These meals are super charged with nutrition; they contain lots of different vegetables per serving, helping you hit your 5 a day, and a good serving of protein to support blood sugar balance and energy.
Sweet Potato Fish Pie
This is a healthy, delicious and filling meal; with immune boosting squash and carrot, alongside anti-inflammatory oily fish, with extra veg - celery, tomatoes, spinach and parsley. It can be prepped in advance and then cooked in the oven for 40 minutes when you are ready to eat.
- Plenty for 2 with leftovers
- Cooking time: 75 minutes
You will need:
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- 1 large fillet of salmon
- 1 large fillet of cod or haddock
- Handful of spinach
- Sprig of parsley
- 1 chopped celery stalk
- 2 grated carrots
- 5/6 cherry tomatoes
- 1 lemon
- 150g cheddar cheese (optional)
- 2 tbsps olive oil
How to make:
- Preheat the oven to 190 degrees
- Chop sweet potatoes into small chunks and steam / boil until soft.
- To a medium oven dish evenly add: the fish cut into small chunks, chopped cherry tomatoes, a handful of spinach, olive oil, grated carrots, chopped parsley, chopped celery, lemon juice and zest, grated cheese (optional).
- Mash the cooked sweet potato and layer on top of the ingredients in the dish - see photo.
- Put the dish in the oven for 40 minutes, until piping hot throughout.
Apricot and squash tagine
This is a delicious warming stew, with iron boosting apricots and immune boosting squash, onion and orange. This can be enjoyed by 2 people as an evening meal and will likely provide you with leftovers for lunch the following day.
- Plenty for 2 adults, possibly with leftovers.
- Cooking time: allow 45 minutes
You will need:
- 8 dried apricots
- 1 diced onion
- Juice and zest of 1 orange
- 1 tin of chickpeas
- 1 diced squash e.g. butternut squash, other varieties will be fine.
- 1 tbsps tomatoes puree
- 1 tbsps: turmeric, cumin, coriander and cinnamon
- 1 piece of diced, fresh ginger
- 1 cup of brown rice
- A few mint leaves (optional)
- Handful of chopped almonds (optional)
How to make:
- Dice the squash, onions, garlic and dried apricots ( I cut the apricots with scissors).
- Roast the squash in the oven for 20 minutes or so, to soften.
- 15 minutes after putting the squash in the oven, warm the onions and garlic in a large pan.
- Start boiling the brown rice in a separate pan.
- Add the drained chickpeas, spices, ginger, juice and zest of the orange, tomato puree and diced apricots to the pan. Stir and simmer on low for 10 minutes.
- Add the squash pieces from the oven to the pan, and continue to simmer for a further 10 minutes.
- Serve with brown rice, and add chopped almonds for extra protein and healthy fats.
Spag bol with added veg and lentils
This spag bol is a delicious mix of meat, spaghetti, veg and lentils, helping you increase your fibre intake for the day and support digestive health.
Beef contains good levels of zinc and iron which support a healthy immune system and balanced energy. The veg and protein provide a range of vitamins and minerals alongside fibre for gut health.
- Plenty for 2 adults
- Cooking time: allow 50 minutes
You will need:
- 500g minced beef
- 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
- 250g lentils (I recommend these)
- 1 courgette
- 1 carrot
- 1 diced onion, 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsps dried organo
- 2 portions of wholewheat spaghetti
How to make
- Dice the onion and garlic into small pieces and simmer on the hob.
- Grate the courgette and carrot.
- Brown the mince in the same pan as the onion and garlic and heat till cooked through.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, lentils, courgette and carrot, dried oregano, simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper as you wish.
- Cook the spaghetti in a pan of boiling water for 8 minutes or until ready.
- Serve. If you have leftovers, use for tomorrow's lunch or freeze some portions for another day.