healthy family meals

This comforting beef casserole is a perfect winter warmer and, although it seems rich, it is actually suitable for a low-calorie diet of 1200–1500 calories a day. 

Each serving provides 429 kcal, 43g protein, 18g carbohydrates (of which 11g sugars), 16g fat (of which 5g saturates), 6g fibre and 1g salt. 

Beef casserole

tbsp olive or sunflower oil

onions, thinly sliced

tbsp plain flour

herbs

150 milliliters/5fl oz red wine

450 milliliters/16fl oz beef stock,

tomato purée

bay leaf

carrots (about 300 grams/10½oz),

300 grams/10½oz closed cup mushrooms, sliced

sea salt and black pepper

parsley,

butter

tbsp semi-skimmed milk

grams/3½oz kale, trimmed, hard stalks removed, roughly chopped

This cottage pie from Eat Well for Less is the ultimate comfort food. Baked beans are a low cost way to make the sauce extra rich, and come with a bonus portion of protein and fibre.

Each serving provides 570 kcal, 28g protein, 64.5g carbohydrates (of which 19g sugars), 20g fat (of which 9g saturates), 10g fibre and 2.5g salt.

The best cottage pie 

tsp rapeseed oil

beef mince

onions, roughly chopped

garlic cloves, finely chopped

1½ tsp dried thyme

400 milliliters/14fl oz beef stock,

Worcestershire sauce

100 milliliters/3½fl oz semi-skimmed milk

beans

tsp sea salt

black pepper

This slow-cooker vegetarian stew with fluffy dumplings is a cheap and easy recipe. To make it vegan, use vegetable suet in the dumplings instead of butter and omit the pesto. This dish is perfect for batch cooking, just divide it up into indiviudal portions and you will always have warming stew at your fingertips, check the tips section for freezing instructions. 

Equipment and preparation: For this recipe you will need a 6.5 litre/11½ pint slow cooker. 

This meal provides 629 kcal, 13g protein, 79g carbohydrate (of which 24g sugars), 29g fat (of which 11g saturates), 16g fibre and 1.8g salt per portion.

Slow cooker vegetarian hotpot 

sunflower oil

butternut squash

carrots,

parsnips,

tin chopped tomatoes

½ tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)

pesto (optional)

350 milliliters/12fl oz hot vegetable stock (made with 1 stock cube)

grams/3½oz spinach leaves (optional)

salt and black pepper

flour

75 grams/2¾oz frozen butter (or 75 grams/2¾oz shredded vegetarian suet)

125 milliliters/4fl oz cold water

Probably the fastest steak pie you’ll ever make! Cooking the pastry topping separately to the filling saves time and helps keep the beef tender and delicious. 


Healthy steak pie

320 grams/11½oz sheet ready-rolled puff pastry (you will only use half)

tsp milk

250 grams/9 ounces thin frying steaks, cut into roughly 2cm/¾in pieces

onion, finely chopped

tsp plain flour

garlic powder (or 1 garlic clove, crushed)

350 milliliters/12fl oz beef stock (made

Treat your family or friends to a classic Chinese beef chow mein. Once you’ve marinated the steak and prepped the veg this sensational stir-fry is really quick to cook.

Each serving provides 545 kcal, 37g protein, 60g carbohydrates (of which 16g sugars), 15.5g fat (of which 3g saturates), 8.5g fibre and 2.5g salt.

Beef chow mein

450 grams/1lb rump steak,

tbsp cornflour

tbsp dark soy sauce

tbsp oyster sauce

beef stock

brown sugar

tsp sesame oil

tsp black pepper,

vegetable oil

garlic cloves, crushed

ginger,

mangetout

egg noodles

beansprouts

tbsp sesame oil

spring onions, peeled and chopped

Healthy chicken breasts and butter beans get a flavour boost from a little bit of cooking chorizo and red wine. Green beans are excellent when in season, but you can also use broccoli, green cabbage or kale on the side.

With a GI of 58 this meal is <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/collections/high-protein_low-gi_recipes">high protein, low GI</a>.

Each serving (without rice) provides 352 kcal, 13g protein, 18.5g carbohydrates (of which 10.5g sugars), 13g fat (of which 4g saturates), 9g fibre and 1.7g salt. 

Easy Spanish chicken 

tbsp extra virgin olive oil

chicken breasts (each about 150 grams/5½oz), sliced

onion, thinly sliced

yellow pepper, seeds removed,

courgette, trimmed, halved lengthways and cut into 1cm/½in slices

grams/3½oz cooking chorizo, sliced

100 milliliters/3½fl oz red wine

tin butter beans, drained and rinsed

oregano

½ tsp dried chilli flakes

chicken stock cube

160 grams/5¾oz long-grain rice

green beans, trimmed (optional)

flatleaf

Dhansak is a traditional Parsi curry of lentils, vegetables and meat. This vegetarian version removes the meat, but is still bursting with flavour.

Vegetable dhansak

cauliflower,

sweet potatoes,

onion,

garlic cloves, grated

grams/¾oz fresh root ginger,

tsp turmeric

tbsp garam masala

600 milliliters/21fl oz reduced salt vegetable stock

grams/5½oz green beans or peas

300 grams/10½oz cooked basmati rice

natural yoghurt

flatbreads

coriander,

No yeast required for this easy, healthy pizza, topped with colourful vegetables that's ready in 30 minutes.This is a great recipe if you want to feed the kids in a hurry! 

Each serving provides 353 kcal, 15g protein, 54g carbohydrates (of which 12g sugars), 7g fat (of which 4g saturates), 5g fibre and 1.4g salt.

Healthy pizza

grams/4½oz

fine sea salt

grams/4½oz full-fat plain yoghurt

yellow or orange pepper, seeds removed and thinly sliced

courgette,

red onion,

tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

mozzarella

basil leaves, to serve (optional)

tbsp passata sauce (approximately 100 grams/3½oz)

This salmon noodle recipe is a great light meal that takes no time to cook. Hoisin is a sweet sauce made from soy bean paste and Chinese five spice, so it's really fragrant. 

Each serving provides 439 kcal, 32g protein, 32g carbohydrates (of which 7g sugars), 19g fat (of which 3.5g saturates), 4.5g fibre and 1.2g salt. 

Hoisin salmon noodles 

salmon fillets,

hoisin sauce

150 grams/5½oz cherry tomatoes, halved

broccoli,

soy sauce, to serve (optional)

Try these cozy vegan winter recipes for the whole family when you’re craving some homemade comfort food! Great for batch cooking and so warming on a cold night. Our winter veggie sheet pan dinner below is super customizable, nutritious and feeds a whole family.

41 Cozy Vegan Winter Recipes for Dinner

potatoes, cubed (450 g)

Brussels sprouts (225 g)

onions, quartered

garlic, roughly chopped

15-ounces (420 g) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

balsamic vinegar

maple syrup

salt

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

cumin

cinnamon

Garlic tahini sauce, to serve

Preheat the oven to 375° C (190° C)...

Preheat the oven to 375° C (190° C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Wash, rinse and chop all ingredients accordingly and...

Wash, rinse and chop all ingredients accordingly and put them on your baking sheets.

In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, smoked...

In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin and cinnamon. Stir to combine, then add balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and a splash of water.

Create a homogenous marinade, then pour it over...

Create a homogenous marinade, then pour it over your veggies.

Toss to combine and arrange the seasoned winter...

Toss to combine and arrange the seasoned winter veggies and chickpeas in a single layer.

Place your baking sheets into the oven and...

Place your baking sheets into the oven and bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown. Check after 20 minutes to see whether you need to toss the veggies.

Enjoy warm with some garlic tahini sauce or...

Enjoy warm with some garlic tahini sauce or your favorite vegan dip!

Make our easy veggie chilli into something fun and impressive by serving up in crisp tortilla bowls. 

This recipe makes double portions of the stew so you can make the next dinner really quickly.

Each serving provides 906 kcal, 45.5 protein, 108g carbohydrates (of which 25.5g sugars), 27.5g fat (of which 8.5g saturates), 22.5g fibre and 2.3g salt.

Veggie chilli tortilla baskets

325 grams/11½oz split red lentils

red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

tbsp cumin

tbsp coriander

tsp smoked paprika

tsp black pepper

tomato passata

vegetable stock cubes

courgettes,

tin black beans

wholemeal flour tortillas

sunflower oil spray

lime, juice only

60 grams/2¼oz cheddar cheese, grated

cos lettuce

tomatoes, roughly chopped

This quick and light chicken stew is an easy and comforting midweek meal. It's packed with vegetables and fairly low in calories, so it's healthy too. 

Each serving provides 415 kcal, 48g protein, 26.5g carbohydrates (of which 7.5g sugars), 11g fat (of which 2g saturates), 8g fibre and 0.5g salt. 

With a GI of 49 this meal is <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/diets/high_protein_low_GI_diet">high protein, low GI</a>.

Top 12 healthy family meals recipes from across the web

The most viewed healthy family meals recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Beef casserole

The best cottage pie

Slow cooker vegetarian hotpot

Healthy steak pie

Beef chow mein

Easy Spanish chicken

Vegetable dhansak

Healthy pizza

Hoisin salmon noodles

41 Cozy Vegan Winter Recipes for Di...

Veggie chilli tortilla baskets

Quick chicken stew

Top 12 healthy family meals recipes from across the web

The most viewed healthy family meals recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Beef casserole

The best cottage pie

Slow cooker vegetarian hotpot

Healthy steak pie

Beef chow mein

Easy Spanish chicken

Vegetable dhansak

Healthy pizza

Hoisin salmon noodles

41 Cozy Vegan Winter Recipes for Di...

Veggie chilli tortilla baskets

Quick chicken stew

The most viewed healthy family meals recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine