Most people assume that you can’t eat great tasting food and still have it be low in calories and fit into dieting plans. That’s just not the case and it just takes a little bit of creativity. You can really eat things other than chicken, broccoli, rice and the standard “clean” diet. Even in contest prep it’s possible. I also want to mention that it doesn’t take a lot of time, fancy equipment, or much of anything besides basic ingredients.
For Mother’s Day, The Kid asked if she could make me dinner. I decided it was MY day so I’d one up her gift and make a request. I wanted her to make me dinner, but I wanted to do it with her. She loves peas. Go figure, a kid who loves peas. LOL. Her contribution to dinner was a pea salad with a vinaigrette. It was simple and didn’t require anything other than measuring spoons, some chopping skills, and a whisk or fork to stir the dressing.
In case you’re wondering, I contributed the idea for the main course and The Kid also helped with that one. The recipe for that is coming on Thursday but until then you’ll have to wait in suspense. 😉
Sweet Pea Salad with Ginger Miso Vinaigrette 
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 3/4 Tbsp white miso paste
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp (5g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 1/3 cups (178g) frozen peas, thawed
- 4 cups (85g) shredded romaine lettuce
- 1 medium cucumber (100g), peeled and sliced
- 4 medium radishes (40g), sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 tsp sesame seeds, optional
In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, vinegar, miso, ginger, sugar, and sesame oil. Whisk until well blended. Place the veggies in a large bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and toss to coat well. Divide evenly onto 4 plates and garnish with sesame seeds.
Makes 4 servings at approximately 73 calories – 3g protein, 13g carbs, and 1g fat.
As The Kid was tossing the veggies and dressing, she remarked that it would be really good with some grilled chicken added. So she put the leftovers in a plastic container, added grilled chicken, and took it for lunch the next day. So parents, pay close attention to this. Your kids watch you and learn even if you never actually tell them you’re teaching them habits.
As part of my nutritional programming with clients, we often work on learning habits to eat better. It’s rare that a complete overhaul works, but one habit learned at a time over several weeks really adds up to big changes. If you’re looking to improve your eating, have fun and flavor along the way, and learn better habits for you and your family, online nutrition programming may be a perfect fit for you.
I’d love to teach you that there’s more to life than chicken and broccoli. Let’s talk about what we can achieve together.
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