Healthy_Food_Guide_UK_-_January_2020

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FREEZE FOR LATER
The Brook Three Lime Coconut Dal, 4/280g,
the-brook.co.uk, thevegankind.com,
Co-op stores in eastern England
WHAT YOU GET This wonderfully
aromatic dhal, from vegan-only home
delivery ready meal service The Brook,
combines tropical coconut flavours
with a slight lime tang.
THE HFG VERDICT This high-protein
meal goes from frozen to piping hot in
the microwave in 6 min. It looked smaller
than our other favourites, but left us
feeling full for hours. It’s an easy healthy
option for Asian flavours in a hurry, but
remember to include the higher level
of saturates in your daily tally.
SCORE 7/

JUST ADDSPAGHETTI

DaylesfordOrganicVeganBolognese,

£7.99/550g,daylesford.com/shop,

Planet Organic

WHAT YOUGETSimplyheatthis

premium pouchofplant-basedprotein

bolognesetoservewithspaghetti.

Easily enoughtoservetwoadultsor

four small children.

THE HFG VERDICTThisdelicious,

good-as-homemadeoptionis a real

winner. It hasnearlyhalfthenumber

of caloriesoftheaverageportion

of bolognesesaucewhiledelivering

a satisfyingly‘meaty’texture.Thisis a

super substituteforthosetransitioning

to a plant-baseddiet.

SCORE 8/

FOR MUSHROOM LOVERS
Aldi Mushroom Bolognese, £2.49/380g, Aldi
WHAT YOU GET Al dente tagliatelle
with a vegan-style ragù packed with
sliced mushrooms, green lentils and
roasted cherry tomatoes.
THE HFG VERDICT We LOVED this
fresh-tasting, flavoursome, healthy
ready meal. It’s filling yet low in calories
and packed with textures. It’s also low
in fat, saturates, sugar and lower in salt
than all our other favourites. Plus, it’s
ready to eat in just 4 min – eating
healthily in a hurry has never been
easier or tastier!
SCORE 9.5/

SEASONANDSPICE

Wicked KitchenGunpowderPotato

Chana Masala,£3.50/390g,Tesco

WHAT YOUGETA spicedmixof

rice, potatoes,freshgreensand

chickpeas ina microwaveableand

reuseable box.

THE HFG VERDICTWelikedthe

contrastingtexturesofthelargechunks

of fluffy newpotatoesandcrunchy

greens but(saffronaside)wewould

have preferreda littlemorespicy

flavour. Greatforpackinginthe

protein andmuchlowerinsaturates

than the averageAsian-inspiredready

meal or takeout.

SCORE 6/

HOME COMFORT

Plant KitchenCottagePie,£3/400g,M&S

WHAT YOUGETA meat-freemince

and rich tomatosaucebasewitha thick

layer of creamymashpotato.Popit in

the oven forhalfanhourfora golden,

crispy top.

THE HFG VERDICTWhilethishad

a slight vinegarytang,welovedthe

meaty, succulenttextureofthemince

base. The ratioofbasetomashwas

ideal, plusthedelicatelypipedpotato

proves youcanfindreadymealswith

a premiumfeelandtaste.Notethe

higher saltcontent,however.

SCORE 7/

LAZY LASAGNE
Sainsbury’s Vegan Butternut Squash &
Lentil Lasagne, £2.75/400g, Sainsbury’s
WHAT YOU GET A lentil and tomato
ragù layered between butternut squash
slices in place of pasta sheets.
THE HFG VERDICT We applaud this
ready meal for packing in 3 of your
5-a-day – an easy way to get more
veggies. Although a little watery, the
lasagne was full of flavour from the rich
tomato sauce and texture from the
lentils and parsley crumb topping.
Plus, at only 310kcal a pack, it’s a great
choice for lunch or dinner. Perfect
comfort food for veg lovers.
SCORE 6.5/

Per 275g serving O 193kcal O 4.4g fat

O 0.6g saturates O 8.3g sugars

O 7.2g fibre O 19.5g protein O 1.5g salt

Per 390g serving

O 531kcal O 12.7g fat

O 1.2g saturates O 7.4g sugar

O 11.9g fibre O 15.1g protein

O 1.8g salt

Per 400g serving

O 436kcal O 15.2g fat

O 4.4g saturates O 9.2g sugars

O 6.4g fibre O 16.8g protein

O 2g salt

JANUARY 2020 HEALTHY FOOD GUIDE 15

VEGAN