Keen to reduce your family's fat intake while still enjoying traditional foods? Well, thanks to Angela Nilsen and her ultimate makeovers, you can. We've put together these satisfying, healthier dinner ideas, from balti and biryani to lasagne and moussaka.

Advertisement

Some fat in the diet is essential – it aids our absorption of fat-soluble vitamins including vitamins A, D, E and K – while also supplying energy and providing the building blocks for important hormones. However, fat is calorie-dense and too much in the diet leads to excess weight and other potential health issues.

By using some clever swaps and tweaks to some of our all-time favourites we’ve made them healthy enough to become mid-week staples.

Lighter massaman curry

massaman-curry-700-350-6663f4e

Give it a makeover: Using skinless chicken breasts, light coconut milk and rapeseed oil, Angela has reduced the fat and saturated fat of typically decadent massaman curry by over half. Also, by including sweet potatoes she's done away with the need to add any sugar to sweeten the sauce.

Lighter massaman chicken curry

Healthier chicken biryani

low-fat-chicken-biryani-700-350-b5fdab3

Give it a makeover: With less than half the fat of your usual takeaway, this healthier chicken biryani is a truly feel-good feast. Angela reduced the need for added salt with a carefully balanced blend of herbs and spices and roasted the onions instead of frying so they need less oil.

Healthier chicken biryani

Lighter Cornish pasties

makeover-chicken-pasties-700-350-74e40f2

Classic: Rounding out your picnic with a classic Cornish pasty is a calorific affair. This original recipe, while delicious, comes in at over 1000 calories.

Give it a makeover: Angela's pasty recipe more than halves the fat and calories, making this version a more palatable choice for those wanting a lighter option.

Makeover Cornish pasty recipe

Healthier chicken balti

Chicken balti in a silver serving dish

Classic: Always a popular choice, classic chicken balti recipe is a flavourful favourite, but often a little on the heavy side.

Give it a makeover: Angela perfectly blends spices in her low-fat version for a healthy meal with an equally healthy kick!

Makeover chicken balti recipe

Healthier risotto primavera

risotto-primavera-700-350-a78c3f7

Classic: The Italian spring classic risotto primavera may seem good for you, but Angela's classic version contains 30g of fat.

Give it a makeover: By scrapping the butter, reducing the parmesan and adding more veg, this healthier version boasts a huge reduction in calories and fat.

Makeover risotto primavera recipe

Beef wellington

beef-wellington-700-350-97d736c

Classic: A whopping 763 calories means the classic beef wellington should be saved as a special treat.

Give it a makeover: With just a third of the fat and almost half the calories this version can be on the menu far more often.

Makeover beef wellington recipe

Salmon en croûte

salmon-en-croute-700-350-798416e

Classic: Our next level salmon en croûte is a dinner party favourite but also a decadent treat.

Give it a makeover: Filo pastry lightens things up, saving you over 600 calories and 40g fat.

Makeover salmon en croûte recipe

Coq au vin

coq-au-vin-700-350-5014a0c

Classic: Gordon Ramsay's step-by-step coq au vin recipe is a delicious option for a dinner party, but with almost 1000 calories you'll think twice about enjoying seconds.

Give it a makeover: This version of the classic French casserole maintains it's rich, deep flavour but only clocks up a modest 420 calories.

Makeover coq au vin

Lasagne

makeover-lasagne-700-350-27a6944

Classic: Lasagne is a midweek staple that's a little on the calorific side.

Give it a makeover: Lovely layers, lean meat and a cheesy finish – but fewer calories.

Makeover lasagne recipe

Moussaka

moussaka-700-350-2784af4

Classic: Moussaka is usually high in sat-fats, carbs and calories, so you might want to save this for a special treat, or approach a new way of cooking it.Give it a makeover: You can cut the carbs right down and wave goodbye to half the fat and calories while still packing in flavour.

Makeover moussaka recipe

Burgers

makeover-burgers-700-350-17d3f4e

Classic: No barbecue is complete without a juicy burger or two, but just one classic burger could set you back almost 1000 calories.Give it a makeover: This lighter version will save you 600 calories, contains a fraction of the fat and still tastes like a garden grill wonder.

Makeover burger recipe

Steak & kidney pie

steak-and-kidney-pie-700-350-38d0e0c

Classic: Comforting, casual and calorific. With a whopping 50g of fat this hearty steak & kidney pie recipe is pure indulgence.Give it a makeover: A shadow of its former self, you can now add this pie to your midweek meals without bursting at the seams.

Makeover steak & kidney pie recipe

Onion tart

red-onion-tart-700-350-4642624

Classic: Lovely in lunchboxes or with salad for supper, classic onion tart is a vegetarian fail-safe, but it's a little high in saturated fat.

Give it a makeover: Spring fresh and bursting with flavour, Angela slashes those serving stats in half without compromising on taste.

Makeover onion tart recipe


This page was last reviewed on 2 September 2019 by Kerry Torrens.

Kerry Torrens BSc. (Hons) PgCert MBANT is a Registered Nutritionist with a post graduate diploma in Personalised Nutrition & Nutritional Therapy. She is a member of the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) and a member of the Guild of Food Writers. Over the last 15 years she has been a contributing author to a number of nutritional and cookery publications including BBC Good Food.

Advertisement

All health content on bbcgoodfood.com is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other healthcare professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local healthcare provider. See our website terms and conditions for more information.

Comments, questions and tips

Choose the type of message you'd like to post

Choose the type of message you'd like to post
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement