Dear Reader,
For the next three months, I’m trying something new. Kathleen suggested I try CSIRO’s Total Wellness Diet (TWD). When I looked at it, it centres on meal planning and portion control using higher protein and lower glycæmic index foods. The program also has guides on exercise and other aspects of human wellness.
The initial programs span twelve weeks. Some programs are tailored to people with out-of-range lipids and out-of-range blood pressure. It also offers options for people who prefer a plant-based lifestyle. The basic plan is a kick start into tracking and monitoring food intake and mindful consideration of meal preparation.
When I looked at it, I was taken aback by the quantities of foods in the meal plans and shopping lists. My biggest surprise, however, was in the goal setting. Body mass index guides the user, and ethnicity is considered. If I enter that I am Asian, the recommendation is to lose 12 kilograms. If I enter Polynesian, I’m at an acceptable weight. Rather than accept the advice, I’ve modified the goal for a realistic outcome.
As I read through the meal plans, I’m reassured by the relatively simple building blocks and the emphasis on quantification and measurement.
Most of the meats are cooked by grilling. Because of my work schedule and personal preferences, I will cook my meals differently. It won’t alter the nutritional status of the food, and the method I use is safe. The TWD is flexible, so making these changes won’t detract from the basic core approach.
Recipe
Equipment
- Water bath
- Water heater and circulator
Ingredients
- Chicken tenderloin meat (150 g per serving)
- Premixed kale slaw (75 g per serving)
- Medium tomato (150 g)
- Commercially made hoisin sauce (20 g)
- Light mayonnaise (20 g)
Instructions
- Place the chicken tenderloin pieces into a bowl and add the hoisin sauce. Coat the chicken with the sauce.
- Put the chicken into a vacuum bag and seal it.
- Cook the chicken for 2 hours at 60 °C to pasteurise it.
- Allow the chicken to cool in the refrigerator.
- Add the kale slaw and tomato to a bowl and mix through the light mayonnaise.
- Pull the chicken meat with forks and add it to the salad bowl.
- Give thanks to the Lord.
- Eat with a fork.
1.7 Meat and Protein, 0.1 Bread and Cereals, 0.6 Vegetables, 0.1 Dairy, 0.2 Healthy Fats and Oils, 0.1 Indulgences, 1293 kilojoules, 38 g protein, 6 g fibre, 13 g carbohydrates
Meat planning
The general guidance is to purchase lean cuts of meat and fish. The average serving size is about 150 grams.
To achieve this without needing to visit a butcher or undertake complicated meat preparation at home, I selected minute steaks and chicken tenderloin pieces.
Each steak is about 100 g, and each tenderloin piece is about 80 g. For each meal, I’ll go with one piece of beef or two tenderloin pieces.
To add a bit of flavour, I prepared the meat by coating the pieces with a thin film of hoisin sauce which seems to be popular in the TWD recipes.
I did the meat preparation in bulk by using vacuum bags. One piece of steak in a bag and two tenderloin pieces in a bag.
For chicken tenderloin, the cooking formula for pasteurisation is 60 °C for two hours.
For the fillet steak, the cooking formula for pasteurisation is 55 °C for two hours.
For salmon, the cooking formula for pasteurisation is 50 °C for 45 minutes.
Thoughts on the meal
The meal was modest, and I expect to feel hungry later tonight.
That said, the chicken was tasty and tender. I like kale slaw, so that worked well.
Tomorrow night I’ll cook beef.
Final thoughts
- Have you heard of the CSIRO Total Wellness Diet? Have you tried it?
- Do you like structured meal planning or prefer a more free-wheeling approach?
- What do you plan to eat this week?
Photographs
This is a gallery of photographs of the meal.
This is a photograph of me as I begin the program. The smartphone application includes self-photographs plus weight and girth measurements for comparison purposes.
Endnotes
CSIRO
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is now better known as CSIRO and is often pronounced as “sigh-row”. CSIRO calls itself Australia’s national science organisation and regards itself as the interface between science and industry.
The organisation’s best-known invention is wireless local area networks or Wi-Fi.
CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet
The CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet has been hailed as one of CSIRO’s best achievements from its base in Adelaide, South Australia.
