One thing that really astounded me when I started learning more about food, healthy eating and nutrition was just how high in fat and calories things like coleslaw, potato salad and other various sauces and dressings actually were. I’d been of the opinion that surely coleslaw was healthy and whacking a big pile of shop bought coleslaw onto my plate was got to a good thing!
When I realised that the truth was in fact, the exact opposite, I immediately cut them out of my diet and my salads become a lot greener and drier (and maybe less inviting) for a few years whilst I got my head around learning more about healthy eating and actually experimenting and trying new recipes and inventing my own.
It’s important to me that I don’t label food as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ as that creates a whole load of emotional triggers so I prefer to find healthier ways to enjoy foods and to create my own versions of dishes that I’d avoided for a long time as I’d labelled them as off limits if I wanted to lose weight or eat healthily.
Coleslaw
Growing up, coleslaw was only purchased for ‘special occasions’ – a nice big pot to be put on the buffet table at family parties, special occasions and events. It wasn’t a staple item in the fridge and it certainly wasn’t something that was made at home. As I got older, I associated it more with pub lunches and meals out – if you ordered a burger and chips, you’d get a token bit of greenery and quite likely a dollop of coleslaw on the side – and to my eyes, that was the ‘healthy stuff’ and it tasted really nice!
I’ve experimented a bit with creating my own version and the recipe below is what I would call the base recipe – you can add extras, leave bits out etc but it’s really tasty and I usually make up a big batch which lasts in the fridge for a good 3 days.
Ingredients
- Cabbage, sliced
- Carrot, grated
- Red onion, finely sliced
- Radish (optional), sliced
- Apple (optional but amazing and I definitely recommend trying it even if you think it’s weird), finely sliced
- Parsley, finely chopped
- Fat free natural yoghurt (quantity depending on the amount of coleslaw you are making
- A pinch of mustard powder
- A pinch of black pepper
Step 1
Finely slice or chop all of your ingredients and place in a large mixing bowl.
Other additions:
- gherkins, sliced
- chopped broccoli florets
- brussel sprouts, finely sliced
- spring onions
Just have to share my fabulous new knife which is the best knife I’ve ever owned! I was kindly sent this by Nakano to try and if you are in the market for a new knife, they’ve sent me a discount code for all of their products.
Click on this link to visit their website and use the code GEORGINA at checkout to get 20% off.
Step 2
Give it all a good mix
Step 3
Add in the mustard powder and black pepper and then add the natural fat free yoghurt a large dollop at a time. Mix each dollop in until you get a good coverage and the consistency you require.
The finished product
Serve alongside absolutely anything!!!
I keep in a sealed tupperware container in the fridge and it lasts around 3 days
This is a great recipe when you haven’t got much in – as you can see from the first picture above, my carrots were looking a bit sorry for themselves and I was using up the last of the cabbage we’ve had with dinners this week. It also pretty much tastes a bit different each time depending on what vegetables or salad items I have in the fridge but once it’s made, it can be the vegetable element of so many meals.
Hope you enjoy!
For more information on any of my meal planning or weight loss coaching services, please get in touch with me at georgina@mealplansmadeeasy.co.uk or phone 07843 442607
Have you tried red cabbage as a base? I add orange and carrot with an orange juice dressing (made with oil but guess you could try yoghurt). I never put onion in coleslaw as it keeps much better without, as it is the onion which goes rancid! Always include apple and sometimes grapes as well and dried apricots cut up small.
I did use red cabbage as a base once (I love red cabbage) but it turned the whole coleslaw pink which just looked weird so I usually stick to white!! I like the idea of the orange dressing but not sure it would go well with the yoghurt but I may get experimenting! I bought a lovely raspberry balsamic vinegar recently which I’m thinking of trying as the base of a new dressing!
Ⲩou reаlly makе it ѕeem so easy wіth your
presentation but I find this toрic to be actually something which I
think I would nevеr understand. It seems too complex and very Ƅroad for me.
I am looҝing forward for your next post,
I’ll try to get the һang of it!
If you would like more help or guidance, please do send me an email – we all start somewhere so don’t worry about feeling overwhelmed, it’s a process and I can certainly help you with it.
Love this – want to make one to take to a bbq at the weekend – done before but usual stick to white cabbage carrot and onion so will branch out a bit!
Ooh, hope you like it – let me know what you think!