Category: Recipes

Putting together a well balanced lunch does not have to be complicated. Our main goal should be to keep it well balanced ie do we have our wholesome carbs, lean proteins and our colour (veg), while limiting things like sauces that are high in saturated fats and sugar, as well as overall saturated fat content of the meal.

Cooking extra at dinner time and taking the leftovers to the office is one option, but you can also stock up on some basics, to quickly put together a nutrient dense lunch that will give you what your body needs to get through the second half of the work day.

Here are some examples!

Pick one from each column and assemble to your liking!

Mix and match!

As you can see, putting together a well balanced, nutrient dense lunch does not have to be difficult.

Tip: Buy some of the above ingredients and keep them in the office to make your life easy around lunch time.

Lastly don’t forget to stay hydrated! We want to aim for 250ml of water per every 10kg of body weight!

Keeping packers of tins of tuna in the pantry cupboard is a great hack for meal planning and ensures you get quick lean, healthy protein into your meals. But tuna on its own can be quite… boring! So we’re here to help you make five amazing meals with tuna.

Let’s take your tinned tuna to the next level with these five recipe ideas!

1. Tuna Panzella
This quick version of an Italian classic yields a filling meal!
Simply mix together 1 tin of drained tuna with 3 chopped tomatoes, day-old Ciabatta slices (tossed in olive oil and heated in a pan to make croutons), a handful of basil, one small shallot chopped finely and a good drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season to taste and enjoy!

2. Tuna Fishcakes & Salad
   Combine drained tuna, chopped spring onion, handful bread crumbs, 2 eggs, seasoning of your choice and 2 tbsp mayonnaise in a bowl. Divide into 6-8 portions, coat in flour and then fry in a little olive oil. Serve with a green salad!
3. Tuna Caesar Salad
   Combine drained tuna with 1 head of romaine lettuce (chopped), anchovies (optional), shaved parmesan, olive oil, lemon juice or balsamic and seasoning. Add toast croutons or a slice of toast (optional).
4. Basic Nicoise
   Mix together 1 tin of tuna (drained), with 1 handful of chopped fine green beans, ¼ cup kalamata olives, ½ cup chopped red rosa tomatoes, 2 baby radishes (finely sliced), 2 boiled eggs, quartered, chopped lettuce and anchovies (optional). Season and dress with olive oil and balsamic.
5. Tuna Garden Salad Sarmie
   Combine drained tuna with ½ granny smith apple (finely chopped), ¼ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup chopped fennel, herbs and seasoning of your choice and divide among sandwiches using wholegrain bread and soft buttery lettuce leaves. Works well in a wrap or pita too!

What’s your favourite way to eat tuna? Share your recipes with us and tag @medshieldsa and #MedshieldMovement on social media! Explore our resources for more options!

Meal-planning is a great way to make sure that you set yourself up for nutritional success! This “foundation” salad works as a great base for a number of dishes with quick add-ons.

You’ll want to aim for chopping the salad ingredients into approximately 1 cm square shapes, rather use this as a sizing guide than for perfection. You’ll want to remove the seeds of the cucumber to make sure that the salad stays fresher for longer. Season all to taste.

Foundation Salad Recipe:

 What You Need:

• 3 peppers, deseeded and chopped (red, green and yellow)
• 5-6 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 large English cucumber, seeded and chopped
  2 tins of drained, rinsed and towel-dried chickpeas
• Small purple cabbage, finely shredded

  Method:
  Place together in a large sealable container and place in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Mix it up:

1. Super Greek Salad
Portion out one fifth, and simply add some chopped tomatoes, feta, lettuce and olives to your mix with some olive oil and balsamic (red onion optional) and you have a superfood Greek style salad.

2. Wrap it up
Portion out one fifth and make a delicious wrap by adding some shredded lettuce and a little smashed avocado to hold it together nicely.

3. Chickless mayo toastie
Portion out one fifth, mash it up slightly and mix with a tablespoon of mayonnaise (optional: add a couple finely chopped pickles and red onion) and top of whole grain toasted bread for “chickless mayo” toasties.

4. Pita Party

Portion out one fifth and pack your pitas with this filling and a little hummus or tzatziki and extra shredded lettuce (optional).

5. Make it mediterranean
For the chopped salad of dreams, portion out one fifth and add some finely chopped tomato, finely chopped red onion, lemon juice, parsley and mint and seasoning and enjoy!

We can all benefit from including more plant based foods in our diet. Plant based foods contain an abundance of nutrients such as fibre, which is immensely beneficial for gut health! This chickpea curry is a great way to do so! This recipe alone contains five different plants!

Recipe (serves 4)

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Ingredients

• 4 skinless chicken breasts diced
• 1 tin of chickpeas drained
• 1 tin of tomato and onion mix
• 1 tin of reduced fat coconut milk
• 1 diced onion
• 250g mushrooms sliced
• 200g fresh spinach
• 2 Tbsp mild yellow curry powder (or more if you like it spicy!)

Method

1. Fry your onion in 1 Tbsp of oil until translucent
2. Add in your sliced mushrooms
3. Cook until soft
4. Stir in the curry powder
5. Add your diced chicken and sear for 1 min on each side
6. Add all your tinned ingredients
7. Add the spinach leaves
8. Reduce the heat and let your curry simmer until your chicken is cooked and spinach is wilted
9. Serve with rice and a sprinkle of feta.

Looking for a healthy recipe to add into your braai rotation? Try these homemade chicken sosaties! Following a plant-based diet or wanting to add some more vegetarian meals into your meal plan? Simply swap out the chicken for blocks of firm tofu or thick slices of aubergine.

Homemade sosaties contain less salt (you can leave the salt out altogether if you like) and are free from preservatives. These are so fun and easy to make – rope in the family to help you! The peppers are packed with Vitamin C and A and the  pineapple gives a naturally sweet touch!
If you’re using wooden skewers, make sure to pre-soak them in water for a few hours or simply do this the night before.

What You Need:

• 500g chicken breasts (or tofu or aubergine), cut into 2cm cubes1 red pepper, cut into squares of a similar size
• 1 yellow pepper, cut into squares of a similar size
• 1 red onion, cut into squares of a similar size
• 1 Pineapple, cut into squares of a similar size

For the Marinade:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp each: smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, turmeric, chilli flakes (optional)
• Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper

  Method:
  1/ Whisk all the marinade ingredients together and add your protein into the mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

          2/ Assemble the sosasties by threading the protein with the vegetables and pineapple, creating a colourful sosatie.

          3/ Grill over a medium-high heat on the braai for about 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally to make sure all sides are cooked.

        4/ Serve with a salad of your choice!

Looking for another easy chicken dish to feed the family? Try this one Greek-style on-tray oven dish! Looking for some more plant-based alternatives? Read how to make easy vegan food swaps here!

Oyster mushrooms are a great vegetarian substitute for chicken, especially when pulled with a fork to make the texture like shredded chicken breast. Give this fun tasty recipe a try this summer!

Tacos are such a fun way to build meals and snacks and they’re great for dinner parties too! You can pack them with fresh salad ingredients to make them healthier and get the kids involved in making their own.

Mushrooms are also great sources of Vitamin B and D and minerals like potassium and iron. Mushrooms are also low in calories and high in flavour, making them a great food for those following a weight-loss or management programme.

What You Need:

• 250g oyster mushrooms
• Olive oil
• 1 tsp each: smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, chilli flakes (optional)
• Pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 corn tortillas
• 1 cup shredded lettuce
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• ½ cup cooked mealies (or leftover mealies from a braai), removed from the cob
• ½ cup of guacamole
• ¼ cup fresh coriander leaves
• Lime wedges for garnishing

Method:

1/ Pull the oyster mushrooms apart using a fork, to create a shredded texture. Coat the mushrooms in the spices and toss to combine.

2/ Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat and add the spiced mushrooms. Saute for 8-10 minutes until cooked and slightly golden.

3/ Warm the tortillas according to package instructions and lay out all your ingredients for assembling and enjoy!
Want to add a healthy, protein-packed and vegan creamy texture? Add some whipped tofu to your tacos! Find the recipe and another great dish for #veganuary here: https://medshieldmovement.co.za/roast-beetroot-salad-with-whipped-tofu-nuts-and-mint/

These easy-to-make energy bites are tasty healthy treats that are great for on-the-go snacking or to put in your kids lunch boxes! Pack them in for a weekend hike, trail run or picnic too!
These no-bake energy bites are easy to make and packed with fibre thanks to the oats, healthy fats thanks to the almond butter and give that tropical summery taste thanks to the coconut and pineapple. The pineapple will also add a natural sweet-sour moreish flavour along with the honey.

This recipe is easy to make in a large food processor, but can also be made by hand. If the mixture is too sticky, add some more desiccated coconut as this helps to absorb the moisture. If the mixture is too dry, add some more nut butter or honey.

You can use any nut butter of your choice, but keep in mind that they have different consistencies and the recipe may need to be slightly adjusted accordingly.

What You Need:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• ½ cup of dried pineapple, finely chopped
• ½ cup desiccated coconut, plus extra for rolling
• 1 tbsp chia seeds (or flax seeds)
• ¼ cup honey or maple syrup
• ½ cup almond or macadamia nut butter

Method:

1/ Add all the ingredients to a large bowl (or food processor if using) and mix until combined.

2/ Roll the mixture into small balls and then roll them again in desiccated coconut to make them less sticky (optional).

3/ Place the balls on a baking tray lined with baking paper and refrigerate for an hour to set.

4/ Store in an airtight container.

Looking for another healthy snack? Try these oat cookies that you can make in the airfryer!

This recipe is the perfect cool dessert for a hot summer’s day! You can either make it as a small tub or individual lollies using old yoghurt cups if you don’t have a lolly maker. Serve this as a refreshing dessert or as a palate cleanser if you’re being extra fancy this festive season. This recipe is vegan-friendly. If you have an ice cream maker, prepare according to your appliance’s instructions.

What You Need:

• 1 x 400g tin of coconut cream
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tablespoon lime zest
• 1 cup coconut water

Method:

1/ Combine all the ingredients in a bowl with a whisk or in a blender until smooth.

2/ Divide among lolly holders or into a freezable bowl with a lid of plastic wrap and freeze overnight. (if using a large container, be sure to give the mixture a stir after a couple of hours and then potentially a second stir in the morning before a final freezing).

Enjoy!

Looking for more healthy treats to make this festive season?
Try our incredible Beet Brownies or these tasty Guilt-Free Chocolate Recipes.

This is a vegetarian star dish for the festive season table or as a showstopper side or addition to a harvest table this holiday.

Roast butternut is completely elevated with the popping colour of cranberries and spinach with added plant protein thanks to the quinoa. Not a fan of dried cranberries? Swap out for pomegranates for the same jewel-popping colour tones. You can also swap the quinoa for millet or couscous for a more affordable, but equally delicious option. What You Need

• 2 medium butternuts, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed
• Olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup quinoa (or ½ cup raw millet or couscous)
• ½ cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped (or ½ – 1 cup pomegranate jewels)
• 100g pecans, roughly chopped
• 1 large handful baby spinach leaves

For the dressing:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 tsp mustard
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the garnish:

• Fresh coriander or parsley leaves
• The reserved lemon zest
• Extra pomegranate jewels

  Method:

  1/ Preheat the oven to 200°C.

2/ Place the butternut cut-side up on the tray. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of olive oil and seasoning. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the butternut is fork tender. Remove and cool.
3/ While the butternut is baking, heat a little olive oil in a small pan over medium-heat and saute the onion until translucent. Add the quinoa to the pan and cook according to package instructions.

4/ Fluff the quinoa with a fork and stir in the spinach and allow it to wilt naturally with the heat. Add the cranberries and pecans and set aside.

5/ In a separate bowl, make the dressing: mix together 2 tbsp olive oil, the lemon juice and mustard and a sprinkle of seasoning. Pour this over the cooked quinoa.

6/ Make the butternut boats by scooping out half of the butternut flesh, leaving a border inside to help hold the shape. Mix the flesh with the quinoa and then place this back inside the butternuts.
7/ Turn the oven down to 180°C and bake the stuffed butternuts for 10-15 minutes.

8/ Garnish with herbs, zest and some pomegranate seeds (optional).

Looking for more fun festive vegetarian recipes for summer? Make these grilled Vegetable & Halloumi Skewers or try these hearty Stuffed Baked Peppers as a great vegan option.

This recipe is a great crowd-pleaser and perfect for cosy family lunches over the festive season. Plus, it’s healthy and only uses one baking tray for cooking!

This dish pops with beautiful colours and flavours and thanks to the red onion and tomatoes and, because it’s so easy to make, you get to spend more time with your loved ones this festive season outside of the kitchen

What You Need:

For the sauce:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 lemon, zested (reserve for garnishing) and juiced
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp each thyme, oregano, salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp mustard

For the tray:

• 6-8 chicken thighs (skinless for a leaner option)
• 250g rosa tomatoes
• 1 large red onion, sliced into wedges
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced into 2cm pieces
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into 2cm pieces
• 3-4 baby marrows, quartered lengthwise
• ½ cup pitted olives
• ½ cup feta (or tofu feta for dairy free)

For garnishing:
Handful fresh parsley or basil

Method:

1/ Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius.

2/ Whisk together the sauce ingredients.

3/ Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and pour over half of the marinade. Massage the sauce into the chicken and then set aside to marinate while you prep your veggies.

4/ Place your vegetables on the baking tray, drizzle over half of the remaining half of the dressing (ie, one quarter). Bake for 15-20 minutes.

5/ Add the marinated chicken pieces to the tray and bake for 30 minutes.

6/ Remove the tray and add the olives and feta cubes as well as any remaining sauce and bake for a final 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and the chicken is cooked to your liking.

7/ Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon zest and serve with a side of your choice, such as whole grain rice, a green salad or freshly torn baguettes.