HOW CAN I EAT HEALTHILY?

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Christine Young
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1 Leicestershire Nutrition and Dietetic Services HOW CAN I EAT HEALTHILY? Eating properly is necessary to keep you feeling fit and healthy. It is important to: Cut down on fat and sugar Eat more fruit, vegetables and other high-fibre foods Have plenty of variety in what you eat Some of the ideas below are based on processed foods and are quite salty. Try not to add extra salt at the table you could try pepper or other herbs and spices instead. What is sensible eating? Sensible eating involves eating a wide range of foods. Aim for 3 meals a day Include daily: ½ - 1 pint milk 2 helpings meat/fish/cheese/egg/beans 5 helpings fruit/fruit juice/tinned fruit/vegetables A helping of bread/potato/pasta/rice/chapatti/breakfast cereal with each meal 6-8 cups of fluid We use the Eatwell plate (as shown below) to help us follow a balanced diet

2 Managing the cost? Can you afford to eat a sensible diet? If you are worried about trying to keep the cost down and eat well, here are some tips to help. 1) Plan ahead Plan out what you will be eating on each day of the week Use this plan to make out a shopping list 2) Shopping Always take your shopping list. This will help you not to forget anything Shop after a meal. If you are hungry you will buy more Save money by buying less of the items that are not essential. These are sugar, sweets, chocolate, cake, biscuits, fizzy drinks, squash, alcohol, crisps and other savoury snacks. Don t be tempted to buy them at the checkout! Occasionally buy one extra item for your store cupboard. These can be used at times when you cannot get out. Look for special offers and check whether supermarket brands are cheaper Do not buy damaged foods, whether they are fresh, tinned or in packets Items on your list Bread and cereals Look out for special offers on wholemeal bread and wholegrain cereals Vegetables and Fruit Frozen vegetables are convenient if you have a freezer compartment. They take no preparation, are reasonably prices all year round and are often better for you nutritionally than other types of vegetables If you love near a market buy fresh fruit and vegetables there Look for fruit and vegetables which are least expensive. The cost of each vegetable varies from season to season. Cooking Cook mainly on top of the cooker using as few rings as possible. Try cooking a meal in one pan (see meal ideas) If you use the oven occasionally then prepare the whole meal in it e.g. cook jacket potatoes on the shelf next to a casserole, and braise vegetables in a little water on the lower shelf. Not all meals need cooking. Try salads and sandwiches (see ideas)

3 Sandwiches A sandwich can be as good for you as a cooked meal. If you usually have white bread, try wholemeal, granary or a Best of Both variety for a change. Suitable fillings include: Hard boiled egg mashed with a little salad cream or mayonnaise (try low fat varieties where possible) Tuna mashed with a little salad cream or mayonnaise Cheese Cottage cheese Pilchards/sardines in tomato sauce, mashed Slice of cooked meat e.g. ham, chicken, corned beef Potted meat Meat paste Fish paste Peanut butter Hummus (chick pea pate) Add a sliced tomato, slices of cucumber, peppers, onion or pickle to complete the sandwich Have a piece of fruit after your sandwich to complete the meal Hot Snacks If you don t feel like cooking a main meal but fancy something hot and filling, how about toast or jacket potatoes with a variety of toppings or filling? Why not try: Baked beans with grated cheese Tinned sardines/pilchards in tomato sauce Poached egg Scrambled egg and cheese Peanut butter Ham and pineapple Cottage cheese Cheese and onion Coleslaw with grated cheese

4 Quick and easy meals These can all be made in 20 minutes or less Grilled fish finger, peas and instant mashed potato Grilled sausages and packet savoury rice Grilled beefburger/vegetable burger and tinned spaghetti Packet soup made up with milk, eaten with bread Tinned macaroni cheese with tinned/frozen vegetables Tinned mince with vegetables and instant potato Tinned ravioli with tinned/frozen vegetables Risotto made with packet savoury rice, chopped ham/tuna and tinned/frozen vegetables Grilled fishcakes with packet savoury pasta and sweetcorn Tuna and tinned pasta in tomato sauce with tinned/frozen vegetables Dried soya-based meal e.g. Beanfeast Try a few slices of raw tomato, cucumber or pepper as an alternative to tinned or frozen vegetables Desserts It is not necessary to have a dessert after every snack or main meal. They are best kept for treats at weekends. If you fancy something sweet during the rest of the week, have a piece of fresh fruit. Tinned fruit in juice and instant custard Ice cream Tinned milk pudding Tinned fruit in jelly Instant whip Cheese and crackers Yogurt/fromage frais individual pots If you are overweight it is better to stick to fruit (fresh, tinned or stewed without sugar). You could also look for low fat and low sugar yogurts/fromage frais, low fat ice cream and low sugar jelly, but keep them for treats only as you are better off losing your sweet tooth, and they can be quite expensive.

5 Store Cupboard Try to add one item to your store cupboard each week to even out the cost. Replace items as you use them and keep a regular turnover. Here are some suggestions (aim to keep at least one item from each section): Milk Dried/UHT (long life) Meat and fish Small tins e.g. corned beef, luncheon meat, ham, mince, sausage and beans, stews, tuna, sardines, pilchards, ravioli, macaroni cheese, dried soya-based meal e.g. Beanfeast Vegetables Dried e.g. peas, beans, mixed vegetables, instant potato (with vitamin C), savoury rice, savoury pasta Small tins e.g. baked beans, carrots, peas, sweetcorn, potatoes, tomatoes, pasta in tomato sauce Fruit Tinned in juice, UHT fruit juice Cereals Porridge oats, Branflakes, Weetabix, Cornflakes, Shreddies Crackers and plain biscuits e.g. digestives Desserts UHT yogurt, tinned milk puddings, jelly, Instant Whip, custard Soups Tinned (ready to serve and condensed) or packet If you have a freezer this can be used to supplement your store cupboard. Various frozen vegetables e.g. peas, sweetcorn Fish fingers, sausages, beefburgers Bread

6 A sample 7 day menu Day Breakfast Midday/Snack Meal Evening/Main Meal 1 Cereal e.g. Porridge, Branflakes Weetabix with milk 2 Boiled egg Wholemeal toast 3 Cereal and milk Wholemeal toast 4 Cereal and milk Wholemeal toast 5 Cereal and milk Fruit juice 6 Cereal and milk Wholemeal toast 7 Baked beans on toast Fruit juice Cheese on toast Peanut butter sandwich Corned beef in a roll Banana Sardines on toast Baked beans on toast Cottage cheese sandwich Apple Jacket potato with coleslaw and cheese Savoury rice with tuna Tinned ravioli with tinned/frozen vegetables Fruit juice Tinned mince, vegetables, instant potato Macaroni cheese with tinned/frozen vegetables Grilled sausages with savoury rice Tinned fruit Tinned custard Fish fingers, peas, instant potato Grilled beefburger and spaghetti Pear If you are hungry between meals why not try one of these snack ideas: rice cakes plain popcorn a handful of nuts/seeds cereal bars a piece of fruit, vegetable sticks with hummus

7 Additional Recipes The following recipes are designed to be simple, healthy, low cost recipes that can be made in 30 minutes or less, using no more than one or two saucepans and sometimes the grill. All recipes serve 2, so if you live alone why not arrange to get together with someone else for a meal this cuts down the fuel costs as well. Many of these recipes are suitable for vegetarians, as indicated by the symbol V. Some recipes also have suggested variations. V = suitable for vegetarians Thick Butterbean and Tomato Soup (V) For 2 people: 1 can butterbeans 10g butter or margarine 1 large onion, sliced 1 can chopped tomatoes 1 stock cube dissolved in 300ml boiling water 15ml (1 tablespoon) lemon juice 1 large saucepan with lid 1) Fry the onion in the melted butter or margarine for 5 minutes 2) Add the tomatoes, butterbeans, stock and lemon juice 3) Bring to the boil, put on the lid and simmer for 5 minutes 4) Serve with wholemeal bread Pasta Carbonara For 2 people 200g pasta spaghetti, noodles or any other type preferably wholewheat 4 rashers bacon derined and chopped 2 eggs 15ml oil 1) Cook pasta in a large pan of boiling water for about 8 10 minutes 2) Meanwhile health oil in a saucepan and fry the bacon for 5 minutes. 3) Whisk the eggs in a bow 4) As soon as the pasta is cooked drain it in a colander and return it to the hot saucepan (away from the heat) 5) Quickly stir in the eggs and bacon and keep stirring to coat the pasta with the egg, which will cook from the heat of the saucepan 6) Serve immediately Variations: A little chopped onion, mushroom or green pepper may be added (fry gently with the bacon and continue as above)

8 Quick Risotto (V) Can be eaten hot or cold For 2 people: 125g long grain rice 300ml chicken stock made by dissolving 1 chicken stock cube in 300ml of water 75g frozen peas and sweetcorn 15ml oil 4 spring onions, chopped 100g tinned ham, diced 1 tin chopped tomatoes Soy sauce 1) Place the rice and chicken stock in a saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked 2) Cook the peas and sweetcorn in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, drain and set aside 3) Meanwhile, heat the oil and fry the onion until soft and clear, then stir in the ham, tomatoes, peas and sweetcorn 4) Add the cooked rice and season to taste. Stir carefully to mix and serve with soy sauce to taste Variations: Substitute drained tuna fish, grilled bacon or sausage or other leftover cooked meat for the ham Chilli Con Carne Vegetarian Risotto (v) Use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock and replace the ham with 100g unsalted peanuts or cashew nuts Spaghetti Bolognese For 2 people 200g spaghetti (preferably wholewheat) 15ml oil ½ medium onion, sliced 200g can minced beef 200g can chopped tomatoes 15ml (1 tablespoon) of tomato puree ½ beef stock cube dissolved in 150ml boiling water 1) Place spaghetti in a large pan of boiling water and cook for 10 minutes 2) Heat oil in a large frying pan, add onion and fry until soft and clear 3) Add mince, tomatoes, tomato puree and stock 4) Bring to the boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes 5) Drain the spaghetti, place on plates, top with the Bolognese sauce and serve Variations: The Bolognese sauce can be served with jacket potato and vegetables and salad instead of with pasta Alternatively it can be placed in a baking dish, topped with mashed potato (made from instant and baked in the oven Gas Mark 5, 375 o F, 190 o C for 20 minutes or until the top is lightly browned

9 Italian Fish For 2 people: 2 frozen whiting fillets (skinned) 15ml oil 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 1 can chopped tomatoes 30ml lemon juice 50g frozen sliced peppers 8 mushrooms sliced 1 courgette, sliced 1) Cook onions in oil over a low heat for 5 minutes in a large heavy based saucepan 2) Add tomatoes and fish, scatter mushrooms, peppers and courgettes over the top with lemon juice 3) Bring to the boil, cover and cook gently for 15 minutes or until fish is cooked NB Reduce cooking time to 5-10 minutes if fish is thawed 4) Serve on a bed of rice or with boiled potatoes in their skins Quick Fish Pie For 2 people 2 portions boil in the bag fish in parsley sauce 50g peas 2 portions instant mashed potato 25g cheddar cheese, grated 1) Cook fish in sauce following directions on packet 2) Meanwhile cook the peas in boiling water for 3-4 minutes and drain 3) Make up the instant mashed potato following directions on the packet 4) Cut open the bags of fish and arrange fish in a small flameproof casserole 5) Top with peas and pour the sauce from the fish over 6) Spread the potato evenly over the top and finish with grated cheese 7) Place under a pre heated grill for 5-10 minutes and grill until the cheese bubbles 8) Serve with tinned or frozen vegetables Individual Pizza (V) A quick and tasty snack for 2 people 2 wholemeal muffins or flat wholemeal rolls, halved 30g tomato puree 2 mushrooms, thinly sliced Few raw onion rings, finely chopped Few slices of green pepper, finely chopped 50g hard cheese, grated 1) Spread the muffin or roll halves with tomato puree 2) Sprinkle with mushroom, onion and pepper and top with grated cheese 3) Grill for 7-10 minutes until the cheese is bubbling, and serve immediately

10 Variations (for non-vegetarians) Grill a rasher of bacon or 2 small sausages and place on pizza before adding chopped vegetables Mash a little corned beef or drained tuna with the tomato puree spread on the pizzas and continue as above Vegetable Stir Fry (V) Serves 2 people as a main course 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped 2 carrots cut into rounds or think strips (matchsticks) 1 pepper cored, seeds removed and roughly chopped 2 courgettes, sliced 2 sticks celery, tough strings removed, sliced in ½ moon shapes 1 can chopped tomatoes 15ml oil 15ml soy sauce Add one of the following, cooked: 2 chicken breasts chopped/3 rashers bacon derined and chopped/1 tin of tuna drained and flaked/can of beans e.g. butterbeans, red kidney beans, chick peas 1) Prepare all ingredients before starting to cook 2) Heat oil in a large frying pan or wok 3) Add all vegetables and cook for 4-5 minutes stirring frequently until lightly cooked but not soft. Season with soy sauce Variations: Other vegetables can be used e.g. frozen/canned peas or sweetcorn, broccoli florets (slit stems for quick cooking), sliced mushrooms, parsnip matchsticks, swede (cut into very thin slices as though you were making crisps) or any other vegetable Developed and produced by Leicestershire Nutrition and Dietetic Services July 2014 Crown Copyright Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust and University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust Access our website on

FOOD AND MEAL IDEAS FOR A VEGETARIAN DIET

Leicestershire Nutrition and Dietetic Services FOOD AND MEAL IDEAS FOR A VEGETARIAN DIET This booklet aims to give you more information about foods you may wish to consider eating on your vegetarian diet.