DON’T UNDERSTIMATE the power of nutrition. For our most recent cover star, Khanh Ong, getting his diet in check was one of the biggest challenges he faced in achieving his goal physique. “I have to eat for work, and what I have to eat isn’t always healthy,” Ong said in the cover story. “After this interview, I’m going on a five-day food shoot in Thailand, where I’ll be eating street food. I can’t control those macros.”
“Because it can be hard to control my diet at times, I try to eat really clean when I come home,” Ong continued. “I’ve started making recipes that are actually delicious and allow me to hit my macros. In the future I really want to explore the fitness side of food. I want to see how we can make healthy foods without losing flavour, without losing the traditional stuff. I want to show people that eating healthy doesn’t need to be boring.”
With the emphasis on wholesome, healthy foods that are packed with macronutrients but don’t compromise on flavour, Khanh shared a selection of his go-to recipes with us. Find them below, and prepare to add these ingredients to your shopping list.
Honey soy chicken noodles
Ingredients:
For the sauce:
- 1 stock pot + ¼ cup water (or ⅓ cup of stock of your choice)
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
For the stir fry:
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 capsicums, finely sliced
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
- 1 large carrot, finely sliced
- 4–5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 thumb-sized piece ginger, finely chopped or grated
- ¼ cabbage, finely chopped
- 200g dried egg noodles (cooked 1 minute less than package instructions, rinsed in cold water, and left in cold water until ready to use)
- 1 kg chicken breast mince
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Optional garnish: coriander, spring onions, chili
Instructions:
- Heat a large wok over medium heat and add 3 tsp vegetable oil.
- Add carrots and onions, stirring for 2 minutes until onions begin to soften.
- Add garlic and ginger, cooking for 1 more minute.
- Add capsicum and cabbage, stirring for 5 minutes until cabbage softens. Remove vegetables and set aside.
- Add remaining oil and chicken mince to the wok. Break up mince with a wooden spoon and cook for 3-4 minutes until it starts to brown.
- Pour in the sauce mixture, cooking for 2-3 minutes until the chicken is fully coated.
- Return vegetables to the wok and stir for 2 minutes.
- Add in cooked noodles and toss well to combine.
- Season generously with salt and 2-3 tsp ground pepper.
- Divide evenly into 4-6 portions.
Serving suggestion: Top with coriander, spring onions, and chili for extra flavour.
Cooking time:
- Preparation: ~15 minutes
- Cooking: ~15 minutes
- Total: ~30 minutes
Macronutrients per serve (5 servings):
- Carbs: 60g
- Fats: 12g
- Protein: 57.5g
Overnight chia pudding
Ingredients:
For the pudding (3 servings):
- 2 scoops Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Vanilla Ice Cream protein powder
- 2 tbsp psyllium husk
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- 4 tubs Chobani Fit Vanilla Yogurt
- ½ cup coconut water
For the blueberry sauce:
- 1 punnet blueberries
- ¼ cup coconut water
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, mix together protein powder, psyllium husk, chia seeds, yogurt, and coconut water until fully combined.
- Divide the mixture evenly into three containers and let sit overnight in the fridge to thicken.
For the sauce:
- Heat a pan over medium heat, adding blueberries and coconut water.
- Simmer for 4 minutes, then lightly squish the blueberries to release their juices.
- Continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken.
- Remove from heat and let cool.
To serve:
- Pour blueberry sauce over each chia pudding.
- (Optional) Garnish with lime zest or any desired toppings like nuts, granola, or extra fruit.
Cooking time:
- Preparation: 5 minutes
- Resting (overnight): 6+ hours
- Total Time: 6+ hours
Macronutrients per serve (3 Servings):
- Carbs: 24g
- Fats: 4.5g
- Protein: 34g
Grilled chicken & rocket salad
Ingredients (4 servings):
For the chicken:
- 2–12 cloves garlic, minced (adjust to taste)
- Zest & juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 3 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1½ tsp oregano
- Large pinch salt
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 2 chicken breasts, halved (500-600g total)
For the dressing:
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- 1½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 3 tsp EVOO
- 1 tbsp high-protein yogurt
For the salad:
- 240g (2 bags) rocket (arugula)
- 1 pear, finely sliced
- 35g walnuts, toasted & chopped
- 50g pickled onions
- 30g Parmesan, finely grated
Instructions:
- Prepare the chicken:
- In a bowl, mix together garlic, lemon zest & juice, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, salt, and EVOO.
- Coat the chicken breast halves well in the marinade.
- Heat a pan on medium heat and cook chicken for 3 minutes per side, pressing down slightly for even cooking.
- Remove from heat and let rest before slicing.
- Make the dressing:
- In a small bowl, whisk together Dijon mustard, honey, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, EVOO, and high-protein yogurt until smooth.
- Assemble the salad:
- In a large bowl, toss together rocket, sliced pear, toasted walnuts, and pickled onions.
- Slice the grilled chicken and add it on top.
- Drizzle with dressing and finish with finely grated Parmesan.
Cooking time:
- Preparation: 10 minutes
- Cooking: 6 minutes
- Total: ~16 minutes
Macronutrients per serve (4 servings):
- Carbs: 15.8g
- Fats: 16.6g
- Protein: 53.5g
Eff off and leave me alone chicken pasta
Ingredients (5 servings)
For the sauce:
- 200g low-fat cottage cheese
- 100g high-protein yogurt
- 50g pecorino (optional)
- 150g drained sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 tsp paprika
(Blitz everything together until smooth—it’ll be thick, but that’s the point.)
For the pasta:
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
- 10-100 cloves (your mood determines the garlic amount), finely chopped
- 750g chicken breast, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp chili flakes (adjust to taste)
- 1 chicken stock pot, dissolved in 500ml water
- 200g spinach
- 375g high-protein pasta, cooked 2 minutes less than packet instructions
- Handful of basil leaves
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add olive oil.
- Add sliced red onion and cook for 3 minutes until softened.
- Add chicken breast and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring, until it starts to color and there’s no pink left.
- Toss in garlic, Italian seasoning, and chili flakes, cooking for 1 more minute.
- Pour in the dissolved chicken stock and bring to a boil.
- Add spinach, stirring for 1 minute until wilted.
- Add cooked pasta and mix well.
- Stir in the blitzed pasta sauce and basil, cooking for 2 minutes until heated through.
- Season generously with salt and pepper to taste.
Cooking time:
- Preparation: ~10 minutes
- Cooking: ~15 minutes
- Total: ~25 minutes
Macronutrients per serve (5 servings):
- Protein: 64.2g
- Fats: 12.5g
- Carbs: 55g
Want to stretch it further? Add more pasta and this will easily serve 6-8, still packing 45g+ protein per serve while lowering the fat per portion.
