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

Bakery1 x loaf wholemeal bread

Fruit and veg24 x mushrooms (cup or button)1 x peppers, any colour1 x courgette1 x small red onion1 x 250g packet of cherry tomatoesfresh rosemary2 x packets mixed salad leaves2 x medium onions2 x garlic cloves2 x carrots2 x celery sticks250g of closed cup mushroomsfresh parsley

Dairy1 x 1.1 L bottle of semi-skimmed milkmargarinelow-fat spread

Dried goods and cerealscornflour1 x 500g packet of self-raising flour

Herbs and spicesground black pepperreduced salt vegetable or chicken stockbay leaf

Speciality foodsreduced fat hummus

Meat and fish100g of skinless, boneless roast chicken breasts

280g of lean braising steak

Jars and saucesolive oilvegetable oil

www.nhs.uk/Change4Life

Mushrooms on toast

These mushrooms are cooked in a delicioussauce, and they take just minutes to make.You'll eat well yet wisely with this healthystart to the day.

Serves: 4 adultsPreparation time: 5 minsCooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

4 handfuls mushrooms (cup or button) wiped clean and sliced300ml semi-skimmed milk 4 slices wholemeal bread ½ tsp margarine for spreading4 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 simmergently 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), thencook 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 stuffthem 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. ¼ recipe)690kJ / 165 kcals7g protein7g fat, of which 2g saturates21g carbohydrate, of which 4.5g sugars2.5g dietary fibre219mg sodium0.5g salt

www.nhs.uk/Change4Life

Mediterranean medleys

Prepare the roasted vegetables in advance,then they are ready to make these delicioussandwiches.

Serves: 4 adultsPreparation time: 15 minsCooking time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

1 peppers, any colour deseeded and chopped1 courgette sliced1 small red onion chopped2 handfuls cherry tomatoes halved2 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 sliced2 mixed salad leaves 1 pinch ground black pepper

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6/200°C/fan oven 180°C.

2. Put the vegetables onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with the oil. Add the rosemary and season withblack 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 ofbread, 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 to3 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 simplyuse some extra hummus.

Nutritional information: Per adult portion (i.e. ¼ recipe)1105kJ / 264kcal16g protein38g carbohydrate of which 7g sugars6g fat of which 0.2g saturates6g fibre443mg sodium equivalent to 1g salt

www.nhs.uk/Change4Life

Smart stew & dumplings

This wonderfully tasty beef casserole istopped with fluffy dumplings. Great for achilly evening!

Serves: 4 adultsPreparation time: 20 minsCooking time: 2 hrs 0 mins

Ingredients:

2 tsp vegetable oil 280g lean braising steak cut into chunks450ml reduced salt vegetable or chicken stock 2 medium onions chopped2 garlic cloves crushed2 carrots cut into chunks2 celery sticks sliced1 bay leaf 250g closed cup mushrooms halved100g self-raising flour 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped50g 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 atime, 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. Bringto the boil, then reduce the heat. Cover and cook over a low heat for 1½ hours, checking the liquid levelfrom 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 thereduced fat spread to the flour, then rub in with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Addjust enough cold water (about 2 tbsp) to make a soft dough. Knead the dough lightly for a moment, thenform into 12 small dumplings.

4. Add the dumplings to the stew, letting them sit on the surface. Cover and cook for another 25-30minutes, 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 goodflavour.

Tip 2: If you're using a casserole dish, you could transfer it to the oven and bake at Gas Mark 4/180°C/fanoven 160°C for 1 ½ 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. ¼ recipe)1284kJ / 307kcal21g protein31g carbohydrate of which 10g sugars11.5g fat of which 3.5g saturates5g fibre472mg sodium equivalent to 1g salt

suitable for freezing

www.nhs.uk/Change4Life