3 Quick & Easy Recipes for a Healthy Family

As a working mum I know how hard it is to plan and prepare evening meals; everyone's tired, hungry and eager to fill their bellies come 6pm. However with a little planning, a few affordable, fresh veggies in the fridge and a well-stocked spice rack  it's easy to rustle something up which is tasty, filling and nutritious for everyone to enjoy. I wanted to share three recipes with you which I find save the day time and time again. Below each recipe I've explain why they are so nutritious, and hopefully you'll be able to take that knowledge and use some of the best health-promoting ingredients in some of your own recipes too.

Leeky Sausage & Quinoa Bake with Sweet Potato 

·         4 leeks, thickly sliced

·         ½ punnet closed cup mushrooms, sliced

·         150g quinoa

·         750ml vegetable stock

·         5 Quorn sausages*

·         4 small / 3 larger sweet potatoes

·         2tbsp rapeseed oil

·         ½ pack of feta, crumbled

·         Bunch of flat leaf parsley 

* I suggest using Quorn sausages because they are very high in protein and very low in saturated fat (they are also low in calories at 70 calories per sausage - great for anyone who is trying to lose weight). However if you'd much prefer to use meat sausages, I'd advise that you check the ingredients. Choose sausages with a meat content of at least 90% meat (legally a sausage only has to contain 32% meat!) from a brand that you can trust, ideally locally sourced and homemade. Otherwise there are various other brands who offer a wide range of meat-free sausages.  

1. Place the quinoa in a pan with the vegetable stock and simmer for 20 minutes. The stock should be almost absorbed after 20 minutes, if it looks to be drying out too soon just add some water. 
2. Cut the sweet potatoes into large chunks and boil for 20 minutes. 
3. Meanwhile place the sausages in a 200C/400F oven for 10 minutes to thaw and begin to cook.
4. After 20 minutes add the leeks and mushrooms to the quinoa – you may need to add some water to stop the mix drying out. 
5. Cut the sausages into quarters and add these to the pan. 
6. Place these ingredients into an ovenproof dish, cover, and cook for 30 minutes at 220C/440F 
7. At the same time, drain the sweet potato and place on a roasting tray, drizzle with the oil and put in the oven.
8. After 30 minutes, remove the lid or foil rom the leek and potato dish and cook, uncovered, for a further 10-15 minutes until it begins to crisp
9. After 45 minutes to 1 hour, remove both dishes from the oven, sprinkle the feta and parsley over the sweet potato and serve.  

Benefits: Quinoa is packed with B vitamins and folic acid, both essential for converting food into energy. The B vitamins also support the nervous and cardiovascular systems and break down cholesterol in the blood. It is a very fibrous grain and high in fibre meaning you will stay fuller for longer and avoid sugar cravings. Quinoa is also packed with vitamin E – great for hair, skin and nails as well as for supporting healing processes within the body. It contains manganese, magnesium and zinc which all protect bones and help to relax muscles as well as helping to regulate hormones. Zinc is particularly important for fighting infections. Mushrooms are packed with B vitamins and folic acid too, meaning this dish will give you plenty of energy without causing a blood-sugar spike They also contain selenium which is required for the production of serotonin – the happy chemical. Sweet potatoes, as well as being full of B vitamins, are rich in beta-carotene antioxidants; they help to remove toxins from the body, fight against cancer, boost the immune system, clear skin and support eye health. Rapeseed oil should be used in cooking due to its high smoke point – it retains its omega-3 essential fatty acids (essential for brain function and heart health) at high temperatures. Parsley is bursting with vitamin C, antioxidants, fibre, calcium and protein making it an ideal seasoning for this dish. Quorn sausages provide a healthy dose of low-fat protein which will help keep you full.

Chickpea Curry with Brown Rice*

·         1 large onion

·         4 cloves of garlic

·         Approx. 1inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated or sliced

·         1 head of cauliflower

·         2 tins chickpeas, drained

·         2 tins of chopped tomatoes

·         1tsp each of cumin, turmeric, ground coriander, paprika and curry powder

·         200ml vegetable stock (possibly up to 500ml depending on the consistency you would like)

·         Bunch of coriander

·         Brown rice

*Meat-eating families may prefer to use chicken, which is a great source of lean protein and contains all the amino acids your body requires. If you want to include chicken in this dish, use one tin of chickpeas instead of two, and chop two or three chicken breasts into chunks, frying the meat in a little rapeseed oil to seal it before adding it to the onion, ginger and garlic at stage 1. Turkey is also a good choice if you're looking for something meaty. Choose lean, white breast meat and cook as you would the chicken. Turkey is a brilliant source of tryptophan, an amino acid that is required for the production of 'happy hormone' serotonin which regulates mood and sleep.

1. Make up the stock according to the pack’s instructions and add a splash of it to a saucepan. 
2. Add the onion, ginger and garlic until soft – add more stock if it begins to dry out. 
3. Once softened, add the chickpeas, spices and the rest of the stock and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add the cauliflower and tinned tomatoes. If you’d like a thinner sauce, making this dish more of a broth or soup, you might want to add up to 300ml more vegetable stock.
5. Now cook the rice according to the pack’s instructions. The curry should take 30 minutes to cook, so you’ll probably need to start cooking the rice at this stage.
6. After 25 minutes, chop the coriander and stir half of it into the curry. 
7. Drain the rice and serve alongside the curry, sprinkling the remaining coriander over the top.

Benefits: This meal is packed with iron and B vitamins– perfect for providing energy and essential for the production of red blood cells and the transportation of oxygen around your body. Both the brown rice and chickpeas are excellent sources of iron and B vitamins. Chickpeas are high in fibre, keeping you fuller for longer, supporting your digestive system and regulating blood-sugar levels. They also contain a chemical which is converted into a substance inside the body that mimics oestrogen which makes it an ideal food if you suffer from PMS or your hormones are out of sync. Chickpeas are a brilliant source of both protein and complex carbohydrates; both will keep you fuller for longer by slowly releasing energy. Cauliflower is packed with antioxidants which work to break down and remove toxins from your body, keep your skin bright and healthy and boost immunity. It is full of vitamin C, zinc and folic acid; it has anti-inflammatory, antiviral and healing properties. Coriander is rich in vitamins and minerals including calcium, vitamin C and selenium. The spices in this dish are powerful anti-inflammatory spices, they help to speed up your metabolism, fight infections, protect the skin and eyes, keep your blood healthy and support your respiratory system. Garlic, ginger and onion have very similar properties. This is a great dinner to eat if you feel a cold or flu coming on or are feeling generally under the weather. The iron and B vitamins will give you energy while the other vitamins, minerals and anti-inflammatories will fight the virus and help you heal. For an extra antioxidant boost, add fresh chilli or cayenne pepper.

Fish with Mediterranean Vegetables and Bulgar Wheat*

·         4 seabass or cod fillets

·         4 peppers (red, yellow or orange), deseeded and cut into quarters

·         2 courgettes cut into rounds

·         1 punnet cherry tomatoes

·         2 red onions, chopped

·         4 garlic cloves, chopped

·         Juice of 2 lemons

·         4tbsp rapeseed oil

·         2tbsp balsamic vinegar

·         Bulgar wheat

·         Bunch each of fresh parsley and basil plus thyme to serve

*Vegetarians may wish to replace the fish with Quorn, tofu, chickpeas or another bean. Vegans may replace the fish with any of these meat-free options except for Quorn.

1. Pre-heat the oven to 220C/440F.  
2. Mix 2tbsp rapeseed oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper and rub into the fish fillets, set aside to marinade for 15 minutes while your prepare and start to cook the veg.
3. Place the vegetables and garlic onto a roasting tray. Drizzle with 2tbsp of rapeseed oil and the balsamic vinegar and roast – tossing regularly – for 30 to 40 minutes until starting to char. 
4. Cook the bulgar wheat according to the pack’s instructions – it normally takes around 30 minutes to cook. You may like to cook it in vegetable stock to add flavour.
5. Cook the fish under the grill for 10 minutes on each side.
6. Once the bulgar wheat is cooked, stir in the herbs and serve alongside the fish and veg. 

Benefits: The vegetables provide beta-carotene, important for making vitamin A – an antioxidant – which helps to maintain healthy skin, prevents infections and protects the respiratory system. It also improves the functioning of your eyes. The courgette is rich in B vitamins, providing energy and helping your body to break down other foods to release their energy. Rapeseed oil provides a healthy dose of omega-3 essential fatty acids which are vital for brain functioning and heart health. Garlic is antiviral and anti-inflammatory making it a powerful food for supporting the immune system. Parsley and basil are packed with vitamin C. Seabass and cod provide a complete protein containing all the essential amino acids your body needs. Both will help to keep you full, slowly releasing energy (they are high in vitamin B12) and helping your body produce happy hormones due to its high selenium content. Seasbass is a particularly good choice as it is high in omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids as well as many of the B vitamins, phosphorus (essential for nutrient absorption), magnesium (helps muscles relax) and potassium (regulates body fluids, heartbeat and nerve impulses as well as lowering blood pressure). Bulgar wheat is packed with complex carbohydrates meaning you will get a steady stream of energy rather than a sudden spike followed by a slump. It is also full of fibre which regulates blood-sugar levels and keeps your digestive system healthy. Bulgar is high in iron which is essential for the production of red blood cells and energy (its B vitamins also boost this foods energy-giving properties). 

The Perils of Sugar and the Fat Free Myth

When you’re trying to lose weight, you may be tempted by the array of low-fat and fat-free products on offer. But have you compared the ingredients with their full-fat counterparts? Food manufacturers know that by reducing or removing fat from their products, taste is sacrificed, and the only way they can make their products tasty and moreish is to pack in the sugar. 

Let’s have a look at how much sugar is hidden in an average portion of everyday foods.

• YOGURT
• A small pot of generic 'Low Fat' fruit yoghurt contains 17.5g whereas the full fat version contains 13.5
• SOFT CHEESE
• A 30g serving of 'Light' soft cheese contains 1.2g while the original version contains slightly less - 0.9g
• BAKED BEANS
• A tin of Weight Watchers baked beans contains 7.3g but regular supermarket own-brand beans only contain 2.2g
• SOUP
• A tin of Batchelor's Low Fat Chicken Soup contains 1.3g yet Batchelor's Cream of Chicken Soup only contain 0.6g
• BREAD
• 100g of Weight Watchers pitta bread contains 2.1g but by switching to a supermarket's own brand, you'd only be consuming 1g

So Why Are Companies Adding Sugar To Their Low Fat Food?

Put simply, food without fat tastes bad. Food without sugar also tastes bad. It is a taste that built into us, as humans, a craving that kept our species alive 1.8 million years ago when homo erectus (upright man) began foraging for food.  

Sugar and fat provide a quick energy burst, perfect for the fight-or-flight situations primitive man was faced with on a daily basis. However as we no longer face daily, life-threatening fight-or-flight situations, we no longer require quick-release energy in the same way. However the body works on a level deeper than logic or emotion, it's job is to keep us alive. It doesn't know that we aren't going to be eaten by a tiger tomorrow. However we are living more stressful lives than ever, meaning stress hormones - cortisol and adrenaline - are constantly flooding our bodies, triggering cravings for sugar and fat. Effectively, we are unintentionally giving our bodies the impression that they need to sugar-load, to store easily-mobilised energy for an upcoming emergency. And this is why we need to cut out sugar from our diets, to reassure our bodies that they can survive without sugar, that a balanced diet and regular meals can provide all the energy we need.

So armed with the knowledge that we naturally crave sugar, we are drawn to sugary products and we can very easily become addicted to it both physically and psychologically, food companies know how to get us hooked. If a company can get a customer addicted to their product, they'll have a customer for life. And they'll see their profits increase too, of course, which is really why they're trying to get us addicted.

Hidden Sugars and Their Pseudonyms

Not all sugar is labelled clearly on a food’s packaging. Some companies are very good at sneaking sugar into their products. This is perfectly legal but you need to be switched on and know your stuff. Some other names for sugar which are used on food packaging are:

·         Corn syrup

·         Caramel

·         Dextrose

·         Dextran

·         Diatase

·         Ethyl maltol

·         Fructose

·         Golden syrup

·         Lactose

·         Maltose

·         Molasses

·         Maltodextrin

·         Honey

·         Sorbitol

·         Sucrose

·         Glycerides

What Happens When We Eat Sugar?

·         Firstly, your blood-sugar levels increase which is why you might feel a sudden surge of energy and why children become hyperactive after eating sweets

·         This rise in blood-sugar triggers the pancreas to release insulin which converts the sugar into energy

·         When your body has taken the energy it needs from the sugar, any excess is converted into glycogen and stored in the muscles and liver

·         Excess glycogen is converted into triglycerides in the liver and stored as fat or enter the bloodstream causing your blood to thicken and increasing the chances of clotting and blockage which can result in a heart attack or stroke

·         Therefore excess sugar = excess fat

How to Lose Weight and Decrease Sugar Intake

·         Always eat breakfast, always with protein

·         Eat protein at every meal and in every snack

·         Balance your meals with complex carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats and vegetables

·         Increase your fibre intake to keep you fuller for longer, improve bowel health and curb sugar cravings

·         Get your sugar the natural way – from fresh fruit – but stick to no more than two portions per day

·         Get some fresh air and do some exercise – your body will be flooded with ‘happy hormones’ dopamine serotonin and endorphins making you less likely to reach for the chocolates to get your happiness boost. Plus the exercise will boost weight loss, increase your metabolism and curb your hunger!

Should We Avoid Fat?

 Fat has a bad reputation. For years we've been bombarded by tales of how fat makes us fat, clogs our arteries and effectively kills us. Even the word fat has negative connotations, but think of it like this: fat is an essential nutrient. 'Fat' has become an adjective when in fact it is a noun, it is the name of a vital component that our bodies need in order to function and survive but instead we use it to describe an overweight person or excess tissue in our body. Even saturated fat is essential for our survival. In fact, a healthy amount of saturated fat can even support your weight loss. Don’t be afraid of fats. Eat them every day but eat them in moderation.

Fat is satiating so when we eat it we satisfy our body's needs as well as our taste buds. It keeps you full which prevents overeating and curbs cravings for unhealthy snacks. Including some fat in every meal will support your body's functions and stop you from craving sugary, processed or refined food.

How Much Fat Do We Need?

Men's Requirements

Saturated Fat: 30g

Unsaturated Fat: 60g

Women's Requirements

Saturated Fat: 20g

Unsaturated Fat: 50g 

The best sources of fats are avocados, raw and unsalted nuts (Brazils, almonds, walnuts etc.), seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, flax etc.), seed oils (olive, rapeseed, hemp etc.) and those occurring naturally in lean meat (chicken and turkey), fish (salmon, mackerel, tuna etc.) and dairy products (eggs, milk, cheese and butter). 

Nuts and seeds are particularly high in fibre, adding to their ability to keep you fuller for longer as well as supporting your digestive system. The oleic acids found in nuts curb hunger pangs and other nutrients contained in nuts (B vitamins, vitamin E and zinc) work to curb sugar cravings. 

Quick Tips

• Sugar is abundant in processed, refined carbohydrates such as white bread, white pasta and pastries. Opt for whole meal, whole wheat and whole grain versions.
• Pay attention to the first three ingredients listed on packets – these are the three main ingredients, and if any sugars are listed, avoid!
• Sprinkle cinnamon in your coffee, on your porridge and in your yoghurt – it’s a natural sweetener and helps regulate blood-sugar and reduce blood-fat including ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
• Divide a product’s sugar content in grams by 4 to find out how many teaspoons of sugar it contains.

Sugar craving? Choose from these healthy, wholesome snacks to keep cravings at bay:

·         Oatcakes spread with nut butter

·         Hummus with raw vegetable sticks

·         Natural yoghurt, cinnamon and berries

·         A small handful of raw, unsalted nuts

The Eatwell Plate

The NHS has devised an ‘eatwell’ plate as a guide to how much of each food group should make up your plate at each meal. It is a great guide to refer to if you're unsure of how much of each food group you should eat at each meal. However, be cautious that the eatwell plate includes 'sugar' in the same section as 'fat' - these should be naturally occurring sugars such as those found in fruits and should not be those in refined or processed foods, and certainly should not be added to your food. 

If you base your meals on the eatwell plate - providing you choose healthy sources of each group (such as whole grain carbohydrates, lean protein and balanced saturated/unsaturated fats) and providing you are otherwise healthy - you don't need to worry too much about counting every calorie or weighing out individual foods. 

The Eatwell Plate, www.NHS.uk

Don't be afraid of fat. Don't choose low fat, diet or light-labelled food. Don't add sugar to foods. 

Choose healthy, wholesome, fresh foods bursting with nutrients, slow-release energy and fibre and before long you'll notice an improvement in your weight, energy levels, sleeping patterns, mood and overall wellbeing.