Posted on January 09, 2015 by Jenny Cromack

If you are feeling the pinch of the Christmas spend and want to save some money but still eat healthy, never fear the personal training team at motive8 are here to help! Here are some cheap and healthy meals for January. These recipes all serve 4 people so are great for you and the family or to use the next day for lunch.

Get cooking and let us know what you think of them.

Vegetable & Bean Chilli

Kcal 361 Protein21g Carbs 50g Fat 6g Sat 1g

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 courgettes, diced
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
• 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and chopped
• 1 tbsp chilli powder
• 100g red lentils, washed and drained
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 420g can butter beans, drained
• 400g can kidney beans in water, draine

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pan. Cook the garlic, onion, courgettes and peppers for about 5 mins until starting to soften. Add the chilli powder and cook for 1 min more
2. Stir in the lentils, tomato purée, tomatoes and 250ml water. Bring to the boil and cook for 15-20 mins.
3. Add the beans, and cook for a further 10-15 mins.

One-Pot Fish with Black Olives & Tomatoes

Kcal 223 Protein 34g Carbs 7g Fat 3g Sat 1g

Serves 4

 

• 175g black olives in oil, stones removed
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 4 boneless white fish fillets such as Icelandic cod or hoki, each weighing about 175g/6oz (can use frozen to save money)

1. Preheat the oven to fan 180C/conventional 200C/gas 6. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil from the olives in an ovenproof pan. Tip in the onion and stir well, leave to cook for a minute or two and then give it another good stir. Add the tomatoes and some salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then add the olives.
2. Put the fish, skin side down, onto the sauce and drizzle over a splash more oil from the olive jar. Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes until the fish is cooked. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve straight from the pan, with lemon wedges for squeezing over.

Chicken Casserole

Kcal 373 Protein 39g Carbs 16g Fat 10g Sat 1g

Serves 4

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 8 large boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 large rosemary sprig, leaves picked and finely chopped or dried rosemary
• 2 tbsp sundried tomato paste
• 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 100g pitted green and black olives with herbs
• 2 tbsp capers (optional)
• small bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or flameproof casserole dish on a medium heat, add the onion and cook for a few mins. Add the garlic and cook for 1 min more. Remove the onion and garlic from the pan and set aside on a plate.
2. Turn up the heat, add the chicken and cook for a few mins each side until golden.
3. Return the onion and garlic to the pan with the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook for 20 mins until the chicken is cooked through, juicy and tender, and the sauce is rich and thickened.