During the COVID-19 lockdown, many of you used the time to organise, change habits, reflect, read and learn. We thought it was also a good opportunity to spend more time in the kitchen. Learning new homemade recipes is a skill for life, and cooking with children can be a chance to enjoy time together and introduce positive food habits.
Homemade wholemeal bread
If you struggle to find the wholemeal bread you want, try making your own. Here is a high-fibre family recipe without added sugar.
- Wholemeal wheat flour – 100g (one cup)
- Fresh yeast – 10g (dessertspoon)
- Salt – 2g (one pinch)
- Water – 65g (half cup)
- Seeds – 20 g (a handful)
- Put the flour in a large bowl, add the salt, crumbled yeast and lukewarm water. Mix and knead until smooth, neither too soft nor too firm.
- Cover with a damp cloth and leave until doubled in volume, approximately an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C.
- Flour a baking tray and work surface. Carefully turn out the dough, divide into two balls and place on the tray.
- Brush with water and coat with the seeds.
- Cover and leave until doubled in size, approximately 30 minutes.
- Score the tops carefully with scissors or a knife and bake for around 40 minutes, until cooked.
- Remove and cool on a wire rack.
Calories: 150kcal (with these quantities)
Protein: 8g (21% of calories)
Carbohydrates: 25g (67% of calories)
Fat: 2g (12% of calories)
Courgette noodles with poached egg, cheese and softened cherry tomatoes
Courgette adds volume with relatively few calories, while fresh tomatoes contribute vitamin C and minerals. A poached egg provides complete protein and a chance to practise your cooking skills. Try this lighter dinner for two.
- Courgette – 200g (piece)
- Cherry tomatoes – 80 g (1 cup)
- Egg – 60 g (one egg)
- Grated Parmesan – 20 g (2 spoonfuls)
- Extra virgin olive oil – 5g (1 spoonful)
- Garlic – 1g (one pinch)
- Salt – 1g (one pinch)
- Spiralise the courgette, or cut into fine noodle-like strips with a knife.
- Sauté the chopped garlic and add the cherry tomatoes.
- Add the courgette for the final minute, just heating it through so it does not release too much water.
- For the poached egg, line a cup with film specifically suitable for poaching, add a few drops of extra virgin olive oil and crack in the egg. Alternatively, poach directly in simmering water.
- If using suitable film, carefully gather it into a pouch, secure with kitchen string and lower into hot water.
- Cook for around 5 minutes, adjusting to the egg and preferred safe doneness.
- Plate the courgette noodles and top with the poached egg.
- Grate over Parmesan and serve.
Calories: 269kcal (with these quantities)
Protein: 17g (25% of calories)
Carbohydrates: 12g (18% of calories)
Fat: 17g (57% of calories)
Aubergine stuffed with rice, minced beef, peppers and mushrooms
If children are reluctant to eat vegetables, try different ways of preparing and presenting them. Involving them in cooking can help too. Enjoy experimenting together with homemade recipes.
- Aubergine – 200 g (one aubergine)
- Minced beef – 60 g (half a steak’s weight in the source)
- Red and green pepper – 100 g (one pepper)
- Mushrooms – 50g (5-6 pieces)
- White rice – 40 g (½ cup in the source; use the stated weight)
- Extra virgin olive oil – 5g (one spoonful)
- Garlic – 1g (one pinch)
- Salt – 1g (one pinch)
- Black pepper – 1g (one pinch)
- Wash the aubergine and cut off the top. Score the flesh without piercing the skin to help it cook and make scooping easier. Salt, rest for 30 minutes and rinse before baking.
- Roast at 200°C for 40–45 minutes, until tender.
- With 15 minutes remaining, boil the rice for around 15 minutes, or according to the packet, then drain.
- Chop the garlic and vegetables and sauté in a little extra virgin olive oil.
- Add the seasoned minced beef and cook thoroughly.
- Scoop out the aubergine flesh, chop it and add to the pan.
- Stir in the rice to absorb the flavours.
- Fill the aubergines with the beef, vegetable and rice mixture and enjoy!
Calories: 418kcal (with these quantities)
Protein: 19g (18% of calories)
Carbohydrates: 54g (52% of calories)
Fat: 14g (30% of calories)
Red lentil, rice, pumpkin and pine nut burgers
Homemade recipes can make good use of safely stored leftovers. Lentils and rice provide complementary proteins, useful even when you are training less. Here is a practical burger recipe with fibre and plant-based protein.
- Red lentils – 40 g (½ cup in the source; use the stated weight)
- White rice – 30 g (½ cup in the source; use the stated weight)
- Pumpkin – 40g (1/2 cup)
- Extra virgin olive oil – 5g (1/2 cup)
- Pine nuts – 5 g (a pinch)
- Table salt – 1g (one pinch)
- Curry powder – 1g (to taste)
- Black pepper – 1g (to taste)
- Cook the rice in boiling salted water for around 15–20 minutes, following the packet instructions, and drain.
- Boil the red lentils in a separate pan for around 15 minutes, until tender, then drain and blend. Ready-cooked lentils are another option.
- Sauté chopped garlic with pine nuts, curry powder and olive oil. Add diced roasted pumpkin.
- Mix everything in a bowl, shape into evenly sized balls and flatten into burgers.
- Cook on a griddle with a little extra virgin olive oil.
Calories: 345kcal (with these quantities)
Protein: 13g (15% of calories)
Carbohydrates: 53g (61% of calories)
Fat: 9g (23% of calories)
Pan-cooked chicken meatballs
Traditional homemade dishes can be straightforward. If a stew feels ambitious, try these simple meatballs with a short ingredient list.
- Minced chicken – 200 g (½ breast in the source; use the stated weight)
- Egg – 60 g (one egg)
- Wheat flour – 10g (tablespoon)
- Spring onion – 50g (1/2 piece)
- Breadcrumbs – 30g (3 tablespoons)
- Black pepper – 1g (to taste)
- Salt – 1g (one pinch)
- Mix the minced chicken, egg, softened onion, flour and breadcrumbs.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Mix evenly and shape into small balls.
- Cook gently in a hot frying pan, turning to brown all sides and ensuring the centres are thoroughly cooked.
Calories: 528kcal (with these quantities)
Protein: 47g (36% of calories)
Carbohydrates: 31g (23% of calories)
Fat: 24g (41% of calories)
Broccoli and cauliflower pizza with pesto, tomatoes, olives, onion and pine nuts
Broccoli provides vitamin C. For children who are unsure about broccoli and cauliflower, a pizza-style presentation offers something different. Add toppings your family enjoys; the energy content depends on the ingredients and portions.
- Broccoli – 125g (piece)
- Cauliflower – 125g (1/2 piece)
- Egg – 60 g (one egg)
- Egg white- 30g (2 egg whites)
- Cherry tomatoes – 100 g (1 cup)
- Red onion – 70g (1/2 piece)
- Basil – 10 g (to taste)
- Garlic – 1g (one pinch)
- Black olives – 20 g (10 olives)
- Black pepper – 1g (to taste)
- Oregano – 5 g (to taste)
- Wash and chop the broccoli and cauliflower. Microwave for around 8 minutes until soft, then blend.
- Put in a bowl and mix with the whole egg and egg whites.
- Add salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Mix with clean hands, form a ball and spread onto a lined baking tray.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 15 minutes.
- For the pesto, blend the pine nuts, basil, garlic and a little olive oil.
- Take out the base and top with pesto, sliced onion, cherry tomatoes and olives.
- Return to the oven for around 10 minutes.
- Remove, add basil, rest briefly and serve.
Calories: 582kcal (with these quantities)
Protein: 24g (16% of calories)
Carbohydrates: 36g (25% of calories)
Fat: 38g (59% of calories)
Wholemeal crêpes with flaked almonds, blueberries and dark chocolate
Make family breakfasts an opportunity to try these crêpes, sweetened to taste and topped with fruit. Blueberries provide nutrients and plant compounds, but no recipe guarantees protection from colds or viruses. Chocolate may contain added sugar.
- Wholemeal flour – 60 g (one cup in the source; use the stated weight)
- Skimmed milk – 120g (1/2 glass)
- Egg – 60 g (one egg)
- Blueberries – 30 g (½ cup)
- Raw almonds – 10g (1 tablespoon)
- 80% dark chocolate – 20 g (2 squares)
- Sweetener – 2g (to taste)
- Orange zest – 5g (one piece)
- Extra virgin olive oil – 5g (one dessertspoon)
- Beat the eggs with milk, sweetener and a little olive oil.
- Whisk in the sifted flour until smooth, cover and rest in the fridge.
- Meanwhile, melt the dark chocolate, adding orange zest if you like.
- Lightly oil a frying pan and cook the crêpes.
- Keep them small and thin so they cook through rather than remaining raw inside.
- Serve with flaked almonds, blueberries and melted chocolate.
Calories: 555kcal (with these quantities)
Protein: 21g (15% of calories)
Carbohydrates: 57g (41% of calories)
Fat: 27g (44% of calories)
Gyoza with minced meat, carrot and shiitake mushrooms
Being at home does not stop you enjoying international dishes. This recipe offers an enjoyable cooking project and a dinner that breaks the routine. If you lack an ingredient, use a suitable alternative from your fridge.
- Flour – 125 g (2 cups in the source; use the stated weight)
- Minced meat – 40 g (a small portion)
- Water – 50g (1/2 cup)
- Carrot – 80g (one medium piece)
- Dried shiitake mushrooms – 40 g (½ cup)
- Table salt – 1g (to taste)
- Ginger – 1 g (to taste)
- Garlic – 1g (to taste)
- Egg – 20 g (⅓ egg)
- Soya sauce – 10g (tablespoon)
- Extra virgin olive oil – 5g (dessertspoon)
- Rehydrate the mushrooms according to the packet instructions. Other suitable mushrooms, such as wood ear, can also be used.
- Put the flour, egg and salt in a large bowl. Add cold water gradually in 4–5 additions, kneading into a ball.
- Cover and rest for around 30 minutes, then knead again until smooth.
- Finely chop the vegetables and mushrooms.
- Mix with the minced meat, oil and soy sauce and cook the filling thoroughly.
- Divide the dough into small, equal balls, flatten and roll into thin circles.
- Hold a wrapper in your palm, add filling and leave a generous border.
- Seal into dumplings and cook in gently boiling water until the wrappers and filling are fully cooked. Floating alone is not a reliable safety check.
- Remove once cooked through and serve.
Calories: 787kcal (with these quantities)
Protein: 29g (15% of calories)
Carbohydrates: 134g (68% of calories)
Fat: 15g (17% of calories)
Ginger-infused milk with honey
Changes to routine can alter appetite and snacking habits. Regular meals may help. If you fancy a warm drink, try this ginger infusion; drink it for enjoyment rather than using it to suppress genuine hunger.
- Ginger – 10 g (one piece)
- Cinnamon stick – 5g (one sprig)
- Honey – 5g (dessertspoon)
- Skimmed milk – 125g (one cup)
- Put the semi-skimmed milk in a saucepan.
- Peel the ginger and add it to the pan.
- Add a cinnamon stick.
- Simmer gently for 5–8 minutes and remove from the heat.
- Remove the cinnamon and ginger.
- Add honey and let cool to a comfortable drinking temperature.
Kcal: 168kcal (with these quantities)
Protein: 8g (19% of calories)
Carbohydrates: 25g (60% of calories)
Fat: 4g (21% of calories)
If you enjoyed these homemade recipes and want help planning portions and meals, explore our online sports nutritionist service.
