Did you know that there are 10.62 fast food outlets per 10,000 people in New York alone? Wherever you turn it can seem like there’s a temptation to indulge in junk food.
But whilst you might think stores like McDonald’s are cheap, the prices can soon stack up, especially if you eat there on a regular basis.
Healthy eating, however, if done correctly can be a great way of saving money and staying fit. There are many advantages to eating healthier such as feeling more confident about yourself, looking better and having more energy to get through the day.
Here are some healthy recipes to get you started.
Scrambled Eggs on Toast – Healthy Breakfast
Deciding on what to have for breakfast in the morning can be a difficult decision. Many people eat cereals, pancakes or some toast with jam or marmalade. The problem with all of these breakfasts is that they are rich in sugar.
Two in five (41%) products including cereals and drinks were deemed to be unhealthy by researchers. The sugar in the average cereal can sometimes be as much as one entire day of the recommended allowance of sugar. Whilst such a sugar rush might make you feel as if you have lots of energy first thing in the morning, in fact, you will soon crash and feel lethargic.
A better option and a healthy meal idea for breakfast is scrambled eggs on toast.
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- A splash of milk
- A pinch of white pepper
- Cooking oil
- 2 slices of wholemeal bread
Method
Scramble two large eggs, adding some milk to give them a fluffier, creamier taste and season with white – not black – pepper. Whilst these eggs are cooking away on the hob toast yourself some wholegrain brown bread.
Serve this up with some fresh fruit juice or squeeze your own. This is better than buying the brands from the supermarket which have added sugar. You might also want to trade in your morning coffee for some green tea which has proven health benefits.
Beef Stew – For Winter’s Nights
There is no greater feeling than coming home from work on a cold winter’s day and tucking into a warm beef stew. It fills you up inside, is very tasty, and also contains lots of healthy vegetables. As it is a stew it can take several hours to prepare in a slow-cooker but all the better for the taste! It can be prepared in the morning and left to stew whilst you are at work.
This version can serve eight people. If this is too much for your needs simply halve or quarter the ingredients.
Ingredients
- Two tablespoons of oil
- Two pounds of beef meat for stewing
- 1 chopped onion
- 1/4 cup of flour
- 2 cups of water
- 2 cups of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
- Ground cloves
- A few bay leaves
- Potatoes (peeled and sliced into cubes), around 3/4 of a pound.
- 3 carrots (slice them up)
- 2 cups of sweet corn
- 1 cup of green beans
- 1 can of tomato sauce (Italian, not ketchup)
Method
Brown the beef bit-by-bit and then place it into a slow cooker. Then brown the onions in the pan before also adding them to the slow cooker.
In a separate bowl mix some flour and half a cup of water until it makes a smooth paste and then add this to the slow cooker as well with the remaining ingredients.
Fish Pie – Healthy Recipes For Meat Lovers
Eating too much meat is bad for you and we eat too much for it to be sustainable in the long term. But eating vegetarian dishes for every meal can be a daunting prospect.
Although fish still counts as meat it is better for you. Replacing one of your meat dishes with fish might be a way of easing you into eating a healthier diet. There are plenty of tasty dishes like this panko crusted sockeye salmon, read more here, or this delicious fish pie.
Ingredients
- Potatoes – 2 pounds, 4 ounces
- Butter – 2 ounces
- Créme fraîche – 3 1/2 ounces
- Warm milk – 3 tablespoons
- Salt – one pinch
- White pepper – one pinch
- 1 pint of milk for the filling
- 9 ounces of smoked haddock
- 7 ounces of cod (loin)
- 1 onion
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cloves
- 2 leeks
- 2 ounces of butter for the filling and a further 1 ounce for the top of the pie
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of plain flour
- 3 1/2 ounces of raw king prawns
- 2 ounces of frozen peas
- 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
- Zest of lemon, finely grated and waxed
Method
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5 whilst boiling the potatoes. When they are tender, take them out and mash them adding in the butter, créme fraîche, salt, pepper, and milk.
Poach the haddock and cod using the milk and then prepare the onions. Make an incision in the onions and insert the bay leaves and cloves. Place them into the same pan with the fish. Boil and then simmer with the milk for 6-7 minutes.
In another pan fry the rest of the onion and the leeks but do not let them brown. Now remove the fish from the other pan and set aside. But don’t let the milk go to waste, use it to cook the leeks, adding in the flour and the milk gradually.
This will make your sauce. Season to your likening.
Gently break the fish and add it into the mixture as well as the peas and prawns. Then place it all into an ovenproof dish and spoon the sauce over as well. Add the lemon and parsley to your likening before finally piling on the mashed potato to fill the dish.
Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
Recipe from BBC Food.
Eating Well Doesn’t Have to Be a Chore
When we think about it, eating healthily on a budget isn’t that hard. It just requires planning and thinking about what kind of food you like.
Seemingly unhealthy dishes can be adapted and even dishes full of meat can be loaded full of vegetables or even fruit to make them a better alternative. Often, a bit of planning is all that is required to ensure you can eat healthily on a budget rather than reaching for the easy options: sugary cereals or ready meals.
If you’re struggling to maintain a healthy diet, you can find out more about how to develop a better relationship with food by clicking here.