We are not going to try to convince you to switch your family to new recipes they might not like. We are here to help you take the food your family already loves – your food – and slowly, in small, simple and friction-free steps, make it a little healthier.
Can I just make my family’s favourite meals a little better?
Yes, absolutely! You may enjoy finding a whole new recipe to try, but for most of us, we are already making food we love as a family, and would just like to make it a bit healthier! Our step-by-step approach shows you how to improve your recipes without the worries of waste or friction with the family.
We have selected many of the UK’s family favourite meals to walk you through simple, small changes, but the basic steps can be followed for most meals. We have taken basic ‘recipes’, kept as simple as possible, and made the steps as accessible as can be, and not only kept costs down, but in many instances actually lower!
When you follow our step-by-step process, you are making friction-free progress, even if it isn’t obvious in the moment. You will find yourself getting small victories with no battles.
Veg Power’s Claire Wright shows you how to improve the meals your family already love, one step at a time.
We have applied these steps, with concrete examples, to each of the meals in the Family Favourites section of our website, but you can follow them with any of your favourite dishes. Why not give one a go with a dinner this week?
1
Start simple
If you are just starting out, try the simplest version of a favourite dinner (for example: a jar of sauce, some meat or veggie alternative and some pasta).
2
Better Sauce
When you feel ready to take the next step, simply try a slightly better sauce, checking labels for more recognisable ingredients, less sugar/salt/fat, or even saving yourself some money by swapping to something like chopped tomatoes or coconut milk with curry powder!
3
Add Veg
Feeling more confident with that? Maybe it’s time to try a little bit of veg, but keeping it small, simple, ideally already eaten and probably frozen to help both the budget and food waste.
4
Making Meals Go Further
Veg version going down ok? Let’s help you both save money and improve the recipe by slowly adding a little less meat or processed veggie alternative and a little more veg, beans or pulses to replace the bulk and fibre to fill up hungry bellies.
5
Batch Cook
An optional, but potentially money-and-time-saving extra step is to batch cook the meal when you are confident making it and that everyone will eat it. This could be as simple as just doubling it one week, and either popping in the fridge for later in the week or freezing for the following one! Suddenly you have a “ready meal” waiting for you that only needs heating up. Read a little more about the basics of batch cooking below…
Repeat as needed
The steps can then be repeated if you would like them to be. Perhaps you are now ready for trying your hand at a very simple homemade sauce, or adding a second veg, or reducing the meat and upping the pulses to aim for more of a 50:50 ratio. You don’t have to, but it’s a system designed for repeating over time until you feel happy with what you are serving each week.
And remember, the MOST important thing is that the family enjoys the meal! This gentle process of improvement can take as long as is needed if your family isn’t ready for big changes all in one go. Small simple improvements over time may not even be noticed.
Get ready for small victories, with no battles!
SIMPLY VEG
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