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 😅

Of course it's healthy. FFS.

Yep, your overcooked veg in a vat of Bisto sounds far nicer 😂

I do giggle as immigrant at brits laughing at someone i uk for overboiled vwg😂

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

It would be healthy if you hadn’t drowned everything in gravy.

I take the chicken breasts and roast (bake?) them in a tin foil parcel so all the juices stay in and they stay moist,

with a dose of early Alzheimer’s

https://theconversation.com/why-you-shouldnt-wrap-your-food-in-aluminium-foil-before-cooking-it-57220

Oh do grow up

That's how casseroles and stews are made. They are delicious, unlike gravy granules. Why would you think they were 'rank'. You don't boil the meat, you brown it, then cook it in nicely-flavoured stock or sauce. The meat is made tender by being slowly simmered in the sauce/stock, and it absorbs the flavours of the herbs, spices or seasonings.

Oh do grow up

A bit of an aggressive and provocative comment from someone who asked if their stew was “healthy” and went into detail as to their cooking methods. Are you normally this defensive about how you were taught to cook?

It’s not too late to stop. If not for you, then what about for your children?

Was mocked about saying that cooking in canola/rapeseed oil causes cancer too.

OP must be wishing she'd never asked 😁

Very healthy . I do WeightWatchers and all those ingredients are zero points except the gravy. (A portion of potatoes has recently become zero pointed).

You're damn right 🤣

It's not as 'healthy' as say plain chicken breast and steamed greens would be..... but it's sure as shit a lot better than nuggets and chips.

Yes definitely, but I would be chucking in some healthy greens 🥬

Agree.

And gravy granules are not great.

I make a chicken steak using bone in chicken breasts, onion, carrots, and celery, plus parsley, rosemary and thyme (and S&P).

The stew is done when the chicken falls off the bone, at which point I fish the bones out of the pot and take the meat apart using a fork. I then add homemade dumplings, put the lid back on, and steam them for 15 mins. The dumplings soak up the sauce nicely when served.

*steak = stew

@TheGrinchIsComingToTown

I think I've described it weirdly 🤣 I take the chicken breasts and roast (bake?) them in a tin foil parcel so all the juices stay in and they stay moist, and then pull them apart in a bowl once they're cooked, so the chicken is shredded, and then I mix it in with the boiled veg and gravy

I wouldn't describe it as stew either. Usually a stew/casserole would be cooked in a slow cooker & it would be a clearer sauce than gravy. Yours sounds more like roast chicken dinner with loads of gravy on top of ready roasted chicken & pre-cooked veg.

However chicken & veg are low fat & it sounds like a really healthy meal to me. I think the potatoes being unhealthy is a bit dated.

If chicken stew isn't healthy then what on earth does she class as healthy?!

It sounds lovely. I always have potatoes on the side of my stews for the weight watchers.

Not sure what else it could be called if it's not a stew?

I would just describe it as using up the leftover meat - I think traditionally Monday tea would be something like this. Leftover roast meat & then some veg & gravy.

Your mum is bonkers

Very healthy! I’ve lost 10 stone in two years and eat them very often. I keep the potatoes to a minimum and no dumplings but fill it with lean meat, veg and stock. Can easily do a massive bowl full for under 600 calories.

It's a great meal. Potatoes are not unhealthy. I love a good stew, ill have hers

Carrots, peas, onions and potato are all fairly starchy, so it's not the healthiest, maybe switch the carrots for broccoli or cauli, the peas for green beans? I'd not add potato either but just because I'm not a fan. Apart from that, a slow cooked stew of protein and (not so starchy) veg is pretty good.

It's a very healthy meal, any balanced meal needs carbohydrates- here in the form of potatoes- is your Mum on a continual diet or something. Carbs are not the enemy, not matching your amount of activity to the amount of carbs is the enemy.

Sounds delicious.
And healthy.
Add a few more veg to bulk it out.