Quick & Healthy Recipes: Fast Food Can Be Good

Feed your muscles and satisfy your stomach with these quick and healthy recipes loaded with performance-boosting nutrients and recovery-assisting protein.

Quick & Healthy Fish & Chips Recipe

Skip the chippy and make this energy-boosting version of the classic British dish at home.

Ingredients (serves 2):

• 2 large cod fillet
• 4 slices of wholemeal bread, crusts removed
• 2 eggs, lightly whisked
• 4 sweet potatoes, cut into 2-3cm strips
• 100g fresh peas
• 2 knobs of butter
• 1 lemon

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200˚C.
2. Place the bread in a food processor and blend until it forms crumbs.
3. Dip the cod fillet into the whisked egg, then cover with the breadcrumbs. Place on a sheet of greaseproof paper on a tray and bake for 20-25 minutes.
4. Coat the sweet potato strips in olive oil, place on a tray and bake for 25-30 minutes.
5. Heat the butter in a pan, add the peas and cook for ten minutes. Add a squeeze of lemon and mash until appropriately mushy.

PER SERVING:
Kcals: 850, Protein: 67.5g, Carbs: 100.5g, Fat: 19g

THE BENEFITS:

Sweet potato offers slow-release carbs for a sustained energy boost.
Cod is a lean source of muscle-building protein.
Peas are rich in bone-strengthening vitamin K.

Related: 5 Protein Powder Recipes To Feed Your Muscles

Goat’s Cheese Stuffed Butternut Squash Recipe

Enjoy a hearty, warming dish of sweet roasted veg that also builds muscle,

Ingredients (serves 2):

• 100g goat’s cheese
• 1 butternut squash, halved
• A pinch of chilli flakes
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 courgette, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 50g pine nuts
• 100g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp grated parmesan

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 180˚C. Criss-cross the flesh of each squash half with a sharp knife.
2. Mix the chilli, thyme, garlic and olive oil and brush the flesh with the mixture.
3. Roast the squash in a roasting tin for 40 minutes.
4. In a separate roasting tin, roast the pepper and courgette for 25 minutes.
5. Remove the squash from the oven and stuff with the roasted pepper and courgette, goat’s cheese, pine nuts and tomatoes, then roast for further ten minutes.
6. Sprinkle grated parmesan and chopped fresh parsley over the top, then serve.

PER SERVING:
Kcals: 514, Protein: 14.9g, Carbs: 29.1g, Fat: 37.9g

THE BENEFITS:

Goat’s cheese is high in vitamins D and K for strong bones.
Courgette is a source of manganese, which helps the body produce testosterone.
Pine nuts are full of protein, vitamin A and healthy, monounsaturated fats.

Chicken & Mushroom Orzo Recipe

Our fitness-boosting take on risotto is satisfying, quick to make and fuels your workouts.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 4 chicken breasts, diced
• 25g unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 250g button mushrooms, sliced
• 350g orzo pasta
• 400ml chicken stock
• 250g chestnut or shiitake mushrooms, finely sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp crème fraîche
• 3 tbsp fresh parmesan, grated
• 1 small bunch of fresh tarragon, finely chopped

Method:

1. Heat half the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat and add the diced chicken breast. Sauté for four to five minutes, then set to one side.
2. In a separate pan, gently cook the onion and garlic in the butter for three to four minutes over a medium heat until soft, then add the mushrooms and cook for a further five minutes.
3. With another pan, simmer the orzo in 300ml of water with the stock over a medium heat for nine minutes until soft, then drain.
4. Mix the orzo and the chicken with the mushroom mixture and heat gently over a low heat for three to four minutes.
5. Stir in the crème fraîche, parmesan and tarragon, then remove from the heat and serve.

PER SERVING:
Kcals: 594, Protein: 42.6g, Carbs: 63.3g, Fat: 21.3g

THE BENEFITS:

Mushrooms are rich in filling fibre.
Onions contain copper, which helps keep bones healthy by manufacturing collagen in the body.
Parmesan is a source of bone-strengthening calcium.

Pulled Pork Quesadilla

Looking for quick and healthy recipes that also taste incredible? This tasty Mexican meal gives a hit of protein in a wholemeal wrap that also provides slow-release carbs to keep your energy levels up.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 4 wholemeal tortilla wraps per person
• 1 medium-sized pork shoulder
• 3 tbsp sea salt
• 3 tbsp muscovado sugar
• 1 tbsp crushed black pepper
• 3 tbsp smoked paprika
• 150g cheddar or other cheese, grated
  TO GARNISH:
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 1 small chilli, finely diced
• A small bunch of coriander, chopped
• 1tsp smoked paprika
  FOR THE SALSA:
• 6 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• A dash of Tabasco sauce
• A dash of Worcestershire sauce
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of sugar

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
2. Place the pork shoulder in a roasting dish. Mix the salt, sugar, paprika and pepper, rub half of it into the pork and place it in the oven for 20 minutes.
3. Reduce the temperature to 125°C and cook for five to six hours, followed by a further 20 minutes at 220°C. Then allow it to rest for 60 minutes.
4. Pull the meat off the bone using two forks and mix with the remaining seasoning.
5. Mix the garnish ingredients.
6. Add a generous amount of pulled pork to each tortilla wrap with as much cheese and garnish as required. Roll up, then place under a hot grill until warmed.
7. Mix the salsa ingredients and serve with the quesadillas alongside a crunchy green salad.

PER SERVING:
Kcals: 464, Protein: 21.9g, Carbs: 48.2g, Fat: 20.6g

THE BENEFITS:

Pork is rich in magnesium, which helps to keep muscles strong.
Tomatoes help you metabolise amino acids, which helps build new muscle.
Shallots are high in manganese, which protects bones and skin.