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If you're trying to cut down, or completely cut out meat, here are some delicious recipes to try. We've put together 5 easy recipes that skip the meat, but keep hold of the flavour!
Tip! If you're cooking for one, reduce the ingredient amounts or make extra and portion up the extras to freeze or pop in the fridge for another day.
Veggie recipes
Mushroom Risotto
Serves 2 - 444 kcals per serving
Kcals |
444 |
Fat |
16.8g |
Sat fat |
2.8g |
Carbs |
50.9g |
Sugar |
8.8g |
Fibre |
7.9g |
Protein |
20.9g |
Salt |
2.84g |
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 200g chestnut mushrooms
- 120g Arborio rice
- 400ml reduced salt vegetable stock
- 6 cherry tomatoes, finely chopped
- 50g Italian vegetarian hard cheese, finely grated
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- Few sprigs of fresh rosemary
Method
- Place a frying pan over a medium heat and add the oil.
- Once hot, add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until starting to soften. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Add the rice, stir well and cook for 2 minutes until the rice has absorbed all of the juices from the pan.
- Pour in a quarter of the stock and keep stirring frequently until the stock has been absorbed.
- Repeat with the remaining stock, gradually adding and allowing the rice to absorb it. Before you add the last bit of stock, add the tomatoes and half of the cheese, and stir through for 1-2 minutes.
- Season generously with black pepper, top with the remaining cheese and garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary.
Halloumi and Greek Salad Wrap
Serves 1 - 490 kcals per serving
Kcals |
490 |
Fat |
24.3g |
Sat fat |
10.9g |
Carbs |
44.9g |
Sugar |
9.6g |
Fibre |
5.6g |
Protein |
25.3g |
Salt |
2.6g |
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil
- ½ red pepper, deseeded and chopped
- ½ red onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 60g lighter halloumi cheese, cut into thick slices
- 30g 0% fat Greek yogurt
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp fresh mint, chopped
- 1 large tortilla wrap
- 50g cucumber, sliced
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Drizzle a small roasting tin with the olive oil and warm in the oven for 5 minutes.
- Add the pepper and onion to the roasting tin, along with the oregano and cook for 20 minutes until the veg is softened.
- Meanwhile, make your yogurt sauce by mixing together the Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice and fresh mint, and set aside.
- When the veg has about 6 minutes left, place a small non-stick pan over a medium heat. Once hot, cook the halloumi slices for 2 minutes on each side until starting to turn golden.
- Warm through the tortilla wrap for 20 seconds in the microwave, spread with the yogurt sauce, top with the roasted veg, cucumber and halloumi, wrap and enjoy.
Pad Thai with Tofu
Serves 2 - 489 kcals per serving
Kcals |
489 |
Fat |
19.7g |
Sat fat |
3.5g |
Carbs |
51.3g |
Sugar |
9.4g |
Fibre |
7.7g |
Protein |
25.5g |
Salt |
2.9g |
Ingredients
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 200g firm tofu, cut into cubes
- 2 tsp tamarind paste
- 1 tbsp vegetarian fish sauce
- 1 tbsp chilli sauce
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tsp demerara sugar
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 pak choi, leaves separated and ends chopped
- 300g straight to wok udon noodles
- 30g plain peanuts, crushed
- Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
- 2 wedges of lime
Method
- Place a medium pan over a medium-high heat and add half of the sesame oil until hot. Add the tofu and cook for 10-12 minutes, turning regularly, until the tofu starts to turn golden.
- Meanwhile, mix together the tamarind, fish sauce, chilli sauce, garlic, sugar and lime juice to make your sauce.
- Once the tofu has been cooking for 5 minutes, place a wok over a medium-high heat, add the remaining sesame oil and heat through. Add the pak choi to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes until the leaves are starting to wilt.
- Add the noodles and the sauce, and stir fry for 3-4 minutes until piping hot.
- Serve sprinkled with crushed peanuts, fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime juice.
Lentil Lasagne
Serves 4 - 476 kcals per serving
Kcals |
476 |
Fat |
8.5g |
Sat fat |
4.2g |
Carbs |
74.7g |
Sugar |
14.7g |
Fibre |
14.1g |
Protein |
26.9g |
Salt |
1.1g |
Ingredients
- Frylight
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 150g mushrooms, finely sliced
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 500g passata
- 200g red split lentils, dried
- 350ml reduced salt vegetable stock
- 125g ricotta cheese
- 9 dried lasagne sheets
- 2 tbsp low fat soft cheese
- 30g low fat cheddar cheese, grated
- Few sprigs of fresh basil
Method
- Place a saucepan over a medium heat and spray with the Frylight. Once hot, add the onion and carrot and cook for 4-5 minutes until starting to soften.
- Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
Stir in the tomato purée, passata, lentils and the stock. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25-30 minutes – add some more water if needed throughout.
- Preheat the oven to 160°C. Spread a third of the lentil mixture in the bottom of a small baking dish (approx. 8x6 inches).
- Crumble over half the ricotta cheese and then top with a single layer of lasagne sheets.
- Repeat two more times. With the top layer of lasagne sheets, spread over a thin layer of the soft cheese and top with the grated cheddar.
- Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until cooked and golden. Serve piping hot garnished with fresh basil.
Creamy Paneer Curry
Serves 2 - 524 kcals per serving
Kcals |
524 |
Fat |
24.2g |
Sat fat |
11g |
Carbs |
51.8g |
Sugar |
18.6g |
Fibre |
10.1g |
Protein |
23g |
Salt |
2.4g |
Ingredients
- Frylight
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 red chilli, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp tikka masala curry paste
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 100g paneer, cubed
- 100g frozen peas, thawed
- Small handful fresh coriander, chopped
- 2 chapatis
Method
- Place a frying pan over a medium heat and spray with Frylight. Once hot, add the onion and cook for 2 minutes until starting to soften.
- Add the garlic and chilli to the onions and cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Add the curry paste and heat through for a further minute, then add the chopped tomatoes and 50ml of water and stir through. Cover and reduce the heat, then leave to simmer.
- Meanwhile, place another frying pan over a medium heat and spray with Frylight. Cook the paneer for 4-5 minutes, turning regularly, until golden.
- Add the paneer to the sauce, along with the peas and heat through for a further 5 minutes.
- Serve garnished with coriander, with a chapati.
Nutritionist Beth Furness (ANutr), holding a BSc in Nutrition and Health, is deeply dedicated to applying evidence-based knowledge to all aspects of nutrition. Her passion lies in fostering healthy relationships with food, ensuring that everyone maintains a balanced and sustainable approach to nutrition.