Eating healthy foods doesn’t have to be boring or restrictive, and healthy doesn’t always mean fruits and vegetables. We need a varied diet to support our bodies needs, and there are lots of recipes that allow you to have the treats you want while getting the nutrition you need. I’m going to share three recipes that I’ve created or adapted, that are easy to do while at uni.
Vegetable Burgers
This first recipe is vegetable burgers, made with beef, turkey, or vegan mince. The pictures shared for this recipe will be made with beef mince, however all you have to do to is substitute the mince, no extra steps needed!
- Step one: Start by preparing your ingredients. Peel and grate 2 carrots and approximately ¾’s of a courgette. You don’t have to use all the grated vegetables and can customise this to taste! After grating, turn your attention to peeling and dicing your red onion.
- Step two: Pop all of your mince into a mixing bowl, and then put all of your vegetables on top of it. Pour your beaten egg over this and mix thoroughly with your hands (or a wooden spoon!).
- Step three: After this, start making equal sized balls by rolling the mince in your hands, then flattening them out by popping the ball on some greaseproof paper and pressing on top with a spatula.
- Step four: Put a frying pan on medium heat and allow the sunflower oil or spread heat up in the pan. Place the individual burgers into the pan and flip to be allowed to brown on both sides.
And there you have it! Easy and quick healthy burgers, and any left over mince can be frozen to use at a later date.
Dark Chocolate and Orange Cake
This second recipe is one of my favourites and is an adapted version of the ‘Sugar Free Lemon Drizzle Cake’ from the BBC Good Food website. I started making this recipe around 5 years ago for my Grandma who was diabetic, and it became a favourite in my house!
- Step one: Start by preheating your oven to 160 fan or 180 conventional! Sift your dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. I always do the flour first, followed by the xylitol and baking powder, then I sprinkle the orange zest on top. Give this a quick stir to mix all your ingredients together.
- Step two: In a large jug, measure out the 125ml of sunflower oil, and then pop in your Greek yogurt, milk and beaten eggs. Give this a good mix making sure all the ingredients are conjoined.
- Step three: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until all the lumps are gone. Once this is completed, chop up your bar of chocolate into small squares and mix this into your batter.
- Step four: Grease up a 1.2 litre loaf tin with sunflower spread, and pour your batter in. Make sure it’s levelled before popping into the oven. Leave in the oven for 50 minutes initially, then check on it. If it’s browning too quickly, put a small sheet of tinfoil over the top, then put the cake back in for 10-20 minutes until cooked all the way through. Use a skewer or knife to check that it’s cooked by putting it in and holding it for a few seconds, if it comes out clean, the cake is cooked!
Strawberry and Banana Smoothie
This recipe is extremely easy, quick, and can be made 100% vegan! I like to use this recipe as a quick way of getting in a couple of my five a day, as well as a great boost of energy on gym days.
- Step one: Chop up your strawberries and banana and pop them into a blender, sprinkle in your sweetener on top.
- Step two: Add in your milk, I like to make sure all my fruits are covered in milk, but you can measure it to taste.
- Step three: Blend and serve, it’s that simple!
Hopefully now you’ve got some great ideas for healthy recipes to keep you going at University. Although, don’t forget that all recipes can be adapted and changed. If you’re not keen on some of the ingredients, don’t be afraid to substitute them for something else.
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