your meal mix

Breakfast
Mushrooms on toast
Lunch
Mediterranean medleys
Dinner
Smart stew & dumplings
Planning and preparing tasty meals every day of the week can feel like a big job. Here's an
easy way to help you be food smart - and prepare healthier meals quickly and cheaply. To
make it even easier, there's also a shopping list you can take to the supermarket.
All the recipes can be prepared for around 5 and each one serves four adults (with the
exception of the Sunday roast which serves six but costs a little more).
If you're feeding kids too, remember that they don't need to eat as much as an adult and
need kid-sized portions. If you're cooking for fewer people you can simply reduce the
quantities - or why not make the full amount and freeze the extra for another day?

www.nhs.uk/Change4Life

Shopping List
Making a shopping list and sticking to it can save you time and money
Take a look at the labels and choose lower calorie, salt, sugar and fat options

Bakery

280g of lean braising steak

1 x loaf wholemeal bread

Jars and sauces

Fruit and veg

24 x mushrooms (cup or button)
1 x peppers, any colour
1 x courgette
1 x small red onion
1 x 250g packet of cherry tomatoes
fresh rosemary
2 x packets mixed salad leaves
2 x medium onions
2 x garlic cloves
2 x carrots
2 x celery sticks
250g of closed cup mushrooms
fresh parsley

Dairy
1 x 1.1 L bottle of semi-skimmed milk
margarine
low-fat spread

Dried goods and cereals

cornflour
1 x 500g packet of self-raising flour

Herbs and spices

ground black pepper
reduced salt vegetable or chicken stock
bay leaf

Speciality foods
reduced fat hummus

Meat and fish

100g of skinless, boneless roast chicken breasts

www.nhs.uk/Change4Life

olive oil
vegetable oil

Mushrooms on toast
These mushrooms are cooked in a delicious
sauce, and they take just minutes to make.
You'll eat well yet wisely with this healthy
start to the day.
Serves: 4 adults
Preparation time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins
Ingredients:
4 handfuls mushrooms (cup or button) wiped clean and sliced
300ml semi-skimmed milk
4 slices wholemeal bread
tsp margarine for spreading
4 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water

What to do:
1. Put the mushrooms and milk into a saucepan and heat until just boiling. Reduce the heat and simmer
gently for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile toast the bread. Spread each slice with a scraping of margarine.
3. Stir the cornflour mixture into the mushrooms. Heat until it thickens (this takes only a few seconds), then
cook gently for 1 minute. Divide between the slices of toast and serve straight away.

Tip 1: You can use regular or mini pitta breads instead of toast if you prefer. Warm the pittas first and stuff
them with some shredded lettuce before spooning in the mushrooms.

Tip 2: Another time, use the mushroom mixture as a delicious filling for omelettes.
Notes:
This recipe has been taken from the Change4Life 'Supermeals for under a fiver' cookbook

Nutritional information:
Per adult portion (i.e. recipe)
690kJ / 165 kcals
7g protein
7g fat, of which 2g saturates
21g carbohydrate, of which 4.5g sugars
2.5g dietary fibre
219mg sodium
0.5g salt

www.nhs.uk/Change4Life

Mediterranean medleys
Prepare the roasted vegetables in advance,
then they are ready to make these delicious
sandwiches.
Serves: 4 adults
Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins
Ingredients:
1 peppers, any colour deseeded and chopped
1 courgette sliced
1 small red onion chopped
2 handfuls cherry tomatoes halved
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp fresh rosemary chopped (dried is also fine)
8 slices wholemeal bread
3 tbsp reduced fat hummus
100g skinless, boneless roast chicken breasts sliced
2 mixed salad leaves
1 pinch ground black pepper

What to do:
1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6/200C/fan oven 180C.
2. Put the vegetables onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with the oil. Add the rosemary and season with
black pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Cool.
3. To make the sandwiches, spread each slice of bread with hummus, then top 4 slices with the chicken.
Share the cooled vegetables between them and add some salad leaves. Top with the remaining slices of
bread, cut in half and serve.

Tip 1: Roast the vegetables in advance, then cool them. Keep them in a covered dish in the fridge for up to
3 days, ready to use for the sandwiches.

Tip 2: You can use the vegetables in salads too, so why not make double the quantity?
Tip 3: For a vegetarian version, omit the chicken and substitute a little reduced fat grated cheese, or simply
use some extra hummus.

Nutritional information:
Per adult portion (i.e. recipe)
1105kJ / 264kcal
16g protein
38g carbohydrate of which 7g sugars
6g fat of which 0.2g saturates
6g fibre
443mg sodium equivalent to 1g salt

www.nhs.uk/Change4Life

Smart stew & dumplings

This wonderfully tasty beef casserole is
topped with fluffy dumplings. Great for a
chilly evening!
Serves: 4 adults
Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 2 hrs 0 mins
Ingredients:
2 tsp vegetable oil
280g lean braising steak cut into chunks
450ml reduced salt vegetable or chicken stock
2 medium onions chopped
2 garlic cloves crushed
2 carrots cut into chunks
2 celery sticks sliced
1 bay leaf
250g closed cup mushrooms halved
100g self-raising flour
2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
50g low-fat spread
1 pinch ground black pepper

What to do:
1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large flameproof casserole dish or saucepan. Add the beef, a handful at a
time, and cook over a high heat until sealed and browned for about 2-3 minutes.
2. Pour the stock into the pan, then add the onions, garlic, carrots, celery, bay leaf and mushrooms. Bring
to the boil, then reduce the heat. Cover and cook over a low heat for 1 hours, checking the liquid level
from time to time, and topping up with a little water if needed.
3. To make the dumplings, sift the flour into a bowl and the parsley and some black pepper. Add the
reduced fat spread to the flour, then rub in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Add
just enough cold water (about 2 tbsp) to make a soft dough. Knead the dough lightly for a moment, then
form into 12 small dumplings.
4. Add the dumplings to the stew, letting them sit on the surface. Cover and cook for another 25-30
minutes, until the dumplings are light and fluffy.

Tip 1: Always brown the meat thoroughly to begin with (but not burn), as this will give the stew a good
flavour.

Tip 2: If you're using a casserole dish, you could transfer it to the oven and bake at Gas Mark 4/180C/fan
oven 160C for 1 hours, then add the dumplings and bake for a further 25-30 minutes.

Tip 3: Be sure to serve the casserole with plenty of fresh or frozen vegetables,
such as broccoli, cabbage, leeks or peas to help towards your 5 A DAY.

www.nhs.uk/Change4Life

Smart stew & dumplings

Nutritional information:
Per portion (i.e. recipe)
1284kJ / 307kcal
21g protein
31g carbohydrate of which 10g sugars
11.5g fat of which 3.5g saturates
5g fibre
472mg sodium equivalent to 1g salt

suitable for freezing

www.nhs.uk/Change4Life