Lean Meals For The New Year
Happy New Year! How is that waistband feeling after Christmas? A bit snug, perhaps?
We’re not going to suggest dramatic diets or cutting out entire food groups this month January, now ay. Our mantra is simply this: Mindful eating in moderation. This month, pay attention not only to the quantity of food you consume but also focus on the quality, provenance and production methods that go into everything you eat.
If accountability, traceability and supporting local farmers are as important to you as they are to us, we are here to help. We work almost exclusively with Lincolnshire farmers to supply our butchery counter.
Keeping our suppliers as close to home as possible allows us to not only showcase the phenomenal food being produced in our home county but ensures an approach to farming based on sound ethics and a responsibility to protect the environment.
And quality is paramount in everything we do. Now, about those tight waistbands. We’re not dieticians but we know the best way to fit back into your pre-festive clothes is to burn off more energy (calories) than you consume. So, bearing that and our mantra in mind, what should you eat? In a word, protein.
Protein helps to rebuild muscle but also releases energy more slowly than say, a biscuit, which may give an instant sugar rush but leaves us feeling hungry soon after. So, eating a protein-rich meal will help stave off hunger pangs for longer, which means we will be less likely to snack on those Christmas chocs.
Winner, winner, chicken dinner. Literally. Lean meats like chicken and turkey are a great way to include protein in your diet. On our counter, we have whole Herb Fed chickens, so why not rustle up a roast? The classic ‘meat and two veg’ may sound old hat but it’s nutritionally balanced. So long as you hold off the calorific trimmings such as creamy bread sauce, goose fat roasties and pigs in blankets you’ll be opting for a satisfying and sustaining meal.
Alternatively, if time is of the essence, ask one of our talented butchery team to spatchcock a Herb Fed chicken for you which will reduce the roasting time. You might want to try a recipe devised by our ambassador chef, Rosie Dicker. Rosie has created a delicious dish of Marmalade and lemon Chinese-style chicken using chicken thighs.
“This clever little recipe is perfect for utilising some key ingredients most of us always have in the store cupboard and putting the humble chicken thigh centre stage,” she says.
Serve with new potatoes and roasted vegetables for a simple but flavoursome dish.
Chicken may be one of the leanest meats available but we can’t dine on chicken dishes alone. If choosing beef – plump for lean cuts like sirloin – both the steaks and roasting joints are flavoursome and lower in fat content. Or, for the ultimate luxury cut, try our Chateaubriand which is delicate in flavour and guarantees a very tender steak. We recommend cooking this medium-rare to rare to ensure a flavourful dining experience.
There’s no need to leave pork off your shopping list, either. A loin of pork is both lean and flavoursome. Rosie has devised a healthy recipe for this, too – Pomegranate and Quince-coated pork. “Pork is renowned for taking on flavour well, so in opting for pork fillet in this dish you not only get a healthy meal but one that packs a punch in the flavour department too,” she says.
Whatever your dietary requirements, we can offer advice about cuts and ways to cook your meat, we will guarantee quality and can deliver to your doorstep when you order via our online shop.
