Eating healthy can feel monotonous and uninspiring at times. Try these five easy hacks to spruce up your meals and make your healthy meals ten times more interesting!
1. Alternate your proteins
Do you always cook with a particular type of protein at main meals like chicken? Why not try mixing it up and alternating your protein option. This could include:
- Fish
- Seafood e.g. prawns
- Eggs
- Tofu or tempeh
- Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)
- Tinned or fresh legumes e.g. lentils, chickpeas, blackbeans
- Vegetable patties or falafels
- Beef
- Lamb
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Pork
2. Use herbs, spices and seasonings
Not all seasonings were created equal. Small amounts of bottled sauces and seasonings are fine as part of a healthy balanced diet. Here are some ideas of how these may be used:
- Cook vegetables or protein in an infused extra-virgin olive oil such as garlic or chilli infused oils. You can also dress salads with these
- Dress salads with homemade dressings using a combination of extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, fresh or dried herbs, salt and pepper, honey or maple syrup and mustard
- Stir-fry vegetables or protein in a little sesame oil, onion, garlic and ginger and some asian sauces such as salt-reduced soy sauce, oyster sauce, coconut aminos or hoisin
- Season protein with a little salt and pepper or dried herbs before cooking
- Use tinned tomatoes or tomato based sauces with some added fresh basil for an italian twist
- Top meals with fresh herbs. For example fish is lovely with some fresh dill, top curries with coriander, sprinkle some fresh chilli on a stir-fry, pop some chopped parsley on top of a bolognese mince or italian dish
- Add a dollop of hummus or tzatziki to a dish
3. Plan meals using a theme
For example Monday may be mexican, tuesdays italian, wednesdays Greek, thursdays asian and Fridays indian. Search online for some recipe inspo. Here are some ideas:
- Italian: bolognese, meatballs, baked chicken schnitzel, crumbed veal, healthy pizzas, garlic prawns
- Asian: stir-fries, curries, fried rice, thai salads
- Mexican: burritos, nachos, tacos, slow cooked pulled meat
- Spanish: baked rice, paella, tray bakes
- Greek: Souvlaki or skewers, greek salad and a protein, pita bread with tzatziki and a protein
- Mediterranean: kofta pita and salad, tabouli and falafels, baked fish with olives, tomato and capers
- Indian: curries
4. Order some premade meals from Activate Foods
They have an amazing menu with new dishes frequently added! Food always tastes better when you don’t have to cook it yourself.
5. Spruce up your salads
Salads are great with the change of warmer weather but can be unappetising and leave you feeling hungry if you don’t get creative with the ingredients
- Use a variety of different lettuces or green
- Add a wholegrain or legume such as some cooked quinoa or brown rice or soba noodles
- Add a protein such as chicken, prawns, fish, eggs, legumes, falafels or veggie patties
- Add some crunch like some sourdough croutons, roasted nuts, seeds or roasted chickpeas
- Add a homemade dressing using an oil such as EVOO, with vinegar or an acid such as lemon juice, salt and pepper and your favourite herbs and spices.
- Optional- add artichokes, olives or some cheese
If you need help with maintaining a healthy diet, reach out to an Eatsense dietitian for a consultation.
