IT’S the world’s healthiest Christmas dinner — a traditional three-course feast that contains a quarter of the meal’s usual calories without scrimping on flavour.
The sumptuous banquet was invented by Gurpareet Bains, a top British-Indian chef and superfood pioneer.
It consists of turkey with roast potatoes and all the trimmings, a lobster and vegetable starter, and a rich fruit pudding with mascarpone cheese for dessert.
Yet the “Guilt-Free Gala†contains a total of just 930 calories, less than a quarter of what we eat during our usual Christmas Day blow-out.
That’s fewer calories than a bowl of mixed nuts.
Nutritionist Bains replaced traditional, fatty ingredients with healthy superfoods to reduce the meal’s calorific content.
The entire meal contains just 19 grams of fat — the equivalent of three mince pies or a single serving of cheese and biscuits.
It’s the perfect solution for dieters who want to enjoy Christmas while still keeping an eye on their weight — and it’s gluten-free.
As well as being filling, it’s actually nutritious, providing 11 portions of fruit and vegetables.
Bains, who has been perfecting the meal since 2012, said: “Christmas is a time for indulgence and for enjoying the finer things in life.
“But that enjoyment doesn’t have to come at the expense of your waistline or cholesterol levels.
“I set out to create a traditional Christmas dinner with a twist, and one that is not just better for you than classic lunches but that is actually good for you.
“The Guilt-Free Gala is the culmination of two years’ efforts and, I’m very pleased to say, my testers say it is exquisite.â€
On average Australians gain 0.8 to 1.5kg over the Christmas period, consuming around 4000 calories in their Christmas dinner alone.
But Bains, a pioneer of “Indian Superfoodâ€, has created a meal that he believes satisfies every need.
Unlike classic dishes, which are loaded with salt, sugar and fat, his three-course dinner contains just 930 calories, 1.2g of salt, and 19g of fat.
The award-winning chef and bestselling cookery author first hit the headlines in 2009 after creating a cancer-fighting curry.
A normal Christmas dinner, with fat-soaked potatoes, sugar-coated parsnips, Christmas pudding and canapes, would weigh-in with an average of 3500 calories, 2.5g of salt, and anything up to 90g of fat — more than a woman’s entire recommended daily intake of 70g.
Bains’s banquet includes a starter of butternut pumpkin and pear soup with lobster (150 calories), a main of turkey breast poached in mulled wine spices with blueberry sauce with all the trimmings (470 calories) and a dessert of superfruit pudding with green tea and chia seeds (310 calories).
Bains, whose latest book The Superfood Diet was an Amazon bestseller, said: “It’s incredibly easy to go overboard at Christmas, but this meal means that we can still eat indulgently and try new flavours without worrying about the waistline.â€
HOW TO CREATE THE GUILT-FREE GALA AT HOME (SERVES 4)
Butternut pumpkin and Pear Soup with Lobster
Ingredients:
450g butternut pumpkin, diced
2 large pears, peeled, cored and diced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 chicken or vegetable stock cube
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
100g cooked lobster meat
Chopped fresh dill, to garnish
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
Place the butternut pumpkin, diced pears, chopped onion and stock cube in a large saucepan. Cover with 1 litre boiling water, and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until the butternut pumpkin is soft, stirring occasionally. Blitz the soup until smooth. Place the cumin seeds in a non-stick frying pan and heat on a medium heat until the seeds start to sizzle and pop — this should take no longer than 2 minutes. Mix the cumin seeds through the soup and reheat to serve. Garnish with the lobster meat and dill. Season to taste with black pepper.
Nutritional information (per portion):
150 kcal
1g fat
1g salt
6.5g sugars
Turkey Breast Poached in Mulled Wine Spices
Ingredients:
3 strips of orange rind
2 strips of lemon rind
4cm x 3cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled
10 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
5 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
4 star anise
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
500g, turkey breast fillet
Method:
Place all the ingredients, except the turkey, in a deep saucepan and pour over 2 litres cold water. Heat until the water begins to bubble. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, uncover the pan and bring the water to a boil. Place the turkey breast into the water until it is submerged and return to the boil. Once the water begins to boil, take the pan off the heat and cover with a lid. Allow the turkey to sit in the water and poach for 3 hours (this stage of the process can be done in the morning).
Nutritional information (per portion):
130 kcal
1.25g fat
0.065g salt
Neg sugars
Blueberry Sauce
Ingredients:
100g blueberries
10g coconut nectar
1 x clove
Pinch chilli
Pinch salt
25ml water
Method:
Place all the ingredients in a small pan and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Allow to cool before serving.
Nutritional information (per portion):
24 kcal
Neg fat
0.0035g salt
5g sugars
Turkey, Sage and Onion Cornmeal Stuffing
Ingredients:
125g lean turkey thigh mince
2 red onions, finely diced
1 small egg, lightly beaten
25g cornmeal
15g passata
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
pinch ground chilli
10g fresh sage, finely chopped
5g fresh dill, finely chopped
freshly ground black pepper
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C. Place all the ingredients in a large bowl, and knead together until well mixed. Divide the turkey mixture between 4 small silicone moulds or ramekins (which will need greasing). Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Vital Statistics (per portion):
98 kcal
2g fat
0.05825g salt
2.5g sugars
Baby Roast Spuds with Seaweed and Rosemary Crust
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon finely chopped shredded dried seaweed/sea salad
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves 300g baby new potatoes, halved
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C. In a large bowl combine the coconut oil, turmeric, shredded seaweed and rosemary. Mix through the baby potatoes. Place the spice-coated potatoes in a single layer on a baking tray. Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through, turning once after 15 minutes.
Nutritional information (per portion):
65 kcal
2g fat
Neg salt
1g sugars
Steamed Kale, Baby Carrots and Brussel Sprouts
Ingredients:
400g whole baby carrots
400g Brussel sprouts
100g kale
Method:
Steam the whole baby carrots and Brussel sprouts for 15 minutes. Add the kale and continue steaming for a further 7 minutes.
Nutritional information (per portion):
65 kcal
Neg fat
Virtually nil salt
8g sugars
Parsnip and Sweet Potato Mash
Ingredients:
200g parsnips, diced
250g sweet potatoes, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
25ml quark (skimmed milk soft cheese)
A pinch of ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Freshly ground black pepper
Method:
Steam the parsnips and sweet potatoes until soft. Place the steamed vegetables in a large mixing bowl. Add the garlic, and mash until smooth. Mix through the remaining ingredients.
Nutritional information (per portion):
90 kcal
0.5g fat
Virtually nil salt
5.5g sugars
Gluten Free Superfruit Pudding with Green Tea and Chia Seeds (and no added fat/sugar)
Ingredients:
240g dried mixed fruit
20g dried goji berries
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch ground chilli
140ml green tea, cooled
60g gram flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons chia seeds
Mascarpone cheese and grated lemon rind to serve
Method:
Place the dried mixed fruit, goji berries, ginger, cinnamon and chilli in a non-metallic mixing bowl. Pour the green tea over the fruit and mix well. Cover and allow to rest overnight. Stir the gram flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into the bowl of mixed fruit until it is combined thoroughly and turn the mixture into 4 small silicone moulds or ramekins (which will need greasing). Using the back of a spoon, push the mixture out to the sides of the moulds until even. Sprinkle chia seeds evenly on each pudding. Cover each mould tightly with cling-film. Steam for 1 hour. Serve the puddings warm with a 1 tablespoon dollop each of mascarpone cheese and a sprinkle of lemon rind.
Nutritional information (per portion):
310 kcal
12g fat
0.0535g salt
42g sugars