Come, come, tell me about all the family-happy healthy meals that you cook.

[ChaosTrulyReigns]

I really need inspiration.

I generally work from a rilling programme of veg chilli, ratatouille, spaghetti bolognaise, lentil shepherds pie. (There's more but I'm on my phone and typing us arduous)

We really like risotto but I am cautious of the butter, cheese content.

[ChaosTrulyReigns]

A teensy slice, obvis.

[mmmmmchocolate]

If you like risotto would you like paella? It has the added bonus that you don't have to stand stiring the rice for ages too. You just chuck the tomatoes and stock on and leave it to do its own thing.

[Snowflakepie]

Our guaranteed family favourite is roast chicken with lots of veg and gravy, dd will only eat mashed potato but we do chunky roasts and scoop out the inside. If you avoid the skin on the chicken it's pretty healthy and low calorie.

DDs other favourite is tuna pasta bake. She loves fish, which I hate, but will make this and freeze for days she won't eat our food. Tin tuna, small can chopped tomatoes, few scoops of low fat soft cheese, sweet corn and pasta.

Anything that I can hide veg in works well, and I've become much more careful about using reduced fat options where I can, and reducing portion size for mains but then making it up with fruit after.

Not sure if those were the sort of ideas you wanted, but it works here! X

[PhoneSexWithMalcolmTucker]

Kedgeree? Always goes down surprisingly well in my house.

[rootypig]

Defo room in your repertoire for curry. Nice and mild with coconut milk or hotter with to,actors depending on family taste? Vary veg according to what's in season. Spinach and potato is great though - frozen spinach, chopped tomatoes, dried spices = store cupboard meal. Whole meal pitta or chapati instead of naan.

[rootypig]

*hotter with tomato

[ThePearShapedToad]

Vast bubbling pots of curries, with dahls, vegetable rice etc

Moroccan lamb tagines with spicy couscous

Coconut crusted fish with coriander rice and pak choi

Baked salmon with soy, ginger and garlic and stir fried veg

Sweet potato, carrot and onion soup with freshly made home made cumin rolls

These are some of the favourites in my house

[rootypig]

Ooh toad can I move in?

[ThePearShapedToad]

Hahahha course you can rooty

I'm warning you though, I'm a feeder. You will go home three stone heavier

[momb]

Spanish chicken: bone-in drumsticks or thighs, browned with onions and peppers and loads of dried thyme. Add in tinned toms/passata and boiled red lentils to thicken. Bubble away until cooked well and serve with rice.

If curries are too saucey I'd go for veg bahjias: aubergines, cauliflower, onions; whatever you have really, with tomatoes in a mix of spices containing mustard seeds, turmeric, garlic and cumin. Not hot at all but full of flavour. Cooks quite dry. My lot can eat it by the bowlful.

Build your own mexican: fajitas, chilli, tortilla chips served with wraps, rice, salad accompaniments for everyone to dig in a help themselves.

[JamNan]

salade nicoise. We like it with smoked mackerel instead of tuna .

Mexican with refried beans, guacamole, yoghurt and salsa in wraps.
Chunky bean soup
Risotto doesn't have to have butter in it you can use olive oil but white rice isn't all that healthy.

Oven roasted vegetables with bulgher, or brown, black or Camargue red rice.
Tarka dhall and spinach curry with chapattis and plain yoghurt.
Salmon steak with a shredded spring onion, ginger, soy sauce wrapped in tinfoil and oven baked. Serve with soba noodles (buckwheat flour instead of wheat).
Falafel, (you can buy a good falafel mix in Tesco) and Greek salad.
Homemade coleslaw is full of raw goodness, with a baked potato.

[ShutTheFuckUpBarbara]

Download the change 4 life recipe app there are a few good ideas on it

[LentilHearted]

One of my family's favourites is lentil pie- wholemeal shortcrust pastry, lentil and veg filling, not red lentils though, flavoured with marmite, veg stock, salt n pepper. Delicious winter comfort food. I don't have proper cooker, just a single electric ring and a halogen oven, the oven is tricky for baking so the pie only has pastry on the top.

[pregnantpause]

I do a lot of soups- chunky chinken after a roast, red lentil and carrot, minestrone, potato and leek, broccoli and Stilton, pea and ham, all very healthy and hearty.

Pumpkin laksa

Salmon baked with garlic and new potatoes and green beans.

Butterbean burgers, or carrot burgers in large lettuce leaves with homemade tomato salsa.

mixed bean and bacon casserole.

Grilled pork steak with greens and a cannelini bean mash, I often use a bean mash instead of potato mash in lots of meals.

[AryaOfHouseSnark]

Toblerone brownies ? Yum.
this. is nice! I would add a larger amount of the spices though as I found it a little bit mild. It worked really well in the slow cooker.


Delia's chicken basque. it's lovely! and really easy.

[AryaOfHouseSnark]

Actually, I don't know if they are healthy. I am crap at stuff like that, which is why my jeans are so tight.

[Wallison]

I second the suggestion of paella if you like ricey sort of dishes but want to cut down on butter etc. This veggie one here is lovely - really fresh tasting and doesn't take too long to do. I've made it with other vegetables as well and as long as you keep the basic flavouring (esp the saffron) that works too:

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2008/apr/12/foodanddrink.recipe

[siblingrevelry]

Can't be faffed with typing out the recipe, but a firm favourite with kids and adults alike is lamb & butternut squash tagine (Google 'ch 4 lamb butternut tagine').

'8 veg cottage pie' is another favourite: essentially a way of adding loads of extra veg, so you sauté onion, leeks, celery and carrots, add mince, tinned tomatoes and stock, can or two of cannelloni beans or similar, and then make the mash with a mixture of root veg of choice (potatoes, sweet pots, parsnips, swede etc).