Holly’s Healthy Meals for Under £3 (Part 2)

Healthy meals for under £3 – part 2

by Holly Stephenson, 3rd year nutrition student

Welcome back to part 2 of the quick, easy, and healthy recipe saga! I hope you’ve had a chance to try at least one of the recipes from part 1, and if so that they turned out as tasty as when I tried them out. 

I love cooking, and I especially love bulk cooking as it’s so handy. I’m currently a student at the University of Leeds studying Nutrition, so you can imagine how convenient it is to come home after a long and tiring day to already have a meal waiting to be eaten. I usually tend to choose a day where I’m least busy, like a Sunday, to dedicate some time to prepare a few meals in advance, as I don’t always have the time during the week! Bulk cooking is so useful to do as it saves time, money, and effort, and reduces waste. On those days where you feel less motivated to cook and start to reach for those pesky convenience foods, you can just pop open your freezer and heat up a meal you’ve made earlier which will still be quick and easy, but also tasty and healthy too. 

I’ve listed the last 3 recipes for you all to try out. Let us know on our social media how they turn out for you;  send in your pictures and comments on what went well or what didn’t go so well, or any additions or modifications you may have made to make a particular dish your own. 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hullfoodpartnership/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/foodhull?lang=en 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hullfoodpartnership/ 

Don’t forget to have a little look at our Hull Food Charter– what is that, you ask? Have a look on our website or head to our Instagram page and look at the highlight labelled “Our Food Charter” to find out! 

Chunky Vegetable Dhal – serves 4 

Price estimate: £1.60 

This hearty one-pot meal is low-fat, super easy to make and super healthy, and you can add in as many extra vegetables to make it as chunky as you like! 

Cupboard ingredients: oil, turmeric, ground cumin, vegetable stock 

MONEY SAVING TIP: buying 2 thumbs of ginger for 18p will allow you to double your recipe and create 8 meals! (80p per meal based on the total price without extras) 

Added extras: any vegetables you love! Common veggies which are versatile in cooking are mushrooms, peppers, aubergine, sweetcorn, onion, and courgette. 80g of vegetables is equivalent to 1 of your 5 a day! You can add as high or low a quantity of any particular vegetable you fancy – the extras are just approximates to try balance out the ratio of vegetables. 

Most in green total price for one meal (Lidl): £1.71 (£6.84 for 4) 

Recipe origin: BBC Good Food (https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/spinach-sweet-potato-lentil-dhal) 

Equipment: 

• Wide-base pan and lid 

Prep: 

• Finely chop red onion 
• Crush garlic clove 
• Peel and chop thumb-sized piece of ginger 
• Finely chop chilli (if using fresh) 
• Peel and cut sweet potato into even chunks 

Recipe: 

1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in the pan, and add the finely chopped red onion, cooking over a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened. 
2. Add the crushed garlic clove, the finely chopped piece of ginger and the finely chopped red chilli (if using) and cook for 1 minute. Then, add 1 ½ tsp ground turmeric and 1 ½ tsp ground cumin (and the chilli powder if you are using this instead) and cook for 1 minute more. 
3. Turn up the heat to medium and add the chopped chunks of sweet potatoes, stirring everything together so the potato is coated in the spice mixture. 
4. Prepare the vegetable stock. Tip in 250g red split lentils, 600ml vegetable stock and some seasoning (salt and pepper if desired).  
5. Heat the liquid until it begins to boil (bubble), then reduce the heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes until the lentils are tender and the potato is just holding its shape. 
6. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then gently stir in the spinach. Once wilted, top with the 4 diagonally sliced spring onions and ½ small pack torn basil leaves to serve (if using). 
7. Alternatively, allow to cool completely, then divide between airtight containers and store in the fridge for a healthy lunchbox. 

Tomato Omelette Pancakes – serves 2 

Price estimate: £1.42 

Who says all pancakes are unhealthy? Try these eggy pancakes and get your fill of something delicious and savoury but still feel like you’re treating yourself! 

Cupboard ingredients: oil 

MONEY SAVING TIP: buying another pepper and another tin of chopped tomatoes for 70p will allow you to double your recipe and create 4 meals! (£1.06 per meal based on the total price) 

Most in green total price for one meal (Lidl): £1.69 (£3.37 for 2) 

Recipe origin: BBC Good Food (https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/omelette-pancakes-tomato-pepper-sauce) 

Equipment: 

• Frying pan 
• Pan and lid (deep enough to hold chopped tomatoes and water) 

Prep: 

• Thinly slice garlic cloves 
• Chop pepper into slices  
• Warm up 2 plates in the oven (only if desired – this will help keep the omelette pancakes warm whilst the others are cooking, but they can also be reheated in the microwave) 

Recipe: 

1. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the pepper and garlic for 5 minutes to soften them. Add the cider vinegar if using by the spoonful to the pan and allow it to sizzle away. Tip in the chopped tomatoes and then fill up a third of the empty can full of water, pouring this water into the pan. Cover the pan and leave the mix to simmer for 10-15 minutes until the peppers are tender and the sauce is thick. 
2. Meanwhile, beat 1 egg with 1 tsp water and, if wanted, seasoning. Add a tiny amount of oil to a frying pan and heat the oil. Add the egg mixture to the frying pan and cook for 1-2 mins until set into a thin pancake. Lift the pancake onto a plate, cover it with foil to keep it warm and repeat with the other eggs. Roll up the pancakes onto warm plates, spoon over the tomato sauce and scatter with basil. Serve with wholemeal bread or a salad on the side if desired. 

Spicy Mushroom and Broccoli Stir Fry – serves 2 

Price estimate: £1.29 

A lovely balance of vegetables in this colourful, versatile dish. Again, you can add whatever veggies you like to fill yourself up! If you aren’t a fan of spice there’s no need to add the chilli, which is why I’ve added it to the optional additions. 

Cupboard ingredients: oil, egg noodles, vegetable stock, hoisin sauce  

MONEY SAVING TIP: buying another pack of mushrooms and another pack of egg noodles for 98p will allow you to double your recipe and create 4 meals! (77p per meal based on the total price) 

Most in green total price for one meal (Lidl): £2.90 (£5.79 for 2) (I used the cost for Asda for the hoisin sauce) 

Recipe origin: BBC Good Food (https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/spicy-mushroom-broccoli-noodles) 

Equipment: 

• Saucepan 
• Frying pan or wok 

Prep: 

• Break florets from broccoli 
• Thickly slice mushrooms 
• Finely chop garlic 
• Thinly slice spring onions 

Recipe: 

1. Fill the saucepan with water and put a stock cube into the pan, turning up the heat so it eventually begins to boil. After boiling reduce the heat and add the noodles. Bring the stock back to the boil and cook for 2 minutes. Add the broccoli and boil for 2 minutes more. Reserve a cup of the stock, and then drain the noodles and broccoli. 
2. Add the oil to the frying pan or wok and heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and stir-fry them for 2 mins until they begin turning golden. Add the garlic, chilli flakes (if using) and most of the spring onions, and cook for a minute more. Tip in the drained noodles and broccoli. Add 3 tbsp of the stock and some hoisin sauce, then toss the mix together for 1 minute using a pair of tongs or 2 wooden spoons.  
3. Serve the noodles scattered with cashew nuts (if using) and the remaining spring onions. Add a dash more oil to taste if you like. 

Extra optional veg: baby corn, green beans, and pepper also go very well in a stir fry! 

I hope you’ve enjoyed having a little look at the recipes and even indulging in something new. Here are some links to BBC Good Food recipe categories – they have LOTS of recipes for you to take advantage of and taste test, so give it a go!

It’s never a bad thing to incorporate more vegetables into your diet, so I’ve included a link to some good vegetarian recipes – don’t forget, you can add any extra ingredients that you like, such as meat, fish, or grains.

Links to other recipes: 

• Vegetarian: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/category/vegetarian 
• Cheap and healthy: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/cheap-and-healthy 
• Quick and healthy: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/quick-and-healthy