Whether you’re cooking for the weekends or you’re taking food to the office, all you need are some simple tasty meals that will keep you full and give you the right nutrients for mental and physical performance.
Let’s explore a few options!
(Brown) Rice / whole wheat pasta / quinoa
Cereals are versatile for both lunch and dinner, are healthy and keep you full during the day. Usually they take about 30 minutes to cook and you can keep them in the fridge for 2-3 days. The basic recipe is to use steam or roasted vegetables as topping for pasta, rice and salads. For example, you can boil rice or risotto and add on top spices, broccoli, mushrooms and/or salmon. Or whole wheat pasta with pesto, fresh tomato juice, condiments, olive oil, garlic and lemon.
Make a pot of grains – with quinoa or brown rice to add to meals or salads throughout the week.
Pasta with mushrooms and parmesan
Boil the pasta with water and salt according to the package instructions, then drain it. Meanwhile, cook the mushrooms, garlic, salt, pepper in olive oil on a medium-high heat. Cook them for 10 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and parmesan cheese in the pasta, mix and serve immediately. For a more complex flavor, use a variety of mushrooms.
Spring vegetables with quinoa
– recipe by Gwyneth Paltrow presented in her book “The Clean Plate”
Ingredients:
- 130 g quinoa or brown rice;
- 3 asparagus;
- 60 g peeled carrots;
- ½ peeled red raddish;
- 90 g chicken;
- 90 g bok choy cabbage;
- 30 g coriander leaves.
Mix together all the ingredients and add salt and pepper according to your preferences.
Garlic mushroom pasta
– from Jamie Oliver’s cookbook (Serves 2, Total cooking time: 16 minutes)
Ingredients:
- 150 g dried trofie or fusilli;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- 250 g mixed mushrooms;
- 25 g parmesan cheese;
- 2 tablespoons half-fat crème fraîche.
Preparation:
Cook the pasta in a pan, according to the packet instructions, then drain them. Meanwhile, peel and finely slice the garlic. Put it in a large non-sticky pan on a medium-high heat with ½ tablespoon of olive oil, then add the mushrooms. Add salt and pepper and cook for 8 minutes.
Dry the pasta, then finely grate in most of the parmesan, stir in the crème fraîche, then add more parmesan on top.
Salads
Are fast and easy to prepare, with lower calories, ideal for both lunch and dinner.
Example of a healthy and delicious salad:
- 2 mugs of nuts;
- 6 mugs of green leaves mix (for example baby spinach, rocket salad);
- Seeds from one pomegranate;
- ½ mug of cranberries;
- 120 g goat cheese;
- 1 spoon olive oil;
- Salt and pepper;
- Balsamic vinegar with pomegranate.
Preparation:
Put the green leaves in a bowl, add the pomegranate seeds, the goat cheese, cranberries and nuts. Add salt, pepper and olive oil. Enjoy this simple and delicious salad recipe!
The good thing about salads is that, similar to pasta, you can improvise with the ingredients you have in your house. However, if you want more sophisticated tastes – like the above recipe – then try to include more sophisticated ingredients.
Guacamole with pomegranate
A delicious appetizer, without gluten, easy to prepare in just 10 minutes.
Ingredients:
- 3 avocado;
- 2 spoons lemon juice;
- 60 g chopped red onion;
- 50 g fresh coriander, freshly grounded (can be replaced with parsley);
- 1 jalapeno hot pepper, without seeds and chopped in small pieces;
- 200 g pomegranate seeds;
- salt and pepper as condiments.
Preparation:
Cut the avocado in pieces, put the slices in a bowl, add the lemon juice, the red onion, coriander or parsley and the hot pepper. Add salt and pepper, according to your taste.
Make a blend, add more salt and pepper, if you feel the need to. Then add the pomegranate seeds and blend them in the mix. Serve it fresh.
Carrot soup with ginger
– recipe by Gwyneth Paltrow
A recipe that you can prepare easily at home, even in the evening after coming back from work.
Ingredients:
- 2 spoons of extravirgin coconut oil;
- 1 chopped onion;
- salt;
- 2 garlic cloves;
- 2 spoons of grated ginger;
- 1 spoon of grounded caraway;
- 1/2 teaspoon grounded coriander seeds;
- 450 grams of chopped carrots;
- 2 mugs with water or chicken soup;
- black pepper freshly grounded.
Preparation:
Put the coconut oil with onion and salt in a pot, cover the pot, then leave it for about 10 minutes on a medium-high heat. Then add the garlic and ginger, cook for another 1-2 minutes, then add the condiments. Finally, add the carrots, put water or chicken soup. Cover the pot and cook on a medium-high heat for 20 minutes. Blend the composition, then add salt and black pepper according to your preferences.
Carrot soup with coconut milk
Ingredients:
- 400 g carrots;
- 1 onion;
- 200 ml coconut milk;
- 1 curry spoon;
- ½ freshly grounded ginger;
- Cayenne pepper;
- 1 liter water;
- 3 spoons olive oil;
- salt;
- freshly grounded coriander.
Preparation:
Peel and cut the onion and carrots. Heat the olive oil and cook the onion on a medium-high heat, then add the carrots and cook for another 5 minutes. Add water, cover the pot and boil it for 15 minutes, then add the condiments.
Mushroom cream soup
Ingredients:
- 1 onion, sliced;
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced;
- 2 sticks celery, sliced;
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed;
- 250 g mushrooms;
- 1 tsp fresh thyme;
- 500 ml water;
- 170 g evaporated milk.
Preparation:
- Heat the oil, add the onions, carrots and celery and cook in a pan.
- Add the mushrooms, garlic and thyme and cook for 5 minutes on a medium heat. Cover with 500 ml of water.
- Remove from the heat and add evaporated milk blend until smooth and return to a slow heat.
Bon appetit!
With these nutrition tips for active people, you get the maximum benefits with these simple recipes. Time saving tips for busy professionals!