Written by thephysiquemechanic

Easy Macro-Friendly Tuna Poke!

 

Call it what you want – this fresh, macro friendly poke dish is a no-brainer.

Assemble a squad of inexpensive pantry staples and add this to your weekly menu to fit into your goals with ease!

OK, so what actually qualifies as poke (pronounced ‘po-kay), the now seemingly ubiquitous dish popping up on menus very, very far from its native Hawaii?  Officially (and by officially we’re talking Wikipedia), it’s defined as raw, yellowfin tuna salad.  While this interpretation takes some liberties in terms of seasonings, it’s pretty true to the original.

But here’s the catch – pun intended: for both taste and safety, poke MUST be prepared with the freshest fish you can possibly find!

Don’t mess around with frozen, bagged tuna steaks from the big box store (fine for cooking, not for raw consumption), or even fresh tuna from the grocery store (tried it – meh).  Head straight to an actual fish market, and purchase SUSHI-GRADE tuna as close as possible to consumption time.  A fishmonger worth his sea salt will gladly cut the fish into the appropriate-sized chunks for you – just do the right thing and leave him a tip.

Since this dish is such a breeze to prepare, grab it on your way home from work, or plan on making it over the weekend.  Just like day-old sushi is, in a word, gross, poke needs to be prepared and eaten immediately.

Yes, this dish contains low-sodium soy sauce.  Don’t even think about skipping it or replacing it with something like Bragg’s aminos or some other sub-par substitute.  Unless you’re gluten-free, there’s no need.  The splash used here is so tiny it doesn’t even register on my no-fail Ozeri scale.

The minuscule amount of sodium is worth it for the flavor payoff

 

 

Main Ingredients:

  • -Ahi (yellowfin) tuna, cubed (150 – 170g, depending on needs)
  • -2ml Toasted Sesame Oil (Trader Joe’s makes a good one)
  • -8g candied ginger, minced
  • -2g honey
  • -Splash of low-sodium soy sauce
  • -5g roasted sesame seaweed sheets, crushed by hand (will take two seconds)
  • -3g sesame seeds
  • -Lime wedge for serving

 

Next up are some amazing side pieces you may want to pair that amazing fish with.

  • -Maduros (the Goya frozen variety = LIFE)
  • -Jasmine rice
  • -Crunchy rice rolls
  • -Quick-pickled red cabbage and carrot slaw
  • -Edamame
  • -Avocado
  • -Sliced mango
  • -Cucumber dressed in rice vinegar
  • -Kimchi
  • -Plantain or yucca chips (because all foods fit)
  • -Mix up black and white sesame seeds for a more aesthetically-pleasing plate, but weigh carefully!  Similar to some nuts as far as their nutritional profile, seeds are indeed caloric and contain fat.  (1 tbsp(9g)= 52 calories)

But…feel free to go ham with cilantro, chives and/or scallions, and finely-diced jalapeno if you’re feeling spicy.

 

The end result?

 

A fresh-caught dish that’s less expensive than sushi and lends itself to endless pairing possibilities.

 

Enjoy your food.  Enjoy your life!

 

 

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in small bowl.  Squeeze with lime to taste and serve immediately.

 

Nutrition using 150g tuna:

262 calories 37g P 11g C 7g F

(this will also vary depending on what sides you pair it with!)

 

If you do make this recipe please tag me so I can see, with the hashtag #thephysiquemechanic

 

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This recipe was written by my friend Nicole Rodriguez.

Nicole is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist & Certified Personal Trainer with NASM.

She has an absolutely amazing website full of recipes, fitness information, and beauty tips at Enjoyfoodenjoylife.

She also has a wonderful Instagram where you can follow her fitness journey and all the good food she makes.