Healthy, easy meal ideas for 2016

Determined to eat more healthily this year? Want some easy meal ideas for when you go back to everyday life after Christmas? It doesn’t have to be complicated!

Here are five easy meals that you can make in about half an hour for those evenings when you get in late but need something nutritious:

Struggling for energy?

Eat more eggs which are a great source of B vitamins. How about an omelette with some feta cheese, peppers, red onion and tomatoes. Have it with a big salad.

Want an easy way to head towards your ‘five a day’?

Go for a stir fry. You can buy prepared packs of stir fry vegetables, a sauce and some noodles. Vary what you mix it with - chicken, shellfish, fish or beef for a complete meal. When choosing the sauces, go for one with the lowest salt content.

Popping to the supermarket on the way home but no idea what to eat that evening?

Grab a hot cooked chicken, a packet of express rice and a pack of broccoli and sugar snap peas/something similar. You can cook the vegetables in about 10 minutes, the rice takes two minutes in the microwave and then its ready. A much healthier option than a takeaway.

Want to eat more fish without the batter or breadcrumbs?

Make use of all the prepared fish in sauces that are now available such as salmon with lemon and herbs or cod with tomato and basil. These take about 30 minutes in the oven. You could have this with some prepared sweet potato and butternut squash pieces which take the same time to cook.

Want to try some lentils but not sure how to cook them or what to have them with?

Look out for the packets of flavoured, ready to eat lentils. They are a great starting point and can be microwaved in less than five minutes. Jamie Oliver’s ‘black daal’ or ‘curried chickpeas’ are good examples. Have these with some grilled chicken or fish. Lentils are a good source of protein, fibre, minerals and are low in fat.