Healthy one-pot recipes on a budget

Life can be hectic. Between getting home from work and picking the kids up from school, it’s understandable if your tea tends to consist of freezer food. There’s often little time left in the day to cook an elaborate meal from scratch.  

And with supermarket prices where they stand, it’s tempting to pick up cheap, ready-made meals or fast food instead of getting fresh ingredients for a homecooked meal.

Nutrition and wellbeing

But being short on time and money shouldn’t mean having to forfeit your wellbeing.

Eating wholesome food with plenty of fruit and veg is essential for your body and mind to function properly. Life is stressful and busy enough without low energy and nutrient deficiencies dragging you down.

Plus, a diet made up of different coloured foods is key to maintaining a strong immune system, which protects your body against infections and helps fight off colds.

One-pot wonders

You don’t need to spend hours in the kitchen to eat well. There are plenty of delicious, balanced meals you can make in a single pot, that require minimal clean up.

We’ve pulled some examples of healthy one-pot recipes full of everyday ingredients that take under an hour to make.

One-pot chicken and rice

High in protein, comforting and filling, this chicken and rice dish isn’t just for gym lovers. It’s a family-friendly meal that doesn’t require much prep or chopping thanks to the mixed frozen vegetables. Frozen veg is often cheaper and lasts longer, so you’re less likely to waste money on throwing out ingredients before they make it to your plate.

Add in some healthy fats like some own-brand Greek yogurt and you’ve got a perfectly balanced evening meal. Money-saving hack: skip the meal deal and make extra portions of this for your packed lunch tomorrow.

Spinach and sweet potato dhal

Lentils may not be in your usual cooking repertoire, but this fragrant dhal might just inspire you to keep some in your pantry. Not only are they cheap and filling, lentils are packed with lots of essential nutrients, including antioxidants, protein and iron.

When you cook dhal, the lentils soften until their texture changes and becomes similar to mash. The end result is a comforting meal that we reckon even your pickiest kid will love.

Eating meat seven days a week is expensive, especially if you’ve got a big family. So opting for a meatless dinner like this one a couple nights a week could bring down your shopping costs.

Veggie pasta

Nothing like a big bowl of pasta to cheer you up after a long day. The great thing about vegetable pasta is you can use up any leftover veg and it’ll be delicious. Throw in some courgette, half a carrot, or a couple of mushrooms – whatever you’ve got lying around will do.

You can make your own sauce with tinned tomato, garlic and herbs, or simply use your favourite jarred pasta sauce for an even quicker meal.  

To make this recipe, you don’t need to cook your pasta separately – it goes in with the veg. You’ll just need to keep an eye on the pot and top it up with water or stock as needed.

Unstuffed bell peppers

Stuffed bell peppers: a classic! Tasty, satisfying, and popular with all ages. But between chopping, cooking the filling, then stuffing and baking the peppers, it can be quite a faff.

Instead, why not try this unstuffed bell pepper recipe to get the same flavours in one easy and convenient pot.

Make this vegetarian or vegan by swapping out the meat for vegan mince, black beans or chickpeas. You can also leave out the cheese and Worcestershire sauce or use alternatives.

It’s perfect for freezing too, so this is another great one to batch cook.