It was Work and Income frontline staff who first suggested that families
would benefit from a down-to-earth book that showed simple ways to
choose, prepare and serve food that was healthy and inexpensive. It
is the partnership of the Nelson Marlborough and West Coast District
Health Boards with Work and Income’s Regional Office in Nelson that
has brought this suggestion to fruition.
Written by Sally Mackay
Editing/Design by Jill Harris
Printed by PrintHouse, Nelson
© Ministry of Social Development 2006


Eating for health, taste and Budget ............................5
Staying healthy ...........................................................6 - 10
Make a plan ........................................................................11
Menus for a week ...................................................12 - 15
The art of shopping ......................................................... 16
Keeping the cupboard stocked .................................. 17
Kitchen equipment .......................................................... 18
Recipe substitutes ........................................................... 19
Food safety tips ................................................................ 20
Reading food labels ........................................................ 21
Breakfast recipes ....................................................22 - 26
School lunches ........................................................27 - 31
Snacks ........................................................................32 - 35
Home baking and treats ......................................36 - 40
Hints for healthy meals ........................................41 - 46
Meat meal recipes ..................................................47 - 57
Fish recipes ...............................................................58 - 61
Beans and Lentils ...................................................62 - 66
Vegetable hints & recipes ...................................67 - 72
Light Meals ................................................................73 - 76
Soups ..........................................................................77 - 79
Takeaways .................................................................80 - 81
Desserts .....................................................................82 - 86
Food for babies .......................................................87 - 91
Other hints for households .................................92 - 94
Index
Kym Stilwell and her children
Tyler, Connor, Flynn, Ronan and
Roisin have tested the recipes in
this book.
“The recipes were easy to
prepare and easy to follow and
the meals are hearty and
nutritious. I liked the way some
recipes used only one pan for
cooking and the addition of
useful hints,” she said.

Introduction
Serving healthy food to your family is challenging, especially when you are on a low budget.
The huge selection of foods in supermarkets and constant advertising makes it difficult to
know how to get the best deal for your food dollar.
Many people think healthy food costs a lot; with wise shopping and buying food in season,
it doesn’t have to.
This book has lots of ideas and recipes. They are all healthy eating ideas (except for a few
treats) and they are all cheap to prepare. Change the recipes to suit your family’s tastes
and the ingredients you have.
Most of the recipes in this book serve four people.

Have plenty of fruit
and vegetables
For good health - eat 5+ a day.
One serving fits into the palm of your
hand.
A mandarin is a serve for a pre-schooler,
an orange is a serve for an adult.
Colour = variety
Colourful fruit and vegetables have
many vitamins, minerals and other
compounds that protect against
disease.
The colour groups are:
red (plum)
orange/yellow (carrot)
brown/white (potato)
green (peas)
blue/purple (grapes)
Eating for health, taste and budget
Eat wholegrain bread
and cereals
Choose wholegrain and wholemeal
breads and cereals.
Adults - eat at least 6 serves a day.
Children - eat 4-6 serves a day.

1 Serve =
1 roll
1 muffin
1 medium slice of bread
1 cup cornflakes
1 cup cooked pasta
1 cup cooked rice
6 servings may seem a lot, but a meal will
often have 2 or more serves. For exam-
ple, a bowl of porridge = 2 serves
Eat lean meat, poultry
seafood,nuts or eggs
Choose at least
one serve a day
of one of the following:
2 slices cooked meat
¾ cup mince or casserole
1 medium fillet fish (100g)
1 chicken leg,
¾ cup dried cooked beans
1 egg

Milk
How much is enough?
Adults: 2 serves a day
Children: At least 2 - 3 serves a
day
One serve =
1 glass milk
1 pottle yoghurt
2 slices cheese
2 scoops ice-cream
Cream and sour cream are high
in fat. Sometimes you can use
yoghurt instead.
For children who don’t like milk
on its own, try yoghurt, custard,
smoothies, dairy food or cereals
with milk.
Staying healthy
Which milk to use
Milk helps build strong bones in
children and adults because it is high
in calcium and other minerals. But
some milks are high in saturated fat.
You don’t need to buy expensive
milk - it is all a good source of
calcium and protein.
Adults, children 5+
Trim milk (green top) is the best
choice. It is very low in fat and higher
in calcium. If you can’t get your family
to use trim milk, try reduced-fat milk
(light blue).
Making the changes from 500ml
standard milk to 500ml of trim milk a
day will reduce fat intake by 16 grams
(1 tablespoon of fat).
Toddlers - one and two year olds
- need full-fat milk (homogenised, dark
blue).
Three - four year olds - can have a
reduced-fat milk (light blue)

Staying healthy
What is good fat?
There are 3 different types of fat.
Saturated fat increases blood cholestrol, which
can lead to heart disease. Monounsaturated and
polyunsaturated fats are healthy fats.
Saturated Fat:
Is solid at room temperature. It is found mainly
in animal products like butter, dairy products,
lard, dripping and fatty meat.
Monounsaturated Fat:
May be in animal or plant products like olive oil,
canola oil, peanuts, avocados and meat.
Polyunsaturated Fat:
Is liquid at room temperature and mainly
found in products like nuts, sunflower oil,
soybean oil and safflower oil.
Sugar is not that
sweet
Most high sugar foods
are low in other nutrients.
If people fill up on
sugary foods, they won’t eat
other nutritious foods.
Sugary and sticky foods
can cause tooth decay.

paring with salt
Generally New Zealanders still eat too much salt. Most
of it comes from the processed food and takeaways we
eat.Too much salt can cause high blood pressure.
It also stops your body absorbing as much calcium.
Read the labels on food packets. Products with the
‘Heart Tick’ are lower in salt.
But don’t miss out on iodine
Be
Iodine keeps our thyroid gland going and prevents
goitre. New Zealand soils are low in iodine so it is
added to the salt we use in the home.
Not all salt is iodised and most salt added to
processed foods and bread is not iodised.
When you buy salt, make sure it is iodised.
Other ways to get iodine are through milk, fish,
seaweed (e.g. sushi) and eggs.
Drink
plenty of water
everyday
You need 6 - 8 cups of water
or other drinks each day.
Water is the best drink.
Tea and coffee can be
included but go easy on
cordial, energy and soft drinks
and fruit juice.
Staying healthy

Need special foods?
There may be help to cover
the extra costs
Work and Income’s Disability Allowance
may cover the extra cost of
special foods if you or your family member
has a disability.
To qualify...
The special food has to be more than most
people’s everyday needs.
It needs to cost more than usual food.
It must be part of a diet supervised by a registered
dietitian.
(Special foods can include soy milk
or food supplements)
To find out how to apply - Phone 0800 559 009
Pick the Tick
The Heart Foundation
Pick the Tick symbol
shows that the product is
a healthier choice in that
product range.
Lactose intolerant?
There are alternatives
Lactose intolerance is more common
than milk allergies, especially among
Maori, Pacific Islanders and Asians.
Symptoms include wind or stomach pain.
Most people can tolerate small
amounts of milk,
but yoghurt and cheese are better
because the lactose has already been
broken down.
If you can’t drink cow’s milk you need
other sources of calcium. This could
be soy milk, canned fish with bones
(salmon, tuna), green vegetables or dried
apricots.
Staying healthy
0

Staying active
doesn’t have to be
hard work!
Staying active is not a biggie.
Ten minutes several times
a day counts. Try walking the
kids to school,
parking further away from
work or shopping
so that you walk at least 5
minutes,
playing soccer with the kids or
gardening.
Supplements:
Do you need them?
Eating a wide variety of foods usually
gives you all the vitamins and
minerals you need.
Supplements are expensive.
Before you buy any, take a look at what
your family is eating. Choose breakfast
cereals and other foods with added vita-
mins, iron or calcium. It may be better
to spend the money on an extra bag of
fruit each week.
However, some people do need
supplements like iron
on the advice of their doctor.
Sugar and dental decay
Tooth decay is caused by bacteria in the
mouth. The bacteria use sugars from
foods to produce acids. The acids
attack the teeth. Eating and drinking
often during the day means there is
food in the mouth a lot of the time for
bacteria to use.
•Brush teeth twice a day.
•Good snacks are cheese, fruit, plain crack-
ers, toast, plain popcorn.
•Sugary snacks include biscuits, sticky snack
bars, lollies.
•Water and plain milk are the best drinks.
•Cordial, fruit juice and fizzy drinks can cause
food decay. These are for treats.
•Never dip a dummy in something sweet.
•Never put sugary drinks in an infant’s bottle
or a child’s water bottle. They suck on these
throughout the day.
•Never put an infant or toddler to bed sucking
on a bottle.
Staying healthy

Make a Plan
Being organised is the key to cooking good food
on a low budget.
Buying specials wisely
and buying seasonal food helps.
Have a shopping list ‘on the go.’ Write down an item
when you run out of it.
After shopping think about how long each item will
last - and use the most perishable food first.
When you are having a quieter day, try to prepare
parts of a meal for the next day. For example, a
tomato-mince sauce can be served with pasta on
Monday and as a Shepherd’s Pie on Tuesday.
Spare time during the day can also be a time to
partly prepare the evening meal e.g. mince dishes,
casseroles, quiches. Planning can help.
Leftover meat from roast chicken can be used
in a stir-fry next day, or in school lunches.
If you have a freezer, try to cook in bulk and
freeze meals and baking for busy times.
Preparing food yourself is usually
cheaper than buying pre-prepared meals, but
sometimes you don’t have the time or energy
to prepare a meal.
Check out the Takeway Section (Page 81) for
ideas about cheaper takeaways and supermar-
ket ‘fast foods.’
Plan the evening meals for the next week and
check the ingredients you need.
Include some ingredients to make school
lunches and breakfasts.
Include older children in menu planning,
perhaps giving them one night a week where
they choose the meal and prepare it.
Planning tips on eating well for less

Menus
for a week

Suggested menu plan for a week
Breakfasts
Cereal, milk and fruit
Weekend treat - pancakes
(with home-made syrup)
Lunches
Thursday
grated carrot, crunchy peanut butter
sandwiches
Friday
egg filled rolls
Saturday
cheese and ham toasties
Sunday
scrambled eggs on toast
Monday
cheese & pineapple sandwiches
(use left-over crushed pineapple from
Saturday’s pizza)
Tuesday
tuna & celery sandwiches
Wednesday
marmite and cheese sandwiches
Desserts/treats
Thursday - fresh fruit and yoghurt
Friday - fresh fruit and yoghurt
Saturday - ice-cream in a cone
Sunday - apple crumble
Monday - custard
Tuesday - canned fruit
Wednesday - Weetbix square

Suggested menu plan for a week
Thursday
Fish pie and coleslaw (cook extra eggs
to use for Friday lunch).
Friday
Supermarket fast food - bread wraps,
beans, grated carrot, chopped celery.
Saturday
Hawaiian Pizza - scone dough, ham,
crushed pineapple, onion (save
leftover pineapple for Monday lunch).
Sunday - roast chicken, baked kumara,
baked potatoes, cauliflower (save some
chicken for Monday night).
Monday
chicken stir-fry with rice,
cabbage, carrots, cauliflower.
Tuesday
Spaghetti Bolognaise with pasta
(make extra mince sauce for
Wednesday night), frozen veges.
Wednesday
Shepherd’s Pie -
bolognaise sauce, can of beans,
frozen veges, mashed potato. (Make
the Weetbix Square in the hot oven
for dessert and snacks.)
Dinners

The Shopping List
(the ingredients you will need to
buy to make the week’s recipes)
• Fresh fish (choose the cheapest)
• Ham
• Frozen whole chicken
• Mince
• Eggs
• Cheese
• Cottage cheese
• Bread wraps
• Canned kidney beans
• Baked beans
• Tin crushed pineapple
• Weetbix
• Pasta
• Pasta sauce
• Bread
• Rolls
• Carrots
• Onions
• Celery
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Potatoes
• Kumara
• Fruit
• Weetbix
• Fruit
• Small tin of Tuna
• Yoghurt (large pottle)
• Milk
• Frozen vegetables
Check your cupboards
to make sure you have:
• Peanut butter
• Marmite or vegemite
• Rolled oats
• Flour
• Custard powder
• Sugar
• Rice
• Dried fruit
• Ice cream cones
• Ice cream
• Margarine
Menus for a week
(Continued)

Supermarkets have a huge range of food, but check out
other shops for bargains too. There are often good meat
specials from butchers, cheaper bread from bakeries,
cheap sauces, spices and noodles from Asian food shops
and cheaper specials from retailers who sell in bulk.
Surviving the aisles with littlies
• Having a friend look after the children while you shop may
make shopping less stressful
• When taking the children, feed them first and don’t go when
they are tired
• Involve the children when doing the shopping list.
Give them options, e.g. a choice of 3 cereals
• Talk about a special food you will buy at the
supermarket. This does not have to be unhealthy or
expensive, e.g a fruit bun or a pottle of dairy food for
dessert. Make it clear there won’t be any other treats
• Let them help choose the food you need, not the
food they want
• Don’t give into their demands, otherwise they will
expect a treat each time
• Take a small toy a child can play with
• Avoid the sweets aisle
• Let them help put the groceries onto the counter
• Keep calm – most people who have shopped
with children understand the difficulties
Shopping Tips
• Use foods before their ‘use-by’ date
• Check newspapers and flyers for specials
• Buy in bulk if you have storage space
• Buy supermarket brands (house brands)
as they are often cheaper
• Only buy specials that you need
• Stick to your shopping list
• Always start with the basics before buying
extras
• Buy the amount you need. Pre-packed meat,
fruit and vegetables may mean you buy more
than you need
• Look out for end-of-the day bargains but make
sure you can use them while they are still okay
The art of shopping

•Rice
•Pasta
•Flour *
•Rolled oats
•Cornflour
•Baking powder
•Baking soda
•Salt - iodised
•Sugar
•Custard powder
•Vanilla essence
•Spices: cinnamon, mixed
spice, ginger, curry powder,
paprika, chilli powder,
black pepper
Keeping the cupboard stocked
•Eggs
•Cheese
•Milk
* When using flour
Try to use a mixture of white flour
and wholemeal flour. Some recipes
use self-raising flour because it helps
products to rise. Instead you can use
2 teaspoons of baking powder for
every 1 cup of flour in the recipe.
Most of the non-perishable (long lasting) ingredients in the recipes found in this booklet
are in the list on this page. Try to stock up on a few items each time you shop.
Sauces, spices and herbs are great to add flavour. Store these in air-tight labelled containers,
like recycled jam jars or ice cream containers.
•Herbs: mixed herbs
•Vinegar
•Soy Sauce
•Tomato Sauce
•Worcestershire sauce
•Cooking oil
•Tinned food: fish, baked
beans, pasta sauce,
tomatoes, corn, soup
•Milk powder
•Sultanas or raisins
•Potatoes
•Onions
In the Pantry
In the Fridge

Must haves and maybes
A few kitchen items are used all the time - while others are useful but not essential.
MUST HAVES
Fridge
Toaster
Kettle
Sharp knives
(1 small, 1 large, 1 bread knife (serrated edge)
Chopping board
Pots with lids - 1 small, 1 large
Frypan or wok
Grater
Vegetable peeler
Sieve or colander
Fish slice, wooden spoon, spatula (rubber
scraper)
Mixing bowls - 1 small, 1 large
(a saucepan can be used as a mixing bowl)
Cake tin
Oven tray
Roasting dish
Oven-proof dish with a lid (e.g. Pyrex dish)
MAYBES
Wok
Food processor
Egg beater/whisk
Tongs
Muffin tray
Rolling pin (a tall jar or milk bottle can
be used)
Potato masher (a fork can be used)
Lemon squeezer (or squeeze through a
sieve)
Freezer
Yoghurt-maker (after making 10 yoghurt
sachets you will save money)
Microwave
Steamer
Cheese-toastie machine for quick meals
Measuring cups and spoons
Kitchen equipment

Substitutes
If a recipe asks for: Use this instead:
Beef stock
Instant coffee
Baking powder (1 teaspoon) ¼ teaspoon baking soda +
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
Butter
Margarine or oil
Chocolate finely grated
(30g)
3 tablespoons cocoa + 1
tablespoon margarine
Cornflour (1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons flour
Cream
Reduced-fat cream,
evaporated skim milk,
natural yoghurt
Fresh breadcrumbs
Dried breadcrumbs
Fresh tomatoes
Canned Tomatoes
Honey
Jam, sugar or golden syrup
Mayonnaise
Natural yoghurt
Milk
Milk powder and water
Olive oil
Any other vegetable oil, e.g.
soy, salad oil, canola oil
Self-raising flour
1 cup flour + 2 teaspoons
baking powder
Stock cube
Vegetable cooking water,
marmite/vegemite
Tomato puree or paste
Tomato sauce
Recipe substitutes
0

Food safety tips
•Reheat food only once and until it is piping hot
right through to the middle.
•Defrost foods in the fridge, not on the bench-top.
•Keep raw and cooked foods separate in the fridge.
•Store raw meat in the bottom of the fridge well-
wrapped.
•When shopping, put chilled products in a chilly bin
if you are not going straight home.
•Clean dishcloths and tea towels regularly.
•Remember to use frozen food. Label with the
date.
•Don’t leave any food in the freezer for more than
one year. Use meat sooner.
•Wash hands well and dry them before
handling food, and between preparing
raw and cooked foods.
•Clean knives and chopping boards in
hot, soapy water after preparing meat,
fish or chicken.
•Cook minced meat, sausages and
poultry until juices run clear, not pink.
•Do not put cooked meat back on the
same plate that held the raw meat.
•Cover and cool leftover foods as quickly
as possible. Only store cooked food for
two days before reheating.
Food poisoning is caused by bacteria. They like moist, warm conditions.

Reading food labels
Check out the nutrition information on packaged food.
Nutrition Information
Panel
Use the 10/10/6 rule shown
below to make a healthier
choice.
Best choices per
100g are:
• Less than 10 grams fat
• Less than 10-15 grams
sugar
• More than 6 grams fibre
Quantity per 32g
Serving
Quantity per
100g
Energy
(Calories)
472kJ
110 Cal
1416kJ
330 Cal
Protein
1.9g
2.7g
Fat - total
Fat - Saturated
(Saturated Fat
is unhealthy)
3.0g
1.5g
9.0g
4.5g
Carbohydrate
Sugars
20.5g
7.0g
61.5g
21.0g
Sodium
(Salt contains
sodium)
20mg
60mg
Fibre
1.5g
4.5g
EXAMPLE:Apricot Muesli Bar
NUTRITION INFORMATION
Servings per package: 8
Servings per size: 32.5g
Ingredients:
Cereal (rolled oats, oat
bran), glucose, fruit
(Apricot), puffed rice,
vegetable oil, white sugar,
brown sugar, honey,
flavouring (apricot), salt.
May contain traces of
peanuts or other nuts.

Recipes
Breakfasts

Eating breakfast gives you energy for the day. It helps children learn and adults work better. People who don’t eat
breakfast often get the mid-morning munchies – usually choosing less healthy foods to fill up on.
Cereal is the best breakfast. Cereals fortified with iron are good. The milk on the cereal provides calcium.
Including fruit helps absorb the iron in the cereal.
Breakfast
Serving Size
(big eaters will eat 2
serves)
Amount of fibre
per serve
Amount of sugar
per serve
Weetbix
2 biscuits
3.3 grams
0.8 grams
Porridge
1/2 cup rolled oats
3.6 grams
0.4 grams
Cornflakes
30 grams (1 cup)
0.3 grams
2 grams
Ricebubbles
30 grams (1 cup)
0.5 grams
2.6 grams
Crunchy Nut Cornflakes
30 grams (1 cup)
0.3 grams
9.6 grams
Nutrigrain
30 grams (1 cup)
0.8 grams
9.6 grams
Choose a cereal high in fibre. Fibre is found only in
plant foods. Fibre is good for preventing
constipation. It is good for heart health,
diabetes and some cancers. Cereals higher in
fibre will fill you up for longer.
Pre-schoolers don’t need a very high fibre cereal.
Some cereals are very high in sugar,
expensive and not very filling. Save
these for an occasional treat.
Weetbix is the best everyday choice
for all the family. Look for cereals
with added iron.

Microwave Porridge
Serves 2
1 cup rolled oats
2 ½ cups hot water or milk
Iodised salt (optional)
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl (to
prevent it spilling over while cooking).
Cook uncovered on medium power for 1½ minutes.
Stir and return for 1 minute.
Toppings:
Instead of sugar try wheat-germ, chopped
fresh or canned fruit, sultanas, chopped dates
or yoghurt.
Hints:
Mix ingredients together the night before and
leave to stand (use cold water or milk). This saves
time in the morning and improves the porridge.
For a creamier porridge, use more milk and less water.
Stove-top Porridge
Serves 2
1 cup rolled oats
½ cup cold water or milk
2 cups boiling water
Iodised salt (optional)
Mix rolled oats with cold water or milk in
a saucepan. Stir in boiling water and salt
if used. Bring to the boil and cook for 1
minute, stirring occasionally.
Breakfast

Home-made Muesli
Most of these ingredients are in the bakery section
of the supermarket or can be bought in the bulk
bins. Experiment with other grains, nuts and dried
fruit.
4 cups rolled oats
1 cup rice flakes
1 cup wheatgerm
1 cup bran
1 cup seeds/nuts (try sunflower seeds, pumpkin
seeds, chopped peanuts)
1 cup dried fruit (try sultanas, chopped dried
apricots, chopped dates)
Mix first five ingredients in a roasting dish.
Toast in the oven for 10 – 20 minutes.
When cool add dried fruit.
Store in an airtight container.
Breakfast


Pancakes
1 cup self-raising flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup trim milk
Sift flour and salt into a bowl.
Add egg and mix to combine
Gradually beat in milk, mixing
to a smooth batter. For lighter
pancakes, chill for 1 hour.
Heat a lightly greased frypan
using oil, or margarine.
When the pancake begins to
bubble, flip it over and cook the
other side till golden.
Serve with honey, jam, golden
syrup. For a healthier
topping squeeze a lemon over,
or chopped fruit and yoghurt.
Home-made
Maple Syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Simmer sugar and water in a
saucepan until sugar
dissolves.
Add vanilla essence and
cool.
French Toast
This is a good way to use up stale bread.
2 eggs
300 ml trim milk
thick sliced bread
Whisk together the eggs and milk.
Melt margarine, or oil in a frypan.
Place each piece of bread in the egg mix
and soak each side.
Carefully lift out and fry each side until
brown
Toast Toppings
Poached eggs
Tomatoes
Baked beans’
Mashed banana
Creamed corn
Or see pancake recipe for topping ideas.
Weekend Treats
Breakfast

Recipes
School lunches

School lunches can feel like a chore but they are
important. Lunch provides about one-third of the nutri-
ents a child needs. Making lunch is a lot cheaper than
buying it. Try to save bought lunches for treats or very
busy days.
Encourage your child to eat their lunch by making it
easy to eat, keeping it fresh and getting them involved.
Variety is good, but don’t worry if they want the same
thing every day – as long as it is healthy.
The Lunch Box
Lunch boxes have a hard life – the journey to school,
then sitting around for hours in a bag or a locker.
Choose a sturdy lunchbox. In the summer keep the
lunchbox cool by using frozen bread, adding an ice-
pack (make your own ice and put in a leak-proof plastic
bag) or having a frozen drink bottle in the lunchbox.
Package food in bread bags and plastic or
washable pottles.
School lunches

Drinks
Fill water bottles the night before
and keep in the fridge or freezer.
Discourage juice or cordial.
Water is free and best for
their teeth.
Sandwiches
A good lunch should have a
bread base (or rice or pasta),
some protein and fruit or veg-
etables.
Bread provides fibre, B vitamins
and some minerals. Choose
whole-grain or wholemeal breads
for everyone in the family except
infants and toddlers.
The Fillings
•Marmite, vegemite, peanut butter
•Ham, left-over cold meats, tinned
fish, salami, luncheon sausage,
cheese, egg, hummus
•Lettuce, beansprouts, cucumber,
celery
•Add flavour with relish, tomato
sauce, mustard or mayonnaise
•Limit high sugar fillings like honey,
jam, nutella to twice a week
School lunches
Spreads
Try sandwiches without marga-
rine or butter. There is no need
if you have a soft spread like
peanut butter, cottage cheese or
honey or avocado, and it saves
money.
If you do need a spread, any
margarine is a better choice than
butter. Butter is high in
saturated fat, which is a risk for
heart disease. Margarine is high
in the good fats (monounsaturated
and polyunsaturated).
The Base
Sliced sandwich bread is the
cheapest option. Try different brands
for variety, or cutting the sandwich in
different ways (triangle, squares, long
& thin), or roll-ups.
Sandwich Ideas
•Grated cheese, crushed pineapple
•Cottage cheese, chopped nuts,
pinch of curry powder, sprouts
•Grated carrot, crunchy peanut butter
•Creamed corn, chopped celery
•Mashed egg with a little yoghurt
•Cottage cheese, finely chopped
dates
•Mashed banana with a squeeze of
lemon juice
•Peanut butter with honey
•Sardines with spring onions
•Salmon with low-fat mayonnaise
0
School lunches
Not sandwiches
Some children don’t like sandwiches
or want lunchbox variety. Try:
•Left-over dinner
(remember a fork or spoon)
•Rice, pasta or cold potatoes
(cut in cubes) mixed with grated
cheese, ham or salad
vegetables.
•Scones, pikelets
•Crackers and cheese
•Cheese toasties, cheese roll-ups
Extras
Extras need to be as healthy as the
rest of the lunch.
•Cheese slices, boiled egg, meat slice,
sausage
•Popcorn, nuts (school-age children)
•Dried fruit (not every day as it sticks
to children’s teeth)
•Fruit bread or buns
•Rice crackers and cheese
•Yoghurt, dairy food
•Muffins, home-made baking.
Packaged Food
There is a huge range of snack
food in packages but they
can be expensive.
Have a range of pottles or bags
at home to fill yourself and save
money.
Encourage the children to bring the
empty containers home to re-use.
Clever advertisers target children.
They know constant nagging for
something usually makes the
parent give in.
Be strong. Save treat foods for
special occasions. If there are
chips and muesli bars every day,
they are no longer special.
Fruit/Vegetables
Add a small piece of fruit or cut into
bite-sized pieces. Cut fruit like
oranges almost into quarters
so it is whole, but easy to eat.
Sliced carrot sticks, cucumber,
celery sticks are also great for
school lunches.

School lunches

Packaging your own
snacks
It is cheaper to buy food in bulk
than lots of small
packages – you pay more for
the packaging.
Often young children throw
away half-full yoghurt pottles
or half a meusli bar, so
packaging your
own means you control
the amount.
Dairy food or Yoghurt?
Dairy food and yoghurt are both
great choices. They are both
low in fat and a good source of
calcium.
Dairy food is made from milk
thickened with starch and
vegetable gums.
Yoghurt is made from milk
thickened by a yoghurt culture.
Flavoured yoghurt and dairy food
have added sugar.
Natural yoghurt (plain) has no
added sugar.

Many snack bars are
high in sticky sugars that
can cause tooth decay.
Roll-ups and fruit
leathers are made of real
fruit that is dried
and is very sticky.
Eat with plenty of water
or milk, or clean
teeth afterwards.
Give older children
responsibility for choosing
when they have packaged
foods. For example buy one
box of meusli bars per
week and divide between
the children. Let them decide
when they have their ration.
Don’t buy anymore till the
following week.
Home-made lunches
can be really cheap
(Examples)
• Egg (half a mashed egg)
and sprout sandwich = 50c
• Home-made fruit muffin = 25c
• Yoghurt – buy 1kg and put
in small pottles = 60c
• Orange – in season = 30c

Recipes
Snacks

Treat foods and snack foods are
not the same. Foods that are
high in fat, salt and sugar are
best left for occasional treats
- including meusli bars, sweets,
fruit leathers, roll-ups, potato
chips, chocolates, sweet bis-
cuits, fast-foods and fizzy drinks.
Treats like strawberries (in
season), a fresh pineapple or a
Boston bun can be cheaper than
a fizzy drink or iceblock for each
child.
Ideas for
after-school snacks
•Toast, sandwiches, fruit bread
•Popcorn (see quick snacks)
•Pikelets, muffins, scones
(see Home Baking, page 36)
•Cereal and milk
•Weetbix with spread
•Fruit
•Cheese and crackers
•The food not eaten in the lunch-box
(if it looks ok to eat)
Some little children are very tired
by the family meal-time so
an afternoon snack may be
more like dinner.
There is nothing wrong with
scrambled egg, baked beans
or a cheese toastie at 3.30pm.
Snacks

Going Out
Take 5 minutes to gather
snacks before going out with
children. Even if they have
just eaten it doesn’t take long
for them to get their appetites
back. Being caught with hungry
children and no food can result
in everyone getting grumpy or
buying expensive food. Grab
some fruit, a packet of crack-
ers, the raisin container, a loaf
of bread, a knife and the pea-
nut butter. Take water bottles
with water (not sweet drinks).
If they are thirsty enough they
will drink the water.

Instant Noodles

Some quick-to-cook
noodles are not as healthy
as other noodles and pasta.
They are sometimes very
high in salt (especially the
flavour sachet).
They are often fried in oil
before being
packaged. Each noodle
cake can have
around 3 teaspoons of fat
and they are low in
nutrients. Keep them as an
occasional snack. Make
them healthier by adding
frozen vegies.
Other dried noodles are
as quick and easy to cook.
Check the ingredient list, if
vegetable oil is not listed it
will be a better choice.
Portion Sizes
Portion sizes have got much
bigger. We can buy ‘bumper’
packs or ‘up-size’ for little extra
cost. This makes us eat larger
portions. The ‘normal’ serving is
often bigger too.
For example:
•1 large chocolate chip cookie =
8 standard biscuits
•1 large serve French Fries =
3 small servings
•1 café style muffin =
2 ½ standard muffins
Snacks

Rewards
Try rewards that don’t involve
food. Younger children need a
small reward often, like a special
sticker, listening to a CD of their
choice, or an extra story before
sleep. Older children may like to
work towards a larger reward like
a special outing, special time with
a parent (without sisters or
brothers), a sleep-over, or a
special toy.
Encourage other people who look
after your children to follow your
messages. Parents, an after-
school care centre, grandparents
and other care-givers need to give
the same messages. A treat once
a week at grandparents is okay,
but if they care for your children
most days they need to serve
healthy snacks too.
Snacking Survival
Parenting can be hard work.
Remember – you decide
what’s on the menu and your
children decide how much they
want to eat. Don’t get caught
in the trap of offering lots of
different foods when the first
choice is refused. Giving in to
constant nagging may seem
like the easy way out.
Be in control of food choices.
If you have lots of tempting
snacks in the cupboard,
children will keep nagging.
Have firm rules, keep treat
foods up high (usually
tempting for parents too), to
avoid children sneaking food
or battles. Have some food
that they can help themselves
to without
asking, for example fruit,
raisins or bread.
Snacks

Recipes
Home baking & treats

Once every house always had fresh baking in the tins.
Times have changed because biscuits and other baked goods are
cheap to buy now. But baking at home is fun and you can involve
the children. It can be healthier and cheaper and everyone
loves the aroma of goodies fresh out of the oven.
Home baking
Scones

Scones are versatile. They can be served
for morning tea, with soup as a meal, or in
place of bread at lunchtime.
3 cups self-raising flour
¼ teaspoon iodised salt
75g (5 tablespoons) margarine
13⁄4 cups milk
Sift flour and salt into a bowl.
Rub margarine into the flour till it looks
like fine breadcrumbs.
Add milk and quickly mix with a knife
to a soft dough. Add a little more milk
if too dry.
Knead a few times. Roll or pat the
dough to 2cm thick on a floured bench.
Cut into 14-16 squares. Place on a
floured oven tray.
Bake at 200ºC in the middle of the
oven for about ten minutes
or until brown.
Variations:
Add ½ cup grated cheese, ½ cup
sultanas or ½ cup chopped dates.
Pikelets
1 cup self-raising flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
½ cup low-fat milk
Sift flour stir in sugar.
Beat the egg, add the milk. Stir into
the flour mixture. Add more milk if the
mixture is too stiff, or more flour if it is
too thin.
Heat the frying pan with a little
margarine or oil. Drop some mixture off
the tip of a spoon. When the top starts
to bubble, turn it over with a fish slice.
Cook until both sides are golden brown.
Variations:
Add ½ a mashed banana or some
grated apple.

Home baking
ANZAC Biscuits
¼ cup margarine
1 tablespoon golden syrup
1 cup wholemeal flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup coconut
Melt margarine and golden syrup.
Mix all ingredients together.
Roll spoonfuls of the mixture
into balls and place on a lightly
greased oven tray. Flatten.
Bake at 180ºC for 15-20 minutes
or until golden brown. Makes 2
dozen.
Variation:
For a healthier version, replace
coconut with sultanas.
Weetbix Slice
2 crushed Weetbix
½ cup raw sugar (or brown)
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup wholemeal flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup low-fat milk
1 cup dried fruit, e.g. raisins, roughly
chopped apricots
1 cup seeds or chopped nuts,
e.g. pumpkin, sunflower, walnuts
Mix all the ingredients together.
Press into a lightly greased 18x28cm
sponge roll tin.
Bake at 180ºC for 25-30 minutes or
until firm to touch.
Cut when cold. Makes 24 pieces.
Variation:
For a treat, replace 1/3 cup of nuts
with chocolate chips.

Sultana Loaf
1 cup hot water
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup sultanas
25g margarine or oil
1 ½ cups flour (wholemeal
and/or white)
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon iodised salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Place water, sugar, sultanas, mixed fruit
and margarine or oil in a medium-sized
saucepan.
Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally,
then cook on a low heat (uncovered)
for 5 minutes.
Take off the stove and allow to cool.
Sift remaining ingredients into cooled
fruit mixture. Stir only enough to blend
ingredients, as over-mixing causes
toughening. Put into a cake or loaf tin.
Bake at 180ºC for 45-60 minutes.
Muffins
1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup bran or wheat-germ
1 teaspoon spice
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup dried fruit, nuts or seeds
1/4 cup oil (optional)
1 egg, roughly beaten
1/2 cup – 1 cup low-fat milk
1 cup grated or finely chopped
fruit or vegetable
Sift flour and mix in other dry ingredients.
Carefully mix in grated fruit, oil, egg,
and milk as required. Avoid overmixing.
Spoon into muffin trays.
Bake at 180°C for about 20 minutes.
Variations:
Carrot: grated carrot, walnuts,
nutmeg and add 1 tablespoon
golden syrup
Pear: pear, dates (soak in a
little boiling water), ginger
Courgette: courgette, add
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
Green coconut: courgette
and long-thread coconut
Apple: finely chopped apple,
1/3 cup chocolate chips
Bananas: used mashed
over-ripe bananas
Home baking
0
Water is the best drink
Water is free, always avail-
able and healthy. Make it
more exciting by adding ice-
cubes, a lemon slice or mint.
Milk is a good choice. Serve
after or between meals.
If children only like flavoured
milk, use half flavoured and
half plain milk. Make fla-
voured milk at home with milo
or quik. Get children used to
1 teaspoon per glass (saves
money and less sugar).
Keep juice, cordial and fizzy
drinks for weekend or birth-
day treats. Add water to juice
and cordial.
Tea and coffee have tannin
which stops children getting
iron from food.
‘Smart drinks’ like Red Bull
are high in sugar and caffeine
– and very expensive.
Fruit Smoothie
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons milk powder
(optional)
1 piece soft fruit e.g.
banana, apricot, kiwifruit,
berries
3-4 cubes ice
Blend everything until
smooth
and frothy.
Variations:
•Add ¼ cup yoghurt for a
thick smoothie.
•Add ½ cup fruit juice
Drinks
Smoothies & Iceblocks
Smoothies are a snack on
their own. They are also
good for non-breakfast
eaters.
It helps if you have a food
processor or milkshake
maker.
Chocolate Milk
Ice-Blocks
Make your own ice-blocks at
home. Plastic ice-block moulds
with sticks are cheap to buy.
The ice-blocks are quite small
– usually 1 ½ cups liquid is
enough to fill the tray.
Fill with:
•Flavoured milk
•A couple of teaspoons of milo
mixed into milk
•Fruit juice
•Water with a squeeze of lemon
juice and a teaspoon of sugar.
•Mix together equal amounts of
orange juice and milk

Hints
for healthy meals

Base main meals around...
Protein food
e.g. meat, fish, chicken, beans, nuts
and seeds. The meat should cover no
more than one-third of your plate.
Vegetables
Carbohydrates
to fill up hungry tummies, e.g. potato,
kumara, pumpkin, rice, pasta
•Get into a routine with mealtimes.
•Offer small servings of familiar food
and gradually introduce new foods.
•If a child refuses a new food, offer
it a few more times. Children can be
very cautious.
•Let your child decide when they are
full. They are the best judge.
•Encourage children to feed
themselves. Finger foods help.
Dinner Tips
•Time meals so your child is not
too tired. Young children need
an early dinner, or serve their
main meal earlier in the day.
•Mealtimes are social times too.
When you can, eat the evening
meal together.

Turn off the television – hear
your family news instead.
•Don’t offer lots of snack foods
between meals or after meals.

•Drinking lots of juice or milk
between meals can make a
child too full for dinner.
Enjoying Mealtimes

Flavouring Food
A little flavour can go a long
way. Try a little bit first, too
much can overpower the food.
• Spices:
cheap to buy, store in an
air-tight packet in the cupboard.
• Fresh herbs:
many people are happy to give
away fresh herbs.
• Lemon peel (zest) and
lemon juice
• Sauces
• Vegemite and marmite
adds flavour to stocks,
casseroles and sauces.
Which oil to use
There is a huge range of oils on the
market. They are high in
monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fat.
These are the good fats for your heart.
• Try soybean, sunflower, canola,
grapeseed.
• Olive oil is a good choice but
expensive. If a recipe has olive oil,
another oil can be used.
• Butter, lard, dripping and animal fats
are high in saturated fat.
These are not good for your heart and
should be used as little as possible.
Fantastic Apples
Apples are plentiful and often very
cheap. They can be added into all
sorts of dishes:
Mustard and apple coleslaw
Apple Salad
Muffins
Instead of carrot in cake
Pork and Granny Smith casserole
Kumara, apple and chicken
casserole
Sausage and baked bean hash
Apple crumble
Stewed apples for breakfast
Dinner Tips

Cooking Pasta
Pasta is a favourite food among
families. It is quick and easy to cook.
Any shape or type of pasta is a good
choice. Packets are usually 375g or
500g. A large family will
probably need a 500g packet of pasta.
A smaller family will need half of the
packet.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil.
Adding 1 tablespoon oil helps the
pasta stop sticking together, but is not
essential.
Slowly add the pasta to the boiling
water.
Do not cover the saucepan.
Cook for about 10-12 minutes with the
water still boiling.
Stir occasionally to stop sticking.
Drain well.
Pasta and Rice
Pasta and rice are cheap, high in
carbohydrates and low in fat.
They have B vitamins and some
minerals. Serve generous
amounts to fill hungry tummies.
Cooking Rice
There are lots of different types of
rice, suitable for different types of
rice dishes. Generally any rice will
be fine. If you’re serving rice with a
meal long-grain is best. If you are
making a risotto, medium-grain is
best.
For a small family, use 1 cup un-
cooked rice. A large family will need
2 cups. There are different ways
of cooking rice. Rinse the rice in
cold water first. Brown rice will take
longer to cook.

Pasta and Rice
Using leftover pasta or rice
Store cooked rice tightly covered in
the fridge for up to two days. Leftover
pasta or rice can be used in lots of
different ways:
• Heat with a little grated cheese.
• Make a salad with salad vegetables
and a dressing.
• Put in a lunch box with grated
cheese, sliced tomato and chopped
ham.
��� Add to a soup.
• Cook extra rice and use for dinner
the next night in fried rice or
kedgeree
There’s more than one way
to cook up rice!
Absorption Method
Bring 1 cup rice and 2 cups water
to the boil. Keep the lid on. Turn
the element off and leave for 20
minutes. The rice will cook by
itself. Serve.
Rapid Boil
Bring 6 cups of water to the boil.
Stir in one cup of rice. Boil rapidly,
uncovered for 15 minutes. Drain.
Microwave
Put 1 cup of rice in a dish with 2
¼ cups of boiling water. Cover
and cook on medium power for
6 minutes. Take out, stir then put
back in for another 6 minutes.
Watch it doesn’t boil over. Stand
for 5 minutes before serving.

So what’s the big deal
about iron?
Meat:Getting the most for your money
• Choose lean meat, or trim extra fat off.

• Allow about 120g uncooked meat
per person, or 100g cooked meat.
(This may not seem a lot, but it is all
that is needed for most people).
• Watch out for fatty cuts of meat.
By the time you’ve trimmed off the
fat, you could have lost any savings
you might have made.
• Place meat on a rack when
roasting, so that fat can drain away.
• Remove the skin from chicken
before cooking to avoid added fat.
• Scoop the fat off the top of
casseroles or mince. This is
easier to do when cool.
• Heat canned corned beef and
pour off the fat.
• Meats that are high in fat
include sausages, luncheon,
salami, saveloys, pate, rolled roast,
brisket, pork bones, fatty mince,
streaky bacon, meat gravy,
forequarter cuts, canned corned
beef, povi masima.
• Store meat well-covered near the
bottom of the fridge. Keep raw
meat and cooked meat separate.
• Grill, stew, bake or roast on a rack.
Red meat is the best source of iron. Other good sources are chicken, fish and mussels.
Iron found in plant foods and eggs is not absorbed by the body as well. Good sources include
breakfast cereals with added iron, dark-green vegetables, wholemeal bread, dried fruit,
baked beans, dried beans, tofu.
Iron is essential for brain growth,
and to fight infection.
Iron deficiency is very common,
especially in toddlers and women.
If you or your child feels tired, is
sick a lot, has a poor appetite or
problems concentrating, ask your
doctor to test iron levels.
Foods high in vitamin C help your
body absorb iron. Most green,
yellow, orange, red or purple fruits
and vegetables are high in vitamin C.

Recipes
Meat Meals

Meat meals
Spaghetti Bolognaise
1 tablespoon oil
1 large onion
500g lean beef mince
¼ cup tomato paste + 400g canned
tomatoes (or 1 can/jar pasta sauce)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 table-
spoon fresh)
1 ½ cups water
black pepper
1 packet of dried spaghetti (or other
shapes of pasta)
Variation:
Top with fresh parsley, add chopped
carrots or mushrooms.
* Heat oil in a large frying pan or
saucepan. Chop the onion.
Cook for 5 minutes until soft.
* Stir in the mince and brown
quickly.
* Add tomato paste and tomatoes
in juice, breaking up the
tomatoes. Stir in herbs or water.
* Bring to the boil, reduce heat and
simmer for half an hour or until
like a thick sauce.
* Cook spaghetti using the
instructions on the packet.
Drain. Serve and top with mince
sauce.
Two meals out of one!
Make extra bolognaise sauce, top
with mashed potato and bake in the
oven for half an hour for dinner the
following night.

Meat meals
Meat Loaf
Adding grated vegetables to
meat dishes is a good way to get
fussy eaters to eat vegetables.
500g lean mince
3 slices of bread to crumble
(or 1 ½ cups fresh breadcrumbs
or ½ cup rolled oats)
¼ cup tomato sauce
1 egg (not essential)
1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs or
1 tablespoon fresh herbs
1 cup grated carrot
* Mix all ingredients together.
* Press mixture into a loaf tin, or
oven-proof dish.
* Cook at 180ºC for 40-45 minutes,
or until juices run clear.
Meal in a Dish
2 tablespoons oil
400g lean mince
2 cups chopped vegetables, e.g.
onion, celery, carrot, mushrooms,
frozen vegetables, pumpkin
½ teaspoon mixed herbs
¼ cup tomato paste
1 ½ cups water
2 medium potatoes, sliced
* Heat the oil in a saucepan. Brown
the mince, stirring to break up, add
the chopped onions.
* Add the tomato paste, herbs, water
and vegetables. Pour into an oven
dish.
* Peel and slice the potatoes and
cover over the meat.
* Bake for 45 minutes or until
potatoes on top are soft and brown.
Variations:
Add other grated or finely chopped
vegetables. For extra flavour add 1
teaspoon dry mustard and 2 gloves
finely chopped garlic.
Make a large meat loaf and save
some slices for school lunches.
0
Meat meals
Eggy Fried Rice
A great way of using up left-overs, or
a quick meal for fussy eaters.
3 cups cooked rice (1 cup uncooked
rice + 2 cups water)
2 tablespoons oil
1 onion chopped
3 rashers bacon chopped (optional)
1 cup frozen peas (or other favourite
vegetables)
2-4 eggs beaten
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Heat oil in a frying pan. Fry bacon
and onion. Add peas and rice.
Cook for 2 minutes.
Add soy sauce and mix through.
Pour eggs onto mixture and stir
through until just cooked.
Variation
Use ham, chopped sausages or
salami instead of bacon.

Boil Up
• Choose low-fat meat.
Trim off fat.
• Boil meat, cool and scrape off
fat that sets, or pour off boiling
water.
• Refill the pot and heat to boil
again.
• Add onions, garlic or herbs for
flavour instead of salt.
• Add potatoes and kumara.
• Add puha, watercress,
silverbeet, cabbage.

Meat meals
Stir-fries are a great way to make a little meat or chicken go a long way.
The meat needs to be very thinly-sliced and quickly cooked so it isn’t tough.
Beef schnitzel, diced chicken, pork pieces, and left-over roast meat can all be
used. A wok or a large frying-pan can be used.
Finely chop garlic, chop onion. Heat
1 tablespoon of oil in the pan, add
garlic and onions. Cook for a couple
of minutes then add the other
vegetables and soy sauce. Add a
little water if the vegetables stick.
When the vegetables are cooked
and slightly crisp return the meat to
the pan and heat through.
Serve with noodles or cooked rice.
Beef Stir Fry
300g beef schnitzel, flank skirt, chuck
or blade steak
2 tablespoons oil
1 clove garlic
1 onion
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cups finely chopped/sliced
vegetables e.g. carrots, cauliflower,
broccoli, cabbage, bean sprouts,
peppers, leeks, mushrooms, celery,
silverbeet.
Noodles or rice
Cut the schnitzel into thin strips.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pan
and quickly cook the meat on both
sides until just brown. Remove the
meat from the pan.


Tofu is a cheap, easy protein
ingredient in a stir-fry.
It is made of soya-beans.
Keep it in a fridge in water and use
within a few days.
It doesn’t need to be cooked – only
heated, so add at the end of cooking.
Here’s a Hint
Variations:
Try other Asian sauces like Black
Bean, Fish Sauce, Oyster Sauce,
Sweet Chilli Sauce. Add some fresh
ginger.
To improve the flavour of tofu, or the
tenderness of the meat, soak
(marinate) in a bit of soy sauce for an
hour before cooking.
If using left-over meat or tofu, add
towards the end of the cooking. Heat
left-over meat till very hot.

Meat meals
Casseroles are a great way of
using cheaper cuts of meat. They
can be made during the day and
put in the oven mid-afternoon to
save cooking during the busy after-
school time. A casserole needs a
long, slow cooking time. Don’t turn
the oven up to hurry it up. If you
can, make extra and freeze for
another meal.
Try blade, chuck or skirt steak.
Also topside, fresh silverside,
shank/shin, brisket, spare ribs,
oxtail. Good lamb cuts include
neck or shoulder chops, leg
chops or shanks. Gravy beef
needs more trimming and shin
beef needs a long cooking time
To bring out the flavour of the
meat, chop into cubes and quickly
brown in a frying pan or saucepan.
Beef and Vegetable Stew
500g beef steak
1 ½ cup water
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped into cubes
½ cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Cut meat into cubes. Brown briefly on
both sides in a saucepan or frying pan.
Put in a casserole dish. Add water to
almost cover. Add the
vegetables. Cover and cook at
160°C for 1 ½ to 3 hours till the meat
is tender. If you like, thicken with corn-
flour or flour mixed to a paste with cold
water, in the last half hour of cooking,
and season to taste.
Stove-top stew:
Brown meat as above in a heavy-
based pan, then add vegetables and
liquid. Cover tightly and cook on stove
top on a very low heat until tender.
Stir occasionally, adding extra liquid if
needed.
Variations
• Pork and Apple: Use a similar
cut of pork and add chopped apple
(Granny Smith is best).
• Mushroom: Add sliced
mushrooms instead of carrots.
• Tomato: Add a can of tomatoes.
• Kumara: Add kumara cut into
cubes.

Braised Lamb Chops
with Apples
8 lamb shoulder chops, well trimmed
2 onions, peeled and quartered
1 leek, trimmed, washed and sliced
thickly
2 apples, cored and sliced thickly
2 carrots, sliced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
(or 2 tablespoons fresh oregano)
2 cups vegetable stock (or water)
2 tablespoons cornflour
1 tablespoon golden syrup
Heat a dash of oil in a frying pan and
brown the lamb chops well. Transfer
to an oven-proof dish.
Add a dash more oil to the pan
and brown the onions, leek and
apple slices. Scatter the carrots and
oregano over the lamb chops.
Pour the stock or water over.
Cover and cook at 160°C for 1¼ - 1½
hours or until the lamb chops and
vegetables are tender.
Carefully pour the cooking juices into
a saucepan, leaving the chops and
vegetables in the dish.
Mix the cornflour with enough water
to make a smooth paste. Stir into the
cooking juices. Cook, stirring over a
moderate heat until thickened.
Add the golden syrup and pour back
over the chops and vegetables in the
dish. Mix well.
Serve with plenty of mashed
potatoes.
Variation
•Use neck, leg chops or shanks.
Meat meals

Meat meals
Hamburgers
These are a favourite with children.
Home-made hamburgers are cheaper
and healthier than takeaway shops.
Choose your pattie, cook and put in the
bread. Choose a spread and add some
fillings.
Pattie options:
Meat pattie
Fish pattie
Grilled bacon
Cooked chicken
Lentil pattie (see page 65)
Meat Patties
Have about 100g mince for each burger.
Roll mince into a ball with wet hands.
Heat oil in a pan. Put pattie in and
flatten with a fish slice.
Cook on high heat until brown on both
sides and in the middle. This should
take about 2 minutes each side.
Bread options:
Choose one:
Hamburger roll
Sliced toast bread
French Bread
Focaccia bread
Spread options:
Tomato sauce
Mustard
Chutney
Mayonnaise

Meat meals
“Chickeny” Hints
• A whole chicken is usually cheaper
to buy. Chicken pieces do save time.
Boneless chicken is expensive but
you’re not paying for bones.
• Servings of chicken don’t have to
be large. Make sure there is plenty
of potatoes, rice or pasta.
• Most of the fat is in the skin.
If possible, remove skin before
cooking in a casserole, or remove
after cooking when roasting or
grilling. It is not worth trying to take
the skin off chicken wings!
Chicken is often a family
favourite. Look for frozen
chickens on special and stock up.
Left-over chicken can be used
in school lunches, on pizzas, in
quiche, hamburgers, fried rice and
in many other ways.
• Chicken needs to be properly
cooked. To test, prick with a
fork. If the juices run clear, not
pink, the chicken is cooked.
• Boiling fowls or roasting fowls
are cheaper. They need to be
cooked for a long time so they
are not tough. Simmer fowl in
a large pot, covered in water for
about 3 hours.
• Save chicken bones to make
stock. (see soup page 77)

Meat meals
Chicken makes great ‘leftovers’ food
for the next day:
• Sandwiches for lunches
• Stir-fry. Tear cooked chicken into
pieces and add to a stir-fry near the
end of cooking but make sure the
chicken is heated well.
• Pasta sauce. Add cooked chicken
to a pasta sauce. Serve with pasta.
Thicken the casserole by mixing the
cornflour in a cup with ¼ cup cold
water. Add this to the casserole near
the end of cooking.
Variations:
Kumara and apple casserole:
Use kumara instead of potatoes. Use
chopped apple instead of
carrots.
Rosemary and garlic casserole:
Use fresh rosemary instead of mixed
herbs. Add 2 crushed garlic cloves.
Apricot casserole: Add dried
apricots with other ingredients.
Chicken Casserole
4 large or 8 small chicken pieces
4 potatoes
2 onions
4 carrots
chopped celery
1 ½ cups water
2 teaspoons instant chicken stock
(optional)
1 teaspoon mixed herbs (or 1 table-
spoon fresh herbs)
1-2 tablespoons cornflour to thicken
Take the skin off the chicken pieces.
Cut the potatoes into large pieces.
Slice the carrots into rounds. Cut the
onions into chunks.
Put the vegetables and chicken
pieces into a casserole dish.
If using stock, dissolve in the water.
Pour the water over.
Sprinkle over the herbs. Cover.
Bake at 180°C for 1 ½ hours until
chicken is cooked.

Meat meals
Roast Chicken
Roast chicken is popular for special
occasions. Make the chicken go
further with stuffing and lots of baked
potatoes, kumara or pumpkin. Follow
the directions on the packet.
A small chicken will only need about
1 ½ hours in an oven at 180°C
while a large chicken will need
up to 2 ½ hours.
A chicken will cook quicker
if it is covered.
Stuffing
Allow extra time for a stuffed
chicken. Double the recipe for
a large chicken
¼ cup margarine
1 tablespoon finely, chopped onion
2 cups soft breadcrumbs
fresh pepper
1 apple, cut into small pieces
fresh or dried herbs, e.g. parsley,
thyme, sage, mixed herbs
Melt margarine in a fry pan,
saucepan or in the microwave.
Cook onion for a few minutes in
the margarine.
Add the other ingredients and
mix well.
Stuff into the middle of the chicken.
Variations:
Add celery, or mushrooms.
Marinated Chicken Pieces
Marinades add flavour to chicken and
other meats.
4 large or 8 small chicken pieces
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey (or brown sugar)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon ground ginger
(or 1 tablespoon freshly
grated ginger)
Remove the skin from the chicken
pieces. Combine the other ingredients.
Place the marinade and chicken in an
oven-proof dish. Marinate for 2 or more
hours, or overnight.
Bake at 180°C for 30-40 minutes or until
tender. Or, microwave on high for 12-15
minutes.
Spoon the juices over the chicken a few
times during cooking.
Variations
Other ingredients that could be used in
the marinade:
• 1 tablespoon oil (sesame oil is best)
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 tablespoons sherry or red wine

Recipes
Fish

Fish
Fish is healthy and tasty. Try
to eat it at least once a week.
The oils in fish (omega 3) are
thought to be good for ‘mental
health’, arthritis and preventing
heart disease.
Fish is high in protein and low
in saturated fat. Fish provides
minerals that are low in other
foods, e.g. iodine, selenium,
phosphorous, vitamin B12.
Canned fish is
a cheap way to buy fish.
Buy tins of fish in water rather
than oil with no added salt. Look
for the Heart Tick sign.
Not all fresh fish is expensive.
Try the cheaper cuts
of fish. The person selling
the fish should have
some ideas of how to cook it.
Lemon and parsley
are great to add flavour to
fish and often free.
Buy about 100-150g
per person.
Try to use fish or seafood
on the day you
buy it.
Home-made Fish & Chips
500g fish fillets
½ teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cup Weetbix crushed, or breadcrumbs
1 egg
Pat fish fillets dry with paper towels so the
crumbs will stick.
Beat egg with 1 tablespoon of water in a shallow
plate.
Put crushed Weetbix or breadcrumbs in a
shallow plate.
Dip fish in egg, and then in cereal.
Coat both sides.
Bake 10 minutes at 230°C. Thicker fillets
may need longer.
Serve with wedges (see vegetable section).
Variation:
Add 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds and
1 teaspoon ground ginger to the Weetbix.
Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce to the
egg mixture.
0
Fish Pie
1 kg potatoes
2 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup low-fat milk
450g tin fish (smoked is nice)
2 eggs, hard boiled
parsley (if you have it)
Cook the potatoes and mash.
Melt margarine in a small
saucepan, add flour and cook
for one minute.
Take off the stove and gradually
stir in the milk. Put back on the
stove, stir, and cook until thick
- about five minutes.
Fish
Fish Cakes
1 small can smoked fish or tuna
3 medium potatoes, cooked and
mashed
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 egg
1 tablespoon oil
Mix all ingredients except oil.
Spread a little flour on a board, tip
mixture out, shape into a rectangle
and cut into eight pieces. Shape into
round, flat patties.
Heat the oil in a pan. Put four cakes
into the pan. Brown on both sides.
Variations
Add flavour with black pepper,
chilli sauce, chopped parsley.
Dip each patty in beaten egg
and breadcrumbs before frying.
Lightly break up the fish.
Add to the sauce. Add sliced
hard-boiled eggs and parsley.
Pile into a large oven dish
and cover with the mashed
potatoes.
Cook in a 180°C oven for
about 20 minutes or until
heated through.
Variations:
• Add other vegetables like
frozen peas.
• Use fresh fish. Pie pieces
are often very cheap.

Fish & Mussels
Kedgeree
1 can tuna or smoked fish
2 cups cooked rice
1 onion, chopped
2 eggs, hard boiled
Break up fish.
Slice eggs.
Heat oil in a pot or frying pan,
brown the onion.
Add the rice, fish, and egg.
Heat and serve.
Variation:
Use fresh smoked fish,
or cooked white fish.
Quick cooking ideas
• Brush fillets with oil. Grill for about
5 minutes on each side. Serve with
a squirt of lemon juice and fresh
parsley.
• Cover with orange juice and bake in
the oven at 180°C for about ½ hour.
A little bit of garlic or ginger adds
flavour.
• Microwave with a covering of
reduced-fat coconut cream on high.
Fish cooks very quickly in the
microwave.
Steamed
Mussels
Mussels are a
reasonable price,
or free if you know where
to collect them.
They are also very high in
iron and other minerals.
Put the mussels in
a large pot with just
enough water to cover
the bottom.
Add chopped herbs,
lemon slices or garlic
if you wish.
Put the lid on and
steam the mussels
until the shells open easily.
Lift out with tongs.
The liquid makes great
stock.

Recipes
Beans and lentils

Beans & lentils
You don’t have to serve meat, fish
or chicken at every main meal. Try
another ‘protein food’ once a week.
This could be eggs, dried, cooked
beans (baked beans, chilli beans,
kidney beans, chickpeas), lentils,
tofu, nuts or seeds.
Baked beans are a great
way of introducing beans.
Try canned chilli beans
for more oomph.
Quick beany pasta
1 packet of pasta
1 440g can of cooked dried beans
(not baked beans)
1 440g jar of pasta sauce
1 finely chopped onion
1 carrot chopped into cubes
Drain the beans. Add all ingredients
except pasta.
Heat gently in a saucepan until the
vegetables are cooked.
Meanwhile cook the pasta. Drain.
Serve pasta with sauce on top.
Variations:
• For meat fans, add a little chopped
sausage, ham or cooked bacon
• For a tomato-lentil sauce cook ½
cup lentils in 1 ½ cups water

• When almost cooked add pasta
sauce and vegetables. The lentils
replace the beans
• Add other vegetables of your choice
• Top with fresh herbs like parsley,
thyme or oregano.

Beans & lentils
Handy tips for cooking
beans
If you only have a little bit of
meat, add some beans to make
the meat go further.
Add lentils to a casserole, red
kidney beans to mince, or split
peas to soup.
Vegetarians don’t eat meat,
fish or poultry. Some have
milk, eggs and milk products.
It is very important that
vegetarians eat a ‘protein food’
every day. They need more
than extra vegetables or a slice
of cheese.
Vegetarians who don’t eat/drink
milk products need to have
soy-milk or rice milk with added
calcium.
Rinse dried beans and lentils with a sieve.
1 cup of uncooked beans makes about 3
cups cooked beans.
Put beans in a saucepan and cover with lots
of water.
Leave to soak for at least 8 hours then
drain the soaking water.
(Note: Lentils don’t need soaking).
Cover with fresh water, bring to the boil and
simmer until very soft. The larger the bean
the longer the cooking time.
Lentils only need about half an hour to cook
while kidney beans need over an hour. Once
cooked, drain the cooking water.
Dried beans and lentils
are very cheap.
Canned, cooked beans are
more expensive but still much
cheaper than meat.
Try canned borlotti beans, cannelini
beans, red-kidney beans,
bean mix or chickpeas.
Lentils don’t need soaking
and are quicker to cook than beans.

Beans & lentils
Chilli beans
Add as much or as little chilli as your
family’s taste buds allow.
1 ½ cups cooked kidney beans
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, finely ch