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BNF Healthy eating week recipes

Wednesday 7th June, 2023

As part of the British Nutrition Foundation's healthy eating week, we would like to share a couple of delicious and nutritious (and budget-friendly!) recipes that have been tried and tested by our director, Vivette.



Rainbow nutrition plate


Perfect for: Exploring new foods, eating a more varied diet, cooking with children, and healthy eating



You can swap and change whatever you wish in this recipe, the main rule is to use lots of colours and arrange in a bowl or flat plate in a way that delights the eyes!



Choose at least five items overall from the list below – ideally one or more from each colour group. One item on the plate must be an ingredient shown in green.



Ensure the vegetables are washed and tinned items rinsed before serving.



White:

Boiled potato, grated mooli (white radish), bean sprouts, cauliflower florets, pickled onion, diced feta cheese, button mushrooms



Yellow:

Sweetcorn, diced pineapple, sliced yellow peppers, fried plantain, drained tinned chickpeas, tablespoon of hummus, grated cheddar



Orange:

Grated carrots, orange bell peppers, cooked pumpkin flesh, boiled and mashed sweet potato, squash



Green:

Shredded lettuce or white cabbage, cooked and cooled beans, peas,
spinach, kale, thin celery sticks, sliced cucumber, courgette ribbons, broccoli florets, rocket, watercress, avocado (sliced or mashed)



Red / purple:

Tomatoes, peppers, radish, red onion (thinly diced or as rings), sliced beetroot, shredded red / purple cabbage, fried or mashed aubergine, chopped chilli, drained tinned kidney beans



Once you have selected at least one item from each colour group, arrange them beautifully on the plate and eat as it is or add a topping from the following:


• A good squeeze of lemon juice

• A drizzle of balsamic vinegar

• A drizzle of olive or chilli oil

• Fresh chopped herbs

• A drizzle of salad cream or equivalent



Benefits of eating the rainbow

Plants contain different pigments, or phytonutrients, which give them their colour. Different-coloured plants are linked to higher levels of specific nutrients and health benefits.



While eating more vegetables and fruit is always a good idea, focusing on eating a variety of colours will increase intake of different nutrients to benefit various areas of your health.



For children, it’s also a great way to introduce new foods and encourage their natural curiosity. If you’re a parent or carer, you may wish to build and eat your plates together as a family as this can lead to some interesting conversations about:


• Where food comes from

• How it grows

• Which parts of each plant are safe to eat

• Which parts of the plants are tasty

• How the food looks, smells, tastes, and feels

• (for older children) What happens to the colours of foods when you cook or mix them, and which foods taste better together



Easy, budget-friendly fish pie


Perfect for: Healthy eating, quick and easy meals, oven-free meals, and low-cost meals

Serves: 2 people



Ingredients

• 2-4 potatoes, such as maris piper, depending on size

• X1 tin of sardines in oil, brine, or tomato sauce and defrosted frozen white fish

• x1 medium onion

• x1 tin of tomatoes or some tomato ketchup

• Tablespoon of cooking oil or spray

• Salt and pepper



Optional extras to suit personal preference, dietary restrictions, and add nutrients:

• Butter, milk, or cream to use when mashing potatoes instead of, or as well as, the tomatoes

• Milk and x1 bay leaf for poaching the fish

• X1 bell pepper

• Dried (or fresh) herbs, such as chives, parsley, or thyme

• Spices, such as paprika or chilli flakes

• Grated cheese to top the pie



Method

Step 1: Wash or peel potatoes, cut into chunks, and cook in boiling water for about 20minutes until soft


Step 2: Whilst potatoes are cooking, peel and chop the onion and soften in a frying pan on a medium heat with a small amount of oil (could also add chopped peppers if you wish)


Step 3: Take the white fish out of the fridge where it has been defrosting overnight and put it in a large frying pan, cover it with milk or water, season with salt and pepper and add a bay leaf (optional), and poach over a low heat for 10 minutes


Step 4: Open can of sardines and roughly chop them


Step 5: When potatoes are ready, drain off liquid, and then mash with the tomato sauce or drained tinned tomatoes


Step 6: Stir in the cooked onion, peppers if using them, poached white fish, and chopped sardines


Step 7: Mix together well and season with salt and pepper and herbs (optional)


Optional Step 8: Sprinkle over grated cheese and grill for 2 minutes



This meal can be reheated if necessary either in microwave (2 minutes), under the grill for 2-3 minutes, or in the oven for 10 minutes.



Serving suggestions:

Peas, sweetcorn, mushrooms, cabbage, carrots, broccoli, kale, or baked beans.


Try to add as many different colours of vegetables as you can with this meal (eating the rainbow). The more colours used, the bigger range of nutrients you are eating. We are aiming for at least x5 portions of vegetables or x3 vegetables and x2 fruits a day.







Chia seed and date bliss balls


Perfect for: Healthy eating, quick and easy snacks, oven-free meals, vegans and vegetarians, and gluten and dairy free snacking



Ingredients

• x1 cup of oats

• 200g dates (soak for 30 minutes before use)

• 50g dried apricots (soaked before use)

• x4 tablespoons chia seeds

• ¼ cup of coconut oil

• x1 teaspoon of cinnamon

• ¼ cup desiccated coconut and/or x3 table spoons cocoa powder (optional – may need a drop more coconut oil if adding this)



Method

Step 1: Put all of the ingredients in a blender and blend on a high speed for 30 seconds until thoroughly mixed and sticking together


Step 2: With wet hands, roll clumps of the mixture into small balls (golf ball size)


Step 3: Place the balls onto parchment paper on a plate, cover in cling film, and store in a fridge until you want to eat them (wait at least 30 minutes to harden). You may wish to pop them into a sealed container if you want to keep them for longer – they can be kept for up to 7 days (but you will need to take them out of the fridge 5mins before eating from the 2nd day onwards as they can become quite hard).



Polenta and spinach stir fry


Perfect for: Healthy eating, quick and easy breakfasts, oven-free meals, vegans and vegetarians, and gluten and dairy free meals



Ingredients

• 500g ready-made polenta (cut into small cubes)

• X1 large diced tomato or x5 cherry tomatoes (cut into quarters)

• X1 large handful of spinach

• X1 tsp turmeric, chilli flakes, and/or a splash of tabasco

• X1 tbsp vegetable oil or x2 sprays of cooking oil



Method

Step 1: Add your preferred cooking oil to a frying pan over a medium heat, and add your cubed polenta


Step 2: Fry the polenta for 2-3mins


Step3: Add the tomatoes and spinach to the same pan and stir fry together until the spinach has wilted and shrunk (2-3mins)


Step 4: Add the turmeric, chilli flakes, and/or splash of tabasco and serve