One of my favourite dishes that I enjoy preparing after a long day is my own chicken stir fry.
It is a very simple dish to prepare and will only take about 20-25 minutes to prepare.
The recipe is ideal to include in a calorie deficit diet because as you will see from the nutritional value table it only adds up to approximately just less than 400 calories but packed with goodness and will give you a good fill. It is a high protein (55%) low carbohydrate (28%) and fat (17%) meal because I would have already consumed most of my carbs and fat intake needed during the day (or closer to my workout time, when those types of food sources are most needed).
Should anyone want to include it in a bulking diet one can increase calories by increasing the main protein source, i.e. Chicken ex. 200g or add eggs according to your needs. If you are being strict about your protein intake, work out the right amount of protein needed to get your protein intake according to your bodyweight. If I have to increase my carbohydrate intake I would increase the sweet potato portion and add avocado to increase healthy fats in the meal.
As you can see one particular dish can be manipulated to suit a different diet according to one’s needs. It just needs a bit of planning ahead.
So here is my own chicken stir fry meal. I hope you try it out!
| Weight | Protein (g) | Carbohydrates (g) | Fat (g) | Calories | |
| Sweet potato | 50g | 1 | 10 | 0 | 43 |
| Brown mushrooms | 20g | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Chicken strips | 100g | 28 | 0 | 3 | 150 |
| Mixed vegetables | 150g | 2.5 | 5 | 0.5 | 50 |
| Turmeric | 1/2 tspn | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 4 |
| Vindaloo curry | 1/2 tspn | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 2 |
| Cumin seeds | 1/2 tspn | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Tarragon | 1/2 tspn | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tomato | 1 whole | 0 | 4 | 0 | 20 |
| Grana Padano | 30g | 10 | 0 | 9 | 120 |
| Totals | 42 | 21 | 12.5 | 396 | |
| Percentages | 55% | 28% | 17% | ||
| Casein Protein | 30g | 24.5 | 1.2 | 1 | 103 |
- Start by cooking the sweet potato and mushrooms for about 5 minutes on a medium heat. One can add some vegetable/coconut oil to avoid the food from getting stuck to the pen
- Add the chicken – usually cut in pieces or strips – cook for a minute or two
- Add the herbs, spices and vegetables, mix well, and let cook on a medium to low heat for a further 5-7 minutes.
- Enjoy! I usually have the tomato raw as a side but if you want you can cut it up and throw it towards the end and mix it up with the rest
In the table I also included a piece of cheese since I enjoy finishing off my meal with that. Ideally it would be a hard cheese like Grana Padano or Parmiggiano Reggiano (even Edam cheese is a very good option) because these types of cheeses are packed with healthy fats and loads of protein, and taste really good.
Especially if I have trained hard during the day I would also include a serving of casein Protein (ideally Miscellar casein) to help my body provide a stable release of protein even during the night. Miscellar casein is a slow releasing protein product. It is suggested to be consumed in the evening to help increase the feeling of fullness (especially ideal when on a calorie deficit diet) but is also proven to keep metabolic rate elevated during the night thus burning more calories while releasing essential nutrients for the body to absorb.
With the cheese and my protein shake the total of my evening meal is only around 499 calories, pretty neat!
Please note: Above nutritional values are only approximate ones for informational purposes. Please refer to a qualified nutritionist or dietician if you are seeking a particular diet for your needs.
Until next time Stay Strong, Stay Focused, and Stay Safe
Neville
