Staying healthy is not a fad or a passing phase; it is a lifestyle. Unfortunately, in our current scenario, where unhealthy and junk food is far more easily available, substantially cheaper and very conveniently accessible, staying fit and healthy seems like an uphill task. Quickly choosing unhealthy foods seems tastier, cheaper and obviously easier.
There are also some beliefs that making healthy food is time-consuming and not a viable option for those with a busy schedule. Other assumptions about preparing healthy meals are that they are expensive and require many ingredients that are often not easily available in one’s kitchen. Thankfully, most of these beliefs are far from the truth.
If one remains committed to staying healthy, just some simple planning in advance can go a long way. To make things easier, here are some easy recipes that are made with just about 5 simple ingredients. These recipes are easy to prepare, get ready in minutes and taste absolutely divine. Keep such recipes handy and you will never have to grab an unhealthy meal again. Here is how you can make them.
High Protein Cutlet
Vegetarians often find it challenging to find good sources of protein that taste good. Try this recipe that takes just a few minutes to get ready and you can use this as a heavy snack or model it to prepare a full meal too.
Total Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4-5 servings
Ingredients
- 1 bowl soya chunks
- ½ bowl of crumbled paneer
- ½ bowl sprouted green moong
- 2 tsp chilli and ginger paste
- 1 tsp olive oil
- Salt- to taste
Method
- Soak the soya chunks in water for a few minutes and drain the excess water, once it is softened. Now squeeze the soya chunks to extract all the excess water, and quickly blitz to get a soya chunk paste. Transfer this into a mixing bowl.
- In a blender, add the sprouts and run it just for a couple of seconds so it is crushed but retains its grainy texture. Do not make a paste out of it. Add the blended sprouts to the soya chunks.
- Add some crumbled paneer and mix all the three ingredients well. To this mixture add 2 tsp of green chilli and ginger paste. Add salt according to taste and mix well.
- Once mixed, take scoopfuls of this mixture smoothen them into a ball and lightly flatten them to form a cutlet shape.
- Now take a non-stick pan and brush it lightly with olive oil. Once the pan is heated, add the protein cutlets to it. Roast them on medium flame on both sides until they are golden brown in colour.
- Serve with a mint coriander chutney, or use these cutlets to form healthy roti wraps along with a side salad. If you have time at hand, you can even add some grated vegetables to the cutlets.
Oats & Sooji Chilla
Mornings are often a busy affair and a healthy breakfast that is quick to prepare is simply perfect. These chillas are ready within minutes taste great and ensure you get a kick start to your day.
Have a look at how it is made.
Total Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 bowl oats
- ¾ bowl sooji
- ½ cup curd
- ½ cup of your choice of grated vegetables
- 2 tsp olives
- Salt
Method
- Take a blending jar and gently grind the oats to form a powder. Add the powdered oats to a mixing bowl. To the bowl add sooji and curd and mix it well. Add some water to adjust the consistency. Allow the contents to rest for a few minutes.
- Once the oats and sooji have soaked in the curd and become a cake-like consistency, add salt and any grated vegetables of your choice (carrots, cabbage, onions). Optionally you may even add some spice to it if you wish.
- Take a non-stick flat pan and heat it, using a ladle, and gently pour some of the chilla batter onto the pan. Spread it gently to get a medium thickness. Brush some olive oil on either side and cook on both sides until it is golden and slightly crisp on the edges.
- Serve these healthy and tasty chillas with tomato chutney, or mint coriander chutney.
Power Laddoos
We always face times when we are craving for something sweet, but obviously do not want to indulge in sweets, or times when we crave a small and healthy snack that is delicious. Or even for times when you absolutely do not have time but need to eat something on the go, these powder laddoos will come to your rescue! Packed with the nutrition of dry fruits and seeds this is apt to satiate all your sweet cravings.
Total Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 10-12 servings
Ingredients
- 1 bowl mixed nuts (cashews, almonds, walnuts etc)
- ½ bowl mixed seeds of your choice (sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds etc.)
- 4-5 pieces of Medjul Dates (deseeded)
- ½ tsp cardamom powder
- ½ tsp ghee
Method
- Take a dry non-stick kadhai, dry roast all your nuts of choice until they are lightly toasted. Take care not to roast them until they are brown, as that will affect the taste.
- Similarly, lightly dry roast your seeds until they are lightly crunchy. Allow all the nuts and seeds to cool down.
- Now take a mixing jar and lightly crush the dry nuts. Now the seeds also need to be crushed in a similar way. You can leave the texture of these nuts and seeds slightly grainy to add texture to the laddoo. In the same mixing jar, add the dates, and blend all of them together to form a sticky mass.
- Carefully remove from the mixing jar and add some cardamom powder to it. Add just ½ tsp of ghee and mix the contents well until it forms a uniform sticky mass.
- Using greased palms, take spoonfuls of the mixture and gently roll them to form smooth balls. Repeat the same for all remaining contents.
- You enjoy these healthy power ladoos anytime. Keep them refrigerated if the weather is hot and humid, else they remain fine outside for up to a week.
Avocado Deviled Eggs
This snack or pre-workout dish is also a great appetizer to serve when you have guests over and you want to be fancy and healthy at the same time! It is highly nutritious very easy to make and is a great take on the conventional deviled eggs that need mayonnaise and mustard sauce.
Try this and it will surely become your party regular.
Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 12 servings
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 1 ripe avocado
- 2 tsp juice of lemon
- 2 tablespoons very Finely Chopped coriander
- ¼ tsp Paprika
- Salt to taste
Method
- Wash and clean the eggs and boil them until you get hard-boiled eggs. Cool and peel the shell and slice the eggs vertically to get 2 pieces of each egg.
- Now gently scoop out the egg yolk from all the eggs, and set them aside. Cut a ripe avocado and scoop out its flesh. Using a fork, mash the avocado flesh to get a creamy smooth paste.
- Now take a mixing bowl and add the egg yolks, using a fork gently break the yolks and mash them up. Now add the mashed avocado to it, add some paprika and lemon juice and some coriander as well, and save some paprika and coriander for garnish. Add some salt and mix the ingredients well to form a smooth mixture.
- Add the contents into a piping bag and slowly pipe out the filling into the cavity of the egg, where earlier the yolk was present.
- Garnish the eggs with some more paprika and coriander and serve!
Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
This smoothie is perfect as a pre-workout meal, a natural protein source, a breakfast or any time you wish. It is creamy, thick decadent, indulgent and healthy too. What’s better, it takes all of 5 minutes to prepare.
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1
Ingredients
- 200 ml milk
- 2 tsp creamy peanut butter
- 1 banana
- 1 tsp honey
Method
- Take a blending jar, and add milk, peanut butter, banana and honey. Swiftly blitz it to get a thick and creamy smoothie.
- Transfer into a smoothie glass and enjoy fresh.