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Are you stuck for quick and easy recipes that are still nutritious and taste good?
As a Nutrition and Dietetic student, I’m very health-conscious but also juggling an extremely busy schedule. Most days, I want to start cooking and be eating a tasty, nutritious meal 20 minutes later. Is that too much to ask? I don’t think so.
Here are my top 5 go-to meals for exactly those situations – enjoy!
1. Spicy Sardine Tomato Pasta
Ingredients (serves 1):
- 70g pasta
- 1 tin of sardines in tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 handful fresh cherry tomatoes and spinach (or any veg you have really, mushrooms, courgette)
- 1/2 a diced onion
- 1 garlic clove (optional)
- chilli flakes/salt/pepper for seasoning
- 1tsp honey (also optional)
To do:
- Put your pasta on to boil for 10 mins
- In the meantime soften chopped onion using some of the oily sauce from the sardines
- Add the tomatoes (or your other veg), tomato purée, honey and a few splashes of pasta water and cook until the pasta is done
- Add the pasta, sardines, garlic and spinach and cook for a further 2 mins until everything is piping hot
- Season and serve
So quick (ready in the time the pasta cooks), easy (one pan), cheap (less than £1 per portion) and high in protein (~30g). Sardines are also an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids as they’re an oily fish 😋
2. Jacket Potato with Cheese and Beans
I’m sorry but it is a classic. People often say it’s too long-winded but here is how I get one piping hot and crispy on my plate in 15 minutes:
- Put your jacket potato in the microwave for 5 minutes
- At this point I often put some broccoli on to boil as a side for extra veg
- Drizzle a little olive oil (a good source of healthy fat), salt and pepper on the hot potato and put in the air fryer for 5 minutes
- While the air fryer works its magic microwave your beans (I always use the cheapest brand which often has the least sugar and salt added to them, I also use the whole tin for a protein and fibre boost)
- Assemble your potato, mash a little butter in the inside and top with beans and a sprinkle of cheese
With the broccoli this cupboard staple can give you 2 of your 5 a day. Baked beans are high protein (~20g per can of beans) and give you ~20g of fibre (we should be having 30g per day but most people aren’t!). The potato skin also contains additional fibre and are a great source of energy, B vitamins and potassium.
3. Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Pasta
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 280g pasta
- ~300g broccoli
- 340g chicken
- 1 large onion
- 1 or 2 cloves of garlic
- 1tsp fennel (optional but goes really well)
- 300g crème fraiche
- Handful of fresh parsley (also optional but tastes too good)
- 120g parmesan
- Salt, pepper
To do:
- Fry diced onion, chicken and garlic with fennel, salt and pepper
- Put the pasta on to boil and then add the broccoli chopped into 1-inch size pieces a few minutes before the pasta is done
- Mix the crème fraiche and parmesan into the chicken, add the pasta and broccoli with a splash of pasta water
- Season and serve with fresh parsley if you have any!
80g of veg counts as one of your 5 a day so depending on how much onion and broccoli you add you can easily make this meal count to 2 of your 5! It is also high in protein and serving 4 means leftovers for tomorrows busy day- bonus!😋
4. Peanut Noodles with Halloumi
This recipe is mine and my flatmates go to when we want something full of nutrients, easy, and FULL flavour.
Ingredients (serves 2-3):
- 2 large tsp Peanut butter
- 2 large tsp Soy sauce
- 1-2 Limes
- 1 tbsp Orange juice
- Garlic clove (grated)
- 1 tsp grated ginger (if possible)
- A large carrot (grated)
- Some grated red cabbage and a red pepper sliced
- 2-3 servings of noodles
- 1 block of halloumi
To do (not much):
- Cook noodles according to instructions and rinse with cold water
- Mix the peanut butter, soya sauce, lime and orange juice, garlic and ginger in a large bowl (add a little hot water if needed to help melt the peanut butter)
- Fry the halloumi (big chunks is best trust me, also add a little honey/chilli flakes if you have some)
- Mix everything together and top with the sticky hot halloumi
In this bowl of goodness you have 3 of your 5 a day (if you add 80g of each veg per person), ~22g of protein from the halloumi (you can use reduced fat versions if your goal is weight loss). Ginger has a number of health benefits including anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, so if you can get some of that in even better (and it tastes great!).
5. Chickpea and Spinach Curry
I promise you curry can be quick, full of nutrients and full of flavour- with a little help from the Merchant Gourmet Thai Green Lentil Curry pack.
Ingredients (serves 2):
- 1 onion, diced
- Garlic
- 1 can chickpeas
- 120g rice
- Sweetcorn/courgette/mushrooms (use whatever veg you have, I usually go for sweetcorn and mushrooms as they cook quickly)
- Merchant Gourmet Thai Green Lentil Curry pack
- 2 large handfuls of spinach
- Coriander to serve
To do:
- Put the rice on to boil according to pack instructions
- Fry all the veg until softened, then add the garlic and chickpeas and cook for 2 more minutes
- Stir in the curry pack and spinach and cook until piping hot (add a splash of water if needed)
- Season to taste and serve with the rice and fresh coriander
This meal is high in fibre and plant protein thanks to the chickpeas and lentils. Chickpeas and spinach are also good sources of iron, making this a more budget- and planet-friendly option than a steak, while still being really filling and satisfying.
And there we have it! Give these a try next time you’re short on time but still want meals that are satisfying, nourishing and full of flavour.
I’ll also be running a nutrition workshop on Saturday 7th February at 11am, so if you’d like a deeper dive into nutrition, health and simple cooking, come along!
You can find more quick, balanced recipes over on my Instagram @soph_sportsnscran – I’d love it if you gave it a follow 💚
