This recipe is a great for those preparing for bariatric surgery as it can be used whilst on the Optifast® program. The ingredients are “low energy foods”, or those often seen on “free foods” lists.
Sharon, the super cook with a gastric band reviews all my recipes. She has had her gastric band for some time, but used the salad as a side dish with some grilled French lamb cutlets and a small baked potato. Hence this is a handy recipe for both before and after surgery – she tolerated the salad well.
Also a bright, colourful appealing salad, try it at your next barbeque.
Green Bean Salad
Serves 4
300g green beans
1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small red onion, sliced
½ a red capsicum, cut into strips (approximately the same size as the beans)
1 tablespoon fresh flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons fat-free French dressing
Top and tail the green beans and cut in half. In a medium saucepan bring some water to the boil to blanche the beans. When the water is boiling drop the beans in and boil for 1 minute or until the beans are a vibrant green colour. Remove from heat and drain immediately and plunge into cold or iced water for a minute. (This removes the raw taste and texture from the beans and makes them slightly tender.) Combine the salad ingredients in a bowl and drizzle with the dressing. Chill for 1 hour before serving. For variety, serve on a bed of crisp lettuce.
Nutrition Information (per serve): energy 180kJ, protein 2g, fat negligible, saturated fat 0g, carbohydrate 6g, fibre 3g.
