ingredients, such as garlic, ginger, herbs and sauces, you won’t be craving heavier oils that are packed with fat. ‘Kimchi, miso, mustard, caramelised garlic and ginger, homemade fresh chillie sauce, herbs and spices are your best friends,’ he said. To intensify a dish further, ‘flavour bombs’ like capers, olives, lemon or fresh chillies can also be used.

HEALTHY INGREDIENTS TO ADD FLAVOUR TO A DISH

• Sea salt and pepper 
• Olive oil 
• Fresh herbs - such as basil, parsley, coriander or mint
• Condiments - such as hummus, salsa, pesto, hot sauce, yoghurt or guacamole
• Vinegar  

Source: Culinary Nutrition

Bowls of food are a considerable way to ensure you are eating a substantial amount of healthy food each day. The options are endless as long as each bowl is filled with a type of protein, vegetable and carbohydrate to create a healthy, flavour-packed meal.

Trick yourself with texture

Few people may know adding texture to a dish can not only make the meal healthier, but can also keep you fuller for longer. Preston recommends grilling slices of cabbage to make the vegetable crispy or cooking it slowly until it becomes satin-like to add to a dish.
Texture and creaminess can also be created by adding avocado, cashew cream, tofu or whipped soaked almonds. 

Consider bowls of filling foods

Bowls of food are a considerable way to ensure you are eating a substantial amount of healthy food each day. The options are endless as long as each bowl is filled with a type of protein, vegetable and carbohydrate to create a healthy, flavour-packed meal. Preston recommends ramen with grilled broccolini and poached egg or grilled chicken, or brown rice or quinoa topped with mushrooms, blanched sugar snaps, steamed greens and crushed smoked almonds.

Bowls of food are a considerable way to ensure you are eating a substantial amount of healthy food each day.

Be overly prepared

To ensure you don’t spend money on takeaway food when there’s nothing to eat in the pantry or fridge, it’s essential you’ve prepared meal prep single-serves of food to freeze. A fantastic ‘emergency’ backup meal to make is a minestrone soup, which is packed with vegetables, beans and healthy greens. Serves of turmeric sweet potato, peanut red curry or a chickpea, cauliflower and almond curry can also be made.

Daily Mail