Our brand-new spring/summer menu has just officially landed in an All Bar One near you, and it has some delicious new dishes that we can’t wait to share with you!
Some fabulous new additions to the menu are our “Nutritious Power-foods” created with registered nutritionist Sarah Jackson. We caught up with Sarah on her nutrition beliefs and the insider info on these delicious new dishes…
“I have worked as a nutritionist now for 8 years and every day I feel like I learn something new, realising that nutrition is definitely not black and white. It is no secret that I am a true believer in ‘balance’ and that there is room for every food group in our diet, of course some more in moderation than others.”
How do you achieve this ultimate goal of ‘balance’ in your life?
Achieving a balanced lifestyle may not always be easy so I encourage people to look at what they are getting from their food rather than just the standard ‘food is fuel’ type attitude. For example, is your plate packed with vitamins and minerals, complex carbs, protein, fats? Do you eat a variety of foods throughout the day? Could you be eating more plant based foods? I find this approach a lot more positive than demonising food groups as it is important to remember that everybody is different and unless there is a medical reason all foods can have a place in your diet.
A ‘balanced diet’ may sound boring and may not be the superfood answer people are looking for but by aiming for a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, proteins, fats (and the odd piece of cake now and again, we are human after all) you are reducing the risk of nutrient deficiencies and could even prevent diet related diseases.
How did you create these new Nutritious Power-foods?
When All Bar One asked me to help them create a range of dishes that were not necessarily focused on calories but more on being rich in nutrients, to help their consumers contribute to their 5 a day whilst eating out of home and were primarily plant based dishes whilst still having the option to team with fish or meat, I couldn’t wait to get started!
After lots of research, recipe development and nutritional analysis we have created four amazing dishes to go into the ‘Nutritious Power-foods’ range. Each dish is not only packed with healthy nutrients but are full of flavour and available with an array of delicious side dishes!
Tell us more!!!
First up we have the ‘Power of 5’
Yes, you heard it here first, this dish has 5 of your 5 a day!
The vegetables include some of my personal favourites; aubergine, butternut squash, mushrooms and peppers and not only is this dish packed with veggies it also comes in a delicious toasted sesame seed and miso dressing and is topped with a rice noodle cracker.
The Power of 5 contains 66% of your recommended intake (RI) for folate, 233% of your vitamin C RI and 55% of your Vitamin B6 RI.
For all the avocado lovers out there, this one is for you - Avocado & Black Rice Salad
This dish contains quinoa, soya beans, kale and onion seeds with a lovely, creamy avocado in the middle of the dish, topped with a coconut dressing and tortilla crisp, this is my favourite go to for lunch.
For the fish eaters out there, I recommend topping up your omega 3 levels by adding the salmon fillet. The Avocado and Black Rice salad contains 2 of your 5 a day, 33% of your Vitamin C RI and 51% of your vitamin B6 RI too.
Supergreen Noodle Laksa
For those days you want to warm the soul try the Supergreen Noodle Laksa with its incredibly tasty spiced coconut sauce served with two of your 5 a day – pak choi, broccoli, beansprouts and spinach topped with vermicelli noodles.
This dish contains half your RI for folate and vitamin C and was a strong favourite from the Veganuary menu that just had to have a come-back for this new menu.
Last, but not least is the Morrocan Squash Salad
If you are a fan of roasted vegetables this may just be your favourite.
Packed with roasted butternut squash, spiced quinoa, chickpeas, sugar snap peas and topped with pomegranates and a coconut and turmeric dressing this dish is 2 of your 5 a day, contains 55% of your vitamin C RI and is under 450kcal.
The geeky stuff
Our dishes meet the criteria to be called ‘Nutritious Power-Foods’ due to meeting a number of nutrition claims through being high in particular nutrients, examples of the health benefits of the nutrients mentioned above are:
• Vitamin C contributes to normal psychological function
• Vitamin B6 contributes to the regulation of hormonal activity
• Folate contributes to normal homocysteine metabolism.