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Many of us cite a lack of time as the primary reason for not preparing healthy meals and opening up a takeaway app instead. If this sounds like you, traybakes could be your secret weapon. As they only require one tray (and maybe an extra pot), they're perfect to slot into your busy lifestyle – just chuck your ingredients on a tray in the oven and let the magic happen!
Plus fewer trays = less washing up, saving you even more time! Here are 5 super simple traybakes you can throw together for a tasty, healthy midweek meal.
Sausage & chickpea traybake
Serves 4 - 413 kcals per serving
Kcals |
413 |
Fat |
21.5g |
Sat fat |
6.2g |
Carbs |
37g |
Sugar |
12.5g |
Fibre |
8.1g |
Protein |
19.2g |
Salt |
2.27g |
Ingredients
- 400g tin chickpeas, drained
- 2 red peppers, chopped
- 2 red onions, chopped into wedges
- 2 courgettes, roughly chopped
- 12 cherry tomatoes
- 1 ½ tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to season
- 8 reduced-fat pork sausages
- Few sprigs rosemary
- Few sprigs thyme
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas mark 6.
- Tip the chickpeas and veg into a large roasting tin. Pour on the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat.
- Lay the sausages on top, spread out evenly. Top with a few sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Place in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes, turning the veg and sausages half way through.
Tomato & feta pasta
Serves 4 - 450 kcals per serving
Kcals |
450 |
Fat |
14.3g |
Sat fat |
5.4g |
Carbs |
59.3g |
Sugar |
7g |
Fibre |
4g |
Protein |
20.4g |
Salt |
1.3g |
Ingredients
- 500g cherry tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to season
- 200g block reduced-fat feta
- 300g penne pasta
- Few sprigs basil, to garnish
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas mark 6. Toss the tomatoes, garlic and oil in a baking tray or dish with a bit of depth. Roast for 15 minutes.
- Gently shake the tray to avoid sticking. Make a well and place the whole block of feta into the middle of the dish. Season and bake for a further 20-25 minutes, until the feta is turning golden and the tomatoes have softened.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to packet instructions, reserving a mug of the cooking water.
- Using the back of a fork, squash down the tomatoes to release the juice and break up the baked feta. Splash in a little of the reserved pasta water and stir everything through to combine, creating a creamy sauce. Add additional pasta water to loosen as needed.
- Tip the pasta into the dish and gently stir everything through to combine. Season well with black pepper, then scatter over some basil leaves to garnish.
Halloumi & Med veg wraps with sweet potato wedges
Serves 2 - 483 kcals per serving
Kcals |
483 |
Fat |
21g |
Sat fat |
8.7g |
Carbs |
49.5g |
Sugar |
12.6g |
Fibre |
8.3g |
Protein |
23.2g |
Salt |
2.67g |
Ingredients
- 1 sweet potato, sliced into wedges
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to season
- 2 baby courgettes, sliced
- ½ red pepper, chopped
- ½ onion, sliced
- 6 white mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tbsp harissa paste
- 120g reduced-fat halloumi, sliced
- Low-cal cooking spray
- 1 pinch dried oregano
- 2 wholemeal tortilla wraps
- 2 handfuls rocket
Method
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas mark 7. Place the potato wedges onto a baking tray and toss with half the olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes to give them a head start.
- Remove the tray from the oven, turn the wedges and move them to one side of the tray. Add the rest of the veg and stir in the remaining oil and harissa paste. Take care as the tray will be hot.
- Return the tray to the oven for a further 15-20 minutes. In the final 5 minutes, lightly toss the veg and lay the halloumi slices on top. Spray with a little cooking spray and sprinkle some oregano on the halloumi. Return to the oven and keep an eye out, ensuring the halloumi softens but doesn't burn.
- Fill each tortilla wrap with a handful of rocket, then top with the roasted veggies and halloumi. Roll up and serve warm with the potato wedges on the side.
Chicken & rainbow veg traybake
Serves 2 - 338 kcals per serving
Kcals |
338 |
Fat |
9.7g |
Sat fat |
1.8g |
Carbs |
18.9g |
Sugar |
15.8g |
Fibre |
7.9g |
Protein |
44.2g |
Salt |
0.6g |
Ingredients
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 large carrot, sliced into ½ inch rounds
- 1 yellow pepper, diced
- ½ head broccoli, chopped into small florets
- 1 red onion, chopped into wedges
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to season
- 2 chicken breast fillets
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas mark 6. Coat a baking tray with cooking spray or baking parchment. Add the peppers, carrots, broccoli and onion onto the tray, keeping each colour in a separate pile for a rainbow effect. Leave space in the middle of the tray.
- Place the chicken breasts in the centre of the tray. Drizzle the olive oil across the entire tray and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Rub the tops of each chicken breast to coat. Toss each veg pile one at a time with your hands to coat.
- Place in the centre of the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, tossing the veg half way through, until the chicken is cooked through and no pink remains.
Honey-glazed salmon traybake
Serves 4 - 541 kcals per serving
Kcals |
541 |
Fat |
22.1g |
Sat fat |
3.9g |
Carbs |
58.6g |
Sugar |
20.1g |
Fibre |
5.4g |
Protein |
29.7g |
Salt |
0.44g |
Ingredients
- 1kg baby new potatoes
- Low-cal cooking spray
- 2 small red onions, peeled and cut into wedges
- 4 clove garlic, crushed
- Salt and pepper, to season
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 300g cherry tomatoes
- 500g half side of salmon
- 1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 3 tbsp honey
- Few sprigs of fresh thyme
Method
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/Gas mark 7.
- Cut the potatoes into 1cm thick slices. Lay out on a baking tray lightly coated in cooking spray.
- Scatter over the red onion and add the garlic, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat everything.
- Place on the middle shelf of the oven for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are starting to soften.
- Remove from the oven and shake lightly to avoid sticking. Scatter over the cherry tomatoes.
- Lay the salmon on top, skin side down. Add the honey and chilli and rub to coat the fish. Season with a little salt and pepper. Scatter over the thyme and pop back in the oven for 20 minutes, until the salmon is cooked through.
Nutritionist Beth Furness (ANutr), holding a BSc in Nutrition and Health, is deeply dedicated to applying evidence-based knowledge to all aspects of nutrition. Her passion lies in fostering healthy relationships with food, ensuring that everyone maintains a balanced and sustainable approach to nutrition.