Like most nurses I work many long shifts a week and there is nothing more time consuming than making meals at the end of a shift or at dinner; especially good healthy well balanced meals. Getting a takeout or ready meal seems an easy choice when you are short of time, but filling your body with food which doesn’t always provided the best nutrition is not always the best option.
Making sure as a restricted eater you get a balanced diet can tricky;
Not enough protein?
To much sugar?
Not enough time?
I’d like to share with you guys my top 5 quick meals I love to make on those days when time is a precious thing.
Number 5….
Roasted vegetables with Asda’s free from spaghetti.
For this meal I use many different vegetables, depending on what’s available in the market at the time. Using seasonal vegetables changes up this dish as each season changes and can keep the cost down too. Sprouts and spaghetti? it works trust me!
To keep sugar consumption down roast only with a little spray oil, but if your being a little naughty add a small amount of honey to your vegetables midway through cooking for that sweet kick! Due to there being no sauce to accompany this dish currently as I’ve not found one yet I like (suggestions please) it can be a little dry; but if you add lots of tomatoes there juicy sauce helps the dryness out.
| Nutritional facts: 113g of dry roasted vegetables could contain: | |
| 39 | Kcal |
| 3.5g | Fat |
| 2g | Carbohydrates |
| 0.7g | Protein |
| Nutritional facts: 100g Asda’s free from Spaghetti (cooked): | |
| 171 | Kcal |
| 0.5g | Fat |
| 40.6g | Carbohydrates |
| 1.5g | Protein |
Number 4….
Homemade vegan mushroom risotto, baby tomatoes, avocado and feta cheese.
I always thought making a homemade risotto would be a nightmare, but it surprisingly wasn’t however, it was time consuming initially making it. Once made though if stored correctly it can be consumed over a few days making it a quick addition to any side dish.
Now I didn’t warm this risotto after initial cooking, only because I enjoy it cold. However, if you were to re-heat please be very careful, make sure it is cooked through completely before consuming. Always make sure rice dishes are cooled quickly after cooking/making and stored in the fridge once cooled.
The richness of the risotto against the clean crisp tomatoes and smooth avocado and feta, makes a lovely rich tasting quick meal. For the vegan option just remove the feta or replace with vegan alternative.
| Nutritional facts: 149g Baby tomatoes: | |
| 25 | Kcal |
| 0g | Fat |
| 6g | Carbohydrates |
| 1g | Protein |
| Nutritional facts: 28g Feta cheese: | |
| 76g | Kcal |
| 6.5g | Fat |
| 0g | Carbohydrates |
| 5g | Protein |
| Nutritional facts: 100g : Avocado | |
| 160g | Kcal |
| 15g | Fat |
| 9g | Carbohydrates |
| 2g | Protein |
| Nutritional facts: ¼ portion Handmade mushroom Risotto | |
| 111g | Kcal |
| 4g | Fat |
| 15g | Carbohydrates |
| 3g | Protein |
Number 3….
Sweet potatoes fries with broccoli, halloumi, gherkins and sweet chilli sauce.
The halloumi, sweet potatoes and chilli sauce combo is amazeballs! Now you will have to cook the sweet potatoes before this can qualify as a quick meal but there worth the prep!
Sweet potatoes can be eaten both cold or hot making them a perfect quick addition to any meal. I re-heat mine by sprinkling a little bit of water over them before a zap in the microwave for 3-4 minuets, same for broccoli. Sweet potatoes are delicious but combined with the halloumi and broccoli it can at times be a bit one dimensional in taste so the sweet chilli sauce give this dish the zing it requires.
| Nutritional facts: ½ Sweet potato | |
| 475g | Kcal |
| 17g | Fat |
| 75g | Carbohydrates |
| 25g | Protein |
| Nutritional facts: 28g halloumi | |
| 90g | Kcal |
| 7.5g | Fat |
| 0.4g | Carbohydrates |
| 6g | Protein |
Number 2….
Roasted baby tomatoes with feta cheese on free from pasta.
This is my favourite “packed lunch” meal, not your traditional packed lunch but who needs soggy sandwiches anyways! The mixture between the sharpness of the tomatoes and the creaminess of the feta cheese is beautiful. Now add a splash of balsamic glaze and you have one heck of a naughty lunch meal!
The tomatoes can be eaten both hot or cold, however I prefer them hot. If you want the tomatoes hot it will take a few more minuets than I think a “quick” meal should be however, once cooked there ready to go!
This meal is only to be eaten if my lactose intolerance is having a good day, otherwise the feta is off limits or I swap it for a vegan alternative.
| Nutritional facts: 75g Tesco fusilli (uncooked): | |
| 266 | Kcal |
| 0.8g | Fat |
| 58g | Carbohydrates |
| 5.3g | Protein |
Number 1….
Honey and Clearspring organic gluten free tamari soy sauce glazed vegetables and Cauldron marinated tofu or Quorn gluten free pieces with rice noodles.
My favourite quick meal ever! I must have this meal at least twice a week if not more (hello obsession!). The simplicity of rice noodles against the mixture of salty soy and sweet honey is perfection. Now the marinated vegetables can be accompanied by rice or quinoa, but I personally prefer the noodles; due to the speed of cooking and there texture. When I found out I was gluten allergic I didn’t realise soy sauce would be off limits, so to find a gluten free option was a happy day and Clearspring’s tamari soy sauce is salty good.
This meal can be made within 10 minuets if I’ve pre-cooked the vegetables or use microwavable bagged vegetables. And a bonus it can be made in 2 pans only, so tiny amounts of pot washing!
. 
| Nutritional facts: ½ Packet of Cauldren marinated tofu pieces | |
| 186 | Kcal |
| 13.6g | Fat |
| 0.8g | Carbohydrates |
| 14g | Protein |
| Nutritional facts: 100g Clearspring organic gluten free tamari soy sauce | |
| 186 | Kcal |
| 0.2g | Fat |
| 34g | Carbohydrates |
| 14g | Protein |
| Nutritional facts: 100g Rice noodles | |
| 176 | Kcal |
| 1.8g | Fat |
| 36g | Carbohydrates |
| 3.4g | Protein |
allergic-foodie.com 