After a month of indulging in purchased lunches the time had once again come to show BYOL some love. That, and it seems that almost everyone in our office is on a specialised diet of sorts, compulsory or not.
With a diabetic, a gluten free-er, a number of vegetarians and two brave paleo goers all downing various forms of protein, salads, celery, carrots, and most noticeably, very little carbs, it was time to get my act together.
But no carbs scares me. Terrifies me in fact. My fear of a world with no carbs is akin to my fear of having my limbs torn off as crudite snacks by a great white in the ocean. Carb-free will never be an option for a part-Irish girl who loves the potatoes on her plate just as much as the eye fillet steak. So I did some research. Hello kumara – a justifiable carb!
Kumara punches high in the good-health heavyweight stakes. It’s jam packed with anti-oxidants, vitamin E and beta carotene – all of which fight against cancer. Its high fibre assists in cleansing and controlling food intake by helping you feel full while its low Glycemic Index (GI) enables you to enjoy sustained energy levels. And it tastes oh so good.
My second flavour of the month is salmon. Well known as a brain food, salmon is also a great source of digestible proteins, fatty acids (Omega-3), vitamins and minerals all of which benefit muscles, tissues, enzymes, hormones, cardiovascular health, metabolism, eyes, and nerves.
Add some broccoli to the mix and virtuosity is yours.
The lunch is pretty simple to make. Bake a salmon fillet in an oven at about 180 degrees, drizzle with olive oil and cover with the juice of half a lemon. Season as required and stick in the oven for approximately 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillet. If re-heating the next day at work, veer on the side of undercooking as it will continue to cook when re-heated.
I used a golden kumara for this meal and while I admit it’s a tad boring I simply peeled, sliced into inch thick rounds, and steamed the kumara until soft but still firm on the outside. The broccoli was cooked for 4 minutes in a pot of boiling water, I also squeeze a bit of lemon on this once cooked – again undercook if in doubt, the microwave will finish the cooking off the next day.
It was a tasty meal and I felt good eating it. A number of people commented on how good it smelt (probably the salmon rather than the broccoli!) and it really did keep me full throughout the remainder of the day and throughout an hour-long gym session.
Overall rating: 7/10
The score template for rating:
- Total cost of ingredients: $14
- Yield: 2 servings
- Cost per serve: $7
- Total Time: 1/2 hour (Prep 10 min, cooking 20 minutes)
- Level: Child’s play
- Likelihood of making it again: High
