One of the hardest aspects of weight loss is the culinary deprivation you endure when you cut back on the take-away, fast food meals that you love.
But what if you didn’t have to go sacrifice your favourite flavours when eating healthily? Health and fitness renegade, (AKA The Body Coach) believes you can still receive satisfaction from a meal while you are chasing a target weight.
The Wicks Way of weight loss, which sees you eating more food and exercising less, advocates that you should eat the right kinds of foods at the right time in order to maximise weight loss.
For example, as Joe Wicks explains in new series of , on SBS on Mondays at 8.35pm, you can still eat carbohydrate-laden meals while you are trying to lose weight. Just have it after an exercise session so you burn calories faster.
According to Wicks, people wanting to lose weight can also get lean by eating fast food meals, cooked at home. The secret, Wicks advises, is to use healthier versions of your favourite recipes and employ a few food hacks.
Here are Wicks’ nutritious takes on three naughty meals, as shown in episode three of The Body Coach, airing on SBS on Monday 10 September at 8.35pm.
1. Eggs benedict, cooked the Wicks Way
Wicks whips up a super-speedy, nutritious version of the café favourite, eggs benedict.
“It’s reduced carbs so there’s no muffin, but it's full of healthy fats so it’s going to give you loads of energy and keep you feeling fuller for longer,” says Wicks in episode three of The Body Coach.
The big hack in this recipe is to create a hassle-free Hollandaise sauce that tastes just as good as the original product but is healthier.
It’s reduced carbs so there’s no muffin, but it's full of healthy fats so it’s going to give you loads of energy and keep you feeling fuller for longer.
To make, just mix two big dollops of mayonnaise with one teaspoon of Dijon mustard and a splash of white wine vinegar.
Place some thick deli ham on a plate. Top with smashed avocado flesh and a poached egg. Drizzle your homemade Hollandaise sauce over your egg and garnish with chilli, fresh chives and pine nuts.
“That is the best eggs benedict I’ve ever seen. Quick and easy and it’s going to get you lean.”
Who needs to order a greasy takeaway when you’ve got this little beauty at home?
2. A lean, mean madras curry
“Next time you think about ordering takeaway food, hold your horses and give this lamb curry madras curry a go. It’s quicker, easier and much healthier,” Wicks says.
To make Wicks’ madras, heat some coconut oil in a pan and, when the oil is hot, fry up some diced onions. Next, add a big dollop of madras curry paste, followed by a splash of water. Throw in a few chunks of lamb and then, the chicken stock. Cover the curry with a lid and let it simmer for about an hour.
Add cauliflower and lentils to your curry mix. “Lentils are tiny tasty pulses that pack a punch,” Wicks explains. “Just 100 grams gives you one quarter of the fibre you need every day. And they are a great source of iron to fight fatigue.”
Let the curry simmer for a further 25 minutes, uncovered.
Throw in a big handful of spinach. Give it a good stir and add homemade cashew nut cream, which has “loads of healthy fats and will really make the curry nice and creamy”.
“All you’ve got to do now is serve it up – put it in a big bowl and eat it with your mates. Who needs to order a greasy takeaway when you’ve got this little beauty at home?”
3. A treat when you’ve fallen off the wagon
There’s no need to beat yourself up if your healthy eating efforts don’t go exactly to plan. Pick yourself up by swapping a chocolate bar with a healthy overnight oats treat and forge ahead.
To make, simply add mix oats, cocoa powder, almond milk and a scoop of Greek yoghurt. Let the mix soak overnight.
Once soaked through, the treat is ready to be topped with nuts, honey and fruit and then enjoyed as a treat after a workout session.
“You don’t need chocolate bars when you have that.”
Lead image: Instagram @thebodycoach
The new three-part series, , premieres on SBS on Monday 27 August at 8.35pm and continues each Monday at the same time thereafter. Watch all the episodes after broadcast on Episode one is available to stream below.
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