Our Top 3 Healthy Vegan Meals

There’s a common misconception that ALL vegan food is healthy – but this isn’t true. Vegan food is increasingly popular and on-trend, but you need to choose wisely to stay on-plan and in line with your calorie counting.

It is still easy to make vegan food healthy and tasty though, so we’re going to be sharing with you our top 3 vegan recipes that are perfect if you’re on a diet!

Sweet Potato, Chickpea and Spinach Curry

Packed full of things that count towards your 5 a day, as well as being a great source of protein thanks to the chickpeas, this vegan curry is seriously flavourful and filling!

As well as being a Jamie Oliver recipe, there are lots of other food blogs and cookbooks with similar recipes for this as it really is a vegan favourite.

Ingredients

• Olive Oil (or low-calorie cooking spray)
• 2 Red Onions
• 3 Table Spoons of Rogan Josh Paste
• 1 Fresh Red Chilli
• 3cm Piece of Ginger
• 1 Bunch of Fresh Coriander
• 3 Sweet Potatoes
• 400g of Tinned Chickpeas
• 400g of Tinned Chopped Tomatoes
• 400ml Tin of Light Coconut Milk
• 400g of Pre-Washed Spinach

Method

1. Heat your oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat.
2. Add your chopped onions with the curry paste and cook until the onions are soft.
3. Add your chopped chilli and grated ginger before adding the chopped stalks of the coriander and cubed sweet potatoes.
4. Add your drained chickpeas and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add your tinned tomatoes and add 200ml of water before bringing to the boil.
6. Reduce your heat and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes with the lid on the pan.
7. Uncover and cook for a further 15 – 20 minutes while stirring regularly, ensuring the sweet potato is soft and the sauce is thick.
8. Stir your coconut milk in once the curry has reached this point and cook for two minutes before adding the spinach and cooking until wilted.
9. You can then serve your curry with boiled rice and finish with coriander leaves on top.

Coconut and Banana Pancakes

Vegan pancakes have become a bit of a breakfast trend but these coconut and banana pancakes by BBC Good Food are only 179 calories per serving, so they’re a good start to the day that is filling and one of your 5 a day!

Ingredients

• 150g of Plain Flour
• 2 Teaspoons of Baking Powder
• 3 Tablespoons of Golden Caster Sugar
• 400ml Can of Coconut Milk
• Vegetable Oil or Low Calories Cooking Spray for Frying
• 1 – 2 Bananas, Thinly Sliced
• 2 Passion Fruits, Scooped Out the Flesh

Method

1. Sift your flour and baking powder into a bowl before adding 2 tablespoons of your sugar and a pinch of salt.
2. Add your coconut milk to a jug and whisk until smooth before pouring 300ml slowly into your dry ingredients, stirring to ensure the batter is smooth.
3. Heat a shallow frying pan with a little cooking spray.
4. Use two tablespoons of batter to make one pancake, frying two at a time.
5. While the first side is cooking, push 4-5 pieces of banana into the upside of the pancake that is still a little raw before flipping and cooking the other side.
6. Once your pancakes are cooked, add the other 100ml of coconut milk and the rest of your sugar into a small pan with a pinch of salt and simmer until the mix thickens.
7. Plate your pancakes up, drizzle your sauce on top and sprinkle with the passion fruit seeds.

Vegan Corn Burgers

Another easy and healthy Jamie Oliver recipe is these easy vegan corn burgers that are just 417 calories each – including the wholemeal bun!

Ingredients

• 400g of Tinned Chickpeas
• 340g of Tinned Sweetcorn
• ½ a Bunch of Fresh Coriander
• ½ Teaspoon of Paprika
• ½ Teaspoon of Ground Coriander
• ½ Teaspoon of Ground Cumin
• 1 Lemon
• 3 Heaped Teaspoons of Plain Flour
• Rapeseed Oil
• 1 Small Round Lettuce
• 2 Large Ripe Tomatoes
• Tomato Ketchup
• 4 Wholemeal Burger Buns (vegan burger buns available in the free from aisle)

Method

1. Drain your chickpeas and sweetcorn and put in a food processor. Add half of your coriander leaves and all of your coriander stalks to the food processor too.
2. Add your spices, flour and a pinch of salt. Add the lemon zest before pulsing the mixture but not making it completely smooth.
3. Add a little flour to your surface before dividing and shaping your mixture into 4 burgers.
4. Place in the fridge for around 30 minutes to firm up.
5. Add some oil or cooking spray to a frying pan and cook your burgers for 10 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
6. When it comes to building your burger, add a lettuce leaf and slice of tomato to your sliced burger. bun, add some ketchup and one of your burger patties before adding some chopped coriander leaves and add the top of the bun.

These recipes are a perfect example of how tasty and healthy vegan food can also be super quick and easy to make, making the diet accessible to everyone!

Swapping a meat-containing meal for a vegetarian or vegan meal once a week can make a huge difference to not only your health but the environment too, so it is definitely worth considering.