Does a stew count as a healthy meal?

[TheGrinchIsComingToTown]

I'm having a bit of a debate with my mum.

I've made a chicken stew - chicken breast, carrots, peas, onions, potato and gravy.

She says it doesn't count as being "healthy", because of the potatoes. I think it does, because it's got a ton of veg and protein in it.

Basically just that. In the winter my healthy meal staples are stews and soups, but now I feel like they're not actually that good 😅

Yes it's healthy, although you could add even more veg. Potatoes are good for you.

The sauce in a stew is gravy, which I think is what the OP was referring to.

At least I call it gravy. I brown meat, add flour, mix with mustard and a bit of Worcestershire sauce, then into the casserole with veg and half a bottle of wine and some water.

And the meat and veg cook and the liquids and flour turn into gravy.

Throw in a few fresh herbs and then you will get the health benefits associated with those herbs.

Really irritating to have someone commenting on the health or otherwise of something you have laboured over.

Your stew sounds perfectly healthy.

Must be a small portion

@Comedycook no it's usually about 300-400g, a bowl full. It's mainly veg (lots of carrots and peas to bulk it out), chicken breast that I roast in a foil parcel so it keeps all the moisture, and some potatoes - always works out to be that many cals

I eat a low carb diet due to insulin resistance issues, but I'd still eat that stew including some of the potatoes.

My blood sugars are now normal and I eat potatoes (and mash with butter and chips occasionally). I just eat a small amount. Otherwise, stews and soups are generally healthy foods and certainly better than ready meals and takeaways.

I think the less processed and messed with is the best food, so maybe the only thing to be mindful of is any gravy granule type things for the salt content. I'd add that I am a very healthy weight and eat lots of butter and full fat yoghurt etc but I don't have sugar.

I'd be round for some of your stew in a hot minute OP, sounds great.

@Lobstercrisps yes the gravy is what the stew is in, I boil the veg and potatoes in a pan with a stock cube in it, add the juices from the chicken and then a couple tbsps of gravy granules (lazy I know!) and let it thicken in the slow cooker

It is fantastically healthy. I’m a carrot fiend and I would add more carrots. Potatoes are totally underrated and misunderstood.

It sounds great OP.

This is not technically true. Making chips or mash does not make potatoes less nutrient dense, it just adds other fats to the potatoes. It's all about what you would define as "healthy".

It’s making me hungry. Nothing wrong with that food at all.

Your meat shouldn’t go dry if you’re cooking it in liquid, there’s not need to do it separately (currently it’s not a stew if you do?). Do you like meat on the bone? Chicken on the bone cooked in liquid is never overdone.

I'm not sure I would describe that as a chicken stew personally, I would call it roast chicken with veg and gravy. But anyway, it doesn't make it any less healthy!

I like a chicken stew kind of like this:

www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/food/recipes/a536379/chicken-casserole/

If you want to make it more filling and varied add some different veg, swede and parsnips are great in stews with leek, carrot etc. I think stew is a healthy meal, carbs, veg, protein all in a lovely warm bowl. It's hardly a bargain bucket!

I add SO many peas to it, it's basically a pea stew 🤣

I don't understand? I cook the chicken first so I can pull it apart then add it to the veg and slow cook

I'm a big fan of the hairy dieters spanish tray bake if you are looking for a different healthy one pot meal. I don't bother with the whole garlic sometimes and just lash in some garlic paste.

https://www.hairybikers.com/recipes/view/spanish-style-chicken-bake

Yes, very. No raw food there but really healthy homecooked food.

It is irrefutably a good meal. It covers all the major food groups, lots of vegetables and you’re not adding processed crap to it. It’s not perfect, but it’s definitely good. Only spoiler could be if you use gravy granules which are salty. Well done OP, I’d be bloody delighted if this was what me and my family were eating day to day xx

I do use them, but don't add any extra salt 😂 I'm trying to move low salt but we have stuff to use up first!

Potatoes are fantastic. One of the only nutrients I wasn't defficient in when I went to hospital was potassium. Thanks to lots of spuds. I absolutely adore them! Your stew sounds lovely. It's chicken breast as well so very low fat. I guess if you use gravy powders or thickeners that's the only thing that's not perfect.

I'm an everything in moderation person.

There is no perfect "one size fits all" diet.

Using a bit of gravy granules in an otherwise home cooked meal is better than a takeaway or ready meal.

Potatoes are incredibly healthy. Such an outdated view.

Honestly if I wasn't meal prepping I'd probably make a gravy myself but by the end of a meal prep afternoon I can't be bothered 🤣

Potatoes are so healthy that if you eat lots of them you’ll be deficient in all but one essential vitamin and mineral? I’ve heard better advertising slogans in my time 😂