Healthy recipes

alli’s unique way of working on the enzymes in your digestive system does mean that you need to make certain changes to your eating habits. However, eating reduced calorie, healthy recipes that are lower-fat, doesn’t mean lower-taste.

See it as an opportunity to explore healthy recipes with fresh flavours that you may not have eaten before. There are lots of fresh or dried herbs you can experiment with to pep things up. Lemon or lime juice can compliment many fish and chicken dishes too.

"The food is really good. I could actually invite people around for dinner with this and they wouldn't know they were eating diet food." Paula.

Sample menus

The following meal ideas are just a tiny selection of what you can eat when you follow the alli programme. Yes, you’re not dreaming – you can eat bacon for breakfast! Keep looking and you’ll see there’s even pasta or pizza for dinner.

Italian fritatta

414 calories | 15g fat

This large family omelette makes 4 delicious portions.

Ingredients

  • 400g New potatoes, scrubbed
  • 11g 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 200g Onion, chopped
  • 160g 1 red pepper, diced
  • 200g 1 large courgette, diced
  • 6 medium eggs
  • 100ml Skimmed milk
  • 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
  • 150g Bag Italian style salad leaves
  • 60ml 4 tbsp fat free herb dressing
  • 200g 4 wholemeal rolls
  • 80g Extra light soft cheese

Nutritional information

(typical values per serving);

Calories - 414

Fat - 15g

Preparation Time - 20 minutes

Cook Time - 20 minutes

Serves - 4

Storage info - This will keep in the fridge for 2 days but is not suitable for freezing

Method

  1. 1. Boil the potatoes for 15-20 minutes until tender then thickly slice.
  2. 2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the vegetables for 7-8 minutes until golden, stir in the sliced potatoes.
  3. 3. Beat the eggs with the milk and herbs and season to taste. Pour into the pan and cook gently for 5 minutes, using a spatula to loosen the edges.
  4. 4. Place under a preheated grill for 5 minutes to cook the top, making sure it is cooked throughout.
  5. 5. Meanwhile toss the salad leaves in the dressing in a large bowl.
  6. 6. Halve the rolls and spread with the extra light soft cheese.
  7. 7. Cut the omelette into wedges and serve with the rolls and salad.

Smoked Haddock Fish Cakes

450 calories | 13g fat

Fresh smoked Haddock with fluffy mashed potatoes and peas added as a surprise.

Ingredients

  • 450 g Potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 225 g Skinless smoked Haddock
  • 50 Semi skimmed milk
  • 25 g Low fat (<40% fat) spread
  • 175 g Frozen petit pois, cooked
  • 100 g White breadcrumbs
  • 11 g 1 tbsp rapeseed oil

Nutritional information

(typical values per serving);

Calories - 450

Fat - 13g

Preparation Time - 20 minutes

Cook Time - 30 minutes

Serves - 3

Storage info - These can be made in advance and chilled for 48 hours, or frozen for 1 month

Method

  1. 1. Preheat the Oven to 200c/Gas mark6/fanoven 180c.
  2. 2. Just cover the potatoes with water, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 – 12 minutes until cooked.
  3. 3. Place the eggs in saucepan and cover with cold water.Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
  4. 4. Meanwhile put the low fat spread, milk and fish in a pan, season, cover and poach gently for 4 – 5 minutes.
  5. 5. Cool the eggs and shell. Drain the potatoes and mash them together with the eggs.
  6. 6. Strain the fish and reserve the cooking liquid. Add to the potatoes and eggs. Stir in the fish flaked, and the petit pois.
  7. 7. Shape into six cakes.
  8. 8. Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish and roll the fish cakes to coat evenly.
  9. 9. Pour the oil into a baking tin. Heat for 5 minutes in the oven. Add the fishcakes, turn in the hot oil and cook for 23 – 35 minutes, turning halfway through.
  10. 10. Serve hot.

Market Garden Risotto

340 calories | 13g fat

Arborio rice cooked with leek, green beans, courgette, peas, asparagus and fresh summer herbs; garnished with Parmesan cheese. Delicious served hot, or eaten cold as a rice salad.

Ingredients

  • 600 Hot vegetable stock made with 1 cube
  • 6 saffron strands (optional)
  • 15 Olive oil
  • 125 g 1 medium leek, trimmed and finely sliced
  • 1 stick celery, chopped
  • 100 g Risotto rice i.e. Arborio
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 50 g Fine green beans, trimmed and cut in half lengthways
  • 150g Bag Italian style salad leaves
  • 50 g Fresh peas
  • 1 medium courgette, diced
  • 90 g Asparagus spears, chopped into 2cm lengths
  • 60 4 tbsps freshly chopped herbs i.e. parsley, chives, tarragon
  • 25 g Parmesan cheese shavings
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Nutritional information

(typical values per serving);

Calories - 414

Fat - 15g

Preparation Time - 20 minutes

Cook Time - 45 minutes

Serves - 2

Storage info - Cool, cover and refrigerate for 2 days. The rice may go a little clumpy so use a fork to loosen. If eating cold, dress with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Method

  1. 1. Infuse the saffron strands in the hot stock for a few minutes whist preparing the vegetables.
  2. 2. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and sauté the leek and celery for 5 minutes until softened but not coloured, then add the garlic and the rice and continue to cook for 1 minute until the grains become transparent and glossy.
  3. 3. Now add half the stock, a ladleful at a time to the rice, stirring with each addition until the stock is absorbed.
  4. 4. Add the vegetable to the rice and continue to stir in ladlefuls of the remaining hot stock. Once all the stock has been absorbed the rice and vegetables will be tender.
  5. 5. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the freshly chopped herbs and season with plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
  6. 6. Divide between two warm bowls and sprinkle on shavings of Parmesan. Serve ‘pronto!’.

Open chicken and mango sandwich

295 calories | 6g fat

Use either smoked chicken or skinless cooked chicken to make this delicious fruity open sandwich. Juicy ripe mango and torn coriander top the open sandwich.

Ingredients

  • 40 g Slice white crusty bread
  • 10 g 2 level tsp reduced fat mayonnaise
  • 20 g 1 level tbsp Quark low fat cheese
  • 60 g Leftover cooked skinless chicken breast or smoked chicken, sliced
  • 100 g ¼ ripe mango, peeled and sliced
  • 4 sprigs fresh coriander or parsley, chopped
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Nutritional information

(typical values per serving);

Calories - 295

Fat - 6g

Preparation Time - 5 minutes

Cook Time - 0 minutes

Serves - 1

Storage info - This will keep in the fridge for 2 days but is not suitable for freezing

Method

  1. 1. Lightly toast the bread.
  2. 2. Mix together the Quark and mayonnaise and spread over the slice of bread.
  3. 3. Lay the chicken and mango slices on top.
  4. 4. Season well with the pepper and sprinkle with the fresh coriander.
  5. 5. For each serving accompany with some salad leaves of your choice, e.g. lambs lettuce or Romaine lettuce.
          

Use the recipe tool on the alli programme to find lots more recipes the whole family will enjoy.

Q: Skipping the occasional meal is a good way to lose weight. True or False?

Submit

Correct!

False. Skipping a meal could mean that you ‘pick’ on less healthy choices to stave off hunger. Or, you could be so hungry later that you end up settling for anything instead of taking the time to choose something with the appropriate fat and calorie levels.

Wrong!

Wrong. The correct answer is False. Skipping a meal could mean that you ‘pick’ on less healthy choices to stave off hunger. Or, you could be so hungry later that you end up settling for anything instead of taking the time to choose something with the appropriate fat and calorie levels.