Baked plantain, asparagus, baked cod with peas and homemade tartare sauce. This nutrient-dense, low glycaemic load meal makes a delicious anti-inflammatory lunch or dinner.

The interest in plant-based diets has popularised plantains in the Western world.

But those of us from the tropics have been enjoying them since early childhood – as young as six months old, no joke!

Even though plantains have been in my life since childhood, I haven’t stopped loving them. As a child, I typically ate them fried (sometimes roasted or boiled) with eggs or vegetable stews.

I rarely fry them nowadays because I’ve found healthier ways to enjoy them – air frying or baking.

Your healthcare professional may have told you to avoid eating them if you have insulin resistance or associated conditions, such as prediabetes, type 2 diabetes and PCOS, because of their high carbohydrate content. But you don’t need to avoid them.

Plantains’ effect on your blood sugar levels depends on how much you eat, how you eat it, and, to an extent, its ripeness.

Unripe plantain typically has a low glycaemic index (GI) – which raises your blood sugar slowly, while ripe plantain has a medium GI – which raises your blood sugar moderately.

If you want to maintain insulin sensitivity or have prediabetes, type II diabetes, PCOS or insulin resistance, it is important to pair plantains with protein and fibre-rich foods to prevent sugar and insulin spikes when you eat them.

You should also keep your portions moderate because large portions may still spike your blood sugars and insulin levels even if you pair them with protein and fibrous vegetables.

Today I’ve paired my plantains with cod (protein source), asparagus and peas (fibre sources) to keep my meal balanced and low GL. You can use any vegetable and protein you enjoy, including plant-based options like tofu, beans or lentils.

Before we jump into the recipe, let’s explore the

Nutritional Highlights of Plantain, Asparagus & Baked Cod in Tartare Sauce

With a GL of 11.9, this meal is considered low-GL, meaning that it won’t spike your blood sugars and insulin but will provide steady release energy, with moderate increases in your blood glucose. This meal is a rich source of several vitamins and minerals, including,

• Iodine, provides 190µg or 126% of the recommended nutrient intake (RNI)
• Selenium, provides 54µg or 97% RNI
• Vitamin B12 provides 2.2µg or 89% RNI
• Potassium, provides 1190mg or 60% RNI
• Omega 3, 0.77g or 35% RNI

How to cook plantain, asparagus and baked cod with tartare sauce

Serves 1 | Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 75g plantain, sliced
• 120g cod
• 100g asparagus, steamed
• 80g peas, steamed
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 heaped tablespoon light mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons capers, roughly chopped
• 1/2 small shallot, finely chopped
• 1 small gherkin, finely chopped (optional)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, extra to serve
• Salt and black pepper, to taste (optional)

Directions

1. Combine mayonnaise, capers, gherkins, shallots, lemon juice, and parsley in a small bowl. Cover the bowl with a lid or cling film, then place it in the refrigerator.
2. Heat oven to 200°C (400°F), then line two baking trays with parchment paper.
3. Toss plantain slices in 1/2 teaspoon olive oil and black pepper, then carefully arrange on one lined baking tray and bake for 20-25 mins until golden brown. Flip the plantains halfway through cooking.
4. Put the cod on the other baking tray and season lightly with salt and black pepper. Bake for 18 mins or until the fish becomes white and tender. Set aside and keep warm.
5. Place plantain, vegetables and fish on a plate. Spoon a generous amount of the tartare sauce over the fish. Garnish with extra fresh parsley and black pepper if you desire
6. Enjoy.

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REFERENCES

1. Famakin, O., Fatoyinbo, A., Ijarotimi, O.S., Badejo, A.A., and Fagbemi, T.N. (2016) Assessment of nutritional quality, glycaemic index, antidiabetic and sensory properties of plantain (Musa paradisiaca) – based functional dough meals. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 53 (11), 3865–3875.
2. Lamptey, R., Velayoudom, FL., Kake, A., Uloko, A.E., Rhedoor, A.J., Kibirige, D., Maimouna, N., Sobgnwi, E., Kalra, S (2019) Plantains: Gluco-friendly usage. Recent Advances in Endocrinology: Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association, 69,

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