Creating nutritious, sin-free family dishes are a whole lot easier if you’re armed with a little inspiration.
We’ve pulled together a few good-for-you recipes the whole family will love – from our succulent vegan burger to the low-calorie butternut squash pasta bake, these dishes are delicious and packed with nutritious ingredients.
Vegan Burgers with Low-Fat Chips
Newsflash – this burger is actually good for you. Meat-free, veg-rich and topped with superfood-loaded guacamole, this vegan burger is made with beetroot, sweet potato, mixed grains and quinoa – and is super simple to make.

Encase your burgers in poppy-seed buns and top with avocado and rocket.
And why not serve your homemade burgers with low-fat chips by McCain? These potato chips are coated in a deliciously crunchy coating, with the same fluffy excellence as other chips – but with 30% less fat.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp nigella seeds
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 200g raw beetroot, grated
- 100g breadcrumbs
- 250g cooked mixed grains
- 8 tbsp uncooked quinoa
- 6 poppy seed buns
- 4 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
- 70g bag rocket
- 2 avocados, mashed with juice of 1 lime
- 4 tsp fried onion
- Low-fat chips by McCain
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 220°C and cook chips according to packet instructions.
- Warm up one tablespoon of oil in a pan and carefully cook the onion and garlic until tender. Pour in the seeds and increase heat, cooking until almost golden.
- Next, pop the sweet potato in the microwave for a few minutes until soft. Leave to cool a little and remove the insides, then pop into a food processor. Blitz until smooth. Tip in the beetroot, breadcrumbs, grains and onion mixture. Process until well combined but grainy.
- Divide into six balls and mould into patties. Garnish each patty in quinoa and brush with the rest of the oil.
- Fry the patties in a saucepan until golden and crisp, flipping halfway through until piping hot, all the way through.
Low-Fat Tacos with Fish, Prawns, Red Cabbage and Salsa

Who’d have thought leftover cooked prawns and fish could taste so good – and be this healthy? Fresh, zesty and flavoured with smoked paprika, garlic and chilli, these prawn tacos are ideal for serving up to the whole family.
For a little extra fun, why not let everyone fill their own taco to their own tastes? Bursting with bright, bold flavours, this dinner recipe is totally sin-free.
INGREDIENTS
- 1½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- 300g leftover fish fillets
- 250g cooked and shelled prawns
- ¼ red cabbage, sliced
- 2 limes, juiced
For the corn salsa
- 2 pieces of corn, with cob sliced off
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 French shallot, finely chopped
- 1 bunch coriander leaves
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- lime wedges, to serve
- sour cream, to serve
- 4-6 soft corn tacos
METHOD
- Combine the paprika, garlic and chilli powder and stir together. Coat the cooked fish and prawns in the spices and put to one side to marinate while you prepare everything else.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Cover the corn tacos in tin foil and pop in the oven to warm. Meanwhile, prepare the salsa:
For the salsa
- Cut up the cabbage and toss in the lime juice.
- Combine the corn, avocados, shallot and coriander leaves then mix in the olive oil, red wine vinegar and honey. Season to your liking.
- Add some oil to a frying pan and cook the fish and prawns over a high heat for a few minutes until slightly seared and heated through.
- Plate up the warm tacos and fill with the fish, red cabbage, salsa, lime wedges and sour cream.
Low-Calorie Butternut Squash Pasta Bake

This mouth-watering butternut squash pasta bake is budget-friendly, simple and on the table in under an hour! Even better, it’s under 600 calories per portion. A healthy twist on a classic, this bake makes the ideal family-friendly midweek meal. Featuring layers of butternut squash, macaroni pasta plus a decent scattering of Parmesan cheese, it’s a real crowd-pleaser. It’s a great way to get veg into your kids’ mouths without them even noticing, too.
INGREDIENTS
- 1kg butternut squash, cut into 2m chunks
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 500g macaroni
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 60g butter
- 60g plain flour
- 1 litre whole milk
- 1 tbsp liquid aminos
- 60g Parmesan, finely grated
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- A handful of sage leaves
- 40g sun-blushed tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 50g fresh breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp pumpkin oil (or use olive oil)
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
METHOD
- Preheat oven to 220°C. Line a large roasting tray with baking parchment.
- Lay the squash in the roasting tray. Dribble with the olive oil, add a little salt and pepper then toss to coat.
- Bake in the oven until the squash is soft and charred at the edges. Take out of the oven and put to one side. Leave to cool for a few minutes, but don’t switch the oven off yet.
- Pour three-quarters of the roasted squash into a food processor and blend to a purée. Put the rest to one side.
- Bring a big pan of salted water to the boil. Tip in the macaroni and cook until nearly al dente.
For the sauce
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter over a medium heat. Combine the flour and cook, stirring, for a minute or so, then beat in the milk and cook, stirring quickly, until the sauce thickens a little.
- Reduce the heat and pour in the liquid aminos, Parmesan and nutmeg. Mix until the cheese has melted, then stir through the squash purée so it becomes a rich, velvety sauce.
- Remove from the heat and add salt and pepper to your liking.
- Drain the macaroni, tip into the sauce and stir thoroughly. Pour into a large, deep baking dish.
- Sprinkle over the remaining roasted squash, the sage, sun-blushed tomatoes and breadcrumbs. Add a good glug of oil. Place in the oven, switching on the oven grill at the same time. Bake for roughly 10 minutes.
- Remove the dish from the oven, sprinkle pumpkin seeds onto the surface and place back into the oven until the topping is golden. Plate up immediately, and serve with a green salad.
Whether you’re following a diet or just want to encourage your family to eat more healthily, it’s always a great idea to have a few sin-free recipes up your sleeve. We’re sure the above ideas will satisfy your appetite without hurting your waistline, either. Enjoy!
If you’re looking to go vegan, checkout the going vegan guide from our friends at Future Kind.”