Getting into Templemode...

Today we went to Box Hill and did a big shop to stock our cupboards for next month, during which I plan to follow Nigella’s low-fat principles, cooking almost exclusively from the Low Fat chapter of How to Eat. At the start of the chapter, Nigella gives a big list of the basic ingredients that you should have at home when you are trying to eat low-fat. Luckily for me, lots of Nigella’s low-fat recipes are Asian in derivation. This means that most of the basic ingredients, such as soy sauce, rice, sake, fish sauce, dashi, chilli sauces, dried shitake mushrooms, shrimp paste, sesame oil etc. are already sitting in our pantry. This is partly because we ARE Asian, but also because Asian foods in general tend to be much more commonly used and cheaply available in Australia than in England. But for your interest, here’s what I’ve had to buy extra…

Sauces and Stocks
- Soba Noodle Soup Base (even though the traditional sauce for cold soba noodles is super easy, I do occasionally prefer instant gratification)
- Sukiyaki Sauce
- Knorr Shitake Broth Cubes (contains MSG)
- Massel Beef-style All Vegetable Stock (MSG Free)
- Massel Choice Vegetable Stock (MSG Free)
- Instant Dashi powder (MSG Free)

Noodles (didn’t need to buy any Soba seeing as we always have them in the cupboard)
- Somen Noodles
- Jumbo Udon Noodles
- Dried Egg Noodles

Vegetables
- 4 x Baby Bok Choy
- Red Capsicum
- 3 zucchini
- 3 tomatoes
- Broccoli
- Mixed lettuce
- 2 x Baby Cos lettuces
- 1 Fennel bulb
- 2 x 150g packets Sugar Snaps
- 2 bunches spinach

Breakfasty-type stuff
- Jalna Fat Free Plain Yogurt
- 1 x twinpack Yoplait No Fat Honey Crème Yogurt
- Rolled Oats

Herbs etc.
- Spring Onions
- Coriander
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Lemon Grass
- Fresh Ginger

I’m planning on buying my meats and fish as I need them, and getting new vegetables or dairy products as I run out.

However, so that I don’t fall behind on recipes (especially the seasonal Winter menus in the Weekend Lunch and Dinner chapters), I’m planning on doing one non-low-fat family meal (including pudding) each week.

By the way, I’m not just doing the Low-Fat chapter for the sake of getting through more recipes – I’m actually trying to lose weight. Thus, I’m also planning to go to the gym more (I went twice this week, yay!). And when I’m out at uni or socialising, I’ll try to choose low-fat meals (e.g. salads, sushi etc), and avoid alcohol. And at work… well… I’ve just gotta stay away from the dessert trolley!!

Anyway, after today's big shopping expedition, coming home laden with lovely green vegetables, I was totally in the right frame of mind to start my low-fat month. When lunch-time rolled around, however, I had a look in the fridge, and decided to make a chicken sandwich slathered in my real mayo, and have a couple of pieces of two-year-old defrosted birthday cake (still good). Then I went out in the afternoon with some friends. A Boost Juice, one Stella Artois, two cigarettes, some fried noodles, a Mexican hot chocolate and a Strawberry Chocolate fondue later… oh dear... and I’m even more in need of Low-Fat August!

Bring it on.

2 days to go…