Healthy Eating At The Intu Centre, Derby @intuDerby
Published On Wednesday 27 Jan 2016 by Sticky Beak
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You can tell it’s the post Christmas waistline panic can’t you? Everywhere you look there are adverts for those two weight management clubs, gym memberships and food replacement shakes. Now, I don’t know if it’s just me but I’d much rather eat healthily and sensibly than deny myself anything or put artificial ingredients in my body.
So I was really pleased to be invited by the Intu Derby team to their Healthy Eating evening at which several of the restaurants in Eat Central were going to showcase some of their healthy food dishes. I always think that when you’re on a diet or eating regime that it stops you from joining your friends on nights out and thankfully this event proved that this isn’t the case at all at Intu, Derby.
First up was the Shakin’ it crew and as you know the Boy Wonder, Chickadee and myself have really rated their shakes in the past. Shakin’ it has got the UK’s first all in one Fruit, Vegetable and frozen Protein smoothies and they are rather yummy I must say.
The Protein super booster Green smoothie contains Soya beans, Whey protein nutri-pellets, Chia seeds, Spinach, Pineapple and Banana so its high in fibre and Folic acid as well as providing protein, Calcium and Iron. It had a great Pineapple taste so it was not only great to drink but good for you too.
Its Red counterpart contains Pomegranate, Whey protein nutri-pellets, Blueberry, Strawberry and Hemp seeds which provides you with lots of Vitamins and minerals as well as Magnesium, protein and Vitamin C. As usual His Nibs and I preferred the different versions; I liked the Red smoothie, he preferred the Green one. Everyone agreed that they were very tasty though, so thumbs up to team Shakin’ it.
Then it was little jaunt over to Yo! Sushi, and our first dish was the Avocado Maki made with Avocado, Mayonnaise , rice and wrapped in Seaweed; very simple but delicious.
Then we had the Salmon and Avocado Hand roll which was rice, fresh Salmon and Avocado wrapped in a cone shaped sheet of seaweed. Again very simple but delicious and nutritious; the Salmon contain healthy fish oils and is low fat and the Avocado also has Healthy fats in. Seaweed is high in Iodine which can play a part in healthy Thyroid function, so this dish is great for your health.
We also had some Miso soup with tofu pieces and seaweed shreds in; the broth is low calorie and the Tofu is a source of protein. Two delicious salads, Kaiso and Goma, completed our tasting session at Yo! Sushi and we left feeling full of beans.
Joes Kitchen was our third venue to visit and the lovely Ryan took us through their amazing offerings. We started with Beetroot and Apple juice and it not only had the most gorgeous deep red colour but it tasted surprisingly good too.
Beetroot is often overlooked but it is an excellent source of fibre, Manganese, Potassium and Folic acid. It’s also low fat, high in Vitamins and minerals and packed with anti-oxidants. They make their juices fresh as they have juicers in the kitchen, so you can rest assured that you are getting the maximum amount of nutrition from your juice.
The Avocado open sandwich on sourdough bread was incredibly yummy and we all loved the Hummus that Joes Kitchen make; chick peas are high in fibre, low in fat and garlic is well known for its health benefits. The tang of Lime juice makes it a great taste sensation on the tongue.
We were also treated to the Vegetable Patches which are served in plant pots; they contain more of the delicious Hummus along with crudités of Broccoli, Celery, Asparagus, Carrot and Beetroot. Yet again, we were all pleasantly surprised at how yummy “Healthy” food could be.
As you can imagine we were all pretty stuffed at this point in the evening, but no sluggishness associated with food coma as you often get. Maybe there is more to this “clean” food malarkey than I thought; certainly the lower processed ingredients in the dishes seemed to have a fairly immediate impact on my body.
We sauntered next door to the lovely team at Byron Hamburgers, who greeted us with huge smiles. They brought out a really vibrant Beetroot and Goats Cheese salad with Puy lentils that tasted superb; to my taste buds it seemed to have just a subtle hint of fennel/aniseed flavour. Another salad of Quinoa, Avocado and Roasted tomato was also placed on the table and was declared to be very yummy.
Quinoa is very much in fashion at the moment as it is an excellent source of protein. We also sampled the Classic Byron burger but in its skinny version which means it came without the burger bun which was replaced with a salad. Three different cuts of beef, as well as some unrefined beef fat, make up the burger; the skirt and chuck cuts give a juiciness to the burger and the brisket gives it that lovely deep meatiness that we associate with quality burgers.
Side orders of Sweet Potato and Courgette fries completed the array of deliciousness from team Byron. We particularly liked the courgette fries; and the vegetable slices are dipped in buttermilk then coated in Polenta flour. Although not strictly healthy eating due to being fried we decided they were justified as everything should be enjoyed in moderation shouldn’t it?
Last stop of the evening was to Wagamama, and they gave us two salads, Sirloin and Shitake and Warm Chilli Tofu to try, as well as a Soba noodle dish in both the Chicken and Prawn, and Vegetable versions.
We were treated to a cup of anti-oxidant rich Green Tea too, as well as the delicious “Positive” juice that contains Cucumber, Pineapple, Spinach, Apple and Lime. The Sirloin steak had been marinated and was served medium rare so it was very juicy and full of flavour.
What I really liked about all the salads was the array of tastes and textures that completely blew the myth that they’re boring and bland out of the water.
The very last dish for us to try was the Mochi ice cream in Sesame, Coconut and Raspberry variations. As far as desserts go this is probably about as guilt-free as you’re ever going to get; a single portion is around 250 calories but they taste a whole lot more indulgent.
As a lovely suppertime treat, Yo! Sushi sent us all home with a piece of fresh fruit and a portion of their scrummy Apple Gyoza with Raspberry compote. The evening was a master class in just what a great array of healthy foods are on offer in the restaurants at Eat Central in Intu Derby.
So, if you happen to be on a diet or are simply trying to be more food aware, you certainly don’t have to turn down dinner dates with mates here. :)
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