Although nipping out to the takeaway may feel an attractive option after a hard day’s work, there are other equally quick options that can provide you with a balanced evening meal.
Ready Meals are usually good sources of carbohydrate, protein and fibre but add some fresh vegetables for extra vitamins and minerals.
Here are some quick and healthy ideas that have been put together by our expert nutritionist
- Spaghetti bolognaise with green leaf salad topped with toasted pine kernels. Fruit salad.
- Baked potato with cottage cheese and raisins topped with pumpkin and sunflower seeds and 3 bean salad (kidney, haricot, black eyed)
- Mackerel fillet grilled with new potatoes cooked in mint, green beans. Apple compote with natural yoghurt and flaked almonds
- Chicken breast (diced & grilled) with peanut sauce (peanut butter, soy & lemon juice & hot water) served with noodles & stir fried vegetables.
Here are some ideas for quick and healthy meals that they’ll love
- Cheese (40g Edam) and ~6 cherry tomatoes on 4 x cream crackers, and glass orange juice.
- Poached egg, baked beans, 2 slices white toast; fruit salad; 2 x mini jaffa cakes.
- Fish cakes (2 x frozen, grilled) with thick cut oven chips (100g) and peas (40g); apple juice, penguin bar.
“Guideline Daily Amounts” or GDAs have been developed by nutritionists to give guidance on what and how much to eat of each of the key nutrients you will see declared on the back of most packs.
The amounts don’t need to be stuck to every day but should balance out over a typical week.
Balance:
If you can’t resist a takeaway, it is possible to select the option that will give you the best balance.
- Choose pizzas that are loaded with peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and other vegetables. Go easy on the salami & try it the traditional way with anchovies. These are a good source of fish oils, which are good for the heart.
- An oriental meal based on noodles with stir fried vegetables such as carrots, spring onions and bean shoots and lean chicken is an excellent option. Choose vegetables that have been steamed.
- Select the tikka or tandoori dishes without sauce from an Indian menu. Plain rice is a better accompaniment than pilau rice but watch the number of tempting popadoms you eat as they tend to be deep-fried.
Check the sodium levels in ready meals. The GDA for sodium is 2.5g for a man and 2g for a woman.
Salt is the common name for sodium chloride. The Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) for sodium is 2.5g for men and 2g for women. 1g of salt contains approximately 0.4g of sodium.
