Turkey & Chorizo Gluten Free Pasta

I got this great family friendly recipe from a friend of mine and it was incredibly popular with my kids!

 

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

500g Gluten Free Pasta
1kg Turkey Breast Fillet cut into cubes (Alternatively use Chicken Breast)
200g Whole Chorizo diced
1 Large Onion Chopped
1 Red Pepper diced
2 Gloves Garlic finely chopped or pressed
250ml Low Fat Creme Fraiche
2 teaspoons of Smoked Paprika
1 teaspoon of Dried Chilli Flakes
2 x 400g Tins of Chopped Tomatoes
1 x tablespoon of Tomato Pureee
Salt & Pepper for seasoning
Coconut Oil for cooking
Chopped Parsley for Garnish

Directions

- Heat a little coconut oil in a pan on the hob before adding the Chorizo, fry for around 5 minutes until brown and remove with a slotted spoon.
- Drain the Chorizo oil from the pan and add a little more Coconut Oil, return to the heat and add the turkey chunks. Cook for about 5 - 10 minutes until brown and then remove from the pan
- Add the Onions, Garlic and Pepper to the pan and cook gently for about 5 minutes until soft. Add the spices and seasoning and cook for a further minute before adding the Tomatoes and puree.
- Return the turkey and chorizo to the pan, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes
- Meanwhile cook the pasta to instrcutions
- Add the creme fraiche to the tomato and meat sauce and stiry fry 2 or 3 times to heat gently.
- Combine the pasta and sauce and serve garnished with Parsley.

Harissa Grilled Chicken with Pine Nut & Onion Brown Rice

This beautiful North African influenced Chicken Dish has a distinct unique spice flavour. The rice is an adaptation of Lebanese rice dishes that I grew up eating that would also normally contain minced lamb.

Ingredients (Serves 4-5)
1/2 cup of Harissa Paste. (You can buy this ready made or to make your own follow the recipe at http://www.rivercottage.net/recipes/harissa-paste/)
1/2 cup of natural low fat yoghurt
10 Bonless Skinless Chicken Thighs
3 Cups of Brown Rice
1 Large Brown Onion Sliced
100g of Pine Nuts
1 Lemon
1 teaspoon of Coconut Oil
1 teaspoon of Cumin
1 teaspoon of All Spice

Directions
- Mix the yoghurt and harissa paste to make a marinade
- Combine the chicken thighs and the marinade and leave ideally overnight but for a minimum of 2 hours.
- Shake off the excess marinade and grill the Chicken for 15-20 minutes until cooked through
- While the Chicken is cooking, cook the rice to instructions and gently toast the pine nuts in a dry pan for 3 -4 minutes until they colour. Be very careful to keep an eye on the pan as the nuts can burn very easily
- Remove the nuts from the pan and add the coconut oil. Once melted add the brown onion and soften gently for 3 or 4 minutes. Add the cumin and all spice and cook for a futher minute
- When the Rice is cooked, drain well and mix in the Onions and Pine nuts, serve with the chicken and a side salad.
- A squeeze of lemon juice, left over yoghurt or harissa paste all go well with the chicken.

Red Lentil Soup

This dish is perfect for the current bout of cold weather. It's gentle spicing will warm you up and for a more luxurious taste try adding a can of Coconut Milk. The recipe below is for quite a big portion but it will keep well for a few days.

Ingredients

900g Red Lentils
2 Carrots peeled and chopped
1.5 Litres of Vegetable Stock
2 Celery Sticks chopped
3 Garlic Cloves chopped and crushed
2 Brown Onions chopped
2 teaspoons of Smoked Paprika
2 teaspoons of Cayenne Pepper
6 cm of grated Fresh Ginger
Rock Salt & Pepper to season
3 tablespoons of Hemp Oil

Directions

1.  Heat the hemp oil in a large pot on the stove
2. Add the Onions, Carrots and Celery and fry for 5 minutes until softened
3. Add the Ginger and Garlic and cook for a further minute or so
4. Season with a little salt and pepper and add the Paprika and Cayenne.
5. Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil
6. Meanwhile rinse the Lentils well in cold water
7. Add the Lentils to the pan and reduce the heat to a simmer, cook for around 30 minutes
8. Use a hand liquidiser to reduce the soup to a thick pulp. You may need to remove some liquid at this stage to get the right consistency if a little watery
9. Season with further Salt and Pepper
10. Serve with a drizzle of Hemp Oil and Chopped Coriander

Spiced Roast Cauliflower with Lemon & Pistachio Dressing

I really wish I had taken a better picture of this dish but I only realised how delicious and blog worthy it was when I was already halfway through eating it!

Ingredients

1 Large Cauliflower
10 tablespoons of Hemp Oil
1 tablespoon of Cumin Seeds
1 tablespoon of Fennel Seeds
1 tabelspoon of Coriander Seeds
1 Unwaxed Lemon
Large handful of shelled unsalted Pistachios
Salt and Pepper for Seasoning

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
2. Cut Cauliflower into small florets and place in a baking tray
3. Heat a dry frying pan on the stove and gently toast the cumin, fennel and coriander seeds until just beginning to colour and fragrant. Be very careful not to burn these by keeping the seeds moving in the pan.
4. Place the toasted seeds along with some salt and pepper in a pestle and mortar and grind to a powder
5. Mix the spices with half of the Hemp oil and pour over the cauliflower
6. Place the cauliflower into the oven and bake for 30 minutes
7. Reheat your dry frying pan and gently toast the pistachios to a light colouring, again be careful not to burn them
8. Remove the pistachios from the heat, chop and set aside
9. Zest the lemon and mix with the lemon juice, remaining oil and more seasoning.
10. When the cauliflower is cooked, dress with the lemon mix and pistachios
11. Serve.

New Fit4Life Cook Book

Just a heads up guys that we are about to imminently launch a new Fit4Life cookbook packed with a collection of wonderful clean eating recipes like the Sea Bass below. Watch this space for details of how you can buy either the electronic or hard copy version of the book.

Clean Moussaka

We all have our favourite dishes that we crave and I strongly believe that with a little bit of thought anything we eat can be made healthier without compromising too much on flavour. I've applied this approach to one of my favourite Greek holiday dishes. My minor ammendments to this traditional recipe save a failry significant amount of the 'bad calories' you might otherwise consume.

Don't beat yourself up too much about the butter and parmesan either in this recipe. Clearly the dish would be healthier without them but overall the net improvement on the original recipe is significant. On the plus side whilst butter has more saturated fat than margerine it is a more natural 'cleaner' product and Parmesan offers perhaps the lowest saturated fat cheese option with the benefit of being high in protein, calcium, phosphorus, vitamins B2 & B12, zinc and magnesium.

Ingredients

3 Aubergines
Hemp Oil
2 Onions
2 Cloves of Garlic
1kg Lean Mince Lamb
1 tablespoon of Tomato Puree
1 200g tin Chopped Tomatoes
1 teaspoon of Cinamon
1 teaspoon of All Spice
1 handful of Fresh Thyme Leaves
2 teaspoons of Oregano
2 Bay Leaves
Rock Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 Pint Semi-Skimmed Milk or Milk Substitute
3 oz Organic Butter
3 oz Brown Rice Flour
50g Fresh Grated Parmesan
2 Organic Egg Yolks

Directions

1. Slice the aubergines into approx 0.5 cm thick slices
2. Brush with a little Hemp Oil on both sides and grill on both sides until brown – set aside
3. Chop onions and cloves of garlic
4. Fry onions and garlic in coconut oil for 3-5 minutes until soft but not brown
5. Add mince lamb and brown
6. Add tomato puree, chopped tomatoes, cinnamon, all spice, thyme leaves, oregano, bay leaves, salt, pepper. Stir and bring to the boil before lowering heat to a simmer for 30 minutes
7. Meanwhile, melt butter in a pan.
8. Once melted add brown rice flour and stir to a paste
9. Slowly Milk stirring constantly, maintain heat until sauce thickens
10. Add rock salt and pepper and 50g fresh grated parmesan  to the milk, butter and flour sauce.
11. Leave sauce to cool for 20 minutes then beat in 2 organic egg yolks
12. In a deep dish, pour the cooked meat sauce and aubergine in layers, finish with the cheese sauce
13. Bake for 30 minutes at 180 in a pre-heated oven

Banana & Peanut Butter Porridge

This protein packed muscle building start to the day will leave you feeling fuller for longer and reduce the likelihood of snacking on inappropriate things later in the day.

Ingredients (serves 1)

50g Organic Rolled Oats
1 Ripe Banana
1 Desertspoon of all natural unsweetened Peanut Butter
300ml of Cold Water
Optional - 1 Scoop of low-carb Chocolate Protein Powder or a good squirt of Agave Nectar.

Directions

- Place the water and oats in a pan on the stove and bring to the boil
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes
- Break in the peeled banana and peanut butter and stir until melted in
- Add the optional sweeteners (the Agave can be added as a topping as shown in the picture if desired)
- Add a little extra water if needed to get the desired consistency and heat for a minute further
- Serve

Simple Avocado, Chicken & Chile Salad

I've been getting a little bored with the holy trinity of salads (Lettuce, Cucumber, Tomato) particularly given the less than summery conditions at this time of year so this was a welcome variation to my normal lunch. I knocked up this salad with leftovers from the Sunday roast and it was delicious!

The Wahaca sauce isn't the best nuritional option but in the quantities you will eat it here it will do you no harm - if you are fussy though you could make your own using vinegar,seasoning and fresh chillies liquidised.

Sorry about the picture quality on this one!

Ingredients

1 Avacado
1 Chicken Breast Cooked
1 Red Onion
1 Tomato
Squeeze of Lime Juice
Wahaca Hot Chile Sauce

Directions

- Dice the Avacado, Tomato, Onion and Chicken and mix with the lime juice and seasoning
- Splash over the Wahaca Hot Chile Sauce (available in Tesco) and enjoy

Stuffed Peppers with Lebanese Style Rice

I grew up eating Lebanese food which is naturally very healthy given the use of good oils and vegetables. Stuffed vegetables are particular common place in Lebanese cuisine, from courgettes and marrows to cabbage and vine leaves. This recipe combines stuffed peppers with a Lebanese style rice.

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

4 Red Peppers
800 grams of Lean Minced Lamb
1 egg beaten
1 finely diced Onion
1 pinch Ground Saffron
2 tsp Dried Parsley or a handful of fresh chopped.
100 grams of Pine Nuts
1/2 cup Tomato Puree (1 small tin)
2 tablespoons of Agave Nectar
2 tablespoons of Cider Vinegar
2 cups of Wholemeal or Brown Rice
2 tablespoons of Hemp Oil
1 teaspoons of All Spice
1/2 teaspoon of Cumin
Hemp Oil for cooking
Salt & Pepper for seasoning

Directions for the Peppers

- Place 600 grams of the lamb in a bowl and add to it the following ingredients; egg, half the onion, ground saffron, parsley, salt and pepper to season - work the mixture in with your hands
- Slice the peppers in half and deseed and remove the pith
- Stuff each pepper half with the meat mixture and roast in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the meat is cooked
- While the meat is cooking, mix the tomato puree, agave nectar,vinegar and more salt and pepper to season.
- Once the peppers are cooked, pour the tomato sauce over the top of the peppers and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes
- Finally remove the peppers from the oven and grill for around 5 minutes until the peppers begin to char
- Serve with the Rice below

Directions for the Rice

-  Toast the Pine nuts in a dry pan until they are lightly browned turning frequently - set aside
- Cook the rice as per instructions
- Meanwhile gently fry the remaining Onion in a little extra Hemp Oil
- When the onions turn translucent, add the reserved lamb (200g) and fry till browned.
- Add the Cumin and All Spice and cooking for a further minute or two
- Add the toasted Pine Nuts
- Now add the meat and nut mix to the cooked rice and serve.

Gluten & Sugar Free Banana Bread

 Ingredients

3 desert spoons of Milled Flax Seeds
3 large over ripe bananas peeled and mashed
2 Eggs
1 cup Milk
2 teaspoons of Vanilla Extract
Grated zest of 1 Lemon
3 tablespoons of Stevia Powder
1.5 cups of Brown Rice Flour
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
1 1/2 teaspoons of Cinamon
100g Chopped Walnuts
1/2 teaspoon of Ginger
Pinch of Ground Nutmeg
1 teaspoon of Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon of Bicarbonate of Soda

Directions

- Combine the milk, flax seeds, eggs, vanilla, stevia, bananas  and lemon zest in a bowl and mix
- In a seperate bowl combine the remaining dry ingredients
- Now mix the wet and dry mixes - do not over mix
- Pour the batter mix into a lightly floured loaf tin
- Bake in a preheated oven for 50-60. Testing for readiness by inserting a cocktail stick - if it comes out dry you know its ready!

Rocketfuel - Berry & Nut Porridge

This recipe makes both a brilliant early morning fueller and also a fantastic post exercise recovery meal.

Ingredients (serves 1-2)

50g Organic Rolled Oats
300ml Cold Water
100ml Semi-Skimmed Milk (you can use just water, or milk alternatives if desired)
small handful of chopped walnuts
handful of fresh or frozen Fruits of the Forest
1 x 28g scoop Strawberry Whey Protein Powder (I personally use Impact Diet Whey from myprotein.com)

Directions

1) Place the oats and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil
2) Simmer for 3 minutes stirring constantly
3) Add the nuts, berries and protein powder
4) Stir in the milk to the consistency you prefer
5) Simmer for a further 3 minutes stirring gently
6) Serve

Paleo Parma Ham Wrapped Meatballs

Credit must got to fastpaleo.com where I found this recipe which I have adapted slightly for my own use.

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

500g Lean Minced Beef
500g Lean Minced Pork
1 Egg
150g Spinach
2 cloves Garlic
1 teaspoon of Rock Salt
1 teaspoon of freshly Ground Black Pepper
A bunch of Spring Onions (approx 8)
2 Chopped Tomatos
1 desert spoon of Tomato Puree
6 large slices of Parma Ham

Directions

1) Place the meat in a bowl and add the chopped tomato, tomato puree, egg, salt and pepper
2) In a liquidiser, reduce the spinach, onions and garlic to a pulp and add to the meat
3) Work the meat and veg mix in with your hands until well mixed.
4) Shape the mix into 12 thick torpedo shapes
5) Cut the Parma Ham lengthways to give you 12 thin slices
6) Wrap each torpedo in a slice of parma ham
7) Place the torpedos onto a rack and cook for 45 minutes at 180 degrees

I heated some passata to serve as a sauce with mine along with brown rice (non-Paleo at the point you add rice of course) but you could equally serve them with roasted vegetables.

Chicken & Butternut Squash Curry

A Sunday roast without the potatoes always offers a pretty good healthy weekend option but I also like a nice curry on a Sunday afternoon, this protein rich meat and vegetable curry made from scratch really hits the spot and is exactly what I will be eating today!

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

1 Butternut Squash peeled and chopped evenly
4-6 Skinless Chicken Breasts cubed
1 Large Onion sliced
3 cloves Garlic crushed and minced
3 teaspoons of Curry Powder
3 teaspoons of Garam Massala
1 teaspoon of Turmeric
1 teaspoon of Ground Ginger
1 teaspoon of Cumin
1 teaspoon of Allspice
1 teaspoon of Cinamon
1 teaspoon of Ground Coriander
1 teaspoon of dried Chilli Flakes
Handful of chopped fresh Coriander
1 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon of Tomate Puree
2 desert spoons of Hemp or Coconut Oil

Directions

1. Heat half the oil in a large pan over a medium heat
2. Add the Onions and Garlic and fry gently until soft and translucent
3. Add the remaining oil and all the spice and toast gently for a minute or two - this is really important as it unlocks the flavour in the spices
4. Now add the chicken and stir in until the meat has a good spice covering
5. Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato puree. At this point take the tomato tin and half fill it with water and add this to pan.
6. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer for approx 20 minutes
7. After 20 minutes add the cubed Squash and cook for a futher 10-15 minutes until the squash softens but remains firm enough to maintain its shape.
8. Finally mix in the fresh coriander before serving.

Huevos Rancheros

A real power breakfast packed with slow burn carbs, protein and metabolism firing spice!

Ingredients

2 x Free Range Eggs
200g Chopped Tomatoes - tinned are fine, fire roasted even better.
200g Cooked Black Beans
A fresh Chipotle Chilli or 2 tablespoons of Chipotle Chilli Sauce.
1/2 Red Onion
2 teaspoons of Hemp Oil

 

Directions

1. Heat half the oil in a pan
2. Add the red onion and fry gently to soften
3. Add the tomatoes, beans and the chilli and leave to simmer for around 5 minutes
4. Gently fry the eggs in the remaining oil
5. Serve with a little extra chilli sauce if you have any remaining

Moroccan Beef Stew & Cous Cous

This healthy aromatic stew will fill your house with the aromas of the Middle East while the Cous Cous and Chick peas provide a fantastic source of complex low GI carbohydrates.

Ingredients

100g Pine Nuts
400g Cous Cous
4 teaspoons of dried Coriander Leaf
3 teaspoons of Cumin
1 teaspoon of Cinamon
1.5 unwaxed Lemons
2 teaspoons of turmeric
800g lean cubed casserole Beef
1 x 400g tin chick peas drained
1  x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 brown onion sliced
1 red onion chopped
2 Chicken Stock Cubes
1 Beef Stock Cube
250g chopped dried apricots
1 cup Kalamata Olives

Directions

1. Mix the following ingredients into either a slow cooker or an oven-proof dish:

• Cubed Beef (no need to pre-brown)
• Tin Tomatoes
• Chick Peas
• 2 teaspoons of Coriander Leaf
• 2 teaspoons of Cumin
• 1 teaspoon of Cinamon
• 1 unwaxed lemon cut into quarters - this is for flavouring only so try and avoid eating it in the finished stew, alternatively you can use a preserved lemon if you can get hold of one which is more palatable
• Sliced brown onion
• Half the chopped apricots
• Kalamata Olives
• Beef Stock Cube

2. Slow cook the stew for about 8 hours in a slow cooker or until the beef begins to flake, alternatively stew on a low heat (around 160 degrees) in the over for 3-4 hours.

3.  Toast the pine nuts gently in a dry frying pan until lightly browned and set to one side

4. Around ten minutes before serving, mix the following ingredients in a saucepan:

• Cous Cous
•  Around 400ml of boiling water - the water should be around 1.5 times the volume of Cous Cous
• Remaining turmeric, coriander leaf and cumin
• Chicken Stock Cubes
• Red Onion
• Remaining apricots

5. Bring the Cous Cous mix to the boil on the stove and simmer until all the water has evaporated (around 3-4 minutes)

6. Remove the Cous Cous from the heat and cover for 5 minutes

7. Add the toasted pine nuts to the Cous Cous mix and fluff with a fork

8. Serve a bed of Cous Cous with the Stew spooned over the top.

Sweet Peanut Smoothie

This is a great start to the day, particularly for the muscle conscious guys out there who are looking to build those biceps with a high protein diet at the same time as losing fat.

Ingredients

1 Frozen Banana Peeled
1 tablespoon of all natural unsweetened Peanut Butter
2 x 28g scoops of low carb Strawberry Whey Protein ( I personally use Impact Diet Whey from myprotein.com)
20 Blueberries
4 Strawberries
200ml Skimmed or Almond/Rice Milk

Directions

Liquidise all the ingredients and enjoy

Chilli, Mango and Crab Salad

This is a lovely healthy fresh tasting salad with Caribbean influences.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

- 1 large ripe Mango peeled and cut into slices or chunks
- 1 Red Chilli, finely chopped, leave the seeds in for extra heat
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 small 170gram can of White Crab Meat (Fresh meat is even better if you can get hold of it)
- 1/2 cup chopped cucumber.
- 2 Spring Onions, sliced

Directions

- Combine half of the chilli with half of lime juice and leave to enthuse
- Mix the remaining chilli, lime juice, spring onions, crab meat, salt and pepper
- Combine the Mango with the Cucumber
- Serve the mango mix and the crab mix side by side on a plate
- Drizzle the lime and chilli mix over the mango/cucumber mix
- Serve

Peanut Balls

We all need a bit of a sweet treat from time to time and whilst I wouldn't recommend eating these every day if you are on a low carb weight reduction plan, these snacks do hit that sweet spot without all the nasty saturated fats you would find in a chocolate bar.

I found this recipe on a fitness site and have modified it slightly to make the recipe a little healthier and they taste absolutely stunning. Try eating just 1 ball as a snack or even 2 for breakfast or as a recovery aid as an occasional treat. Each ball contains;

- 150 calories
- 10g fat of which, most is good oily nut fats
- 17g carbs
- 8g protein

Ingredients

185g All natural unsweetened Peanut Butter
1 x 25g Scoop of Chocolate Whey Protein (I personally use Diet Impact Whey (Low Carb) from Myprotein.com
60g Agave Nectar
115g raw rolled oats

Directions

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl
2. Shape into 10 balls - you can make more or less but by splitting the mix 10 ways you hit the nutritional stats per ball above
3. Store in a refrigerator for a few hours to allow the balls to set

I suspect these will keep for quite a few days given that there is nothing in the ingredients likely to spoil but I tend to eat two of these myself and the rest of the family finishes them off as a healthy treat.

Mexican Chicken & Black Bean Stew

A combination of classic Mexican herbs and spices alongside some very healthy fat burning muscle building ingredients.

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

4-6 Chicken Breasts cubed or around 800g of Chicken Breast Mini Fillets
800g chopped tinned tomatoes
250g dried black beans soaked for 24 hours or around 600g tinned if you can find them
1 Red Pepper Sliced
1 Green Pepper Sliced
1 Onion Sliced
1 Garlic Clove Crushed
2 teaspoons of Hot Chilli powder (use mild if preferred)
1 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
1 teaspoon of Onion salt
1 teaspoon of Turmeric
1 teaspoon of Cumin
Salt and Pepper to season
1 tablespoon of Hemp Oil
Chopped Coriander to garnish

Directions

1.  If you are using dried beans and assuming you have soaked them for 24 hours, boil them vigorously for 10 minutes and then simmer for 40 minutes. Set to one side.
2. Heat the oil in a pan
3. Gently fry the onions and garlic until translucent.
4. Add all of the spices and gently toast for a further minute - this is really important to unlock the flavour
5. Add the chicken and stir, coating with all the spices and allow to brown for a minute or two
6. Add the tomatoes, peppers, black beans and seasoning to taste.
7. Simmer for around 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through
8. Serve in a bowl garnished with the coriander

Why it's good for you?

• The lean chicken is an excellent source of muscle building protein
• The beans are low GI carbs containing virtually no sugar, they're also very filling, negating the need to serve with starchy rice or potatoes.
• A serving contains around 2-3 of your 5 to 10 vegetables a day
• The hot chilli powder and cayenne pepper fires up your metabolism making it burn calories quicker.
• The peppers are rich in anti-oxidants which are thought to help protect you from diseases like Cancer.

Ratatouille

A classic vegetarian stew from Provence, lovely served on its own or with grilled lean meats. Frankly I'd struggle to think of anything healthier for you and you can vary the recipe to include your own favourite vegetables.

 

Ingredients (Serve 4-6)

1 Onion sliced
1 Yellow Bell Pepper cut into slices
2 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
2 large Courgettes cut into chunks
1 Aubergine cut into chunks
2 cloves of Garlic crushed
1 squeeze of Tomato Puree
Salt
Pepper
2 tablespoons of Red Wine Vinegar
Sprig Thyme
1 tablespoon of Hemp Oil

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pan, an ideal type of pan to use would be a Le Creuset style pan.
2. Add the onions and garlic and fry gently until translucent - don't allow them to brown
3. Add the courgettes, aubergines and peppers and continue to fry for around 5 minutes until the veg starts to brown and caramelise. Make sure you allow the veg to brown as this adds flavour.
4. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, puree, seasoning  and thyme and simmer for around a further 5 mins
5. Serve

Why it's good for you?

1. A single serving is around 3 of your 5 to 10 a day
2. Very low in saturated fat
3. Low carb.
3. Very low calorie (if you're a counter!) even in a big portion size, yet very filling and no need for starchy carbs.