5 quick and affordable meals to start the year off right
The new year often means time to press reset on your eating habits. The good news is, you can eat well without spending a fortune or sweating in the kitchen. A few make-ahead strategies and this arsenal of easy recipes (based on the Mediterranean diet) could set you up for a life-changing year.
The basic principles of the Mediterranean diet
- Eat mostly plant-based food, whole grains, legumes and nuts.
- Replace butter with fats such as olive oil.
- Use herbs and spices unstead of salt to flavour your food.
- Eat red meat just a few times a month.
- Eat fish and poultry at least twice a week.
- Enjoy meals with family and friends.
- Drink red wine in moderation (optional, of course).
- Get plenty of exercise.
Scroll through the gallery below for 5 quick and affordable meals
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Make-ahead strategy #1
Make double or triple the quanity of brown rice to in these three ways: 1. Add raisins, chopped almonds, fresh coriander and ground cinnamon and pile into halved peppers. Drizzle with olive oil and roast for 15 minutes. 2. Toss rice with grated coconut, chopped ginger, mint, coriander, tamarind and peanuts. 3. Blend spinach and lemon juice, then fold into the rice and add a dollop of yoghurt to finish.
Make-ahead strategy #2
Take a shortcut to nutritious meals by making double or triple the quantity of roasted tomato sauce (without the ricotta, pine nuts and parsley) to use in these three ways: 1. Heat the tomato sauce with stock to make a quick soup, then sprinkle with chia seeds for texture. 2. Layer roast brinjal slices with the sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake. 3. Make a quick breakfast by poaching eggs in the tomato sauce.
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