Today, let me introduce you to my healthy meal plan!
This is how I have my lunch these days. It’s yummy and yet it has everything—well, I would like to think so. Haha.
We are into this era of living to 100 years old. Many people are interested in how to stay healthy longer and are committed to exercise and a nutrition-filled diet. From as early as our 30s, it is said that we start losing muscle mass every year. So as we get older, it becomes important to do weight training and resistance training to maintain or at least slow down the loss. When it comes to muscle building, protein is the key ingredient.
I am not a big meat eater, though I wouldn’t call myself a vegetarian. Unless I have to cook for guests, I wouldn’t necessarily cook meat for myself. However, these days, I’ve made a slight change to add that extra protein intake.
So, what do I do? Now I buy chicken breast fillet. I choose organic, free-range chicken meat without added hormones or antibiotics.
It’s a big lump for me, so I often cut it into smaller pieces that are just enough for each meal. I put them separately in the freezer to prevent them from sticking together.
Then, before the meal, I take one piece out and leave it in the fridge for an hour or two to thaw. I was told not to leave the meat outside to defrost at room temperature, as bacteria can develop on the outside of the meat while the inside is still frozen.
I cut the piece into smaller slices, which then almost look like samgyeopsal (삼겹살, Korean pork belly). I cook them and have them like samgyeopsal with salad. Often, when Koreans eat meat, they put rice, meat, and ssamjang together and wrap it with lettuce or perilla leaves (sesame leaves). This is called ssam (쌈).
The way I do it is that I simply get a bag of mixed leaves from the shop, add a bit of avocado, and sprinkle olive oil for extra healthiness.
I don't wrap them as some leaves are small. I just have them together and it is still as good and delicious!
Ssamjang (쌈장) is a thick, savory Korean condiment used in ssam. It is made from a mixture of doenjang (fermented soybean paste), gochujang (red chili paste), garlic, sesame oil, and sometimes other ingredients like onions and green onions.
For mine, I use the organic doenjang from Yaemejin and also add a bit of Cheonggukjang (청국장) for extra goodness! For those who are not so familiar with cheonggukjang, it is a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste known for its strong, distinctive smell and rich flavor. It is made by fermenting soybeans with Bacillus subtilis bacteria and is known for its health benefits, such as probiotics and protein.
So, this is how my lunch meal looks. Healthy and yummy, right?
I have it with doenjang soup with lots of vegetables and tofu as well.
To change things up, I sometimes have tuna or salmon instead of chicken.
These are still rich sources of protein!
I hope this post gives some meal ideas to those who love trying new recipes! Certainly, I’ve been feeling happy and satisfied with my meal plan, and I even look forward to each mealtime now. :-)
Thank you for reading!
Thanks for the small chicken meat 💡 I'm trying to increase my protein too as I heard it's important