A week of low-cal meals All under 500 calories

A week of low-cal meals

Balsamic steak with white bean mash

EASY 1 OF 5 A DAY GLUTEN FREE

SERVES 2 PREP 10 mins COOK 15 mins

2 x 150g beef fllet steaks sunfower oil, for spraying or brushing 100g baby button mushrooms, halved or quartered if large 125g cherry tomatoes, halved 2 tbsp thick balsamic vinegar green salad, to serve (optional) FOR THE BEAN MASH 2 x 400g cans butter beans or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 1/2 garlic clove, crushed 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Trim any hard fat from the beef. Season the steaks with 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. 2 Spray or brush a large non-stick frying pan with oil and place over a medium-high heat. Add the steaks and fry for 3-4 mins each side (5-6 mins each side if you prefer it well done, depending on the thickness). 3 When you’ve turned the steaks, add the mushrooms and tomatoes to the pan, and cook until the mushrooms are lightly browned and the tomatoes are softened, stirring occasionally. 4 Meanwhile, make the bean mash. Put the beans in a food processor with the garlic, 6 tbsp cold water, 1/2 tsp faked sea salt and a few twists of ground black pepper. Blitz until smooth, pushing the mixture down with a spatula if necessary. Put the mash in a small saucepan and heat gently, stirring until hot. Drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil before serving. 5 Remove the frying pan from the heat and transfer the steaks to 2 warmed plates. Pour the vinegar and 2 tbsp cold water into the hot pan, off the heat, and bubble for a few secs, stirring to lift any juicy bits from the bottom. Pour over the steaks and serve with the mash and a green salad, if you like.

PER SERVING energy 227 kcals • fat 9g • saturates 4g • carbs 5g • sugars 4g • fibre 2g • protein 32g • salt 1.5g

Tuna & sweetcorn cheat’s jackets

EASY LOW FAT LOW CAL

GOOD

4 YOU potatoes only SERVES 4 PREP 5 mins COOK 30 mins

500g small new potatoes sunfower oil, for spraying 120g can tuna steak in water or brine, drained 3 tbsp light mayonnaise 198g can sweetcorn, drained 4 spring onions, thinly sliced

1 Fill a large pan one-third full of water and bring to the boil. Add the potatoes and return to the boil. Cook for 15 mins or until just tender. 2 Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Drain the potatoes in a colander. Spray a baking tray with oil and tip the potatoes onto the baking tray, then crush roughly with a spatula to break the skins. Spray with oil and season with sea salt and lots of ground black pepper. Bake for 15 mins or until the edges are crisp and golden. 3 While the potatoes cook, mix the tuna and mayonnaise, then lightly stir in the sweetcorn and spring onions. 4 Take the potatoes out of the oven and spoon the tuna mixture on top to serve.

PER SERVING energy 206 kcals • fat 6g • saturates 1g • carbs 30g • sugars 5g • fibre 3g • protein 8g • salt 0.7g

Beer-battered fsh

EASY LOW FAT GOOD 4 YOU

SERVES 4 PREP 20 mins COOK 25 mins

11/2–2 litres sunfower oil 2 tbsp plain four 4 x 200g skinless white fsh fllets, such as haddock, cod or hake oven chips and tartare sauce, to serve (optional) FOR THE BATTER 40g cornfour 100g plain four 1 tsp paprika (not smoked) 100ml real ale, chilled 50ml fzzy water, chilled 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 To make the batter, mix the cornfour, four, paprika and 1/2 tsp fne sea salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and stir in the ale, fzzy water and vinegar. Beat with a large metal whisk to make a smooth batter with the consistency of double cream. 2 Fill a large, deep saucepan one-third full with oil and heat to 190C. Use a cooking thermometer to check the temperature regularly. Do not allow the oil to overheat, or leave hot oil unattended. Alternatively, use an electric deep-fat fryer heated to 190C. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. 3 Put the four in a wide dish and season with salt. Add the fsh fllets and turn to coat them in the seasoned four. 4 When the oil has reached 190C, stir the batter well. Take a foured fsh fllet and dip it in the batter to coat it. Lift it out with 2 forks and gently shake off the excess batter. Lower the fsh gently into the hot oil. Watch out for splashes as it will be extremely hot. Cook for 11/2 mins, then lift out with tongs and place on a rack over a baking tray. 5 Pre-fry the other fllets in the same way. Bake the fsh together in the oven for 15 mins or until crisp. Serve with a small portion of oven chips and some tartare sauce, if you like (but remember that this will add extra calories).

PER SERVING energy 376 kcals • fat 7g • saturates 1g • carbs 36g • sugars 1g • fibre 1g • protein 40g • salt 1.0g