The festive season often means fun with loved ones and feasts overflowing with food. However, in spite of our best intentions, it can also mean that we indulge a little more (and more often) than we should.
When January rolls around, we try to console ourselves by setting healthy resolutions to get back the balance. But as the pace of the year picks up, the bounce back to a healthier lifestyle can become something that actually feels really difficult. And at times, almost impossible.
That’s why cookbook author and celebrated salad Queen, Chantal Lascaris, always advises people to think of their healthier relationship with food as one that’s ongoing; a long-term way of life that maintains a sense of balance without piling up a series of diet-related failures for which we continually castigate ourselves.
“Instead of making big and impossible-to-stick-to changes (which feel overwhelming), starting with a few good intentions is more manageable and increases the chances of success when it comes to your balance and wellbeing,” says Chantal. One example is to simply make sure you drink enough water in a day. Not only can upping your water intake drastically reduce your sugar intake, it can also reduce your appetite and food intake during a meal. Some studies even show that drinking water regularly can be linked to improved diet quality overall.
A home cook and author of several cookbooks (featuring hundreds of delicious recipes), Chantal believes balance in food (and in life) has nothing to do with extreme dieting or adding kale to every meal you consume. She advises: “Completely overhauling your diet with drastic changes is a recipe for disaster. Being mindful and making small, sustainable decisions, can have a big impact on your relationship with food, making it more healthy and more sustainable in the long run.”
Chantal’s own passion for food-fuelled healthy living has been funnelled into her cookbooks, which include two salad-focused recipe collections. Her most recent release, The Ultimate Salad Book, uses fresh and nutrient-rich ingredients in a variety of recipes that help you to eat balanced, healthy meals, and feel good at any time of the year. “Start with simple things,” says Chantal. “Simple steps, simple ingredients, simple goals, simple outcomes.”
To help you step into the New Year with your most balanced foot forward, Chantal has chosen three recipes from The Ultimate Salad Book that will help show you how easy (and delicious) balanced eating can be.
Cajun Swordfish Salad
600g swordfish steak, filleted
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large cucumber, sliced on the diagonal
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup roughly chopped baby spinach
½ cup roughly chopped fresh mint
CAJUN RUB
2 tsp salt
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried origanum
1 tsp dried thyme
DRESSING
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
½ cup coconut milk
salt and pepper to taste
- Mix the ingredients for the Cajun rub.
- Cut the swordfish into bite-size pieces and place into a sealable bag with the olive oil and Cajun rub. Gently massage the bag to ensure the fish is well coated. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes to allow the flavours to develop.
- Toss the cucumber, celery, baby spinach and mint in a serving bowl.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan and sauté the swordfish for about 5 minutes until just cooked. Be careful not to overcook the fish, as it can become dry. Add a touch more olive oil if necessary. Allow to cool slightly before adding the fish to the salad.
Whisk the dressing ingredients and drizzle over the salad.
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