Declutter your diet: three spring plate moves

SPRING is upon us. Curtains come down for a clean, windows get a proper wash, and the garage is on the hit list. Yet while our homes sparkle, the real clutter often sits on our plates - a “just-in-case” slice of bread here, an extra spoon of rice “for taste” there, etc.

Why it matters

Those little “extras” quietly add calories and causes your energy to dip after meals. A tidier plate, with one starch at a time, keeps the blood-sugar rise smaller and steadier.

Lighter methods (braise, grill, steam, bake, air-fry) reduces oil, not flavour. Veges and legumes add fibre and volume, so fullness arrives sooner and heart health stays supported.

What does this means: Trim the duplicates, cook lighter, and let vegetable/legumes take up half the plate for smoother energy.

1. Lighter Spring plate: one starch, more vegetables 

What to choose

- ½ to 1 cup basmati or ½ to 1 cup brown rice, or 

- 1 to 2 slices whole-wheat or high-fibre bread, or 

- ½ cup pap or samp, or

- 1 small potato (boiled/air-fried; no butter)

- Potato and sweet potato both count as starch - try not to pair with rice in the same meal.

Why it works: Cuts duplicate carbs, steadies energy, and frees space for ½ a plate of vegetables + ¼ lean protein.

Real-plate examples

- Meat curry + crisp salad + basmati or bread (not both).

- Vegetarian plate: cauliflower and peas or braised green beans + pea dhall + basmati or wholewheat/high-fibre bread (salad is a bonus).

- Braai/air-fryer: skinless chicken or masala fish + big salad + pap or a roll.

Starch choice - go higher

Whole-wheat, seeded, or high-fibre white options help you feel full longer, and keep energy steadier.

- Bread: 1 to 2 slices; pile on salad (lettuce, cucumber, onion, grated carrot) and lean protein (dhall/beans, chicken, tuna).

- Rice: Choose basmati or brown; plate your vegetables first, then protein.

- Pasta: Whole-wheat with tomato-based vegetable sauce; herbs and lemon instead of cream.

2. Change the method, not the menu

- Cook light, same taste: braise with 1 tsp oil and a splash of water; grill, steam, bake or air-fry so the fat drips away.

- Curry plating (coat, don’t drown): Toss food in just enough curry gravy; keep extra in a small side bowl.

- Finishers, not cream: Lemon, fresh coriander/mint/curry leaves.

- Fats (minimal): Thin smear soft margarine, ¼ avocado, one small, closed handful of unsalted nuts. Avoid coconut oil/ghee/coconut milk; no deep-frying. Use small amounts of canola/sunflower oil for curries and olive oil for salads.

3. Add the good stuff - Spring daily builder

Greens and crucifers (2 cups)

Greens: Spinach, Swiss chard, green beans.

Crucifers: Cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale; plus peppery leaves like watercress and rocket.

Cancer note: Naturally antioxidant-rich, and higher intakes are linked in studies with a lower risk of some cancers. Cook fast and light - steam or quick sauté or light-braise in 1 tsp canola/sunflower oil with cumin (jeera), a few mustard seeds, garlic and a little onion; finish with lemon.

Salads count toward the 2 cups: Build a base (lettuce, cucumber, onion, grated carrot), fold in watercress/rocket, and dress with lemon + 1 tsp olive oil. Mix cooked and raw to reach your 2 cups and plate vegetables first.

What this means: Big fibre and volume for fewer calories.

Everyday builders

- Legumes (1 cup/day): Pea dhall, lentils, sugar/broad (butter) beans.  Budget tip: batch-cook; freeze in ½ cup tubs.

- Seeds and nuts (small): 1 tablespoon ground flax or mixed seeds and a small, closed handful of unsalted nuts.

- Fruit (2 a day): One bright (berries/citrus/peach) and one everyday (apple/banana) as the sweet course.

Pick one starch - yes, potato counts. Cook with a lighter hand, and let the greens, crucifers, dhall, beans, seeds and fruit do the heavy lifting. Keep the masala, trim the extras, and give vegetable half the plate. That’s spring on a plate - lighter, steadier energy and flavour that still feels like home.

Verisha Rugbur is a dietician and the founder of Diet Rite Dietitians. Email: info@dietrite. co.za. Call 082 495 4954. Visit www.dietrite.co.za. 

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