FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

Diets that pack a punch

Diets that pack a punch

Absolute Yoga founder Benjaporn Karoonkornsakul launches a super-food home delivery service for Bangkok's health-conscious gourmets

NOT SO LONG ago, only the rich could afford the services of personal chefs and professional nutritionists to help them optimise their body weight while meeting their energy needs. 
Today, all of us can cash in on healthy eating by signing up for a regime of delicious dishes made entirely from super-foods. 
Benjaporn Karoonkornsakul, the lady behind the success of Absolute Yoga, has expanded her wellness business with the opening of Absolute Fit Food, a delivery service of meals designed by nutritionists and created by experienced chefs. You can opt for the full programme of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks or choose a specific course of a few meals for a set period, which suits you the best.
“Everyone yearns for good health and healthy food, but most of us simply don’t have the time or energy to prepare nutritional foods for every meal. Availability, accessibility and affordability are among the factors that keep urbanites away from gourmet healthy foods. Our service – a first in Thailand - can help eliminate the hassle and help you enjoy a sustainable healthy lifestyle,” says Benjaporn. 
Benjaporn’s meals focus on super-foods, the name given to unprocessed, nutrient-rich foods that are low in calories. Usually organically produced, these super stars of the alimentary world are rich in antioxidants, omega-3 oils and specific elements or vitamins such as selenium and vitamin C.
“Whole food refers to food that has been processed or refined as little as possible and is free from additives or other artificial substances. We use super-foods like quinoa, flaxseed, goji berries, wakame and spelt flour together with preservative and chemical-free produce and hormone-free meats for our dishes,” says certified health food chef and instructor Dr Cherisse Yang.
Absolute Fit Food offers different custom-designed programmes designed for weight loss, slowly the effects of ageing and detox, as well as simply healthy eating, and can be followed for four to 10-week to suit preference and taste.
The 10-week weight loss programme starts at about Bt900 per day for two main dishes and one appetis
 er or dessert. A one-week trial of this regime is available for Bt5,000 and has so far drawn about 60 takers.
“Organic whole grain quinoa from South America costs three times more than jasmine rice. It’s a plant protein that can be substituted for meat protein. The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation officially declared 2013 as the Year of Quinoa to highlight its great source of energy and high nutritive value. It’s ideal for vegetarians and those on a diet,” says Benjaporn.

Anyone thinking of signing up for a programme is first directed to Yang. Age, height, gender and daily activity affect the number of calories you should take in a day. For weight loss, generally accepted daily consumption norms are 1,200 calories for women and 1,500 calories for men. The average Thai consumes about 2,500 calories per day.
“We design the menu with a calorie count that suits the individual’s health goal. As the dishes are packed with super-foods and whole foods, you feel full and have enough energy to tackle the day. We don’t include pork or beef in the menu but only offer hormone-free chicken and fish that are high in Omega 3,” Yang explains.
 Benjaporn recommends the standard 10-week, two meals a day programme that provides two main dishes and two appetisers and a total calorie count of between 700 and 900. 
“That still gives you 300 to 500 calories for the third meal. That flexibility makes it a comfortable diet and easier to maintain. You will generally lose about five kilogrammes within the 10 weeks without any yo-yo effects. You should also try to burn about 200 calories a day through exercise,” she says.
There’s no chance of getting bored either thanks to a menu that offers some 100 choices of ingredients prepared to suit both Thai and international tastes. Dishes are rotated every two weeks and the food comes in sealed biodegradable packages and packed in a personalised cooler. Each meal box features a list of the ingredients and their nutritional benefits, as well as production and expiry dates.
The food can be sampled through a visit to the Chef’s Table at the Portico mall on Soi Langsuan though with only nine seats available, it is essential to book in advance. For Bt395, you can savour a three-course meal and watch the chefs preparing each dish. 
We start with Nori Handroll, a high-nutrient, low carb appetiser of organic tofu, lettuce, red bell pepper, cucumber, carrot, ginger and coriander wrapped in a seaweed sheet and served with miso and cashew nut puree.
“This dish is rich in Vitamins C and A that are essential in eliminating free radicals in the body,” says Yang.
Next up is Three Beans Quinoa Salad, which boasts plenty of fibre and amino acids and is a perfect replacement for rice.
The quinoa is cooked with goji berries, said to be good for eyes and have anti-ageing properties, black bean loaded with folate and antioxidants, and edamame bean, which is rich in protein and dietary fibre.
The gluten-free main dish is Mediterranean Wrap, featuring lettuce, cucumber, tofu, raisin, tomato, carrot, red onion, quinoa, green olive, ground flaxseeds and ground sesame seeds wrapped in sheets made from gluten-free flaxseeds. 
“The flaxseed contains high omega 3 oil and is the powerhouse of nutrition. It’s a super-food that everyone can include in their diets,” says Yang.
Baked Salmon in Red Curry is designed to please the Thai palate and is served with organic brown rice mixed with edamame beans.
 Seafood Quinoa Paella boasts quinoa grains, white fish and prawn to provide omega 3, zinc, iodine and selenium, all essential minerals for the immune system. Other tempting choices are Baked Fish Greek Style and Tandori Chicken with Quinoa Couscous. 
For dessert you can tuck into Slim Quinoa Porridge that is made with quinoa seeds, goji berries, mango, dragon fruit, cashew nuts and shredded coconut and a sauce made from soy milk and coconut milk. 
And there are even cookies for those who must have something to munch. Made with organic spelt flour, which causes fewer inflammatory reactions than wheat and is higher in protein, the cookies also contain organic cacao powder, oat, resin, cashew nut and ground flax and are sweetened with honey. 
 
ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS
>>Absolute Fit Food can be reached at (02) 652 0077-8. Check it out at www.AbsoluteFitFood.com.
>>The Chef’s Table is located on the third floor of the Portico mall on Soi Langsuan. It is open for lunch daily except Sunday, from noon to 2.30pm.
 
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