Brilliant British food facts & recipes

Emma White - Nutritionist | 05 Sep, 2021

When we think of British food, we think of the classics: a full English breakie, a good old Sunday roast and fish & chips. Some of these famous feasts have been part of British life since as early as the 1300s! Check out our facts below to see how well you know Britain’s favourite foods.

British Food

Fish & Chips has been a firm favourite in Britain since the 1800s and now there are over 8,500 shops, which is eight for every one McDonalds.

British Food

The Full English breakfast can be traced all the way back to the 1300s, although it was very different from what we know now including items such as kippers, kidneys, and cold meats.

British Food

Who doesn't love gravy on a Sunday roast?! But did you know the popular brand Bisto is an acronym for "Browns Instantly, Seasons and Thickens in One."

British Food

'Cottage' pie got its name because it was popular amongst peasants who, you guessed it, lived in cottages. This was due to how cheap and filling potatoes were.

Simple swaps

Typically, these meals are high in fat and calories, a standard Full English can come in at anywhere up to 2,000 kcals, making it difficult to enjoy if you're trying to lose weight. Don't worry, we've got you covered! With a few simple swaps, you can still enjoy these popular meals whilst sticking to your calories.

Lower fat full English

Lower fat full English

Serves 2 - 387 kcals per serving

Kcals 387
Fat 13.2g
Sat fat 3.2g
Carbs 24.9g
Sugar 5.1g
Fibre 7.8g
Protein 38.0g
Salt 2.57g

Ingredients

  • 2 low fat Quorn sausages
  • Frylight
  • 2 hash browns
  • 6 mushrooms
  • 4 smoked turkey rashers
  • 1 tomato, cut in half
  • 200g no added sugar beans
  • 3 medium eggs
  • Dash of semi-skimmed milk

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas mark 6.
  2. Put the sausages and hash browns on a baking tray and spray the sausages with Frylight. Cook in the oven for 18 minutes – turning once.
  3. Meanwhile, place a large frying pan over a medium heat and spray with Frylight. Add the mushrooms whole to the pan and cook for 10-12 minutes until soft and juicy.
  4. When the sausages are 6 minutes from being done, add the turkey rashers and tomato to the pan with the mushrooms – place the tomato cut side down. Cook for 5-6 minutes, turning the bacon half way through.
  5. Meanwhile, place the beans in a small saucepan over a medium heat, and heat through for 2-3 minutes.
  6. Whisk up the eggs with the milk in a microwave proof bowl and cook in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring half way through, until the eggs are cooked and scrambled.
  7. Serve everything on a warm plate and enjoy!
  8. *Add a medium slice of toast and lighter spread for 100 cals.

    Tip! To make this suitable for vegetarians, swap the turkey rashers for 2 Quorn bacon style rashers.

Lighter roast beef dinner

Lighter roast beef dinner

Serves 4 - 482 kcals per serving

Kcals 482
Fat 9.2g
Sat fat 3.1g
Carbs 61.9g
Sugar 13.5g
Fibre 9.7g
Protein 40.9g
Salt 1.40g

Ingredients

  • 800g potatoes
  • Frylight
  • 500g silverside beef
  • Salt and pepper
  • 300g frozen peas, thawed
  • 300g carrot, sliced
  • 4x Yorkshire puddings
  • 400ml prepared reduced salt gravy

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas mark 6.
  2. Peel your potatoes and cut into suitable roast potato sized chunks.
  3. Place a large pan of water on the hob and bring to the boil. Add the potatoes to the pan and boil for 15-20 minutes until starting to soften. Once done, drain the water and shake the potatoes in the pan to produce fluffy edges.
  4. Spray a large baking tray with the Frylight, add the potatoes and spray all over with Frylight. Place in a hot oven and cook for 30-40 minutes.
  5. Place the beef in a roasting tin and season all over with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
  6. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas mark 4. Cook for a further 15 minutes for medium/rare, 20 minutes for medium and 25-30 minutes for well done.
  7. Once the potatoes are cooked, remove from the oven while the beef continues to cook. Cover in foil to keep warm.
  8. Once the beef is cooked, remove from the oven and set aside to rest for at least 15 minutes. Turn the oven back up to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas mark 6.
  9. While the beef is resting, pop all the veg on to steam for 10-15 minutes, depending on how al dente you like it.
  10. Put the potatoes back in the oven to warm through, along with the Yorkshire puddings for 3-4 minutes.
  11. Carve up the meat and with the potatoes, veg and Yorkshire pudding, drizzle with some prepared instant gravy.
Homemade fish & chips

Homemade fish & chips

Serves 2 - 509 kcals per serving

Kcals 509
Fat 7.5g
Sat fat 1.6g
Carbs 76.5g
Sugar 8.0g
Fibre 9.2g
Protein 37.2g
Salt 0.80g

Ingredients

  • 350g potatoes
  • ½ tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium egg, beaten
  • 60g breadcrumbs
  • 30g plain flour
  • 2x 150g fresh haddock or cod fillets
  • Black pepper
  • 150g frozen peas, thawed
  • 2x wedges of lemon

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas mark 6.
  2. Peel the potatoes and slice into equal chunky chip sized portions. Cook in an Actifry with ½ tbsp of olive oil, as per the instructions.**
  3. Meanwhile, put the egg and breadcrumbs into 2 separate bowls.
  4. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the fish, then coat with the egg, then the breadcrumbs and sprinkle over some pepper.
  5. Place the fish on a lined baking tray and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, turning once.
  6. When the fish and chips are 5 minutes from being done, steam or boil the peas for 5 minutes.
  7. Serve the fish, chips and peas with a wedge of lemon.
  8. **If you don't have an Actifry, par boil the potatoes for around 4-5 minutes, then evenly spread on a baking tray with a little Frylight and cook for 30 minutes.

Simple steak & chips

Simple steak & chips

Serves 2 - 434 kcals per serving

Kcals 434
Fat 15.8g
Sat fat 6.3g
Carbs 37.4g
Sugar 3.4g
Fibre 5.3g
Protein 36.3g
Salt 0.70g

Ingredients

  • 400g potatoes
  • ½ tbsp olive oil
  • 2x 150g beef fillet steaks
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 handfuls of mixed salad leaves
  • 6 cherry tomatoes

Method

  1. Pre-heat the grill to medium.
  2. Peel the potatoes and slice into equal chunky chip sized portions.
  3. Cook in the Actifry with ½ tbsp of olive oil, as per the instructions**.
  4. Season the steak on both sides and grill for 5 minutes on both sides. If too pink for your liking, cook for a further 1-2 minutes on either side.
  5. Serve the steak and chips, with a side salad of lettuce and tomato.
  6. **If you don't have an Actifry, par boil the potatoes for around 4-5 minutes, then evenly spread on a baking tray with a little Frylight and cook for 30 minutes.

Sweet potato cottage pie

Sweet potato cottage pie

Serves 4 - 490 kcals per serving

Kcals 490
Fat 13.3g
Sat fat 6.1g
Carbs 55.4g
Sugar 22.5g
Fibre 2.1g
Protein 40.5g
Salt 2.14g

Ingredients

  • Frylight
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 160g carrots, sliced
  • 500g extra lean minced beef (5% max fat)
  • 45g Colman's Cottage Pie Recipe Mix
  • 150g frozen peas
  • 600g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 15g reduced-fat spread
  • 50g grated Red Leicester cheese
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas mark 6.
  2. Lightly spray a large frying pan with Frylight and set over a medium heat. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the carrots and minced beef and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until the vegetables are softening and the mince is browned all over.
  3. Mix the Cottage Pie Recipe Mix with 300ml cold water and add to the pan with the peas. Stir well and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile bring a large pan of water to the boil and add the sweet potato. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until softened. Drain well and return to the warm pan. Add the low-fat spread and mash with a potato masher until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Spoon the minced beef mixture into an ovenproof dish and top with the mashed sweet potato. Level out the top, then use a fork to score along the top to create texture, then sprinkle with the grated cheese.
  6. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes until crisp and golden.
  7. Tip! It's easy to make this veggie-friendly. Swap the minced beef for 300g Quorn Mince and double the quantities of carrots and peas.

Nutritionist Emma White (ANutr), MSc Human Nutrition is passionate about how food science applies to the human body, and how the nutrients in what we eat affect us and ultimately have an impact on our health.

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