This is part of our yearlong Family Eats Challenge series. Throughout the year, we’ll take a journey with four families as they strive to change their relationship with the food they eat. For this Challenge, we visit with Teymoor, a single male, living in San Francisco. Helping Teymoor with the Challenge is Chef Ross Rosenzweig, the Culinary Coach for Berkeley-based VittlesInc.
by Chef Ross
In our last installment we talked about “smart snacking” and the need to provide the body with FAST and easy snacks. We want the hand to be able to reach out and grab something nutritious and balanced BEFORE the body begins to shut down because of low glycemic level. For this Update we are going to provide Teymoor with even more options for snacking—options we traditionally think of as a meal instead of a snack.
As we do this, we move from “smart snacks” to “hand food.” But before we do, I want to share a bit of our future with you.
In the next five years, our largest corporate food processors have predicted that for a new food item launch to become successful it has to meet the following criteria:
1) It needs to be prepared in less than 1 minute.
2) It has to have a pleasing taste profile.
3) It has to be eaten with one hand.
Notice that these criteria have nothing to do with nutritional value or balance. But don’t worry, we are going to change that!
For the sake of simplicity I have researched recipes from today’s current media so that anyone can learn and follow along.
In the next week, there are several items that I am going to instruct Teymoor how to make. Each will meet his need to have a fast and easy snack – that is nutritious. Meals will include Asian Cabbage Wraps, California Rolls, Teriyaki Chicken Temaki, Beer Braised Turkey Tacos withMango Tomato Salsa, and a Pineapple Mango Salsa. They are all relatively easy to prepare, but they do take a bit of pre-planning.
And, yes, they will take more than one minute to prepare, but the results will be so satisfying. As well, the initial prep time will take a little fun in the kitchen. Each of these items can be prepared well in advance, and in one day. Then they will hold the entire week.
When Teymoor is getting ready for his day, he just packs the wrap, the tasty filling, and the wet item (salsa) in separate containers or in a snazzy bento box and dashes to work. When his hand reaches out looking for calories, guess how much time he has to spend making his delectable meal that will make all his co-workers crazy with envy?
1 minute!
Why don’t you try a little of smart snacking, and get some great tasting meals in your hands.
