Five Quick Healthy Recipes

Cook up delicious, memorable, fat loss-friendly meals in less time than it takes to read this article

We have a confession. We called the recipes in this article “15-Minute Feasts” because it sounds catchy. But most of these recipes don’t take 15 minutes to make… they actually take less than that. OK, if you lost one or both hands in a vending-machine accident so you’re cooking with hooks, you may need longer. But barring that, we’re talking an average of eight to ten minutes, start to finish. And they taste fantastic: creamy pasta, gravy-soaked beef, rich chicken stew, spicy buffalo chicken rolls. Oh, and did we mention that they’re all high in protein, fibre, good fats and other super healthy things too? Your days of being so tired you “have to” order in pizza are over. These meals will land on your plate a lot faster – and treat your body a lot better.

Buffalo Chicken Rolls

Ingredients (Makes 4 servings)

2tbsp coconut oil 4 big handfuls cooked rotisserie chicken, shredded 125ml barbecue or hot sauce 4 wholewheat rolls 115g blue cheese, crumbled 2 celery stalks, cut into 7-8cm pieces

To Make (Prep time 3 minutes, cook time 5-6 minutes)

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once it’s melted, add the chicken and sauce and cook for three to four minutes until warmed through. Evenly divide chicken between rolls. Scatter blue cheese over the chicken and serve with celery.

Nutrition (per serving): 491 calories, 33g protein, 19g carbs, 31g fat

Italian Pork

Ingredients (Makes 2 servings)

1tsp coconut oil 4 pork cutlets, 70g each Salt and pepper 5 garlic cloves, crushed 400g frozen pepper-and-onion mix 400g canned whole peeled plum tomatoes 200g canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

To Make (Prep time 1 minute, cook time 5-7 minutes)

Heat the oil in a skillet. Season both sides of each pork cutlet with salt and pepper, place it in the skillet and brown each side evenly over high heat, about one minute per side. Remove the browned pork and set aside. Reduce the heat slightly and add the garlic to skillet. Cook until golden brown, about one minute. Add the onion-and-pepper mix, tomatoes and beans. Bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the pork and cook until heated through, about four minutes. Once the pork is cooked, serve.

Nutrition (per serving): 454 calories, 49g protein, 50g carbs, 7g fat

Lemon-Garlic Shrimp With Pasta

Ingredients (Makes 2 servings)

1tsp coconut oil 3tbsp garlic (use pre-chopped) Pinch of crushed chillies 300g organic courgette (about 2 medium), washed and cut into 1cm slices, then halved 450g shirataki noodles (or similar), rinsed, drained and cut into 7-12cm pieces 340g peeled and cooked prawns or shrimp 60ml fresh lemon juice Salt

To Make (Prep time 2 minutes, cook time 5 minutes)

Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring until it turns golden brown. Add the chilli flakes and courgette and cook until the courgette is soft, about two minutes. Add the noodles and shrimp and cook, stirring until any excess liquid has evaporated (about two minutes). Once all liquid has evaporated, add the lemon juice and turn off the heat. Season with salt to taste, and serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving): 305 calories, 43g protein, 21g carbs, 6g fat

White Bean And Chicken-Sausage Stew

Ingredients (Makes 4 servings)

1tbsp coconut oil 4-6 cooked chicken sausages 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 400g canned cannellini beans, rinsed 400ml low-sodium organic chicken broth 400g canned chopped tomatoes Thick handful of kale leaves, torn into 5cm pieces Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

To Make (Prep time 4 minutes, cook time 7-11 minutes)

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pot or pan. Add the sausages and brown for two to three minutes. Add the garlic, beans, broth and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and add the kale. Stir occasionally until the kale has wilted (two to three minutes). Add salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving): 252 calories, 20g protein, 25g carbs, 9g fat

Beef And Broccoli Stir-Fry

Ingredients (Makes 4 servings)

1tsp coconut oil 340g grass-fed beef tenderloin, sliced into strips Salt and pepper, to taste 400g broccoli florets 320g cooked rice 2½tbsp instant brown gravy mixed with 250ml cold water 6tbsp sugar-free, reduced-sodium teriyaki sauce

To Make (Prep time 2 minutes, cook time 6–8 minutes)

Heat half the oil in a skillet over high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper, then add half the meat to the skillet and brown evenly, stirring, for one minute. Remove the beef and set aside on a plate. Add the remaining oil and repeat the process with the remaining beef. Reduce the heat in the now empty pan, add broccoli and rice and cook for two to three minutes. Add the gravy and teriyaki sauce to the pan and simmer until thickened, stirring as needed (around one minute). Put the beef back in, season with salt and pepper and serve.

Nutrition (per serving): 672 calories, 60g protein, 56g carbs, 20g fat

These recipes first appeared in the US edition of Men’s Fitness

Written by Meghan Lehmann for Coach and legally licensed through the Matcha publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@getmatcha.com.