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As we head into the festive period, planning healthy weekday meals can become more challenging when you've got a packed social calendar. For those evenings when you get home late and just want something quick and comforting, try batch-cooking these tasty recipes in advance and stock up your freezer with pre-portioned servings. Then all you need to do is grab a container and pop it in the microwave or oven, and you'll have a warming plate of comfort food to tuck into without any hassle or washing up!
Fish pie
Serves 4 - 492 kcals per serving
Kcals |
492 |
Fat |
14.7g |
Sat fat |
3.8g |
Carbs |
53.8g |
Sugar |
13g |
Fibre |
7.1g |
Protein |
39.4g |
Salt |
0.6g |
Ingredients
- 700g potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- Low-cal cooking spray
- 1 onion, diced
- 500ml semi-skimmed milk
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 1 lemon, zested
- 30g fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 350g haddock fillets, cut into chunks
- 250g salmon, cut into chunks
- 200g frozen peas
- 20g reduced-fat spread
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6.
- Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add the potatoes. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until soft.
- Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and spray with low-cal cooking spray. Cook the onion for 3-4 minutes until starting to soften.
- Add the milk and cornflour to the pan. Mix together well using a whisk to ensure no lumps. Bring to the boil.
- Add the lemon zest, parsley and seasoning. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Add all the fish and the peas to the pan and stir to coat with the sauce. Simmer for 4-5 minutes.
- Drain the potatoes, then return them to the dry pan and add the spread. Season to taste and mash well using a masher.
- Spoon the fish mixture into an ovenproof dish, then place the potato mash over the top. Use a fork to spread evenly.
- Cook in the oven for 20 minutes until the mash turns golden.
Sweet potato & chorizo soup
Serves 4 - 331 kcals per serving
Kcals |
331 |
Fat |
12.9g |
Sat fat |
5.1g |
Carbs |
44.3g |
Sugar |
18.2g |
Fibre |
9.2g |
Protein |
11.9g |
Salt |
2.04g |
Ingredients
- Low-cal cooking spray
- 1 red onion, finely diced
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 red chilli pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
- 300g carrots, finely diced
- 130g chorizo, diced
- 600g sweet potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 reduced-salt vegetabe stock cubes, made up to 1.2l stock with hot water
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 tbsp reduced-fat sour cream
- Chilli sauce of choice, to garnish (optional)
Method
- Lightly spray a large saucepan with low-cal cooking spray and set over a low-to-medium heat. Gently cook the onion, garlic, chilli, carrots, and two thirds of the chorizo, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until softened.
- Add the sweet potato, paprika and the hot stock and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the sweet potato has softened.
- Meanwhile, spray a small frying pan with a little low-cal cooking spray and set over a medium-to-high heat. Cook the remaining chorizo for 5-6 minutes until crispy. Set aside, or pop in a container with a sealed lid in the fridge if you're not eating right away.
- Remove the large saucepan from the heat and blend the soup with a hand-held blender until smooth (or blitz in batches in a blender or food processor). If the soup is too thick, you can thin it with water to the desired consistency.
- Check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste.
- When you're ready to eat, top with drops of sour cream and chilli sauce if you'd like some extra spice, and the leftover crispy chorizo.
Veg-packed beef lasagne
Serves 6 - 482 kcals per serving
Kcals |
482 |
Fat |
18g |
Sat fat |
9g |
Carbs |
45.3g |
Sugar |
13.5g |
Fibre |
6.8g |
Protein |
33.3g |
Salt |
1.1g |
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 stick celery, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 small courgette, finely chopped
- 1 red pepper, finely chopped
- 500g extra-lean beef mince
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 500g passata
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 40g butter
- 40g flour
- 500ml semi-skimmed milk
- 250g wholewheat lasagne sheets
- 100g reduced fat cheddar
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6.
- Place a large frying pan over a medium-to-high heat and add the oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
- Tip in the celery, carrot, courgette and red pepper and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the beef mince to the pan and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until the mince changes colour from pink to brown. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Add the passata, tomato puree, oregano and basil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-12 minutes to let all the flavours come together.
- Meanwhile, make the Bechamel sauce. Heat a medium saucepan over a low-to-medium heat, and add the butter. Once melted, sprinkle in the flour. Stir continuously to form a paste and cook through for a further 2 minutes.
- Slowly begin adding the milk to the pan, stirring as you go, until a smooth sauce is formed. Cook through for 5-10 more minutes, stirring continuously until the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
- Spoon one third of the meat and veg mix into an ovenproof dish. Top with a third of the lasagne sheets, trimming to fit if necessary. Finally, spoon over a third of the Bechamel sauce. Repeat twice to form three layers. Top with the cheese and season with black pepper.
- Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden.
Mixed bean & quinoa stew
Serves 4 - 438 kcals per serving 
Kcals |
438 |
Fat |
6.3g |
Sat fat |
0.8g |
Carbs |
75.2g |
Sugar |
21.1g |
Fibre |
15.8g |
Protein |
20.6g |
Salt |
0.25g |
Ingredients
- Low-cal cooking spray
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 red chilli, sliced
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and sliced
- 400g tin kidney beans, drained
- 400g butter beans, drained
- 300g dried quinoa
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
- Heat a large non-stick pan over a medium heat and spray with low-cal cooking spray.
- Fry the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes until starting to soften.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, chilli, pepper, carrot, beans, quinoa, chilli powder, ground coriander and 400ml water to the pan. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the carrot has started to soften and the quinoa is cooked through.
- About 5 minutes before serving, add the fresh coriander and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve garnished with coriander.
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.