Healthy Dinners for New Parents
2 weeks of easy to make, tasty dinners.
Being a new parent is wonderful; but there is no doubt that it is also exhausting. It can be hard to remember to eat well, but with a little planning, a few simple dishes can get you through at least the first two weeks.
Stock up your store cupboard with essentials like tinned tomatoes, baked beans, chilli powder, olive oil, vinegar, herbs, soy sauce, pesto, pasta, rice, bread mix, couscous & noodles and fill your freezer with green beans, peas and fish fillets or home-made soups and you’ll always have something to eat, even if a trip to the shops seems like mission impossible.
If you start with a roast chicken, you can use the leftovers to make the stir-fry, fajitas and roast veg pasta dishes. Basic mince can make 4 days dinners with a little adaptation.eg shepherds pie, bolognaise, chilli con carne, burritos. Recipes marked* can keep for up to 3 months in the freezer, so make extra and freeze it for another day.
Accept offers of help with cooking and cleaning while you focus on getting to know your new baby and looking after each other. Things will never be the same- and that’s part of the fun of it. You’ll be fine. Congratulations & good luck
Chicken Dishes:
Easy roast chicken Line a large roasting tray with tinfoil, put in the oven and heat to 180OC/ 3500F. Place 1400/1500g whole chicken breast-side down in the middle of the tray and return to the oven for 1 hour. Prepare your choice of root veg (carrots, parsnips, beetroot), garlic cloves and onion in large chunks. After 1 hour, turn chicken over, sprinkle with salt and pepper, add veg to the tray around chicken and return to the oven for a further 25-30mins or until veg & chicken are cooked i.e. meat juices are clear, veg softened ‘with a bite’. Serve with boiled new potatoes, mash or rice. (Variations: squeeze juice from ½ lemon over chicken & put squeezed lemon half & handful of thyme in chicken cavity before cooking; add chopped chorizo, cherry tomatoes and cubed potato to the tray instead of root veg; put handful of fresh rosemary and clove of garlic in cavity before cooking & cover breast with strips of bacon when adding veg.)
Chicken and vegetable stir-fry with noodles
Chop either fresh chicken breast or left-over cooked chicken into bite-size chunks. Put chicken in a bowl & add 1-2 dessertspoon soy sauce or teriyaki marinade. Add 1 chopped garlic clove and ½ chopped fresh chilli or ¼ teaspoon dried chilli flakes. You can increase or reduce the chilli depending on how much ‘spice’ you like. Stir-fry a variety of chopped veg (peppers, mushrooms, celery, courgette, carrot, beansprouts) in a little sesame or vegetable oil in a non-stick pan/wok for 2 mins. You can buy these prepared if you like. Add the chicken & juices from the bowl and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve with boiled egg noodles (follow packet instructions) added to the wok at the end of cooking. (Variations: try pork instead of chicken, use different sliced veg or add a small handful of cashew nuts or a spoon of peanut butter)
Fajitas
Stirfry chicken breast cut into strips, leftover chicken meat or lean steak pieces with lots of sliced vegetables e.g. red peppers and leeks in a teaspoon of vegetable oil. Add 1 pinch of chilli powder or fajita seasoning and cook for 5 minutes in total. Add ¼ fresh chopped chilli or pinch chilli powder and ½ clove garlic to ½ tin tomatoes to make spicy salsa. Mash the flesh of 1 avocado with 1 teaspoon of lemon or lime juice to make cool guacamole. Serve chicken mix in 1 large wrap or 2 small wraps per person. Add torn lettuce, 1 spoon of salsa, 1 spoon guacamole and 1 spoon of low
fat natural yogurt/fromage frais/ sour cream. Finish with a small sprinkle of grated cheddar cheese and roll the wrap.
Chicken casserole*
Lightly fry 6 chicken joints (leg & thigh), 1 chopped onion, 2 sliced carrots & 1 chopped stick celery in a teaspoon of veg oil. Cover with water and add chicken stock cube. Cover tightly & simmer until meat is cooked (aprox 45mins at 1800F). Taste and season with salt & pepper. Serve with baby potatoes and green vegetables e.g. broccoli. (Variations: add 1 cup cannellini bean or lentils with the stock if you like a thicker casserole.)
Vegetarian:
Roasted vegetables with pasta*
Chop a variety of veg such as aubergine, courgette, carrots, onion, garlic, peppers, tomatoes into chunks. Place on a baking tray and drizzle some olive oil and balsamic vinegar (about a dessertspoon) over the top. Add pinch of salt & freshly ground pepper and any fresh herbs you like. Shake the tray well. Roast in a hot oven (210°C) for 20-30 minutes.(Note: these veg also cook well with the roast chicken)
Meanwhile cook pasta according to packet instructions, drain and stir in 1 tablespoon of cream cheese (e.g.Philadelphia) or chopped Buffalo Mozarella cheese. Add the roasted veg, serve in a bowl sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese & black pepper
Minced Beef/ Lamb
Homemade burgers with salad
Put 450g/1lb lean mince/quorn mince/turkey mince in a large bowl add some salt & pepper, chopped garlic & onion and ½ a beaten egg, and mix well. Form into 4 burgers with your clean hands. Cook on a hot, non-stick grill/pan to brown each side. Then transfer to a hot oven and cook for approx 30 minutes, until well cooked through. Serve with a brown/granary bread bap, tomato relish, and lots of salad vegetables. (Variation: try lamb mince and add a teaspoon of mint sauce or use pesto instead of the onion & garlic)
Spaghetti Bolognese*
Fry lean beef mince/turkey mince/quorn mince, add 1 finely chopped onion, 1 chopped clove of garlic, 1 teaspoon of tomato puree, 1 pinch of salt and pepper, and fry for 2 minutes. Add 1 can of chopped tomatoes, simmer for 20-30mins until cooked. Serve with pasta (any shape) cooked according to the packet and a large salad (see suggestions above)
Chilli with rice*
Fry 450g/1lb pack of lean minced beef/ lamb/quorn mince/turkey mince in ½ teaspoon vegetable oil to brown; add 1 chopped onion and 1-2 chopped garlic clove and fry for 2 minutes more. Add ½ teaspoon of chilli powder, ½ oxo beef cube & stir well. Add 1 tin of tomatoes and a tin of red kidney beans. Simmer until cooked for 20-30mins. Serve with basmati rice cooked according to packet instructions, sweetcorn and lots of salad. (You can also make a chilli casserole with a variety of beans and pulses e.g. red kidney beans, chickpeas, butterbeans, lentils, etc. without meat.)
Fish
Baked salmon with vegetables and baby potatoes
Place salmon on aluminium foil on a baking tray/dish and season with salt and pepper, and a little lemon juice. Bake for approx 20mins until cooked. Serve with boiled baby potatoes and lots of vegetables e.g. carrots, broccoli, peas, greenbeans or mangetout. (For variety, try a teaspoon of
green or red pesto instead of lemon juice)
Baked Mediterranean cod
Place cod in a baking dish/tray. In a separate bowl combine chopped tomatoes, chopped onions & garlic, black olives, salt and pepper, 1 teaspoon olive oil. Place this mixture over the fish and bake for 20-30 minutes. Serve with baby potatoes and lots of salad e.g. lettuce, tomato, cucumber, beetroot, grated carrot, peppers, sweetcorn with an oil & vinegar dressing.
2 weeks of easy to make, tasty dinners.
Being a new parent is wonderful; but there is no doubt that it is also exhausting. It can be hard to remember to eat well, but with a little planning, a few simple dishes can get you through at least the first two weeks.
Stock up your store cupboard with essentials like tinned tomatoes, baked beans, chilli powder, olive oil, vinegar, herbs, soy sauce, pesto, pasta, rice, bread mix, couscous & noodles and fill your freezer with green beans, peas and fish fillets or home-made soups and you’ll always have something to eat, even if a trip to the shops seems like mission impossible.
If you start with a roast chicken, you can use the leftovers to make the stir-fry, fajitas and roast veg pasta dishes. Basic mince can make 4 days dinners with a little adaptation.eg shepherds pie, bolognaise, chilli con carne, burritos. Recipes marked* can keep for up to 3 months in the freezer, so make extra and freeze it for another day.
Accept offers of help with cooking and cleaning while you focus on getting to know your new baby and looking after each other. Things will never be the same- and that’s part of the fun of it. You’ll be fine. Congratulations & good luck
Chicken Dishes:
Easy roast chicken Line a large roasting tray with tinfoil, put in the oven and heat to 180OC/ 3500F. Place 1400/1500g whole chicken breast-side down in the middle of the tray and return to the oven for 1 hour. Prepare your choice of root veg (carrots, parsnips, beetroot), garlic cloves and onion in large chunks. After 1 hour, turn chicken over, sprinkle with salt and pepper, add veg to the tray around chicken and return to the oven for a further 25-30mins or until veg & chicken are cooked i.e. meat juices are clear, veg softened ‘with a bite’. Serve with boiled new potatoes, mash or rice. (Variations: squeeze juice from ½ lemon over chicken & put squeezed lemon half & handful of thyme in chicken cavity before cooking; add chopped chorizo, cherry tomatoes and cubed potato to the tray instead of root veg; put handful of fresh rosemary and clove of garlic in cavity before cooking & cover breast with strips of bacon when adding veg.)
Chicken and vegetable stir-fry with noodles
Chop either fresh chicken breast or left-over cooked chicken into bite-size chunks. Put chicken in a bowl & add 1-2 dessertspoon soy sauce or teriyaki marinade. Add 1 chopped garlic clove and ½ chopped fresh chilli or ¼ teaspoon dried chilli flakes. You can increase or reduce the chilli depending on how much ‘spice’ you like. Stir-fry a variety of chopped veg (peppers, mushrooms, celery, courgette, carrot, beansprouts) in a little sesame or vegetable oil in a non-stick pan/wok for 2 mins. You can buy these prepared if you like. Add the chicken & juices from the bowl and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve with boiled egg noodles (follow packet instructions) added to the wok at the end of cooking. (Variations: try pork instead of chicken, use different sliced veg or add a small handful of cashew nuts or a spoon of peanut butter)
Fajitas
Stirfry chicken breast cut into strips, leftover chicken meat or lean steak pieces with lots of sliced vegetables e.g. red peppers and leeks in a teaspoon of vegetable oil. Add 1 pinch of chilli powder or fajita seasoning and cook for 5 minutes in total. Add ¼ fresh chopped chilli or pinch chilli powder and ½ clove garlic to ½ tin tomatoes to make spicy salsa. Mash the flesh of 1 avocado with 1 teaspoon of lemon or lime juice to make cool guacamole. Serve chicken mix in 1 large wrap or 2 small wraps per person. Add torn lettuce, 1 spoon of salsa, 1 spoon guacamole and 1 spoon of low
fat natural yogurt/fromage frais/ sour cream. Finish with a small sprinkle of grated cheddar cheese and roll the wrap.
Chicken casserole*
Lightly fry 6 chicken joints (leg & thigh), 1 chopped onion, 2 sliced carrots & 1 chopped stick celery in a teaspoon of veg oil. Cover with water and add chicken stock cube. Cover tightly & simmer until meat is cooked (aprox 45mins at 1800F). Taste and season with salt & pepper. Serve with baby potatoes and green vegetables e.g. broccoli. (Variations: add 1 cup cannellini bean or lentils with the stock if you like a thicker casserole.)
Vegetarian:
Roasted vegetables with pasta*
Chop a variety of veg such as aubergine, courgette, carrots, onion, garlic, peppers, tomatoes into chunks. Place on a baking tray and drizzle some olive oil and balsamic vinegar (about a dessertspoon) over the top. Add pinch of salt & freshly ground pepper and any fresh herbs you like. Shake the tray well. Roast in a hot oven (210°C) for 20-30 minutes.(Note: these veg also cook well with the roast chicken)
Meanwhile cook pasta according to packet instructions, drain and stir in 1 tablespoon of cream cheese (e.g.Philadelphia) or chopped Buffalo Mozarella cheese. Add the roasted veg, serve in a bowl sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese & black pepper
Minced Beef/ Lamb
Homemade burgers with salad
Put 450g/1lb lean mince/quorn mince/turkey mince in a large bowl add some salt & pepper, chopped garlic & onion and ½ a beaten egg, and mix well. Form into 4 burgers with your clean hands. Cook on a hot, non-stick grill/pan to brown each side. Then transfer to a hot oven and cook for approx 30 minutes, until well cooked through. Serve with a brown/granary bread bap, tomato relish, and lots of salad vegetables. (Variation: try lamb mince and add a teaspoon of mint sauce or use pesto instead of the onion & garlic)
Spaghetti Bolognese*
Fry lean beef mince/turkey mince/quorn mince, add 1 finely chopped onion, 1 chopped clove of garlic, 1 teaspoon of tomato puree, 1 pinch of salt and pepper, and fry for 2 minutes. Add 1 can of chopped tomatoes, simmer for 20-30mins until cooked. Serve with pasta (any shape) cooked according to the packet and a large salad (see suggestions above)
Chilli with rice*
Fry 450g/1lb pack of lean minced beef/ lamb/quorn mince/turkey mince in ½ teaspoon vegetable oil to brown; add 1 chopped onion and 1-2 chopped garlic clove and fry for 2 minutes more. Add ½ teaspoon of chilli powder, ½ oxo beef cube & stir well. Add 1 tin of tomatoes and a tin of red kidney beans. Simmer until cooked for 20-30mins. Serve with basmati rice cooked according to packet instructions, sweetcorn and lots of salad. (You can also make a chilli casserole with a variety of beans and pulses e.g. red kidney beans, chickpeas, butterbeans, lentils, etc. without meat.)
Fish
Baked salmon with vegetables and baby potatoes
Place salmon on aluminium foil on a baking tray/dish and season with salt and pepper, and a little lemon juice. Bake for approx 20mins until cooked. Serve with boiled baby potatoes and lots of vegetables e.g. carrots, broccoli, peas, greenbeans or mangetout. (For variety, try a teaspoon of
green or red pesto instead of lemon juice)
Baked Mediterranean cod
Place cod in a baking dish/tray. In a separate bowl combine chopped tomatoes, chopped onions & garlic, black olives, salt and pepper, 1 teaspoon olive oil. Place this mixture over the fish and bake for 20-30 minutes. Serve with baby potatoes and lots of salad e.g. lettuce, tomato, cucumber, beetroot, grated carrot, peppers, sweetcorn with an oil & vinegar dressing.