When it comes to fitness, if you fail to prepare, then you’re preparing to fail.
Planning your meals at the start of the week may sound like a dull task, but it could be difference between having a beach body or having a beached body.
Thankfully, Centra‘s dietician Sarah Keogh has helped us mark out a day-by-day healthy dinner plan and it couldn’t be easier to follow.
Did you know that the average Irish daily consumption of fruit and veg is only 3.2 of the recommended 5 servings?
Give that number a boost this week by following these recipes.
Monday: Chicken with Garlic and Oregano
Get your week off to a healthy start with this flavoursome garlic chicken, served with a green salad.
Serves 2
You’ll need:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 sliced chicken breasts
- 1 clove crushed garlic
- 2 teaspoon oregano
- 2 teaspoon water
Method:
- Mix the oregano, garlic, olive oil and water together with a pinch of salt.
- Add the chicken slices. If you can do this the night before then cover the chicken and leave it in the fridge overnight. You can cook this straight away but even half an hour in the mixture makes a difference.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium to high heat.
- Add the chicken slices and cook on each side until golden brown and cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.
Serve with a mixed salad or with frozen peas and corn and baby potatoes.
Tuesday: Noodles in a jar
This is more Heston Blumenthal, than them noodles you used to eat while in blooming college. A dish (or jar) which is sure to impress all your Instagram followers.
Image via thekitchn.com
You’ll need:
- A pot with a lid (these work really well)
- 1 handful of dried noodles
- 1 handful of mixed asian veg
- 1 handful of left-over cooked chicken / cooked prawns / tofu
- Half handful of bean sprouts
- 1 spring onion1tsp fresh or dried coriander
- 1tsp hot sauce
- 1tsp stock powder
- 1tbsp soy sauce
Method:
When you’re ready to eat, pour hot water over the top, let things warm up for a few minutes, and dinner is served.
Wednesday: Vegetable Korma
Wholesome? ✓ Tasty? ✓ Easy to make? ✓
This is the perfect midweek dish as it ticks every box and is guaranteed to get you over any slump.
You’ll need:
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium potatoes, cubed
- 4 carrots, cubed
- 1/2 cauliflower, chopped
- 1 red chilli, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons ground unsalted cashew nuts or almonds
- 1 can tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes)
- Pinch of salt & pepper
- 1 & 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric & cumin
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 1/2 green pepper, chopped
- 1/2 red pepper, chopped
- 1 cup coconut milk
- Fresh coriander for garnish
Method:
- Heat a large pan or wok and add the oil, all the chopped vegetables and the spices together. Stir fry on a high heat for five minutes
- Add the can of tomatoes and coconut milk and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes
- Finally, add your ground almonds or cashew nuts along with the frozen peas and cook for further 5-10 minutes
- This can be served with rice and finished with finely chopped nuts and fresh coriander
Thursday: Spinach, Tomato & Feta Frittata
Quick, easy and delicious. These healthy veggie frittatas are nothing short of wonderful.
You’ll need:
- 1 pack baby leaf spinach
- 1 pack feta Greek cheese
- 12 medium eggs
- 6 tbsp. milk
- 1 tbsp. oil
- A muffin baking tin with 12 compartments
Method:
- Preheat oven to 200C and using the oil, lightly grease your muffin tin
- Place a small handful of spinach in each compartment and top with one chopped cherry tomato and 1 tbsp. of crumbled feta cheese
- Whisk eggs and milk in a jug. Carefully pour the egg mixture into each tin compartment. You should have approx. 1 egg for each compartment.
- Bake in the oven for 10 – 15 minutes and carefully remove from the tin.
Friday: Lasagne with Sweet Potato
End the week in style by putting a healthy twist on one of the finest comfort foods around: lasagne.
Sweet potatoes are a great alternative to pasta sheets and bring a sweet note to this delicious classic.
Serves 4
You’ll need:
- 440g steak mince
- 1 onion
- 1 475g jar original pasta sauce
- 2 bell peppers
- 4 sweet potatoes
- 200g white cheddar cheese
- 1 sachet white sauce
Method:
- Slice the sweet potato and place on a baking tray, par bake these in the oven on 180 degrees for 10 mins.
- In the meantime, dice the onion and sautee in a pan. Add the mince and cook until brown. Chop the pepper and add to the pan. Then add the pasta sauce. Cook in the pan for 5 mins then remove from the heat.
- Prepare the white sauce in a pan using a sachet of white sauce and milk
- Layer the sweet potato, mince mixture and a light layer of the white sauce into a small baking pan, sprinkle some cheese on top. Bake in the oven for 25 mins or until golden brown. Serve with a side salad and enjoy!
This article is brought to you by Centra. For lots more healthy recipes visit Centra.ie
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
