Healthy Balance magazine
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The much-awaited Christmas period is nearly upon us! And in honour of the release of our Festive Countdown Meal Plan, our nutritionist Beth is here to tell you all about her top picks for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack.
Breakfast
Salmon and cream cheese bagel
Serves 1 – 248 kcals per serving
Kcals |
248 |
Fat |
7.3g |
Sat fat |
2.2g |
Carbs |
26.8g |
Sugar |
4.3g |
Fibre |
1.3g |
Protein |
20.4g |
Salt |
2.2g |
Ingredients
- ½ bagel
- 40g low-fat cream cheese
- 50g smoked salmon
Method
- Toast the bagel to your liking.
- Top with the cream cheese, then the salmon.
- Enjoy!
Lunch
Bean burrito
Serves 1 – 434 kcals per serving
Kcals |
434 |
Fat |
4.4g |
Sat fat |
1.6g |
Carbs |
79.7g |
Sugar |
5.7g |
Fibre |
13.9g |
Protein |
15.7g |
Salt |
2.1g |
Ingredients
- ½ reduced salt vegetable stock cube
- 50g brown rice, dried
- 1 wholemeal wraps
- 30g fresh tomato salsa
- 1 small handful of shredded iceberg lettuce
- 1 small handful of shredded red cabbage
- 1 tbsp sliced jalapeño peppers
- ¼ 400g tin black beans, drained
- 1 tsp taco seasoning mix
Method
- Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the stock cube and the rice. Mix together, reduce the heat to medium and cook the rice for 25 minutes.
- When the rice is nearly done, warm the wrap in the microwave for 30 seconds.
- Lay the wrap on a plate, top with the salsa, lettuce, cabbage and jalapeños.
- Drain the rice, then return to the pan with the beans and taco seasoning. Return to the heat and warm through for 2 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Top the wrap with the rice and bean mix, then wrap up tightly and cut in half to serve.
Dinner
Pad thai with tofu
Serves 1 – 521 kcals per serving
Kcals |
521 |
Fat |
23.4g |
Sat fat |
3.7g |
Carbs |
52.8g |
Sugar |
8.2g |
Fibre |
7.3g |
Protein |
23.2g |
Salt |
2.3g |
Ingredients
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 100g firm tofu, cut into cubes
- 1 tsp tamarind paste
- 1 tsp vegetarian fish sauce
- ½ tbsp chilli sauce
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
- ½ tsp demerara sugar
- ½ tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 small pak choi, leaves separated, and ends chopped
- 150g straight to wok udon noodles
- 15g plain peanuts, crushed
- Small handful of fresh coriander, chopped
- 1 wedge 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 to the pak choi, and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes until piping hot.
- Add the tofu to the noodles and mix together well.
- Serve sprinkled with crushed peanuts, fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime juice.
Snacks
Crisps and dip
Serves 1 – 149 kcals per serving
Kcals |
149 |
Fat |
5.5g |
Sat fat |
0.6g |
Carbs |
21.2g |
Sugar |
5.2g |
Fibre |
2.7g |
Protein |
2.1g |
Salt |
0.6g |
Ingredients
- 25g packet of baked crisps
- 60g tomato salsa
Method
- Pair the crisps with either shop-bought or homemade salsa and enjoy! If you choose shop-bought salsa, always remember to check the lable.
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.