Here are two sample meal plans featuring fish and shrimp for lunch and dinner. Feel free to adjust them to your liking:
| Fish Menu | Shrimp Menu | |
| Meal 1 | White brown rice Braised snakehead fish Stir-fried beef with loofah Ngot leaf soup with shrimp Kimchi Fermented whey drink | White brown rice Braised shrimp with lettuce Stuffed tofu with minced meat in tomato sauce Stir-fried king oyster mushrooms with garlic Sweet mustard green soup with fresh shrimp |
| Meal 2 | Boiled fresh beans Fried tilapia with mango salsa Air-fried Basa fish cakes (brushed with olive oil) Stir-fried Napa cabbage with egg Sweet mustard green soup with Basa fish | Boiled fresh white beans Braised shrimp with herbs and cucumber Jute mallow soup with crab meat Kimchi Watermelon juice |
| Meal 3 | White brown rice Braised goby fish Steamed eggs with fermented fish sauce and minced meat Stir-fried green beans with olive oil Watercress soup with minced meat Guava kombucha | White brown rice Braised straw mushrooms with tofu Braised shrimp Eggplant with shrimp paste Purple yam soup with shrimp |
| Meal 4 | White brown rice Fried tilapia with mango salsa Stir-fried cauliflower, bell peppers, and carrots Loofah soup with shrimp Eggplant with shrimp paste | Red brown rice Braised shrimp Stir-fried king oyster mushrooms Bamboo shoot soup with salmon head Pickled scallions |
| Meal 5 | Tuna and fish cake noodle soup | Red brown rice Braised shrimp Braised salmon fillet Rau cang cua salad Jute mallow soup with crab meat Fermented whey drink |
| Meal 6 | Red brown rice Braised whitebait with pepper Fried fish cakes Pork bone soup with vegetables Boiled cauliflower and kohlrabi Kombucha | Boiled fresh beans Pumpkin soup with shrimp and dried shrimp |
| Meal 7 | Brown rice Tomato-braised catfish Braised tofu with straw mushrooms Boiled bok choy Seaweed soup with tofu Pickled scallions with fish sauce Grapefruit juice | Repeat |
| Meal 8 | White brown rice Braised basa fish Braised salmon fillet Stir-fried beef with green beans Ngot leaf soup Pickled bean sprouts | Repeat |
| Meal 9 | Black brown rice Grilled pomfret with chili sauce Pomfret in sour bamboo shoot soup Fried squid cakes Stir-fried chayote Grapefruit juice | Repeat |
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A meal with fish and white brown rice, helps maintain a healthy weight and keeps you feeling full. Photo provided by the doctor |
A meal with fish and white brown rice, helps maintain a healthy weight and keeps you feeling full. Photo provided by the doctor
For breakfast, Doctor Tan suggests simple, healthy, and effective options: fried eggs, tuna salad, organic spinach protein, or crab noodle soup (more crab, less noodles), and white brown rice.
The faster food digests, the less time it stays in your digestive system. An empty digestive system triggers hunger. Foods high in sugar and refined carbohydrates digest and absorb quickly. Therefore, limit foods like bread, rice, noodles, sweet pastries, and pho. If you consume refined white rice or noodles, combine them with whole grains to slow down absorption.
If you're busy and can't prepare a full meal according to the menu, be flexible. However, balance the three essential nutrient groups: carbohydrates, protein, and fiber. Most importantly, practice eating slowly and chewing thoroughly.
Fiber is beneficial for health and helps prevent cancer. It's not easily digested or absorbed, so it stays in the digestive system longer, absorbing water and expanding 15 to 25 times its original size. This promotes a feeling of fullness. Fiber-rich foods include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, soybeans, mushrooms, and seaweed. The recommended daily intake is about 30g, equivalent to 200g of whole grains, 500g of vegetables, 250g of fruit, and a handful of soybeans. Those with digestive issues should cook these foods before consuming them.
Prioritize low-starch vegetables and follow the rainbow principle: the more colorful your meal, the better. Choose less sweet or unsweetened varieties and limit frying and braising.
For fats, choose unrefined oils low in omega-6, such as extra virgin olive oil, cold-pressed avocado oil, cold-pressed coconut oil, and hand-pressed sesame oil. Limit added sugars and salt when cooking. Prioritize natural umami flavors from seaweed, meat, mushrooms, tomatoes, and potatoes instead of MSG or seasoning powders.
Thuy Quynh
