There are moments when we don’t feel like cooking and it’s at these times that we are most at risk of making poor dietary choices. Occasionally turning to convenience or take away food is not the end of the world but if habitual it could become detrimental to your nutritional health as well as expensive. I’ve identified three areas that could help minimise this risk:
- Batch cooking – as mentioned last week this is a good way of saving time at a later date and ensures you always have healthy options ready to go from the freezer, recipes that work well include:
Chilli – this recipe Easy vegetarian chilli recipe – BBC Food uses vegetables and beans but could include meat if preferred.
Curry – a great way of making a plant-based dish more interesting, there are multiple ways to use vegetables in a curry, here is a great selection; Jamie Oliver vegetable curry recipes | Features | Jamie Oliver.
Tomato pasta sauce – see recipe below, this is a very versatile recipe, it can be used in multiple ways with pasta, pizza as well as a base for chilli or Bolognese.
Soup – this recipe Sardinia Minestrone – Blue Zones includes over 5 vegetables making it a quick way to fulfil your daily intake, a great option if you want to re-set after a period of overindulgence.
2. Healthy fast-food ideas
Cacio e pepe – ultra quick and simple Italian classic, see recipe below.
Omelette – the ultimate fast food, fantastic for using up leftover veg, my favourite combinations include spinach & blue cheese, garlic, mushroom & parsley and pea, mint & feta.
Breakfast for dinner – avocado and poached egg, shakshuka, scrambled eggs.
Pizza/tart – use a frozen pizza base/puff pastry roll to make your own pizza/tart, top with chopped tomatoes, pile on whatever vegetables you have and finish with grated cheese.
Jacket potato – quick, simple, and satisfying, healthy topping ideas include baked beans, cheese, and tuna, serve with whatever salad you have.
Tomato rice – quick and satisfying, see recipe below.
Pot noodle – this recipe is much healthier than shop bought, see below.
3. Store cupboard staples – useful ingredients for quick meal preparation.
Pickles and preserves – onions, jalapeno peppers, roast peppers, sundried tomatoes, gherkins, olives, artichokes, red cabbage, and Indian style chutneys – liven up any dish.
Condiments – Soy sauce, fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce, chilli sauce, vinegar (malt, red wine, balsamic), mustard (Dijon, English).
Pasta
Eggs
Frozen prawns
Frozen peas
Dried noodles
Tins of beans – baked, chickpeas, lentils etc
Tinned soup
Tinned fish – tuna, salmon, anchovies, sardines etc
Baking potatoes
Rice
Chopped tomatoes.
MLT Nutrition 