This Middle Eastern-inspired roast eggplant dish comes from the “The Noom Kitchen,” a new cookbook from Noom that features nutrient-dense, calorically mindful recipes.
Noom is a digital healthcare company that’s become well-known for its healthy eating app, virtual health coaching services, and a diabetes prevention program that utilizes elements of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) – a type of talk therapy focused on adjusting thoughts and behaviors – to encourage participants to break old habits and replace them with newer, healthier ones.
Research has shown that participation in such programs creates healthier outcomes for people diagnosed with prediabetes or looking to lose weight and keep it off; one study showed such a program delays the onset of type 2 diabetes over a three-year period by 58% compared with doing nothing.
Now the health platform has released its first-ever cookbook, “The Noom Kitchen,” to support its nutritional guidance. The 100 recipes in the book were developed by Adeena Sussman, a prolific food writer and longtime collaborator of cookbook author Chrissy Teigen.
Sussman, who is the author of multiple New York Times bestselling cookbooks, is based in Tel Aviv, and took inspiration from her surroundings in developing recipes such as this roasted eggplant recipe that’s served alongside a fresh vegetable salsa and punchy tahini sauce.
“This recipe is a celebration of plant-forward Middle Eastern flavors and one that uses spices and healthy fats to deliver maximum flavor. The crunch of the cucumber, the fragrant herbs, and the hint of spice all add delicious impact,” she said.
In particular, Sussman loves serving this recipe as a light midday meal: “I would suggest serving it with a nice piece of grilled chicken or fish or a warm bowl of soup,” she said.
Regardless of when you choose to serve it, this eggplant entrée is friendly to anyone mindful of MyPlate guidelines.
“This beautiful and mouth-watering eggplant steak recipe makes fresh and cooked non-starchy vegetables the stars of the dish, not only providing a feast for the eyes and palate but also packing a nutritional punch, making it ideal for any person who is managing their blood glucose levels or who lives with a diabetes diagnosis, yet wants a flavorful, filling, whole food, fiber-rich, lower-fat, and lower-carbohydrate dish,” registered dietitian Jenniffer Hubbard said.
“Fill up half of your plate with one eggplant steak serving, one quarter with a lean source of protein, and the other quarter with whole fiber-rich sources of carbohydrates, and you have a balanced meal that meets the Diabetes Plate Method guidelines while helping you stay within your carbohydrate budget and manage your blood sugar levels,” Hubbard, who is one of the coaches for Noom’s Diabetes Prevention Program, suggested.
“Eggplant, cucumbers, and onions are lower carbohydrate non-starchy vegetables that have a smaller impact on blood sugar levels and are full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and water,” she said, adding: “Each serving will help you work toward achieving the recommended three to five servings of vegetables a day.”
Adapted from "The Noom Kitchen" by Noom
Total time: 1 hour
Makes: 4 servings
Total carbohydrates: 27.5 grams per serving
The Noom system features a color code for each food (green, yellow, or orange) based on caloric density (low, moderate, and calorie dense, respectively). This plant-based recipe is color-coded green.
Recipe developer Adeena Sussman points out that this recipe can be simplified even further with a couple of substitutions if necessary. For instance, if you don’t have lemon juice on hand, lime juice would also work well. If you’re short on either mint or parsley, that’s fine, too: “Omit one of the herbs and double the other,” she suggests.
For the eggplant
For the relish
For the tahini sauce
Nutritional information per serving (1 serving = 1 eggplant half, 3/4 cup relish, 2 tablespoons tahini sauce, and 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds): 214 calories, 11.7 g total fat, 1.6 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 500.2 mg sodium, 2.75 g total carbohydrates, 10.9 g dietary fiber, 11.7 g sugars, 0 g added sugars, 5.9 g protein.
Credits:
Susannah Chen
Source: diaTribe | Spiced Eggplant Steaks