Whether your New Year’s Resolution was to ditch the holiday weight or you just want to kickstart a healthier lifestyle, this recipe book by UK food blogger, Latoyah Egerton is packed with meal inspiration.
Eating healthy meals need not involve complicated calorie calculations and expensive ingredients. The easy-to-navigate Slimming and Tasty (Quercus, R475) recipe books contains more than 100 recipes, all under 600 calories. Each recipe includes a calorie count and most are suitable for four portions, making them ideal for family meals.
From weekday breakfasts and lazy weekend brunches, to prep-ahead lunchboxes and leisurely lunches, there’s something for the whole family to enjoy. The tasty tray bakes are ideal for busy weeknights when you don’t have much time but need to prepare a nutritious meal for children who have been playing sport at school all day. The “fakeaway” recipes are also a great way to enjoy fast food treats without all the added calories. Latoyah offers handy advice for all her dishes, and includes a working week menu plan and family meal plan to make cooking even easier.
Breakfast
Strawberry cheesecake overnight oats – 380 calories per portion
Makes 1 portion
- 40g porridge oats
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 4 strawberries, sliced
- 3 tablespoons fat-free vanilla Greek yoghurt
- 1 tablespoon low-cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
Method
Put the porridge oats into the base of a sealable container or mason jar. Add the maple syrup to the oats, press them down to form a base like a cheesecake.
Double the layer of strawberries, so add a layer of strawberry slices on top of the base. Mix together the yoghurt, cream cheese and chia seeds, then pour this over the top, using a spatula to smooth the surface. Add a layer of strawberries to finish.
Seal the container and refrigerate overnight, or for at least three hours.
Tasty tray bake
Chicken, sweet potato and spinach bake – 400 calories per portion
Makes 4 portions
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into small chunks
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 chicken stock cube, crumbled
- 2 large skinless and boneless chicken breasts, diced
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 100ml chicken stock
- 100g low-fat cream cheese
- large handful of baby spinach
- low-calorie cooking spray
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Parboil the sweet potatoes for six minutes in a saucepan of boiling water.
In a bowl, mix the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, crumbed chicken stock cube and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Sprinkle this mixture over the diced chicken breasts in a mixing bowl and mix well.
Spray a frying pan (skillet) with low-calorie cooking spray and set over a medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish once done.
Add the sweet potatoes to the pan you used to cook the chicken and fry for 3 minutes. Add the onion, mushrooms and garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat, then add the stock and cream cheese and mix until the cheese has melted. Add more stock if it looks too thick, or more cream cheese if it looks too thin.
Pour this mix over the chicken in the baking dish and bake for 18-20 minutes, adding the spinach on top for the last 10 minutes of cooking time. Mix well and serve.
Swap the chicken for tofu or meat-free alternative, or omit and add extra vegetables instead.
Read here for more easy lunchbox ideas