“Whipping up a delicious meal for your mom this Mother’s Day doesn’t need to include the weight-gaining ingredients we often associate with a treat,” said Dr Peter Hill of Met-S Care.

“Unfortunately society has lead us to believe that in order for a meal to be tasty it needs to be loaded with unhealthy carbs and sugar. This is definitely not the case. Your mom would probably prefer a healthy, delicious meal that isn’t going to pack on the pounds.”

Hill offers this three course meal as a great option for a Mother’s Day get-together:

Starter (Warm Tomato and Apple Salad) – Serves 4:
Ingredients:

• 1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 medium red chilli, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 medium red onions, sliced
• 12 asparagus spears, trimmed and halved
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ½ cup mint leaves
• 200g rocket
• 1 green apple, cut into thin wedges

Method:

• Heat wok on high heat and lightly spray with olive oil. Add tomatoes, chilli, garlic, onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened, stirring continuously.
• Add asparagus, white wine vinegar, lemon and 1 teaspoon of mint, cook for 5 minutes.
• Place rocket in a large bowl. Add tomato, asparagus mixture and toss. Serve sprinkled with fresh mint and apple wedges.

MAIN (Lemon and Garlic Lamb Rack) – Serves 4:
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped garlic
• 1 French lamb rack – 8 cutlets (females 2-3 cutlets)
• 1½ French lamb rack – 12 (males 3-4 cutlets)
• 2 lemons, cut into wedges
• 1 red onion, cut into wedges
• 500g green beans, trimmed
• 2 teaspoons seeded mustard
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180°C. Combine lemon juice, oil, garlic and chopped rosemary to form a paste. Pour the paste over the lamb rack and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour.
• Place lemon wedges, onion and some extra rosemary sprigs in the bottom of a baking dish and place lamb rack on top making sure to add any extra marinade from the dish. Bake in a hot oven for 35-40 minutes.
• Steam beans until tender and combine in a stainless steel bowl with mustard and white wine vinegar and toss until beans are well coated.
• Serve cutlets with the bean salad.

DESERT:

“Finish off the meal with something sweet, why not try double cream or double cream yoghurt blended with fresh or frozen berries dusted with a little sweetener,” he added.

For other delicious low carb suggestions why not pick up a copy of The Controlled Carb Cook Book which is now available at Dis-Chem countrywide.